PRIORITIZED CONTENT DOWNLOAD FOR AN ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM

• US 20090164607A1
• Filed: 02/23/2009
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AMI Entertainment Network, LLC
• Original Assignee: AMI Entertainment Network, LLC
• Inventors: CLARK, Darren L., Spielman, Howard L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,639,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/88 Mark-up to mark-up conversion conversion for visualization in web browsing G06F16/9577
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

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

1-52. -52. (canceled)

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.