Methods and apparatus for subscribing to multimedia delivery services in a data network

A computing device, comprising:

• a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
• receiving over a data network a subscription package of services and resource requirements associated with the subscription package, wherein:
• the resource requirements indicate resources, comprising an amount of available memory, hardware resources, and software resources, required on the computing device to render the services associated with the subscription package to a user of the computing device,
• the subscription package comprises a plurality of services offered on a subscription basis and each of the plurality of services comprises a sequence of media presentations delivered to the computing device for real-time playback, and
• receiving the subscription package of services and resource requirements associated with the subscription package comprises beginning an activation process to enable the computing device to receive the subscription package;
• determining, by a resource manager on the computing device, whether the computing device meets the resource requirements associated with the subscription package by determining whether the computing device has each of the amount of available memory, the hardware resources, and the software resources required to accommodate all of the services associated with the subscription package;
• excluding from installation on the computing device one or more services of the subscription package in response to determining that the computing device does not have each of the amount of available memory, the hardware resources, and the software resources required to accommodate all of the services associated with the subscription package, wherein the plurality of services of the subscription package are ranked based on a priority indicator associated with the each of the one or more services, and wherein a lowest ranked one or more services are excluded from the subscription package such that the computing device meets the requirements of all of the remaining non-excluded services associated with the subscription package;
• and
• automatically subscribing the computing device to the subscription package by transmitting a subscription request for only the remaining non-excluded services of the subscription package to a distribution server over the data network.

A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations for subscribing to receive a subscription package of services at a device in a data network, comprising:

• receiving, by the device, the subscription package and resource requirements associated with the subscription package, wherein:
• the resource requirements indicate resources, comprising an amount of available memory, hardware resources, and software resources, required on the device to render the services associated with the subscription package to a user of the device,
• the subscription package comprises a plurality of services offered on a subscription basis and each of the plurality of services comprises a sequence of media presentations delivered to the device for real-time playback, and
• receiving, by the device, the subscription package and resource requirements associated with the subscription package comprises beginning an activation process to enable the device to receive the subscription package;
• determining, by a resource manager on the device, whether the device meets the resource requirements associated with the subscription package by determining whether the device has each of the amount of available memory, the hardware resources, and the software resources required to accommodate all of the services associated with the subscription package;
• excluding from installation on the device one or more services of the subscription package in response to determining that the device does not have each of the amount of available memory, the hardware resources, and the software resources required to accommodate all of the services associated with the subscription package, wherein the plurality of services of the subscription package are ranked based on a priority indicator associated with the each of the one or more services, and wherein a lowest ranked one or more services are excluded from the subscription package such that the device meets the requirements of all of the remaining non-excluded services associated with the subscription package;
• and
• automatically subscribing the device to the subscription package by transmitting a subscription request for only the remaining non-excluded services of the subscription package to a distribution server over the data network.

A computing device, comprising:

• means for receiving over a data network a subscription package of services and resource requirements associated with the subscription package, wherein:
• the resource requirements indicate resources, comprising an amount of available memory, hardware resources, and software resources, required on the computing device to render the services associated with the subscription package to a user of the computing device,
• the subscription package comprises a plurality of services offered on a subscription basis and each of the plurality of services comprises a sequence of media presentations delivered to the computing device for real-time playback, and
• means for receiving the subscription package and resource requirements associated with the subscription package comprises means for beginning an activation process to enable the computing device to receive the subscription package;
• means for determining, by a resource manager on the computing device, whether the computing device meets the resource requirements associated with the subscription package by determining whether the computing device has each of the amount of available memory, the hardware resources, and the software resources required to accommodate all of the services associated with the subscription package;
• means for excluding from installation on the computing device one or more services of the subscription package in response to determining that the computing device does not have each of the amount of available memory, the hardware resources, and the software resources required to accommodate all of the services associated with the subscription package, wherein the plurality of services of the subscription package are ranked based on a priority indicator associated with the each of the one or more services, and wherein a lowest ranked one or more services are excluded from the subscription package such that the computing device meets the requirements of all of the remaining non-excluded services associated with the subscription package;
• and
• means for automatically subscribing the computing device to the subscription package by transmitting a subscription request for only the remaining non-excluded services of the subscription package to a distribution server over the data network.