Method and apparatus for delivering subscription service content to roaming users

A method of providing access to a subscription service in a signal distribution system to a system user at a location remote from a home location of the user, the subscription service comprising a plurality of selectable channels available to the user at the home location, the home and remote locations being serviced by respective first and second head ends of the system, the method comprising the steps of:

• obtaining in the second head end content for at least one channel of said subscription service available to the user at the home location;
• and
• inserting said content into a program stream utilizable for delivery of content to an interface device at the remote location to thereby make the channel accessible to the user at the remote location;
• wherein the plurality of channels is associated in the first head end with a multicast group reserved only for the user, said multicast group comprising a plurality of multicast addresses reserved for providing the user with remote access to the plurality of selectable channels available to the user at the home location;
• wherein if content for any of the plurality of channels is already available in the second head end as a result of subscription services provided to any other user serviced by the second head end, said already available content is not transported from the first head end to the second head end;
• and
• wherein the already available content is identified using a pointer to a multicast address where the content is available.

A method of providing access to a subscription service in a signal distribution system to a system user at a location remote from a home location of the user, the subscription service comprising a plurality of selectable channels available to the user at the home location, the home and remote locations being serviced by respective first and second head ends of the system, the method comprising the steps of:

• obtaining in the second head end content for at least one channel of said subscription service available to the user at the home location;
• and
• inserting said content into a program stream utilizable for delivery of content to an interface device at the remote location to thereby make the channel accessible to the user at the remote location;
• wherein at a given point in time content for at most one a selected one of the plurality of channels is transported from the first head end to the second head end responsive to a particular channel selection made by the user via the interface device at the remote location;
• wherein the selected channel is associated in the first head end with a multicast group reserved only for the user, said multicast group comprising a plurality of multicast addresses reserved for providing the user with remote access to the plurality of selectable channels available to the user at the home location;
• and
• wherein responsive to a channel change command initiated by the user via the interface device at the remote location the first head end associates a different one of the channels with the multicast group reserved for the user.

An interface device comprising a processor coupled to a memory and being configured for use in providing access to a subscription service in a signal distribution system to a system user at a location remote from a home location of the user, the subscription service comprising a plurality of selectable channels available to the user at the home location, the home and remote locations being serviced by respective first and second head ends of the system, the second head end being adapted to obtain content for at least one channel of said subscription service available to the user at the home location, and to insert said content into a program stream utilizable for delivery of content to the interface device to thereby make the channel accessible to the user at the remote location;

• wherein at a given point in time content for at most one a selected one of the plurality of channels is transported from the first head end to the second head end responsive to a particular channel selection made by the user via the interface device at the remote location;
• wherein the selected channel is associated in the first head end with a multicast group reserved only for the user, said multicast group comprising a plurality of multicast addresses reserved for providing the user with remote access to the plurality of selectable channels available to the user at the home location;
• and
• wherein responsive to a channel change command initiated by the user via the interface device at the remote location the first head end associates a different one of the channels with the multicast group reserved for the user.

An apparatus for use in providing access to a subscription service in a signal distribution system to a system user at a location remote from a home location of the user, the subscription service comprising a plurality of selectable channels available to the user at the home location, the home and remote locations being serviced by respective first and second head ends of the system, the apparatus comprising:

• head end equipment comprising at least one server, the head end equipment being adapted for communication with an interface device at the remote location;
• the head end equipment being operative to obtain content for at least one channel of said subscription service available to the user at the home location, and to insert said content into a program stream utilizable for delivery of content to the interface device to thereby make the channel accessible to the user at the remote location;
• wherein at a given point in time content for at most one a selected one of the plurality of channels is transported from the first head end to the second head end responsive to a particular channel selection made by the user via the interface device at the remote location;
• wherein the selected channel is associated in the first head end with a multicast group reserved only for the user, said multicast group comprising a plurality of multicast addresses reserved for providing the user with remote access to the plurality of selectable channels available to the user at the home location;
• and
• wherein responsive to a channel change command initiated by the user via the interface device at the remote location the first head end associates a different one of the channels with the multicast group reserved for the user.