Claims
- 1. A system for providing streaming content to multiple users, the system comprising:
a central broadcast station to broadcast streaming content; at least two user locations to receive the streaming content, each of the said at least two user locations comprising receiving equipment capable of tuning into more than one content channel simultaneously and capable of capturing said streaming content from at least one content channel and into a buffer as it presents content from a channel other than the at least one channel from which it is configured to capture content; and a locking mechanism associated with each channel, said locking mechanism configured to record the number of users currently capturing content on said each channel and said locking mechanism configured to release said each channel when all user locations are finished receiving content from said each channel.
- 2. The system of claim 1, wherein each user location further comprises an auxiliary tuner and said buffer is a first in first out (FIFO) buffer for capturing content from the first channel.
- 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said locking mechanism comprises a counter associated with said each channel, said counter initially set to zero and incremented each time a new user location begins to receive content on said each channel and decremented each time a user location ceases to receive content on said each channel.
- 4. The system of claim 3, wherein said locking mechanism is configured to indicate that said each channel is idle when said counter reaches zero.
- 5. The system of claim 2, wherein:
each of the said at least two user locations comprises a first user location and a second user location, the first user location capable of receiving a program on a first channel, and the second user location capable of receiving a receiving a first portion of the program on a second channel while a second portion of the program is downloaded to the FIFO buffer of the second user location; and wherein the FIFO buffer is capable of transmitting the second portion of the program after the first portion of the program is completed, such that the second channel is freed for use after the transmitting begins.
- 6. The system of claim 5, wherein said locking mechanism comprises a first counter associated with said first channel whereas said first counter is initially set to zero and said first counter is incremented each time a new user location initiates reception of a part of the program on said first channel and said first counter is decremented for each user location that ceases reception on said first channel and said first channel is free for other uses when said first counter reaches zero.
- 7. The system of claim 5, and further comprising:
a third user station capable of receiving a third portion of the program on a third channel while a fourth portion of the program is downloaded to a FIFO buffer of the third user station; and wherein the FIFO buffer is capable of transmitting the fourth portion of the program from the FIFO buffer after the third portion of the program is completed, such that the third channel is freed for use after the transmitting begins.
- 8. The system of claim 7, wherein said locking mechanism comprises a first counter associated with said first channel whereas said first counter is initially set to zero and said first counter is incremented each time a new user location initiates reception of a part of the program on said first channel and said first counter is decremented for each user location that ceases reception on said first channel and said first channel is free for other uses when said first counter reaches zero.
- 9. The system of claim 2, wherein:
each user location is capable of sending a request for streaming content to the central broadcast station; the central broadcast station is capable of broadcasting requested streaming content to a first user location and a first channel at time T1 in response to a first request for streaming content from a first user location; the central broadcast station is capable of recognizing a second request by a second user for the same streaming content and begins to broadcast the content on a second channel at time T2, the central broadcast station further being capable of communicating to the auxiliary tuner at the second user location to capture content from the first channel in the FIFO buffer, such that the second user views a first portion of the requested content corresponding in length from T1 to T2 on a second channel while the auxiliary tuner captures a second portion of the content from the first channel starting at T2 to the end of the program in the FIFO buffer, such that the second user views the second portion of the content from the FIFO buffer after viewing the first portion of the content from the second channel, such that the second channel is freed for use.
- 10. The system of claim 9, wherein said locking mechanism comprises a counter associated with said second channel whereas said counter is initially set to zero and said counter is incremented each time a new user location initiates reception of a part of the program on said second channel and said counter is decremented for each user location that ceases reception on said second channel and said second channel is freed for use when said first counter reaches zero.
- 11. The system of claim 9, wherein:
the central broadcast station is capable of recognizing a third request by a third user for the same streaming content and begins to broadcast the content on a second channel at time T3, the central broadcast station further being capable of communicating to the auxiliary tuner at the third user location to capture content from the first channel in the FIFO buffer, such that the second user views a third portion of the requested content corresponding in length from T1 to T3 on a third channel while the auxiliary tuner captures a fourth portion of the content from the first channel starting at T3 to the end of the program in the FIFO buffer, such that the third user views the fourth portion of the content from the FIFO buffer after viewing the third portion of the content from the third channel, such that the third channel is freed for use.
- 12. The system of claim 11, wherein said locking mechanism comprises a third counter associated with said third channel whereas said third counter is initially set to zero and said third counter is incremented each time a new user location initiates reception of a part of the program on said third channel and said third counter is decremented for each user location that ceases reception on said third channel and said third channel is freed for use when said third counter reaches zero.
- 13. A method for providing streaming content, comprising:
receiving the streaming content at a first user station on a first channel; receiving a first portion of the streaming content at a second user station on a second channel while a second portion of the streaming content is downloaded to a FIFO buffer from said first channel; transmitting the second portion of the streaming content from the FIFO buffer after the first portion of the streaming content is completed; counting the number of user stations utilizing said first channel with a first counter; and freeing said first channel when said first counter indicates zero user stations are utilizing said first channel.
- 14. The method of claim 13, and further comprising
downloading the entire remaining streaming content from the first channel to the FIFO buffer.
- 15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving a third portion of the program at a third user station on a third channel while a fourth portion of the program is downloaded to a FIFO buffer; transmitting the fourth portion of the program from the FIFO buffer after the third portion of the program is completed; and counting the number of user stations utilizing said third channel with a third counter; and freeing said third channel when said third counter indicates zero user stations are utilizing said third channel.
