Signal distribution system with interrupt processing and trick play functionality

摘要

Methods and apparatus for recording programming content in a signal distribution system are disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, an interrupt is received, which may be associated with an incoming telephone call, email message, alarm or other type of message, and a corresponding interrupt indicator is presented on a user interface screen of a device such as television, laptop computer, mobile telephone, etc. Also presented on the user interface screen of the device is an activatable pause control that if activated initiates recording of a portion of the programming content that would otherwise be presented via the device absent activation of the pause control. Various trick play functions, such as pause, play, forward and rewind, may be provided utilizing the recorded portion of the programming content.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a roaming server of head end equipment, a signal of an incoming interrupt from an interrupt source, the incoming interrupt being directed to an interface device served by the head end equipment; directing, from the roaming server to the interface device, the incoming interrupt for presentation on a user interface screen, the presentation providing an activatable pause control; receiving, at the roaming server from the interface device, an instruction to pause live programming currently being provided by the interface device responsive to activation of the activatable pause control; responsive to receiving the instruction to pause programming, initiating at the roaming server recording of the programming and instructing a media server to start a stream of the programming; responsive to at least one of the initiating recording of the programming and the starting the stream of the programming, causing at least one of the roaming server and the media server to provide information associated with the stream to the interface device such that the interface device reconfigures the user interface screen to comprise one or more activatable trick play function controls for controlling presentation of the stream; receiving, at the roaming server from the interface device, a request to resume live programming; and responsive to receiving the request to resume live programming, sending from the roaming server to the interface device the live programming and instructing the media server to stop the stream.