System and method for broadcasting video programs and responding to a subscriber restart command
A system is disclosed for providing broadcast programming to subscriber locations including an intermediate video supplier, subscriber location equipment and one or more video sources. The intermediate video supplier includes a video buffer and a video server that processes received subscriber requests and retrieves, according to the subscriber requests, either of currently broadcast programming or broadcast programming previously buffered in the video buffer by the video server. The subscriber location equipment includes a remote control and a local control unit that transmits the subscriber requests to the video server via one or more data links and receives, from the video server, the broadcast programming for display on a local video display via the data link. A subscriber may initiate a restart command with a single action via the remote control to restart a currently viewed program from the beginning even if the currently viewed program was joined in progress.
1. A method performed at an intermediate video supplier for providing access to a video program, the intermediate video supplier substantially simultaneously receiving the video program from a video supplier from a beginning, broadcasting and recording the video program, the method comprising:
broadcasting, over a first channel, the video program to a plurality of subscribers starting at or about a scheduled time for a period corresponding to a duration of the video program;
checking information associated with the broadcasted video program to determine if a permission to restart the broadcasted video program from its beginning is associated with the broadcasted video program;
if permission to restart the broadcasted video program from its beginning is associated with the broadcasted video program, enabling a restart feature;
during the duration period of the broadcasted video program, receiving a request from a subscriber to restart the broadcasted video program from its beginning, the request being associated with the restart feature; and
transmitting the restarted video program, over a second channel, from its beginning to the subscriber for presentation at the subscriber's location in response to the request, wherein transmitting the restarted video program comprises transmitting the copy of the restarted video program stored in a video buffer.
2. The method of claim 1 , comprising, in response to the request, retrieving a copy of the video program from a video buffer at the intermediate video supplier.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from the subscriber to restart the broadcasted video program prior to receiving any request from the subscriber to record the video program.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from the subscriber to restart the broadcasted video program prior to receiving any request to record the video program from any of the subscribers to whom the broadcasted video program is broadcast at or about the scheduled time.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the video program transmitted to the subscriber from the beginning is a recorded copy of the video program.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the recorded copy of the video program is substantially simultaneously transmitted to the subscriber with receiving the request to restart.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein verifying permission to restart the broadcasted video program is in response to the request from the subscriber to restart the broadcasted video program prior to transmitting the video program from its beginning.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the permission information is stored on a header of the broadcasted video program.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the permission information comprises a label indicating that the broadcasted video program may be restarted on request.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein verifying permission to restart the video program comprises checking the permission information against a list of owners permitting the broadcasted video program for restart on request.
11. A method for accessing a video program being broadcast to subscribers by an intermediate video supplier, the video program being recorded by the intermediate video supplier substantially simultaneously with its broadcast, the method comprising:
a subscriber selecting a broadcast video program for viewing, broadcasting said video program over a first channel;
checking information associated with the selected video program to determine if a permission to restart the selected video program from its beginning is associated with the selected video program and, if so, enabling a restart feature;
while viewing the selected video program, the subscriber transmitting a restart function command to the intermediate video supplier, the request being associated with the restart feature; and
in response to the transmitted restart function command, the subscriber receiving the restarted recorded video program, over a second channel, from its beginning for display on a display device at the subscriber's location, wherein transmitting the restarted video program comprises transmitting the copy of the restarted video program stored in a video buffer.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein selecting, transmitting and receiving are performed using a local control unit at the subscriber's location.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the local control unit is coupled to the display device, and comprising displaying the recorded video program on the display device.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the local control unit is configured to transmit the restart function command in response to a subscriber initiating the request with a single action.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein a remote control is communicatively linked to the local control unit, and comprising a subscriber initiating the restart function command by pressing a single push button on the remote control.
16. The method of claim 12 , comprising the local control unit recording the recorded video program received prior to the transmitted restart function command.
17. A system at an intermediate video supplier for providing broadcast video programming and responding to a subscriber restart command, the system comprising:
a video buffer for recording a video program from a beginning substantially simultaneously with it being received from a video supplier; and
a video server for broadcasting the video program to a plurality of subscribers, over a first channel, starting at or about a scheduled time for a period corresponding to a duration of the video program, the video server broadcasting the video program substantially simultaneously with receiving the video program from the video supplier and checking information associated with the broadcasted video program to determine if a permission to restart the broadcasted video program from its beginning is associated with the broadcasted video program and, if so, enabling a restart feature, and, in response to a request from a subscriber to restart the broadcasted video program from its beginning during the duration of the broadcasted video program, the request being associated with the restart feature, transmitting the restarted video program, over a second channel, from its beginning to the subscriber in response to the request, wherein transmitting the restarted video program comprises transmitting the copy of the restarted video program stored in the video buffer.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein, in response to the subscriber restart request, the video server retrieves a copy of the video program from the video buffer.
