Network playback of video programming after customer premises service interruption

Abstract

An exemplary method includes monitoring a condition relating to power at a customer premises to automatically detect a power outage at the customer premises, the power outage causing an interruption to a video service provided through a network to a video device within the customer premises, sending a notice of the interruption through the network to a node having a video recorder in the network, recording, at the video recorder in the network, a video program that was being accessed by the video device within the customer premises before the interruption, at least from a point in the video program substantially corresponding to a point when the interruption occurred, and transmitting at least a portion of the recorded video program starting from the point substantially corresponding to the identified point when the interruption occurred, from the video recorder through the network to the video device within the customer premises.

1 . A method comprising:
 monitoring, by a device at a customer premises, a condition relating to power at the customer premises to automatically detect a power outage at the customer premises, the power outage causing an interruption to a video service provided through a network to a video device within the customer premises;   sending a notice of the interruption through the network to a node having a video recorder in the network;   recording, at the video recorder in the network and during the interruption caused by the power outage at the customer premises, a video program that was being accessed by the video device within the customer premises before the interruption, at least from a point in the video program substantially corresponding to a point when the interruption occurred; and   after communication through the network with the video device within the customer premises is resumed after an end of the interruption, transmitting at least a portion of the recorded video program starting from the point substantially corresponding to the identified point when the interruption occurred, from the video recorder through the network to the video device within the customer premises.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the monitored condition relates to power supplied from a commercial power grid to the customer premises. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the power outage comprises a loss, at the customer premises, of the power supplied from the commercial power grid to the customer premises. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the video device within the customer premises normally utilizes the power supplied from the commercial power grid to the customer premises; and   the loss, at the customer premises, of the power supplied from the commercial power grid to the customer premises disables the video device to cause the interruption to the video service.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the device at the customer premises that monitors the condition relating to power at the customer premises normally utilizes the power supplied from the commercial power grid to the customer premises and utilizes battery backup power when the power supplied from the commercial power grid fails; and   the detection of the power outage at the customer premises comprises detecting a switchover, by the device at the customer premises that monitors the condition relating to power at the customer premises, from utilizing the power supplied from the commercial power grid to utilizing battery backup power.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sending of the notice of the interruption is initiated in response to the detected power outage by the device at the customer premises that monitors the condition relating to power at the customer premises. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the notice of the interruption includes identification data corresponding to at least one of the customer premises, the device at the customer premises that monitors the condition relating to power at the customer premises, and the video device within the customer premises. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the notice of the interruption further includes data identifying a point corresponding to when the interruption occurred. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the data identifying the point corresponding to when the interruption occurred comprises a time stamp identifying a time at which the power outage is detected. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 when communication through the network to the video device within the customer premises resumes after an end of the interruption, transmitting an offer to the viewer within the customer premises to resume the video program that was being viewed within the customer premises;   wherein the transmitting of at least a portion of the recorded video program to the video device within the customer premises is responsive to an acceptance of the offer by the viewer.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the network comprises a broadband video distribution network; and   the device at the customer premises that monitors the condition relating to power at the customer premises is a network interface device at an edge of the broadband video distribution network.   
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 monitoring, by a device at a customer premises, a condition relating to power at the customer premises to automatically detect a power outage at the customer premises, the power outage causing an interruption to a video-on-demand service provided through a network to a video device within the customer premises;   sending, by the device at the customer premises, a notice of the interruption through the network to a node having a video-on-demand server in the network;   stopping, by the video-on-demand server in response to the notice of the interruption, a transmission of a video program that was being accessed by the video device within the customer premises before the interruption; and   noting, by the video-on-demand server, a point in the video program substantially corresponding to a point when the interruption occurred for use as a new transmission starting point upon a resumption of the video-on-demand service.   
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 monitoring, by a device at a customer premises, a condition relating to power at the customer premises to automatically detect a power outage at the customer premises, the power outage causing an interruption to a video service provided through a network to a video device within the customer premises;   sending, by the device at the customer premises, a notice of the interruption through the network to a node in the network; and   after communication through the network with the video device within the customer premises is resumed after an end of the interruption, transmitting, by the node through the network to the video device within the customer premises, at least a portion of a video program that was being accessed by the video device within the customer premises before the interruption, the transmission starting from a point in the video program that substantially corresponds to a point when the interruption occurred.   
     
     
         14 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a broadband network-side interface for connection to a broadband medium at an edge of a digital broadband network, the broadband network-side interface providing two-way communication to and from one or more network devices via the broadband medium;   a customer-side interface for connection to a customer premises medium, the customer-side interface providing two-way communication to and from a video device within the customer premises via the customer premises medium;   an internal link between the broadband network-side interface and the customer-side interface;   a programmable data processing system in communication with the interfaces for controlling operations of the interface device; and   programming for controlling operation of the programmable data processing system, for causing the interface device to:   monitor a condition relating to power at the customer premises to automatically detect a power outage at the customer premises, the power outage causing an interruption to a video distribution service provided through the digital broadband network to the video device within the customer premises; and   send a notice of the interruption through the digital broadband network to a node of the digital broadband network for use by the node in providing a video recovery service in response to the interruption.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the monitored condition relates to power supplied from a commercial power grid to the customer premises. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the power outage comprises a loss, at the customer premises, of the power supplied from the commercial power grid to the customer premises. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the apparatus normally utilizes the power supplied from the commercial power grid to the customer premises and utilizes battery backup power when the power supplied from the commercial power grid fails; and   the detection of the power outage at the customer premises comprises detecting a switchover, by the apparatus, from utilizing the power supplied from the commercial power grid to utilizing battery backup power.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the notice of the interruption includes time data identifying when the interruption was detected and identification data identifying at least one of the customer premises, the apparatus, and the video device within the customer premises. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the apparatus is a network interface device at an edge of the digital broadband network. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the programming for controlling operation of the programmable data processing system further causes the interface device to:
 continue to monitor, after the detection of the power outage, the condition relating to power at the customer premises to automatically detect an end of the power outage at the customer premises; and   send a power resumption notice through the digital broadband network to the node of the digital broadband network for use by the node in providing the video recovery service.   
     
     
         21 . A system comprising:
 a network interface device located at a customer premises and through which a video service is provided to a video device within the customer premises by way of a network, wherein the network interface device
 monitors a condition relating to power at the customer premises to automatically detect a power outage at the customer premises, the power outage causing an interruption to the video service provided to the video device within the customer premises by way of the network, and 
 sends a notice of the interruption caused by the power outage through the network to a node in the network; and 
   server equipment included at or connected to the node in the network, the server equipment configured to record, during the power outage, at least a portion of the video program in response to the notice of the interruption and to transmit, after the power outage ends and the video service resumes, the at least a portion of the recorded video program through the network to the video device within the customer premises, for viewing by a viewer from a point substantially corresponding to when the power outage occurred.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the monitored condition relates to power supplied from a commercial power grid to the customer premises. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the power outage comprises a loss, at the customer premises, of the power supplied from the commercial power grid to the customer premises. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the video device within the customer premises normally utilizes the power supplied from the commercial power grid to the customer premises; and   the loss, at the customer premises, of the power supplied from the commercial power grid to the customer premises disables the video device to cause the interruption to the video service.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the device at the customer premises that monitors the condition relating to power at the customer premises normally utilizes the power supplied from the commercial power grid to the customer premises and utilizes battery backup power when the power supplied from the commercial power grid fails; and   the detection of the power outage at the customer premises comprises detecting a switchover, by the device at the customer premises that monitors the condition relating to power at the customer premises, from utilizing the power supplied from the commercial power grid to utilizing battery backup power.