Digital video recorder using circular file management and method of operation

1. For use in a digital video recorder, an apparatus for performing time-shifted viewing of an incoming television program being received by said digital video recorder, the apparatus comprising:

a controller capable of, in response to receipt of a pause command, creating a data file having a defined maximum size on a storage disk of said digital video recorder and capable of causing video data associated with said incoming television program to be stored sequentially in said data file from a first location to an Nth location, wherein said controller, in response to a determination that said video data has been stored in said Nth location, is capable of causing a next received video data to be stored in said first location.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said controller uses a write pointer to cause said video data to be stored sequentially in said data file from said first location to said Nth location.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said controller updates said write pointer each time said video data is stored to a location in said data file to thereby cause said video data to be stored sequentially in said data file from said first location to said Nth location.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said controller determines that said video data has been stored in said Nth location when said write pointer is equal to a value associated with said defined maximum size.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said controller causes said next received video data to be stored in said first location by resetting said write pointer to a value associated with said first memory location.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said controller is further capable of causing stored video data to be retrieved sequentially from said data file from said first location to said Nth location.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said controller, in response to a determination that said stored video data has been retrieved from said Nth location, causes a next stored video data to be retrieved from said first location.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said controller uses a read pointer to cause said stored video data to be retrieved sequentially from said data file from said first location to said Nth location.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said controller updates said read pointer each time said stored video data is retrieved from a location in said data file to thereby cause said stored video data to be retrieved sequentially from said data file from said first location to said Nth location.

10. A digital video recorder capable of time-shifted viewing of an incoming television program being received by said digital video recorder, said digital video recorder comprising:

a video processor capable of receiving said incoming television program and converting said incoming television program to a baseband video signal capable of being displayed on a television set coupled to said digital video recorder;

a storage disk for storing said incoming television program; and

a controller capable of, in response to receipt of a pause command, creating on said storage disk a data file having a defined maximum size and capable of causing video data associated with said incoming television program to be stored sequentially in said data file from a first location to an Nth location, wherein said controller, in response to a determination that said video data has been stored in said Nth location, is capable of causing a next received video data to be stored in said first location.

11. The digital video recorder as set forth in claim 10 wherein said controller uses a write pointer to cause said video data to be stored sequentially in said data file from said first location to said Nth location.

12. The digital video recorder as set forth in claim 11 wherein said controller updates said write pointer each time said video data is stored to a location in said data file to thereby cause said video data to be stored sequentially in said data file from said first location to said Nth location.

13. The digital video recorder as set forth in claim 12 wherein said controller determines that said video data has been stored in said Nth location when said write pointer is equal to a value associated with said defined maximum size.

14. The digital video recorder as set forth in claim 13 wherein said controller causes said next received video data to be stored in said first location by resetting said write pointer to a value associated with said first memory location.

15. The digital video recorder as set forth in claim 10 wherein said controller is further capable of causing stored video data to be retrieved sequentially from said data file from said first location to said Nth location.

16. The digital video recorder as set forth in claim 15 wherein said controller, in response to a determination that said stored video data has been retrieved from said Nth location, causes a next stored video data to be retrieved from said first location.

17. The digital video recorder as set forth in claim 16 wherein said controller uses a read pointer to cause said stored video data to be retrieved sequentially from said data file from said first location to said Nth location.

18. The digital video recorder as set forth in claim 17 wherein said controller updates said read pointer each time said stored video data is retrieved from a location in said data file to thereby cause said stored video data to be retrieved sequentially from said data file from said first location to said Nth location.

19. For use in a digital video recorder, a method for performing time-shifted viewing of an incoming television program being received by the digital video recorder, the method comprising the steps of:

in response to receipt of a pause command, creating a data file having a defined maximum size on a storage disk of the digital video recorder;

storing video data from the incoming television program in the data file sequentially from a first location to an Nth location;

determining whether video data has been stored in the Nth location; and

in response to a determination that video data has been stored in the Nth location, storing a next received video data in the first location.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19 further comprising the step of retrieving stored video data sequentially from the data file from the first location to the Nth location.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20 further comprising the steps of:

determining whether stored video data has been retrieved from the Nth location; and

in response to a determination that video data has been retrieved from the Nth location retrieving a next stored video data from the first location.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the storage disk comprises a persistent storage disk.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is capable of storing the defined maximum size in a data field associated with the data file.