Methods and apparatus for supporting trick play functions in devices without local storage

摘要

Methods and apparatus for providing playback devices with trick play functionality are described. The system includes a playback device, e.g., without recording capability, and a gateway device with multiple tuner-demodulators and/or a cable modem and recording capability. During normal playback, in some embodiments, both the playback device and gateway receive content in parallel with the gateway recording content at the request of the playback device and supplying the content over the local network when a user of the playback device requests a trick play operation. A single gateway, with multiple tuner demodulator pairs and/or a cable modem, supports trick play functions. In some embodiments if the number of playback devices exceeds the number of tuner-demodulator pairs in the gateway, the playback device can stream content to the gateway for recording and to be returned via the local network in the event of a request for a trick play operation.

主权项

1. A method of supporting trick playback of a program at a customer premise comprising:
operating a playback device at the customer premise to send a message to a gateway device located at said customer premise to trigger recording of said program by said gateway device; operating the playback device to receive, via a first interface, program content corresponding to said program via a first network; operating the playback device to output a first portion of said program; operating the playback device to monitor for trick play commands while program content received via said first interface is being output; in response to said monitoring detecting a trick play command received from a user control device, sending a trick play message to the gateway device requesting said gateway device to provide a second portion of said program in accordance with said trick play command; and operating the playback device to receive program content including at least some of said second portion of said program from said gateway device via a second interface which is different from said first interface.