# US 2014/0195642 A1 · System And Method For Preloading Content Segments To Client Devices In An Electronic Network

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- Number: US 2014/0195642 A1
- Document ID: US20140195642A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/160,615
- Filed: 2014-01-22
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2007-02-27
- Assignees: Sony Electronics Inc.; Sony Corporation
- Applicants: Sony Electronics Inc.; Sony Corporation
- Inventors: Nikolaos Georgis; Djung Nguyen; Paul Hwang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195642A1

## CPC

- H04L 67/1061: using node-based peer discovery mechanisms (static access to replicated servers H04L67/1006; service discovery H04L67/51)
- H04L 67/06: specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
- H04L 67/104: Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
- H04L 67/1097: for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
- H04L 67/5681: Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
- H04N 7/17309: {Transmission or handling of upstream communications}
- H04N 21/4334: {Recording operations (recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27)}
- H04N 21/4622: {Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet (web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859)}
- H04N 21/472: End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content {(end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612)}
- H04N 21/4788: communicating with other users, e.g. chatting {(arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104)}
- H04N 21/632: {using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices (broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104)}
- H04N 21/8456: {by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments}
- H04L 67/02: based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A system and method for supporting content distribution in an electronic network includes a peer-to-peer network of electronic devices. The electronic devices are initially preloaded in a distributed manner with various content segments from corresponding content items. When a system user selects a particular content item on a corresponding electronic device, a download manager of the electronic device may automatically generate content segment requests to other appropriate electronic devices in the peer-to-peer network. The download manager may then download and automatically reassemble the content segments to produce the selected content item for utilization by the system user.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electronic device for reproducing a content item, comprising:
a download manager that receives a content selection from a system user for reproducing said content item, said download manager responsively generating content segment requests to target devices in a peer-to-peer network, said target devices being preloaded in a distributed manner with content segments from said content item, said electronic device then downloading said content segments from said target devices, said download manager utilizing said content segments to reassemble said content item; and
a processor for controlling said download manager.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said download manager obtains current storage locations of said required content segments from a tracking server, said current storage locations specifically identifying said target devices to said download manager.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said target devices and said electronic device are implemented as personal computer devices.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said content items include electronically-encoded high-resolution motion picture programs.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said target devices and said electronic device are configured in a peer-to-peer network that supports direct bi-directional communications between any of said electronic device and said target devices.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said content items include entertainment programming, movies, video data, audio data, digital photographs, still image data, graphics, web pages, program guide information, and software programs.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1 wherein a segmented content preloading procedure is performed to provide said preloaded content segments to said target devices.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The electronic device of claim 7 wherein said segmented content preloading procedure is initiated by defining a set of content items.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The electronic device of claim 7 wherein said segmented content preloading procedure includes defining a total number of said content items for preloading onto said target devices.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The electronic device of claim 7 wherein said segmented content preloading procedure includes selecting specific titles of said content items for preloading onto said target devices.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The electronic device of claim 7 wherein said segmented content preloading procedure includes defining a total number of said preloaded content segments into which each of said content items are subdivided.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The electronic device of claim 7 wherein said segmented content preloading procedure includes defining, for each of said content items, relative sizes of respective ones of said preloaded content segments.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The electronic device of claim 7 wherein said segmented content preloading procedure includes creating a mapping scheme for associating said preloaded content segments with corresponding subsets of said target devices.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The electronic device of claim 13 wherein said segmented content preloading procedure includes preloading said preloaded content segments onto the said corresponding subsets of said target devices according to said mapping scheme.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1 wherein a content reassembly procedure is performed by said download manager to recreate said selected content item from said required content segments.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The electronic device of claim 15 wherein said electronic device identifies said selected content item from an extensive content catalogue of said content items.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The electronic device of claim 15 wherein said download manager sends a segment location request to a tracking server through an Internet network, a tracker module of said tracking server returning segment locations to said download manager to specifically identify current locations of said required content segments.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The electronic device of claim 15 wherein said download manager sends said content segment requests to said target devices that were identified by a tracking server as currently storing said required content segments for reassembling said selected content item.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The electronic device of claim 18 wherein said download manager receives said required content segments from said target devices through a peer-to-peer network, said download manager reassembling said content segments to produce said selected content item.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1 wherein a recommendation engine of said electronic device analyzes content recommendation criteria received from a tracking server for automatically identifying said selected content item and initiating a content segment download procedure to obtain said required content segments from said target devices.