A method is disclosed for distributed recording of content in a client system having a home network connecting a content broker and a plurality of set-top boxes (STBs) with digital video recording capability. In a requesting STB, a command is received from a user to begin recording a content item. A query is sent from the requesting STB to the content broker to determine whether the content item is being recorded by any other STB of the plurality of STBs. A response is received from the content broker. If the response indicates that none of the plurality of STBs is then currently recording the content item, the content item is recorded in the requesting STB. If the response identifies a recording STB that is then currently recording the requested content, an internal content list is updated in the requesting STB to identify the recording STB.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A computer-implemented method executed by one or more processors, the method comprising: identifying, by a first set-top box (STB) of a plurality of STBs connected by a first network, a request for a particular content item available from a content server, wherein the first STB is connected to the content server by a second network different than the first network; in response to identifying the request for the particular content item, determining, by the first STB, that the particular content item is available from a second STB of the plurality of STBs; and in response to determining that the particular content item is available from the second STB, transferring, by the first STB, the particular content item from the second STB over the first network.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the particular content item is available from the second STB includes querying a content broker for STBs of the plurality of STBs from which the particular content item is available.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the particular content item at the first STB after transferring the particular content item from the second STB.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for the particular content item is a request to record the particular content item, the method further comprising: in response to transferring the particular content item from the second STB, storing, by the first STB, the particular content item.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for the particular content item is a request to play the particular content item, and transferring, by the first STB, the particular content item from the second STB includes streaming the particular content item from the second STB over the first network for presentation on a display device associated with the first STB.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for the particular content item includes a user command received by the first STB.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to record the particular content item represents a scheduled recording of the particular content item.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the particular content item is available from the second STB includes determining that the second STB is currently recording the particular content item.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the particular content item is available from the second STB includes determining that the second STB has previously recorded the particular content item.
10. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions operable when executed to cause at least one processor to perform operations comprising: identifying, by a first set-top box (STB) of a plurality of STBs connected by a first network, a request for a particular content item available from a content server, wherein the first STB is connected to the content server by a second network different than the first network; in response to identifying the request for the particular content item, determining, by the first STB, that the particular content item is available from a second STB of the plurality of STBs; and in response to determining that the particular content item is available from the second STB, transferring, by the first STB, the particular content item from the second STB over the first network.
11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein determining that the particular content item is available from the second STB includes querying a content broker for STBs of the plurality of STBs from which the particular content item is available.
12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , the operations further comprising storing the particular content item at the first STB after transferring the particular content item from the second STB.
13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the request for the particular content item is a request to record the particular content item, the computer-readable medium further comprising: in response to transferring the particular content item from the second STB, storing, by the first STB, the particular content item.
14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the request for the particular content item is a request to play the particular content item, and transferring, by the first STB, the particular content item from the second STB includes streaming the particular content item from the second STB over the first network for presentation on a display device associated with the first STB.
15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the request for the particular content item includes a user command received by the first STB.
16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the request to record the particular content item represents a scheduled recording of the particular content item.
17. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein determining that the particular content item is available from the second STB includes determining that the second STB is currently recording the particular content item.
18. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein determining that the particular content item is available from the second STB includes determining that the second STB has previously recorded the particular content item.
19. A system comprising: memory for storing data; and one or more processors operable to perform operations comprising: identifying, by a first set-top box (STB) of a plurality of STBs connected by a first network, a request for a particular content item available from a content server, wherein the first STB is connected to the content server by a second network different than the first network; in response to identifying the request for the particular content item, determining, by the first STB, that the particular content item is available from a second STB of the plurality of STBs; and in response to determining that the particular content item is available from the second STB, transferring, by the first STB, the particular content item from the second STB over the first network.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein determining that the particular content item is available from the second STB includes querying a content broker for STBs of the plurality of STBs from which the particular content item is available.
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February 27, 2015
February 23, 2016
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