Patent ID: 8713623

Claim:
Apparatus for use at a service node of a content delivery network, said apparatus configured to controllably provide a collection of program materials to a group of terminals serviced thereby, said group of terminals each being configured to receive said collection of program materials modulated on a plurality of carriers by said service node, said apparatus comprising: an interface configured to receive a request for a selected program material from at least one terminal, said request comprising an identification associated with said at least one terminal; a processing element configured to responsive to said received request determine whether said selected program material is included in said collection of program materials currently being provided to said group of terminals serviced by said service node apparatus; a first control element configured to, when it is determined that said selected program material is not included in said collection of program materials: add said selected program material to said collection of program materials currently provided to at least one of said group of terminals by said service node apparatus; and send a control message to said at least one terminal, said control message comprising an identification field which includes said identification associated with said at least one terminal, and an indication of a carrier associated with said selected program material; and a second control element configured to, when it is determined that said selected program material is already included in said collection of program materials: send said control message to said at least one terminal, said control message comprising said identification field which includes said identification associated with said at least one terminal, and said indication of said carrier associated with said selected program material; when it is determined that said selected program material is no longer selected by any of said group of terminals, remove said selected program material from said collection of program materials; and after a pre-set length of time, automatically remove said selected program material from said collection of program materials.