VARIABILITY IN AVAILABLE LEVELS OF QUALITY OF ENCODED CONTENT
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- storing content as multiple streams of data, each of the multiple streams of data encoded in accordance with a different bit rate to play back a rendition of the content according to a different level of quality;
providing notification to subscribers in a network environment that a particular bit rate of multiple available bit rates for playing back the content is available for a limited time duration;
distributing portions of the multiple streams of data in the network environment during the limited time duration; and
preventing distribution of the portions of the content at the particular bit rate in the network environment subsequent to expiration of the limited time duration.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A server resource provides notification to subscribers in a respective network environment that the content is available for retrieval at a particular bit rate (e.g., a promotional bit rate) or particular level of quality (e.g., promotional level of quality) amongst multiple levels of quality for a limited duration of time. For example, an especially high level of quality (or bit rate) of the content may be available only for the limited duration of time. After making the especially high level of quality of content available for retrieval during a promotional period, the content may be subsequently available for retrieval only at lower levels of quality. Accordingly, one or more configurations as discussed herein include changing the ability to access content encoded at different levels of quality over time.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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storing content as multiple streams of data, each of the multiple streams of data encoded in accordance with a different bit rate to play back a rendition of the content according to a different level of quality; providing notification to subscribers in a network environment that a particular bit rate of multiple available bit rates for playing back the content is available for a limited time duration; distributing portions of the multiple streams of data in the network environment during the limited time duration; and preventing distribution of the portions of the content at the particular bit rate in the network environment subsequent to expiration of the limited time duration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 22)
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12. A method comprising:
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adaptively transmitting portions of encoded content at multiple different levels of playback quality in a network environment; and subsequent to detecting occurrence of a trigger event; preventing transmission of the content at a particular level of playback quality of the multiple different levels of playback quality, and adaptively transmitting the content at the multiple levels of playback quality other than the particular level of playback quality. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method comprising:
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producing first content access information, the first content access information indicating portions of content that are available for retrieval at a particular bit rate and other bit rates during a limited time duration; distributing the first content access information to subscribers in a network environment; producing second content access information, the second content access information indicating portions of the content that are available for retrieval at the bit rates other than the particular bit rate after the limited time duration; and distributing the second content access information to the subscribers in the network environment. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification