Independent buffer positions for a networked personal video recording system
View Patent ↗A networked personal video recording (“PVR”) system couples a plurality of clients to one or more PVR media servers over a network. One or more PVR media servers include television tuners to tune television signals. A storage medium buffers the television signals to implement PVR functionality. For example, the PVR media server records television programs for clients. Clients are assigned to television tuners, and the clients display television programs received at the assigned tuner. The network transfers the buffered television signals to the clients.
1. A method for recording media, said method comprising the steps of:
receiving at least one media stream;
storing at least a portion of said media stream in at least one personal video recording (“PVR”) media server, the storing comprising buffering the media stream and maintaining a write position for the buffering;
coupling a plurality of clients, capable of displaying said media stream, to said PVR media server;
generating a first buffer position to identify a location within said media stream for playback of said media stream at a first client; and
generating a second buffer position to identify a location within said media stream for playback of said media stream at a second client, said second buffer position being independent from said first buffer position;
receiving input from a first user at the first client to select a buffer position of another client;
displaying, at the first client, a list of clients that maintain a buffer position for the media stream;
receiving input from the first user to select the second buffer position; and
transferring the media stream to the first client, so as to deliver the media stream by using the selected second buffer position of the second client.
2. The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of
transferring said media stream to a first client, so as to deliver said media stream using said first buffer position; and
transferring said media stream to a second client, so as to deliver said media stream using said second buffer position.
3. The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising the step of generating more than two independent buffer positions to identify locations within said media stream for more than two clients.
4. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving at least one media stream comprises the step of receiving at least one television signal.
5. The method as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the step of receiving at least one television signal comprises the step of receiving a plurality of television signals in a single PVR-media server.
6. The method as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the step of receiving a plurality of television signals comprises the step of receiving at least one television signal in each of a plurality of PVR-media servers.
7. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the step of storing at least a portion of said media stream comprises the step of buffering said media stream for an amount of time when receiving said media stream.
8. The method as set forth in claim 1 , farther comprising the steps of:
receiving input from a user at a first client to pause said media stream;
halting said first buffer position for said first client in response to said input;
receiving input from a user at a second client to select a buffer position of another client;
displaying, at said second client, a list of clients that maintain a buffer position for said media stream including said first buffer position;
receiving input from a user to select said first buffer position; and
transferring said media stream to said second client, so as to deliver said media stream using said first buffer position.
9. The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
generating a write buffer position to identify a location within said media stream for recordation of said media stream; and
maintaining a relative position between said first or second buffer position and said write buffer position, so as to set boundary conditions.
10. A PVR-media server comprising:
at least one input for receiving at least one media stream;
a storage medium for storing at least a portion of said media stream, the storage medium configured for buffering the media stream, the PVR-media server configured for maintaining a write position for the buffering;
at least one output for coupling a plurality of clients, capable of displaying said media stream, to said PVR media server;
said PVR-media server for generating a first buffer position to identify a location within said media stream for a first client and for generating a second buffer position to identify a location within said media stream for a second client, said second buffer position being independent from said first buffer positions,
the PVR-media server further configured for receiving input from a first user at a first client to select a buffer position of another client,
for displaying, at the first client, a list of clients that maintain a buffer position for the media stream,
for receiving input from the first user to select the second buffer position, and
for transferring the media stream to the first client, so as to deliver the media stream by using the selected second buffer position of the second client.
11. The PVR-media server as set forth in claim 10 , further comprising a network for transferring said media stream to a first client, so as to deliver said media stream using said first buffer position, and for transferring said media stream to a second client, so as to deliver said media stream using said second buffer position.
12. The PVR-media server as set forth in claim 10 , further comprising more than two independent buffer positions to identify locations of said media stream for more than two clients.
13. The PVR-media server as set forth in claim 10 , wherein said input for receiving at least one television signal.
14. The PVR-media server as set forth in claim 10 , wherein said input for receiving a plurality of television signals.
15. The PVR-media sewer as set forth in claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of PVR-media servers for receiving at least one television signal.
16. The PVR-media server as set forth in claim 10 , further comprising a buffer for storing said media stream for an amount of time when receiving said media stream.
17. The PVR-media sewer as set forth in claim 10 , further comprising software for receiving input from a user at a first client to pause said media stream, for halting said first buffer position for said first client in response to said input, for receiving input from a user at a second client to select a buffer position of another client, for displaying, at said second client, a list of clients that maintain a buffer position for said media stream including said first buffer position, for receiving input from a user to select said first buffer position, and for transferring said media stream to said second client, so as to deliver said media stream using said first buffer position.
18. The PVR-media server as set forth in claim 10 , further comprising software for generating a write buffer position to identify a location within said media stream for recordation of said media stream, and for maintaining a relative position between said first or second buffer position and said write buffer position, so as to set boundary conditions.
19. A system for presenting a media stream, the system comprising:
a plurality of clients, coupled to a first PVR media server, for presenting said media stream;
the first PVR-media server comprising:
an input for receiving at least one media stream;
a storage medium for storing at least a portion of said media stream, the storage medium configured for buffering the media stream, the first PVR media server configured for maintaining a write position for the buffering;
a media controller for generating a first buffer position to identify a location within said media stream for a first client and for generating a second buffer position to identify a location within said media stream for a second client, said second buffer position being independent from said first buffer position; and
a network, coupling said first PVR-media server to said clients, for delivering said media stream to a first client by using said first buffer position, and for delivering said media stream to a second client by using said second buffer position,
the first PVR-media server further configured for receiving input from a first user at the first client to select a buffer position of another client,
for displaying, at the first client, a list of clients that maintain a buffer position for the media stream,
for receiving input from the first user to select the second buffer position, and
for transferring the media stream to the first client, so as to deliver the media stream by using the selected second buffer position of the second client.
20. The system of claim 19 , further comprising a second PVR-media server coupled by using the network to the first PVR-media server, the first client, and the second client.
21. The system of claim 19 , the first and second clients comprising devices capable of presenting multimedia content including one or more of audio, video, text, and images, wherein a user of the first client receives the multimedia content selectively from the first client and the second client.