Patent ID: 9485532
Filing Date: 2016-11-01
CPC Classification: H04N

Claim Text:
1. A method implemented on a media server for distributing multimedia content to a plurality of multimedia nodes within a home media network, said media server comprising a plurality of tuners, the method comprising: monitoring user input to said plurality of multimedia nodes within said home media network; storing a plurality of histories of which channels are watched on each of the plurality of multimedia nodes, each history being associated with a respective user of a particular multimedia node; identifying and grouping at said media server a set of channels independently of any current channel selected or display position, the set of channels being grouped based upon a probability that the user of the particular multimedia node included in the plurality of multimedia nodes is likely to switch between the set of channels based on a respective history of the user of the particular multimedia node; in response to said user of said particular multimedia node navigating an electronic program guide, speculatively tuning to but not rendering a first channel from said grouped set of channels based on a position of a selection element within the electronic program guide, and speculatively tuning to but not rendering multimedia streams of the remaining non-selected channels from said grouped set, using tuners of said media server, prior to said user of said particular multimedia node selecting said remaining channels; and transmitting content from a second channel to said particular multimedia node in response to said user of said particular multimedia node affirmatively selecting said second channel, wherein said second channel is one of said channels of said grouped set of remaining non-selected channels.