Software streaming system and method

• US 9,094,480 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2013
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Numecent Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Numecent Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Vinson, Jeffrey, Westerberg, Steig, DeVries, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US13/961,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20140164638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

A method for streaming software may include downloading blocks associated with a software title until an executable threshold is reached, initiating execution of the software title, and continuing to download blocks of the software title while the software title is executed. Another method for streaming software may include sending to a client data sufficient for the client to build a virtual directory structure for use in executing a software title, streaming a subset of blocks associated with the software title to the client, and streaming additional blocks associated with the software title to the client on demand. A system for streaming software may include a server computer and a client computer. The server computer may include a program database and a streaming engine. In operation the streaming engine may stream an executable streaming application from the program database to the client.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a client device to execute a streaming target program on the client device;

determining, by a processor, a profile of the client device when the client device requests to execute the streaming target program;

pre-configuring the streaming target program, including breaking up the streaming target program into blocks based on the profile of the client device;

streaming the blocks to the client device for execution of the streaming target program on the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-configuring the streaming target program further comprises:

creating a clean system based on the profile of the client device;

executing the streaming target program on the clean system;

creating an index from a performance of the clean system in executing the streaming target program;

breaking up the streaming target program into blocks based on the index.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the index includes directories and files created in executing the streaming target program as determined from the performance of the clean system in executing the streaming target program.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising creating a virtual directory structure for the client device from the index for use by the client device in execution of the streaming target program on the client device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the virtual directory structure includes file properties of the streaming target program in being executed on the clean system and the overall directory structure of the clean system in executing the streaming target program.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the index includes information that can be used by a client-side file system driver to compute which block to download at runtime in executing the streaming target program on the client device.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the index includes a location of files of the streaming target program in an overall directory hierarchy.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the index includes unique IDs assigned to files of the streaming target program, the unique IDs used by a client-side file system driver to determine when the files are needed at runtime in executing the streaming target program on the client device.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the index includes a client version number, a software title version number, an expiration date for the index, or a program ID used in identifying the streaming target program in authenticating the client device.

10. A system comprising:

a memory storing instructions;

a server computer upon executing the instructions configured to;

receive a request from a client device to execute a streaming target program on the client device;

determine a profile of the client device when the client device requests to execute the streaming target program;

pre-configure the streaming target program, including breaking up the streaming target program into blocks based on the profile of the client device;

stream the blocks to the client device for execution of the streaming target program on the client device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the memory stores additional instructions;

the server computer upon executing the additional instructions is further configured to;

create a clean system based on the profile of the client device;

execute the streaming target program on the clean system;

create an index from a performance of the clean system in executing the streaming target program;

break up the streaming target program into blocks based on the index.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the index includes directories and files created in executing the streaming target program as determined from the performance of the clean system in executing the streaming target program.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the client device is configured to create a virtual directory structure from the index for use by the client device in execution of the streaming target program on the client device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the virtual directory structure includes file properties of the streaming target program in being executed on the clean system and the overall directory structure of the clean system in executing the streaming target program.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the index includes information that can be used by a client-side file system driver to compute which block to download at runtime in executing the streaming target program on the client device.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the index includes a location of files of the streaming target program in an overall directory hierarchy.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the index includes unique IDs assigned to files of the streaming target program, the unique IDs used by a client-side file system driver to determine when the files are needed at runtime in executing the streaming target program on the client device.