Skip feature for a broadcast or multicast media station

A receiving device comprising:

• receiver circuitry adapted to receive multiple content streams;
• a plurality of buffers adapted to buffer the multiple content streams from the receiver circuitry, each buffer of the plurality of buffers adapted to buffer a corresponding one of the multiple content streams from the receiver circuitry;
• switching circuitry adapted to be controlled to output a buffered content stream from any one of the plurality of buffers;
• playback circuitry adapted to provide playback of the buffered content stream output by the switching circuitry;
• and
• buffer management circuitry adapted to:
• control the plurality of buffers and the switching circuitry to output a first content stream of the multiple content streams to the playback circuitry for playback;
• control the plurality of buffers during playback of the first content stream such that, for each content stream of the multiple content streams other than the first content stream, the content stream is buffered by a corresponding buffer of the plurality of buffers and an output of the corresponding buffer is set to a start of one or more most recent media items received in the content stream buffered in the corresponding buffer, wherein during playback of the first content stream, in response to receiving each most recent media item in the multiple content streams other than the first content stream, all media items previously received in the multiple content streams other than the first content stream are discarded and each most recent media item received in the each content stream of the multiple content streams other than the first content stream is buffered;
• and
• in response to a skip request, control the plurality of buffers and the switching circuitry to output a second content stream of the multiple content streams from a corresponding buffer of the plurality of buffers to provide playback of the second content stream beginning at the start of the one or more most recent media items received in the second content stream buffered in the corresponding buffer, wherein during playback of the second content stream, in response to receiving each most recent media item in the first content stream, all media items previously received in the first content stream are discarded and each most recent media item received in the first content stream is buffered.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing software for instructing a computing device to:

• provide playback of a first content stream of multiple content streams;
• for each content stream of the multiple content streams other than the first content stream, during playback of the first content stream, in response to receiving each most recent media item in the multiple content streams other than the first content stream, discard all media items previously received in the multiple content streams other than the first content stream and buffer the each most recent media item received in the multiple content streams other than the first content stream;
• receive a skip request during playback of the first content stream;
• in response to the skip request, switch playback from the first content stream to a second content stream of the multiple content streams to provide playback of the second content stream beginning at a start of the one or more most recent media items received in the second content stream that are buffered at the computing device;
• and
• during playback of the second content stream, in response to receiving each most recent media item in the first content stream, discard all media items previously received in the first content stream and buffer each most recent media item received in the first content stream.