Patent ID: 7685306
Filing Date: 2010-03-23
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method implemented in a television-based entertainment or information system for managing a plurality of streams of content output from a content provider, the method comprising: managing authorization for a client device to receive a stream of content output from the content provider at least in part through the use of a limited number of separate and distinguishable types of tokens, the managing including: designating, by the content provider, a first token to the stream of content based at least in part on an amount of bandwidth used by the stream of content, assigning a second token to the client device by a manager client device, wherein authorization is granted for the client device to receive the stream of content if the first token assigned designated to the stream of content matches the second token assigned to the client device, and authorization is not granted for the client device to receive the stream of content if the first token designated to the stream of content does not match the second token assigned to the client device; receiving a request at the client device to navigate to a stream of content available from the content provider over a communication network; and when the client device is not permitted to consume the requested stream of content, outputting a non-modal message which includes a portion that is selectable to cause an output of information describing stream of content consumption by another client device; receiving a sequential navigation input at the client device to navigate from a first stream of content to a second stream of content that is sequentially ordered in relation to the first stream of content; when the second stream of content uses an amount of bandwidth that is not authorized for output to the client device, navigating, by the client device, to a third stream of content that matches content available via the second stream of content, the third stream of content not being sequentially ordered in relation to the second stream of content, wherein the third stream of content uses less bandwidth than the second stream of content; and when another sequential navigation input is received, navigating, by the client device, to a fourth stream of content that is sequentially ordered in relation to the second stream of content, wherein sequentially ordered comprises following in a predetermined assigned order.