Intelligent download of content
AssigneeRoku, Inc.
InventorAnthony John WOOD
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Intelligently downloading content to user devices is described herein. According to an embodiment, a user request for content is received. In response to the request, a low quality version of the content is downloaded and played to the user. Then, a higher quality version of the content is downloaded (this may occur during or after the download or playback of the low quality version of the content). Playback of the low quality version is discontinued. Then, playback of the higher quality version begins at the point where playback of the low quality version was discontinued. In some embodiments, the low quality version and the higher quality version of the requested content (among all the versions of the requested content) are identified via crowdsourcing.
Claims20
A method for intelligently downloading content, comprising:
- receiving a user request for content;
- downloading a low quality version of the requested content;
- playing the downloaded low quality version of the requested content on a user device;
- downloading a high quality version of the requested content, wherein a resolution of the high quality version is greater than a resolution of the low quality version;
- discontinuing playback of the downloaded low quality version of the requested content;
- and
- playing the downloaded high quality version of the requested content on the user device, at a point in the requested content where the playback of the downloaded low quality version was discontinued.
A method for intelligently downloading content, comprising:
- receiving a user request for content;
- determining a quality of the requested content to download;
- downloading a version of the requested content corresponding to the determined quality;
- playing the downloaded version of the requested content on a user device;
- downloading a higher quality version of the requested content;
- discontinuing playback of the version of the requested content corresponding to the determined quality;
- and
- playing the downloaded higher quality version of the requested content on the user device, at a point in the requested content where the playback of the version of the requested content corresponding to the determined quality was discontinued.
A method in a user device for intelligently downloading content, comprising:
- receiving a user request for content;
- determining an IP address of an available wireless connection;
- accessing a crowdsource server to identify a version of the requested content to download using the IP address, wherein the identified version has been reported to the crowdsource server as having been successfully downloaded using the IP address;
- downloading the identified version of the requested content;
- and
- playing the downloaded content on the user device.
A non-transitory computer-readable module having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:
- receiving a user request for content;
- downloading a low quality version of the requested content;
- playing the downloaded low quality version of the requested content on a user device;
- downloading a high quality version of the requested content, wherein a resolution of the high quality version is greater than a resolution of the low quality version;
- discontinuing playback of the downloaded low quality version of the requested content;
- and
- playing the downloaded high quality version of the requested content on the user device, at a point in the requested content where the playback of the downloaded low quality version was discontinued.
A non-transitory computer-readable module having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:
- receiving a user request for content;
- determining a quality of the requested content to download;
- downloading a version of the requested content corresponding to the determined quality;
- playing the downloaded version of the requested content on a user device;
- downloading a higher quality version of the requested content;
- discontinuing playback of the version of the requested content corresponding to the determined quality;
- and
- playing the downloaded higher quality version of the requested content on the user device, at a point in the requested content where the playback of the version of the requested content corresponding to the determined quality was discontinued.
A non-transitory computer-readable module having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:
- receiving a user request for content;
- determining an IP address of an available wireless connection;
- accessing a crowdsource server to identify a version of the requested content to download using the IP address, wherein the identified version has been reported to the crowdsource server as having been successfully downloaded using the IP address;
- downloading the identified version of the requested content;
- and
- playing the downloaded content on the user device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.