Method and apparatus for tracking user location within video or audio content streamed to a mobile handset

An apparatus for resuming the streaming of digital content at a location where the playing of streaming of said content previously was stopped, comprising:

• a server containing digital content and configured to stream said content to a mobile handset over a wireless network;
• and
• said server further including a log associated with said mobile handset, wherein said server records a log entry in said log based on timer data received from said mobile handset, and wherein said log entry identifies a location within said content at the time when said content stops playing on said mobile handset in response to a command received at said mobile handset to stop playing said content;
• wherein said server is further configured to:
• receive a first request from said mobile handset to resume streaming of said content;
• based on said log entry, inform said mobile handset of said location within said content where the playing of said content previously was stopped;
• and
• resume streaming of said content at said location to said mobile handset in response to a second request from said mobile handset to resume streaming of said content at said location.

A method for streaming digital content, comprising:

• storing a piece of digital content as a first set of a plurality of blocks, each block beginning and ending at a unique location within said digital content;
• streaming one or more blocks of the first set to a mobile handset over a wireless network;
• in response to a command received at said mobile handset to stop playing said digital content, stopping the streaming of said digital content to said mobile handset;
• recording a log entry in a log associated with said mobile handset, wherein said log entry identifies a location within said digital content at the time when the streaming was stopped;
• receiving a first request from said mobile handset to resume streaming of said digital content;
• based on said log entry, informing said mobile handset of said location within said digital content where the streaming of said digital content previously was stopped;
• and
• resuming streaming of said digital content at said location to said mobile handset over a wireless network in response to a second request from said mobile handset to resume streaming of said digital content at said location.

An apparatus for streaming digital content at a location other than the very beginning of said digital content, comprising:

• a server containing digital content and the capability to stream said content to a handset over a wireless network;
• said server comprising a storage device for storing said digital content as a first set of a plurality of blocks, each block beginning at a unique location within said digital content;
• said server configured for receiving a command from a mobile handset requesting the streaming of said digital content to said mobile handset;
• said server configured for stopping the streaming of said digital content to said mobile handset in response to a command received at said mobile handset to stop playing said digital content;
• said server configured for recording a log entry in a log associated with said mobile handset, wherein said log entry identifies a location within said digital content at the time when the streaming was stopped;
• said server configured for receiving a first request from said mobile handset to resume streaming of said digital content;
• said server configured for, based on said log entry, informing said mobile handset of said location within said content where the streaming of said digital content previously was stopped;
• and
• said server configured for resuming streaming of said digital content at said location to said mobile handset in response to a second request from said mobile handset to resume streaming of said digital content at said location.