19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the video buffer records the video program from its beginning prior to the intermediate video supplier receiving the request from the subscriber to restart the broadcasted video program.
20. The system of claim 17 , further comprising a programming database for storing a list of owners permitting the broadcasted video program for restart on request.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein verifying permission to restart the broadcasted video program comprises checking the permission information against the list of owners permitting the broadcasted video program for restart on request.
22. The system of claim 17 , wherein the permission information is stored on a header of the broadcasted video program.
23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the permission information comprises a label indicating that the broadcasted video program may be restarted on request.
24. A system comprising subscriber location equipment for receiving data from and transmitting data to an intermediate video supplier over a data link, the subscriber location equipment comprising a local control unit configured to:
receive, over a first channel, a video program being broadcast to subscribers by the intermediate video supplier, the video program being recorded by the intermediate video supplier substantially simultaneously with its broadcast, and to present the video program using a display device at a subscriber location;
check information associated with the presented video program to determine if a permission to restart the presented video program from its beginning is associated with the presented video program and, if so, enabling a restart feature;
during presentation of the presented video program, receive a restart function command from the subscriber and transmit the restart function command to the intermediate video supplier, the request being associated with the restart feature; and
present the received recorded video program, over a second channel, from its beginning to the subscriber's location in response to the request, wherein receiving the recorded video program comprises receiving the copy of the recorded video program stored in a video buffer.
25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the local control unit is coupled to the display device.
26. The system of claim 24 , wherein the local control unit is configured to receive the restart function command in response to a subscriber initiating the request with a single action.
27. The system of claim 24 , wherein a remote control device is communicatively linked to the local control unit, and wherein the local control unit is configured to receive the restart function command from the remote control device.
28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the local control unit is configured to receive the restart function command in response to a subscriber initiating the request by pressing a single push button on the remote control device.
29. The system of claim 24 , wherein the local control unit is configured to record the recorded video program received in response to the transmitted restart function command.
30. A computer-readable non-transitory medium having computer-executable instructions for providing access to a video program at an intermediate video supplier, the intermediate video supplier substantially simultaneously receiving the video program from a video supplier from a beginning, broadcasting, over a first channel, and recording the video program, having machine program logic recorded thereon for:
checking information associated with the broadcasted video program to determine if a permission to restart the broadcasted video program from its beginning is associated with the broadcasted video program;
if a permission to restart the broadcasted video program from its beginning is associated with the broadcasted video program, enabling a restart feature;
receiving a restart function command during presentation of the broadcasted video program from the subscriber and transmitting the restart function command to the intermediate video supplier, the request being associated with the restart feature;
receiving the recorded video program from its beginning in response to the transmitted restart function command; and
presenting the received recorded video program, over a second channel, from its beginning at the subscriber's location in response to the request, wherein receiving the recorded video program comprises receiving the copy of the recorded video program stored in a video buffer.
31. The computer-readable non-transitory medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 30 , comprising, in response to the request, retrieving a copy of the video program from a video buffer at the intermediate video supplier.
32. The computer-readable non-transitory medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 30 , wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from the subscriber to restart the broadcasted video program prior to receiving any request from the subscriber to record the video program.
33. The computer-readable non-transitory medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 32 , wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from the subscriber to restart the broadcasted video program prior to receiving any request to record the video program from any of the subscribers to whom the broadcasted video program is broadcast at or about the scheduled time.
34. A system for providing access to a video program at an intermediate video supplier, the intermediate video supplier substantially simultaneously receiving the video program from a video supplier from a beginning, broadcasting and recording the video program, the system comprising:
an input module for broadcasting the video program to a plurality of subscribers over a first channel starting at or about a scheduled time for a period corresponding to a duration of the video program, checking information associated with the broadcasted video program to determine if a permission to restart the broadcasted video program from its beginning is associated with the broadcasted video program, and, if so, enabling a restart feature based on the permission associated with the broadcasted video program;
an output module for receiving a request from a subscriber to restart the broadcasted video program from its beginning during the duration period of the broadcasted video program, the request being associated with the restart feature, and transmitting the restarted video program over a second channel from its beginning to the subscriber for presentation at the subscriber's location in response to the request, wherein transmitting the restarted video program comprises transmitting the copy of the restarted video program stored in a video buffer.
35. The system of claim 34 , comprising, the input module retrieving a copy of the video program from a video buffer at the intermediate video supplier in response to the request.
36. The system of claim 34 , wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from the subscriber to restart the broadcasted video program prior to receiving any request from the subscriber to record the video program.
37. The system of claim 36 , wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from the subscriber to restart the broadcasted video program prior to receiving any request to record the video program from any of the subscribers to whom the broadcasted video program is broadcast at or about the scheduled time.