Distributed System and Methodology for Delivery of Media Content to Clients having Peer-to-peer Connectivity
First Claim
1. A method for distributing media content to clients having peer-to-peer connectivity, the method comprising:
- hosting an online catalog having a selection of media items available from a central repository, wherein at least some of the media items have already been previously transferred from the central repository to some of the clients;
responsive to the online catalog, receiving from each client a prioritized list of media items desired to be received for use;
based on the prioritized lists received from the clients and based on where various media items reside, determining a schedule for transferring media items; and
transferring the media items pursuant to the schedule, including transferring at least some of the items between clients using peer-to-peer connectivity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A distributed system and methodology for delivery of media content to clients having peer-to-peer connectivity is described. In one embodiment, for example, a method of the present invention is described for distributing media comprises: receiving at a server a request from a first client for a particular media item, the first client having broadband connectivity to other clients; at the server, determining a second client who has an encrypted copy of the desired media item; transferring the encrypted copy of the desired media item from the second client to the first client; after the encrypted copy has been transferred to the first client, indicating at the first client that the desired media item is now available; and in response to receiving payment authorization from the first client, decrypting the desired media item for use at the first client.
197 Citations
76 Claims
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1. A method for distributing media content to clients having peer-to-peer connectivity, the method comprising:
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hosting an online catalog having a selection of media items available from a central repository, wherein at least some of the media items have already been previously transferred from the central repository to some of the clients;
responsive to the online catalog, receiving from each client a prioritized list of media items desired to be received for use;
based on the prioritized lists received from the clients and based on where various media items reside, determining a schedule for transferring media items; and
transferring the media items pursuant to the schedule, including transferring at least some of the items between clients using peer-to-peer connectivity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for distributing media content to clients having peer-to-peer connectivity, the system comprising:
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an online catalog having a selection of media items available from a central repository, wherein at least some of the media items have already been previously transferred from the central repository to some of the clients;
a server for receiving from each client a prioritized list of media items desired to be received for playback, and for determining a schedule for transferring media items based on the prioritized lists received from the clients and based on where particular media items reside;
a network, in communication with the server, for transferring the media items pursuant to the schedule, including transferring at least some of the items between clients using peer-to-peer connectivity; and
client devices, in communication with the network, for storing and playing back transferred media items. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A method for delivery of media content available on a plurality of devices having connectivity to one another, the method comprising:
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determining media items available on each of said plurality of devices having connectivity to one another;
receiving priority lists from at least some of said plurality of devices, wherein each priority list represents a prioritized list of media items requested at a particular device;
selecting a particular media item to be delivered to a first device based on the priority lists and the media items determined to be available on the first device;
identifying at least one second device having the particular media item to be delivered to the first device; and
transferring the particular media item to the first device from at least one second device at which the particular media item is available. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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Specification