Electronic content communication system and method

A method of providing content on demand for use in a content source connected over a wireless network to one or more client devices, the method comprising:

• storing a content file in a memory of the content source, the content file comprising a first segment and a second segment, the first segment including a first encrypted header and a first encoded body;
• receiving a request over the wireless network for the content file from a first device;
• transmitting to the first device, over a wireless link, at least a portion of the encoded first segment at a rate greater than a presentation rate of a content represented by the encoded first segment;
• and
• adjusting a data rate of transmission of the second segment based at least in part on a number of active client device sessions and an available bandwidth.

A method of receiving content on demand at a client device over a wireless communication link to a content source, the method comprising:

• wirelessly transmitting a request for a video file to the content source
• receiving, over the wireless communication link, the video file comprising a first video segment and a second video segment;
• decrypting the first video segment to generate a first decrypted video segment;
• decrypting the second video segment to generate a second decrypted video segment;
• storing the decrypted first video segment in a first storage location;
• storing the decrypted second video segment in a second storage location;
• determining an order of the decrypted first video segment and the decrypted second video segment in the video file;
• and
• presenting, at a predetermined presentation rate, the video file.

A method of providing content on demand from a content source to a client device over a wireless communication link, the method comprising:

• storing a media file as multiple encoded segments in the content source;
• receiving, an initialization request over a control channel of the wireless communication link, the initialization request including a MAC address of the client and a media file identification;
• generating a session ID in response to the initialization request;
• wirelessly transmitting the session ID to the client;
• receiving over the control channel of the wireless communication link, a start request including the session ID;
• encrypting a header for each of the multiple encoded segments;
• and
• transmitting over a wireless communication link, at a rate greater than a presentation rate of the media file, each of the multiple encoded segments having an encrypted header.

A portable video display device configured to communicate over a wireless network with, and request media files from, a remote content source, the device comprising:

• memory;
• a data handler component configured to receive encrypted media file segments, decrypt the encrypted media file segments to produce encoded media file segments, determine a relative order of the encoded media file segments;
• and store the encoded media file segments in the memory;
• and
• a player component configured to retrieve the encoded media file segments from memory, decode the media file segments and present the decoded media file segments at a predetermined presentation rate based in part on received user commands.

A portable video display device configured to communicate over a wireless network with, and request media files from, a remote content source, the device comprising:

• means for storage;
• means for accepting user input;
• means for presenting a media file;
• a data handler component configured to receive encrypted media file segments, decrypt the encrypted media file segments to produce encoded media file segments, determine a relative order of the encoded media file segments;
• and store the encoded media file segments in the means for storage;
• and
• a player component connected to the means for storage and the means for presenting the media file and configured to retrieve the encoded media file segments from the means for storage, decode the media file segments and, based in part on user commands received by the means for accepting user input, output the decoded media file segments at a predetermined presentation rate using the means for presenting the media file.

A content on demand system for wireless delivery of content files to one or more client devices, the system comprising:

• a client device configured to wirelessly transmit, over a control channel of a wireless communication link, a request for a content file and further configured to wirelessly receive the content file, decode the content file, and present the content file;
• and
• a content source comprising:
• a protocol module configured to receive the request for the content file, and parse the request;
• a session manager in communication with the protocol module configured to receive the parsed request for the content file from the protocol module and further configured to initiate a session with the client device;
• a first server configured to store a first encoded segment of the content file;
• a second server configured to store a second encoded segment of the content file;
• a buffer manager configured to retrieve the first encoded segment from the first server and the second encoded segment from the second server;
• a bandwidth manager configured to access the buffer manager and transmit the first encoded segment and the second encoded segment to the client device;
• and
• a load balance server configured to balance an access of the first and second encoded segments from the first and second servers.