Prioritized content download for an entertainment device

• US 8,099,482 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AMI Entertainment Network, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ecast Incorporated
• Inventors: Clark, Darren L., Spielman, Howard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US10/956,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20060074750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,664 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/207, 709/231, 709/232, 717171-173, 717176-178, 718102-104
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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; and

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 causing the scheduled performance file from the host system to be retrieved with a higher priority than retrievals of unscheduled files already in progress, 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 for the unscheduled file, and wherein the content retrieval module is configured to determine a highest interrupt priority among a plurality of scheduled performance files and the interrupt priority for each of the scheduled performance files is based on a function of revenue associated with each of the scheduled performance 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 determine a highest interrupt priority among a plurality of unscheduled files.

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.