The patent was filed likely 18 months or more before "this week". All filings are secret for 18 months from the filing date unless the patentee requests for and pays a fee for early publication.
I love journalists . . .
Edit: It was filed Feb 10, 2011. -- "Politicians are employees of ours and if somebody does not do the job, we gotta let em go" - Clint Eastwood. Vote for America, vote for Romney-Ryan in 2012.
I have said it before when I was a charter customer at least 6 years ago now, you could go to the approved list of external hardrive's and hook it up and bam more storage no hassles nothing. Back then I hooked up a 500gb and I was happy as hell never had to worry about space. I don't know why it takes the biggest cable provider to be dragging ass for so many years.