- 16. A method for providing streaming content, the method comprising:
providing a system comprising a central broadcast station and at least two user locations connected to the central broadcast station, each of said at least two user locations comprising receiving equipment capable of tuning into more than one channel simultaneously and an auxiliary tuner having a first in first out (FIFO) buffer capable of capturing content from a first channel as it presents content from a second channel; sending a first request for streaming content from a first user location to the central broadcast station; broadcasting requested streaming content from the central broadcast station to the first user location and a first channel at time T1 in response to the first request; providing a counter to count uses of said first channel; initializing said counter to an initial state; incrementing a counter to indicate a first use of said first channel; sending a second request for the same streaming content from a second user location to the central broadcast station; broadcasting the first portion of the content corresponding in length from T1 to T2 by the central broadcast station commencing at time T2 on a second channel to the second user location; communicating to the auxiliary tuner of the second user location instructions to capture content from the first channel in the FIFO buffer starting at time T2; incrementing said counter indicating a second use of said first channel; capturing by the auxiliary tuner of a second portion of the content from the first channel in the FIFO buffer starting at time T2 until the end of the program; decrementing said counter when said first use of said first channel completes; decrementing said counter when said second use of said first channel completes; freeing said first channel for other uses after said counter reaches said initial state; and viewing by the second user of the first portion of the requested content on a second channel while the auxiliary tuner captures the second portion of the content in the FIFO buffer.
- 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
sending a third request for the same streaming content from a third user location to the central broadcast station; recognition by the central broadcast station of the third request; broadcasting by the central broadcast station commencing at time T3 on a third channel to the third user location, the third portion of the content corresponding in length from T1 to T3; communicating by the central broadcasting station to the auxiliary tuner of the third user location instructions to capture content from the first channel in the FIFO buffer starting at time T3; capturing by the auxiliary tuner of a fourth portion of the content from the first channel in the FIFO buffer starting at time T3 until the end of the program; and viewing by the third user of the third portion of the requested content on a third channel while the auxiliary tuner captures the fourth portion of the content in the FIFO buffer.
- 18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:
receiving streaming content at a first user station on a first channel; providing a counter to count uses of said first channel; initializing said counter to an initial state; incrementing a counter to indicate a first use of said first channel; receiving a first portion of the streaming content at a second user station on a second channel while a second portion of the streaming content is downloaded to a FIFO buffer; incrementing said counter indicating a second use of said first channel; transmitting the second portion of the streaming content from the FIFO buffer after the first portion of the streaming content is completed; decrementing said counter to indicate when said first user station completes said receiving streaming content; decrementing said counter to indicate when said second user station completes downloading the second portion of the program; and freeing the second channel for use after said counter reaches said initial state.
- 19. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:
receiving a third portion of the program at a third user station on a third channel while a fourth portion of the program is downloaded to a FIFO buffer; and transmitting the fourth portion of the program from the FIFO buffer after the third portion of the program is completed.
- 20. A machine readable medium having machine readable instructions for executing a method comprising:
providing a system comprising a central broadcast station and at least two user locations connected to the central broadcast station, each of said at least two user locations comprising a primary tuner and an auxiliary tuner, said auxiliary tuner having a first in first out (FIFO) buffer capable of capturing content from a first channel as it presents content from a second channel, said central broadcast station having a counter configured to count users of said first channel, said counter initialized to an initial value; sending a first request for streaming content from a first user location to the central broadcast station; incrementing said counter to indicate a first use of said channel first; broadcasting requested streaming content from the central broadcast station to the first user location over said first channel at time T1 in response to the first request; sending a second request for the same streaming content from a second user location to the central broadcast station at time T2; incrementing said counter to indicate a second use of said first channel; broadcasting the first portion of the content corresponding in length from time T1 to time T2 by the central broadcast station commencing at time T2 on said second channel to the second user location; decrementing said counter after said first user location finishes receiving said streaming content; communicating by the central broadcasting station to the auxiliary tuner of the second user location instructions to capture content from the first channel in the FIFO buffer starting at time T2; capturing by the auxiliary tuner of a second portion of the content from the first channel in the FIFO buffer starting at time T2 until the end of the program; viewing by the second user of the first portion of the requested content on a second channel while the auxiliary tuner captures the second portion of the content in the FIFO buffer; decrementing said counter after said second user location finishes receiving said streaming content over said second channel; transmitting from the buffer the second portion of the content; and freeing the second channel for use after said counter reaches said initial value.
- 21. The machine readable medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:
sending a third request for the same streaming content from a third user location to the central broadcast station; broadcasting by the central broadcast station commencing at time T3 on a third channel to the third user location, the third portion of the content corresponding in length from T1 to T3; communicating by the central broadcasting station to the auxiliary tuner of the third user location instructions to capture content from the first channel in the FIFO buffer starting at time T3; capturing by the auxiliary tuner of a fourth portion of the content from the first channel in the FIFO buffer starting at time T3 until the end of the program; and viewing the captured fourth portion of the content from the FIFO buffer.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/474595, filed Dec. 29, 1999, pending.
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09474595 |
Dec 1999 |
US |
Child |
10857397 |
May 2004 |
US |