Client terminal for storing an initial program segment and appending a remaining program segment to provide a video program on demand

摘要

A client terminal to provide a video program on demand to a client is connected to a video distribution system and a display device. The video distribution system (VDS) broadcasts a video program to the client terminal including an initial program segment (IPS) and a remaining program segment (RPS). The IPS is broadcast during a first broadcast time interval (FBTI) and the RPS is repetetively broadcast during a second broadcast time interval (SBTI). A terminal controller of the client terminal is responsive to a video control program. During the FBTI, the terminal controller records the IPS in a local memory. During the SBTI, the terminal controller selects the video program in response to a user input and displays the recorded IPS. Further, the terminal controller receives the RPS from the VDS and records it in the local memory. After displaying the recorded IPS, the terminal controller displays the recorded RPS.

主权项

1. A method of providing movies or television programs to a client terminal, the client terminal connectable to a video distribution system and a display device, the method comprising the steps of:
splitting a complete movie or television program by the video distribution system into an initial program segment and a remaining program segment, wherein the initial program segment is separately broadcast by the video distribution system during a first broadcast time interval during which the remaining program segment is not broadcast and the remaining program segment is separately broadcast by the video distribution system during a second broadcast time interval during which the initial program segment is not broadcast; during the first broadcast time interval, automatically recording the initial program segment of the complete movie or television program in a local memory without user input at the client terminal, wherein the first broadcast time interval occurs during an off-peak hour; during the second broadcast time interval, at the client terminal:
i. receiving a user input to select a movie or television program to play;ii. streaming the recorded initial program segment associated with the selected movie or television program from the local memory to the display device;iii. selecting a remaining program segment associated with the selected movie or television program that is currently being broadcast from the video distribution system and recording the selected remaining program segment in the local memory, wherein the remaining program segment is a segment of the complete movie or television program that does not include the initial program segment of the complete movie or television program, and wherein the selected remaining program segment is at least one of a plurality of remaining program segments, in which each one of the plurality of remaining program segments is repetitively broadcast on a channel of a plurality of channels that only broadcasts remaining program segments, and wherein each of the remaining program segments on each of the channels has a separate start time from the other start times of the other remaining program segments and at least two remaining program segments are of equal size; andiv. streaming the recorded remaining program segment from the local memory to the display device such that the recorded remaining program segment is appended to the initial program segment.