STB Tuner Management for Simultaneous Program Recording
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Solution Overview
Problem
Set-top boxes (STBs) are limited by the number of RF tuners, restricting the number of programs that can be simultaneously received and recorded or viewed, leading to inefficiencies in content delivery and increased costs for content providers due to the need for repeated broadcasts to accommodate multiple program requests.
Innovation Solution
The method allows a single STB to receive and record multiple programs by utilizing a single communications channel, such as a QAM channel, to deliver content corresponding to multiple programs through efficient tuner management, including the use of local or remote tuners, and dynamic allocation of program content to a content delivery stream, enabling the STB to support recording and playback of multiple programs beyond its tuner limit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of tuners in an STB is increased to allow simultaneous recording of more programs, then the number of programs that can be recorded increases, but the cost of the STB increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
A single tuner is made multi-functional by implementing software-based virtual channel tuning. The tuner can physically tune to one frequency but logically serve multiple virtual channels through software processing, allowing one hardware tuner to perform the work of multiple tuners. This enables the STB to record multiple programs simultaneously without adding physical tuner hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual copies of channel tuning capabilities through software. Instead of having multiple physical tuners, the system creates multiple virtual tuner instances that share the single physical tuner resource. These virtual copies allow multiple programs to be tuned and recorded simultaneously through time-division and software-based channel selection.
2Productivity
If content providers repeat broadcasts to allow customers to record multiple programs, then customers can record desired programs, but communication bandwidth is wasted due to repeated transmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables a single broadcast transmission to serve multiple functions by allowing customers to access and record multiple virtual channels from one physical channel broadcast. The software-based virtual channel technology allows one transmitted signal to be divided and distributed to multiple customers for different program recordings, eliminating the need for repeated broadcasts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments a single broadcast channel into multiple virtual channels through software processing. This segmentation allows one physical transmission to be divided into multiple logical channels that can be independently tuned and recorded by customers, maximizing the utilization of communication bandwidth.
3Ease of operation
If an STB is limited to one or two tuners, then the STB cost is reduced, but the customer cannot record more than two programs simultaneously even if multiple programs of interest are broadcast
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of tuner functionality through software, allowing a single physical tuner to simulate multiple tuner capabilities. This enables customers to record multiple programs simultaneously without the STB having multiple physical tuners, maintaining cost-effectiveness while improving operational capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the tuner by implementing software-based virtual channel tuning. Instead of changing the physical number of tuners, the system changes how the tuner is utilized by implementing virtual channel concepts, allowing one tuner to access and record multiple programs through software-controlled frequency and channel selection.
Data Source
AI summary
In response to user requests for content, content may be dynamically mapped to communications channels, e.g., QAM channels, used to communicate multiple programs during the same transmission time slot, e.g., through the use of multiplexed MPEG streams. A customer premise device, e.g., STB, uses a tuner tuned to the QAM channel to receive the communicated stream, recovers multiple programs communicated using the single communications channel, and records and/or displays the recovered programs. In this manner, more programs can be received and recorded than there are tuners in the customer premise device, e.g., STB. In some embodiments a content service provider control node processes user requests for content, maps requested programs to transport streams, communicates mapping decision information to a content distribution node, and communicates QAM tuning information to the user devices which can then receive and record multiple programs communicated via a single communications channel. In some embodiments a customer premise device utilizes program information to direct demultiplexed program channels to local or remote recorders (for storing) or decoders (for playback).