公开(公告)号：US20240064369A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-22

申请号：US18269602

申请日：2021-12-21

Applicant: Thomson Licensing

Inventor： Steven Charles RHOADS ,  Doug STRACHOTA

IPC: H04N21/4363 ,  H04N21/214 ,  H04N21/426 ,  H04N21/2381

CPC classification number: H04N21/4363 ,  H04N21/2143 ,  H04N21/4263 ,  H04N21/2381

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling tuners in a content distribution system is described. The method and apparatus receive a request from a user device for a program stream over a local network at a receiver device that includes a join request at a network address. The method and apparatus further identify a channel associated with the network address, the channel being one of the channels received by the receiver device from a content service provider. The method and apparatus also determine if the identified channel is already tuned by a tuner in the receiver device. The method and apparatus additionally tune the channel using a tuner not currently being used if it is determined that the identified channel is not already tuned and provide the program stream from the tuned channel at the network address to the user device.