Multimedia stream processing system
View Patent ↗A multimedia signal processing system allows a user to store selected programs while simultaneously watching or reviewing another. The system includes an input section and an output section. Across all configurations, the output section remains substantially the same, while the input section varies according to the signal type and the source. The system receives a digital stream and simultaneously processes the digital stream for display and stores the digital stream on at least one storage device. The system further simultaneously processes a previously recorded digital stream for display while processing the digital stream for display.
1. A method for the simultaneous storage and retrieval of multimedia information, comprising:
receiving a digital stream at a multimedia recording device via a tuner;
in response to a user selecting the digital stream to view live, as the digital stream is being received by the tuner, placing a portion of the digital stream into a buffer;
simultaneously: 1) sending the portion of the digital stream in the buffer for processing by the multimedia recording device for display and 2) storing the same portion of the digital stream in the buffer in at least one storage device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tuner receives digital signals.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the simultaneously step further comprises:
sending the digital stream to a decoder; and
wherein the decoder decodes the digital stream for output to a display device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital stream is an MPEG stream.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the simultaneously step further comprises:
processing a previously recorded digital stream stored on the at least one storage device for display simultaneous with the processing of the digital stream for display.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the processing step processes the previously recorded digital stream using identifying information associated with the previously recorded digital stream.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one storage device contains a plurality of previously recorded digital streams.
8. An apparatus for the simultaneous storage and retrieval of multimedia information, comprising:
a tuner in a multimedia recording device that receives a digital stream;
a buffering subsystem in the multimedia recording device that, in response to a user selecting the digital stream to view live, as the digital stream is being received by the tuner, places a portion of the digital stream into a buffer;
at least one storage device;
a distribution subsystem that simultaneously: 1) sends the portion of the digital stream in the buffer to a processing subsystem in the multimedia recording device that processes the digital stream for display and 2) sends the same portion of the digital stream in the buffer to a storage subsystem that writes the digital stream onto the at least one storage device.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the input subsystem receives digital signals.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a decoder;
wherein the processing subsystem is the decoder; and
wherein the decoder decodes the digital stream for output to a display device.
11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the digital stream is an MPEG stream.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a second decoder;
wherein the distribution subsystem sends a previously recorded digital stream stored on the at least one storage device to the second decoder simultaneous with sending the digital stream to the decoder.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the distribution subsystem processes the previously recorded digital stream using identifying information associated with the previously recorded digital stream.
14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one storage device contains a plurality of previously recorded digital streams.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for the simultaneous storage and retrieval of multimedia information, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receiving a digital stream at a multimedia recording device via a tuner;
in response to a user selecting the digital stream to view live, as the digital stream is being received by the tuner, placing a portion of the digital stream into a buffer;
simultaneously: 1) sending the portion of the digital stream in the buffer for processing by the multimedia recording device for display and 2) storing the same portion of the digital stream in the buffer in at least one storage device.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the tuner receives digital signals.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the simultaneously step further comprises:
sending the digital stream to a decoder; and
wherein the decoder decodes the digital stream for output to a display device.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the digital stream is an MPEG stream.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the simultaneously step further comprises:
processing a previously recorded digital stream stored on the at least one storage device for display simultaneous with the processing of the digital stream for display.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the processing step processes the previously recorded digital stream using identifying information associated with the previously recorded digital stream.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the at least one storage device contains a plurality of previously recorded digital streams.