Patent ID: 7624415

Claim:
A system for optimizing utilization of bandwidth in a content delivery system, comprising: a head end configured to transmit a plurality of programs via a plurality of communication channels; and a plurality of customer premises equipment each configured to receive the plurality of programs transmitted via the plurality of communication channels from the head end; wherein upon receiving a first request for a first program from a first subscriber, the first program having a beginning and an end, the head end transmits the first program via a first communication channel to the customer premises equipment associated with the first subscriber; the head end determines whether there is any excess bandwidth in the content delivery system from one or more communication channels other than the first communication channel; the head end breaks up the first program based on a determination that there is excess bandwidth in the content delivery system from the one or more communication channels and transmits the first program collectively over multiple communication channels including the first communication channel and the one or more communication channels that have excess bandwidth; and wherein upon receiving a second request for the first program from a second subscriber, the head end transmits via at least a second communication channel to the customer premises equipment associated with the second subscriber a portion of the first program, the portion being from the beginning of the first program to a point in the program corresponding to the time that the second request is received, and directs the customer premises equipment associated with the second subscriber to record, from the multiple communication channels upon which the first program is transmitted, the remaining portion of the first program, the remaining portion being from the point in the first program corresponding to the time the second request is received to the end of the first program.