METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EFFICIENT DOWNLOAD OF DATA PACKAGE

• US 20130031214A1
• Filed: 07/25/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: NIELSEN, SVEN E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Methods for efficient download of a data package and a client device and server that may implement such methods are disclosed. The client device sends an inventory identifying existing stored content packages to the download server. The download server identifies portions of the requested data package already corresponding to content elements already stored on the client device, and sends information to the client device indicating which portions of the requested data package are already stored on the client device. The client device gathers the already-stored portions of the requested data package and requests a remaining portion of the requested data package from the download server. The download server receives the request for the remaining portion of the requested data package and sends the remaining portion to the client device.

Claims

1. In a client device configured to operate on a network, a method for efficient download of a data package, comprising:

a) sending an inventory identifying existing content packages stored in the client device to a server operating on the network;

b) receiving a response from the server containing information identifying one or more portions of the data package corresponding to one or more existing content elements stored on the client device;

c) gathering the one or more identified portions of content within the data package from existing content elements stored in the client device; and

d) requesting a remaining portion of the data package from the server; and

e) receiving the remaining portion of the data package from the server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before a), sending a request to download the data package from the client device to the server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the request is made in response to an input from a user of the client device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the request is made automatically by the client device at a predetermined time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory of existing content includes a list identifying each content item stored in the client device and a corresponding version number for each content item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the response from the server includes information indicating a location within the client device for each of the one or more existing content elements stored on the client device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the response from the server includes a list of identifiers corresponding to one or more existing content elements stored on the client device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the response includes code and/or data configured to guide the client device in gathering the one or more portions identified in the response.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein c) includes copying the one or more existing content elements stored in the client device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein c) includes generating a pointer for each identified portion of the data package, the pointer indicating the location of a corresponding existing content element stored in the client device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein d) includes performing a scan of the gathered identified portions of the data package to determine the remaining portion of the data package.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising f) examining the data package for any missing portions.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device is a closed platform device and the inventory identifies existing restricted content packages stored in the client device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device is an open platform device, the method further comprising verifying that the identified portions are correspond to existing content elements stored in the client device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein d) includes requesting one or more non-matching identified portions that do not correspond to content elements stored in the device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein c) includes identifying one or more substitutes for one or more non-matching identified portions that do not correspond to content elements stored in the device and gathering the substitutes from among portions stored in the client device.

17. A client device configured to operate in a closed platform network, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

one or more instructions embodied in memory for execution by the processor, the instructions being configured to implement a method for efficient download of a data package, the method comprising;

a) sending an inventory identifying existing content stored in the client device to a server operating on the closed platform network;

b) receiving information from the server identifying one or more portions of the data package that correspond to one or more existing content elements stored on the client device;

c) gathering the one or more identified portions of the data package from existing content elements stored on the client device; and

d) requesting a remaining portion of the data package from the server; and

e) receiving the remaining portion of the data package from the server.

18. In a server configured to operate on a network, a method for efficient download of a data package, comprising:

a) receiving an inventory identifying existing content packages stored in the client device;

b) identifying from the inventory one or more portions of the data package corresponding to one or more existing content elements stored on the client device;

c) sending information to the client device identifying each of the one or more portions of the data package that are stored as existing content elements on the client device;

d) receiving a request from the client device for a remaining portion of the data package;

e) sending the remaining portion of the data package to the client device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the inventory includes a list identifying each content package stored on the client device and a corresponding version number for each content package stored on the client device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein b) includes comparing a set of content elements in the data package to a set of existing content elements determined from the inventory.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein b) includes identifying the one or more portions of the data package that are stored as existing content elements on the client device from a content package identifier and version number for one or more content packages on the list.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the information sent to the client device in c) includes information indicating a location within the client device for each of the one or more portions of the data package that are stored as existing content elements on the client device.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the information sent to the client device includes a list of identifiers corresponding to one or more existing content elements stored on the client device.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the client device is a closed platform device and the inventory identifies existing restricted content packages stored in the client device.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the client device is an open platform device, the method further comprising sending verifying information to the client that the client can use to verify that the identified portions match corresponding existing content elements stored in the client device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein c) includes identifying one or more substitutes for one or more non-matching identified portions that do not correspond to content elements stored in the device and notifying the client device of the substitutes.

27. A server configured to operate on a network, comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

one or more instructions embodied in memory for execution by the processor, the instructions being configured to implement a method for efficient download of a data package, the method comprising;

a) receiving an inventory identifying existing content packages stored on the client device;

b) identifying one or more portions of the data package corresponding to one or more existing content elements stored on the client device from the inventory;

c) sending information to the client device identifying the one or more existing content elements;

d) receiving a request from the client device for a remaining portion of the data package;

e) sending the remaining portion of the data package to the client device.