Method and apparatus providing scalability for channel change requests in a switched digital video system

A settop box comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor;
• a communications interface;
• an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the communications interface;
• and
• wherein the memory is encoded with an application providing channel change requests in a Switched Digital Video (SDV) system, that when performed on the processor, provides a process for processing information, the process causing the settop box to perform the operations of:
• receiving a request for a channel change;
• determining if a channel requested by said request for a channel change is currently being provided to said settop box;
• when said channel requested by said request for a channel change is being provided to said settop box then:
• buffering said request for a channel change for transmission of said request for a channel change at a later time,
• determining whether a plurality of sequential channel change requests have been received, and
• when the plurality of sequential channel change requests have been received, increasing the later time for transmission of said request for the channel change;
• and
• when said channel requested by said request for a channel change is not being provided to said settop box then immediately sending said request for a channel change to an SDV server in communication with said settop box.

A computer readable medium having computer readable code thereon for providing channel change requests in a Switched Digital Video (SDV) system, the medium comprising:

• instructions for receiving a request for a channel change;
• instructions for determining if a channel requested by said request for a channel change is currently being provided to said settop box;
• instructions for when said channel requested by said request for a channel change is being provided to said settop box then:
• buffering said request for a channel change for transmission of said request for a channel change at a later time,
• determining whether a plurality of sequential channel change requests have been received, and
• when the plurality of sequential channel change requests have been received, increasing the later time for transmission of said request for the channel change;
• and
• instructions for when said channel requested by said request for a channel change is not being provided to said settop box then immediately sending said request for a channel change to an SDV server in communication with said settop box.

A Switched Digital Video (SDV) system comprising:

• an SDV server;
• at least one settop box, each of said at least one settop box in communication with said SDV server;
• and
• wherein at least one of said settop box is capable of
• receiving a request for a channel change from a user,
• determining if a channel requested by said request for a channel change is currently being provided to said settop box,
• when said channel requested by said request for a channel change is being provided to said settop box then buffering said request for a channel change for transmission of said request for a channel change at a later time to said SDV server, determining whether a plurality of sequential channel change requests have been received, and when the plurality of sequential channel change requests have been received, increasing the later time for transmission of said request for the channel change, and
• transmitting said request for a channel change at a later time, and when said channel requested by said request for a channel change is not being provided to said settop box then immediately sending said request for a channel change to said SDV server.