Recorded content storage and delivery management

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing the storage and delivery of recorded content in a network digital video recorder (DVR) system are disclosed. A plurality of requests to record a program may be received, wherein the program may comprise a plurality of segments. A segment from the plurality of segments may be determined to be copied to a first storage. A copy of the segment may be received from a second storage and a plurality of copies of the segment may be created in the first storage from the copy of the segment received from the second storage. The quantity of the plurality of copies of the segment may be equal to the quantity of the plurality of requests to record the program.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a request, associated with a user, for a first content segment of a sequence of content segments, wherein the sequence of content segments is stored in a first storage;   storing, in a second storage, a copy of the first content segment;   sending, to a device associated with the user, the copy of the first content segment; and   storing, in the second storage, a copy of at least one second content segment of the sequence of content segments that is prior to the first content segment in the sequence of content segments.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a second request, associated with the user, wherein the second request is associated with a temporal location prior to the first content segment in the sequence of content segments;   sending, to the device, the copy of the at least one second content segment.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing, in the second storage, a copy of at least one third content segment of the sequence of content segments that is subsequent to the first segment in the sequence of content segments;   receiving a third request, associated with the user, wherein the third request is associated with a temporal location subsequent to the first content segment in the sequence of content segments; and   sending, to the device, the copy of the at least one third content segment.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the copy of the first content segment and the copy of the at least one second content segment are unique to the user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first content segment is associated with a mid-point of a content asset. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first storage is associated with an archive storage and the second storage is associated with a playback storage. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the playback storage is unique to the user. 
     
     
         8 . A device comprising:
 one or more processors; and   memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to:
 receive a request, associated with a user, for a first content segment of a sequence of content segments, wherein the sequence of content segments is stored in a first storage; 
 store, in a second storage, a copy of the first content segment; 
 send, to a second device associated with the user, the copy of the first content segment; and 
 store, in the second storage, a copy of at least one second content segment of the sequence of content segments that is prior to the first content segment in the sequence of content segments. 
   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the device to:
 receive a second request, associated with the user, wherein the second request is associated with a temporal location prior to the first content segment in the sequence of content segments;   send, to the second device, the copy of the at least one second content segment.   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the device to:
 store, in the second storage, a copy of at least one third content segment of the sequence of content segments that is subsequent to the first segment in the sequence of content segments;   receive a third request, associated with the user, wherein the third request is associated with a temporal location subsequent to the first content segment in the sequence of content segments; and   send, to the second device, the copy of the at least one third content segment.   
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the copy of the first content segment and the copy of the at least one second content segment are unique to the user. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the first content segment is associated with a mid-point of a content asset. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the first storage is associated with an archive storage and the second storage is associated with a playback storage. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the playback storage is unique to the user. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause:
 receiving a request, associated with a user, for a first content segment of a sequence of content segments, wherein the sequence of content segments is stored in a first storage;   storing, in a second storage, a copy of the first content segment;   sending, to a device associated with the user, the copy of the first content segment; and   storing, in the second storage, a copy of at least one second content segment of the sequence of content segments that is prior to the first content segment in the sequence of content segments.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause:
 receiving a second request, associated with the user, wherein the second request is associated with a temporal location prior to the first content segment in the sequence of content segments;   sending, to the device, the copy of the at least one second content segment.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause:
 storing, in the second storage, a copy of at least one third content segment of the sequence of content segments that is subsequent to the first segment in the sequence of content segments;   receiving a third request, associated with the user, wherein the third request is associated with a temporal location subsequent to the first content segment in the sequence of content segments; and   sending, to the device, the copy of the at least one third content segment.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the copy of the first content segment and the copy of the at least one second content segment are unique to the user. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the first content segment is associated with a mid-point of a content asset. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the first storage is associated with an archive storage and the second storage is associated with a playback storage, wherein the playback storage is unique to the user.