Patent ID: 8301794
Filing Date: 2012-10-30
Classification: G06F,H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A media content playback system, comprising: a data load manager configured to: project when one or more content navigation inputs will be received that cause non-linear playback of a media asset; estimate, for each segment of the media asset, when each segment will be played back based on the projected one or more content navigation inputs; determine a next segment of the media asset to download and store based on the estimates of when each segment will be played back and a target playback quality of each segment of the media asset, the target playback quality corresponding to a visual quality when the media asset is played back for viewing; determine which of the segments of the media asset to preload to improve the target playback quality of the segments based on load models that are generated for each segment of the media asset, a load model including an improvement value by which each of the segments are ranked to determine a next best segment to download; and a memory device configured to store the segments of the media asset when the segments are preloaded, the segments stored as non-consecutive data that correlates to at least some of the media asset when the segments are downloaded from one or more media content sources.