Method and system of using idle receiving unit resources for receiving content and communicating the content to other receiving units in the network
AssigneeThe DIRECTV Group, Inc.
InventorsSean S. Lee, Scott D. Casavant
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for providing content includes a network having a plurality of receiving units. The system further includes a first receiving unit of the plurality of receiving units that forms a recording request, when the first receiving unit includes unavailable resources and communicates the recording request through the network. A second receiving unit receives the request and stores content in a second memory corresponding to the request and communicates the content to the first receiving unit.
Claims12
A method of controlling a system that includes a network having a plurality of set top boxes (STBs), each of the plurality of STBs comprising at least two tuners, at least two demodulators, at least two decoders, a network interface, and data storage comprising:
- receiving a first television signal at a first set top box (STB) through a first tuner, a first demodulator, and a first decoder;
- forming a recording request for content at the first STB of the plurality of (STBs);
- determining the first STB includes unavailable resources, wherein the unavailable resource is at least one of tuning availability, data stream processing availability or data storage availability, in response to receiving the first television signal and determining that the first STB includes unavailable resources, communicating the recording request for the first STB from the network interface of the first STB through the network to the second STB;
- receiving the recording request at the network interface of the second STB, the second STB of the plurality of STBs having a second tuner, second demodulator and second decoder that are available;
- determining the second STB includes unavailable storage, and in response to receiving the recording request and determining that the second STB includes unavailable storage, communicating the recording request to the third STB:
- receiving the recording request at the network interface of a third STB of the plurality of STBs having a storage device that is available;
- receiving a second television signal at the second STB through the second tuner, second demodulator and second decoder, said second television signal corresponding to the content;
- receiving a third television signal at the third STB through the second tuner, second demodulator and second decoder;
- streaming the content through the network interface of the second STB to the network interface of the third STB;
- and
- storing the content in the storage device associated with the third STB.
A system comprising:
- a network having a plurality of set top boxes (STBs), each of the plurality of set top boxes (STBs) comprising at least two tuners, at least two demodulators, at least two decoders, and a network interface;
- a first set top box (STB) of the plurality of STBs, said first STB forming a recording request for content, when the first STB includes unavailable resources wherein the unavailable resource is at least one of tuning availability, data stream processing availability or storage availability, communicating the recording request through the network through a first network interface of the STB in response to receiving a first television signal and determining that the first STB includes unavailable resources;
- a second STB receiving a second television signal, through a second tuner, a second demodulator and second decoder, said second television signal corresponding to the content;
- a third STB receiving a third television signal through a third tuner, third demodulator, third decoder, and the storage device network interface, said third network interface receiving the content from the second network interface;
- and
- a storage device storing the content in a third storage device associated with the third STB.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.