Patent ID: 6973667
Filing Date: 2005-12-06
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for delivering media program content to users over a network, said method comprising: receiving media program content to be delivered to one or more users; converting the media program content being received into data packets; multicasting a plurality of streams of the data packets to those of the users desirous of viewing the media program content, wherein first one of the streams is a live broadcast of the media program content and remaining streams are predetermined time shifted duplicates of said live broadcast; storing the plurality of streams of the data packets into a buffer storage device; removing a particular user out of the users receiving said multicasting upon receiving a pause request from the particular user, the pause request including a number of pause attributes; subsequently receiving a resume request from the particular user; unicasting, in response to the resume request, one of the streams of the data packets to the particular user from the buffer storage device in accordance with the pause attributes associated therewith; subsequently receiving a golive request from the particular user; adding, in response to the golive request, the particular user to the users receiving said live broadcast; and stopping, in response to the golive request, said unicasting one of the streams of the data packets to the particular user from the buffer storage device.