# US 2013/0160145 A1 · System and method for asset lease management > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0160145 A1 - Document ID: US20130160145A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/326,234 - Filed: 2011-12-14 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-14 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Justin J. Henzie; Amine El Kamel; William Luh; Augustin J. Farrugia - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130160145A1 ## CPC - G06F 21/10: Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material (protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16) {; Digital rights management [DRM]} - H04N 21/222: Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end {(provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56)} - H04N 21/4405: involving video stream decryption - H04N 21/6334: for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key {(wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for asset lease management. The system receives, from a client device associated with a user profile, a lease start request for an asset for which the user profile is authorized. The system identifies a number of available slots for progressively downloading content. If the number of available slots is greater than zero, the system assigns an available slot from the number of available slots to the client device to yield an assigned slot. The system transmits security information, a lease key, and a lease duration associated with the assigned slot to the client device in response to the lease start request, wherein the security information and lease key allow the client device to start a progressive download of the asset for the lease duration. At the end of the lease, the system terminates the lease and releases the assigned slot. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, from a client device associated with a user profile, a lease start request for media content for which the user profile is authorized; identifying a number of available slots for progressively downloading content; if the number of available slots is zero, sending a rejection notification to the client device in response to the lease start request; and if the number of available slots is greater than zero: assigning an available slot from the number of available slots to the client device to yield an assigned slot; transmitting security information, a lease key, and a lease duration associated with the assigned slot to the client device in response to the lease start request, wherein the security information and lease key allow the client device to start a progressive download of the media content for the lease duration. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the lease duration is extended in response to a lease renewal request by the client device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising providing a replacement lease key and a replacement lease duration in response to the lease renewal request. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the lease duration is shorter than a duration associated with the media content. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically adjusting the lease duration based on at least one of an actual server load and anticipated server load. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the assigned slot is automatically released upon expiration of the lease duration. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the security information includes a portion of the lease key. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the media content comprises at least one of a video, audio, game, an application, and an image. ### Claim 9 A system comprising: a processor; a memory storing instructions for controlling the processor to perform steps comprising: transmitting a lease start request to a lease server for a media asset, wherein the lease start request is associated with a user profile; receiving, from the lease server, security information, a lease key, and a lease duration associated with an assigned progressive media downloading slot; and downloading a portion of the media asset for progressive playback within the lease duration according to the security information and the lease key. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the security information includes a portion of the lease key. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, further comprising receiving, in response to a lease renew request, a new lease duration associated with the assigned progressive media downloading slot, wherein the new lease duration is based on the media asset. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising enforcing the new lease duration. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the security information, the lease key, and the lease duration is stored in kernel space. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the media asset comprises at least one of a video, audio, game, an application, eBook, and an image. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein, in order to continue progressive playback beyond the lease duration, the client device is required to send a lease renewal request before the lease duration expires. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform steps comprising: receiving, from a client device associated with a user profile, a lease renewal request for media content for which the user profile is authorized, wherein the lease renewal request is associated with an existing lease key, an existing lease duration, and existing security information; generating new security information, a new lease key, and a new lease duration for the lease renewal request, wherein the new lease duration extends beyond the existing lease duration; and transmitting to the client device, in response to the lease renewal request, the new security information, the new lease key, and the new lease duration to allow the client device to continue progressive playback of the media content for the new lease duration. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the new lease duration is based on the media content. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein a currently allocated media playback slot associated with the client device is automatically released once the new lease duration has expired. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising: determining if a media playback slot is currently assigned to the client device for the lease duration; and if the media playback slot is not currently assigned to the client device for the lease duration: assigning an available media playback slot to the client device to yield an assigned slot; and transmitting the new lease duration associated with the assigned slot to the client device. ### Claim 20 A method comprising: transmitting, from a client device associated with a lease for a media asset, a lease renewal request to a lease server for the media asset, wherein the lease renewal request is associated with an existing lease key, an existing lease duration, existing security information, and a currently allocated media playback slot; receiving, from the lease server, new security information, a new lease key, and a new lease duration, wherein the new lease duration extends beyond the existing lease duration; and downloading a portion of the media asset for progressive playback within the new lease duration according to the new security information and the new lease key. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the new security information, the new lease key, and the new lease duration is stored in kernel space. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the security information includes a portion of the lease key. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the lease renewal request is transmitted prior to an end of the existing lease duration. ### Claim 24 A system comprising: a processor; a memory storing instructions for controlling the processor to perform steps comprising: receiving, from a client device associated with a user profile, a lease stop request for progressive playback of media content for which the user profile is authorized, wherein the lease stop request is associated with an existing lease key, an existing lease duration, and existing security information; determining if a media playback slot is currently allocated to the client device for the existing lease duration; and if the media playback slot is currently allocated to the client device for the existing lease duration, releasing the media playback slot to prevent the client device from continuing progressive playback of the media content using the media playback slot. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The system of claim 24, wherein the lease stop request comprises a media content progressive playback termination event.