Prioritized content download for an entertainment device

• US 20060074750A1
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AMI Entertainment Network, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ecast Incorporated
• Inventors: Spielman, Howard L., Clark, Darren L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,099,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.610
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Priority-based content retrieval mechanisms for digital entertainment devices are provided. In various embodiments, the download prioritizations may be interrupt-based, sequence-based, or a combination of the two. In interrupt-based prioritizations, a higher priority download request will interrupt a lower-priority download that is already in progress. In sequence-based prioritizations, a plurality of file download requests may be ordered in a download queue depending on the priority of the request, with higher priority requests being positioned towards the top of the queue and lower priority requests being positioned towards the bottom of the queue.

Claims

1. An entertainment system, comprising:

a storage device for storing files;

a network interface for coupling the entertainment system with a host system over a network;

a content retrieval module for managing file download requests to the host system, wherein if the content retrieval module receives a request to retrieve a file having a scheduled performance and not stored on the storage device, the content retrieval module retrieves the scheduled performance file from the host system with a higher priority than unscheduled files.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface module for receiving entertainment content requests from a user.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a payment interface for receiving payment by a consumer in exchange for allowing the consumer to request performance of entertainment content.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the content retrieval module is configured such that if the content retrieval module receives the request to retrieve the scheduled performance file, the content retrieval module will interrupt a pending download of an unscheduled file and begin downloading the scheduled performance file.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the content retrieval module is configured to record an interruption location for the unscheduled file, and after the downloading of the scheduled performance file is completed, resume downloading the unscheduled file at the interruption location.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the unscheduled file comprises an operational file.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an audio control module for playing audio-based entertainment content.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a video control module for playing video-based entertainment content.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a gaming module for executing video game entertainment content.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a download queue for storing files to be downloaded;

wherein in response to receiving requests to retrieve unscheduled files, the content retrieval module is configured to prioritize the unscheduled files in the download queue.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the content retrieval module is configured to retrieve software files with a higher priority than unscheduled entertainment content files.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the scheduled performance file comprises an advertising file.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the scheduled performance file comprises an audio file or a video file.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the content retrieval module is configured to retrieve an advertising file with a scheduled performance with a higher priority than an entertainment content file having a scheduled performance.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the content retrieval module is configured to communicate with a second entertainment system sharing a network connection with the network interface to prioritize file downloading by the content retrieval module and the second entertainment system.

16. A method of prioritizing download requests for an entertainment system having a user interface, comprising:

storing a plurality of file download requests with no scheduled performances;

initiating a download of a first file download request from the plurality of file download requests;

receiving a file download request having a scheduled performance; and

prior to downloading the remaining file download requests in the plurality of file download requests with no scheduled performances, initiating a download for the file download request having the scheduled performance.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

interrupting the download of the first file download request to initiate the download for the scheduled performance file download request.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

storing an interrupt location for the download of the first file download request; and

after completing the download for the scheduled performance file download request, resuming download of the download of the first file download request at the interrupt location.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein:

wherein the first file download request comprises a request to download an operational file.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a payment authorization corresponding to the download request having the scheduled performance.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the download request having the scheduled performance comprises a request to retrieve an advertising file.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the download request having the scheduled performance comprises a request to retrieve an entertainment content file.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the entertainment content file comprises an audio file or a video file.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the entertainment content file comprises a game file.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the plurality of file download requests with no scheduled performances comprises a request to retrieve an entertainment content file.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the plurality of file download requests with no scheduled performances comprises a request from a host system to retrieve and install a software file.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the plurality of file download requests with no scheduled performances further comprises a request to retrieve an entertainment content file with no scheduled performance;

and further comprising;

downloading the software file prior to downloading the entertainment content file with no scheduled performance.

28. The method claim 16, further comprising:

communicating with a second entertainment system sharing a network connection with the entertainment system to prioritize file downloading by the entertainment system and the second entertainment system.

29. An entertainment system, comprising:

a user interface module for receiving entertainment content requests from a user;

a storage device for storing digital entertainment content files;

a network interface for coupling the entertainment system with a host system over a network;

a requested files queue for storing a plurality of files that the host system instructed the entertainment system to retrieve; and

a content retrieval module for managing file download requests to the host system, wherein if the content retrieval module receives an entertainment content request from the user interface module corresponding to a first entertainment content file not stored on the storage device, the content retrieval module retrieves the first entertainment content file from the host system with a higher priority than files that the host system instructed the entertainment system to retrieve.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein:

the content retrieval module is configured such that if the content retrieval module receives the first entertainment content request from the user interface module, the content retrieval module will interrupt a pending download of a file in the plurality of files that the host system instructed the entertainment system to retrieve and begin downloading the first entertainment content file.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein:

the content retrieval module is configured to record an interruption location for the file in the plurality of files that the host system instructed the entertainment system to retrieve, and after the downloading of the first entertainment content file is completed, resume downloading the file in the plurality of files at the interruption location.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein:

the file in the plurality of files that the host system instructed the entertainment system to retrieve comprises an operational file.

33. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

a payment interface for receiving payment by a consumer in exchange for allowing the consumer to request performance of entertainment content.

34. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

an audio control module for playing audio-based entertainment content in response to a request from the user interface.

35. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

a video control module for playing video-based entertainment content in response to a request from the user interface.

36. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

a gaming module for executing video game entertainment content in response to a request from the user interface.

37. The system of claim 29, wherein:

the plurality of files that the host system instructed the entertainment system to receive comprises an unscheduled entertainment content file.

38. The system of claim 29, wherein:

the plurality of files that the host system instructed the entertainment system to receive comprises a software file.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein:

the plurality of files that the host system instructed the entertainment system to receive further comprises an entertainment content file with no scheduled performance; and

the content retrieval module is configured to retrieve the software file with a higher priority than the entertainment content file with no scheduled performance but a lower priority than the first entertainment content file.

40. The system of claim 29, wherein:

the content retrieval module is configured to communicate with a second entertainment system sharing a network connection with the network interface to prioritize file downloading by the content retrieval module and the second entertainment system.

41. A method of prioritizing download requests for an entertainment system having a user interface, comprising:

storing a plurality of file download requests;

initiating a download for a first file download request from the plurality of file download requests;

receiving a user-based file download request from the user interface; and

prior to downloading the remaining file download requests in the plurality of file download requests, initiating a download for the user-based file download request.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

interrupting the download for the first file download request prior to initiating the download for the user-based file download request.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein:

the first file download request comprises a request to download an operational file.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

storing an interrupt location for the interrupted first file; and

after completing the download for the user-based file download request, resuming download of the interrupted first file at the interrupt location.

45. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

receiving a payment authorization corresponding to the user-based file download request.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein:

the user-based file download request comprises a request to retrieve and play an audio file.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein:

the user-based file download request comprises a request to retrieve and play an video file.

48. The method of claim 41, wherein:

the user-based file download request comprises a request to retrieve and play a game.

49. The method of claim 41, wherein:

the plurality of file download requests comprises a request from a host system to retrieve and store an entertainment content file with no scheduled performance.

50. The method of claim 41, wherein:

the plurality of file download requests comprises a request from a host system to retrieve and install a software file.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the plurality of file download requests further comprises a request from a host system to retrieve and store an entertainment content file with no scheduled performance, and further comprising:

downloading the software file after completing the user-based file download request and prior to downloading the entertainment content file with no scheduled performance.

52. The method of claim 41, wherein:

communicating with a second entertainment system sharing a network connection with the entertainment system to prioritize file downloading by the entertainment system and the second entertainment system.

53. An entertainment system, comprising:

a user interface module for receiving entertainment content requests from a user;

a storage device for storing digital media files;

a network interface for coupling the entertainment system with a host system over a network; and

a content retrieval module for managing file download requests to the host system, wherein a user-based file download request receives a higher download priority than a non-user-based file download request.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein:

the content retrieval module is configured to interrupt a pending download of a first non-user-based file download request to retrieve and begin downloading a first user-based file download request.

55. The system of claim 54, wherein:

the content retrieval module is configured to record an interruption location for the file in the plurality of files that the host system instructed the entertainment system to retrieve, and after the downloading of the first entertainment content file is completed, resume downloading the file first at the interruption location.

56. The system of claim 54, wherein:

the file in the plurality of files that the host system instructed the entertainment system to retrieve comprises an operational file.

57. The system of claim 53, further comprising:

a payment interface for receiving payment by a consumer in exchange for allowing the consumer to request performance of entertainment content.

58. The system of claim 53, further comprising:

an audio control module for playing audio-based entertainment content in response to a request from the user interface.

59. The system of claim 53, further comprising:

a video control module for playing video-based entertainment content in response to a request from the user interface.

60. The system of claim 53, further comprising:

a gaming module for executing video game entertainment content in response to a request from the user interface.

61. The system of claim 53, wherein:

the non-user based file download request comprises an entertainment content file with no scheduled performance.

62. The system of claim 61, wherein:

the non-user based file download request comprises a software file.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein:

the non-user based file download request further comprises an entertainment content file with no scheduled performance.

the content retrieval module is configured to retrieve the software file with a higher priority than the entertainment content file with no scheduled performance but a lower priority than the user-based file download request.