Patent ID: 8166154
Filing Date: 2012-04-24
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for streaming over a network, from a content server to user multimedia devices (UMDs) connected to the content server through, said network, the method comprising the acts of: 1) monitoring storage states of the connected UMDs for a preset multimedia content including whether or not the connected UMDs contain a starting block and indexing blocks of the preset multimedia content, wherein the preset multimedia content includes the starting block being an initially reproduced part of the preset multimedia content, multimedia blocks containing video and voice information and the indexing blocks containing position information of the multimedia blocks and the multimedia blocks and the indexing blocks are disposed alternately; and 2) if a UMD of said UMDs does not store the starting block of said preset multimedia content, transmitting, automatically and without user intervention, the starting block to said UMD to permit reproduction of the preset multimedia content by the UMD without initial buffering; wherein each of the indexing blocks that is alternately disposed represents a part reproduced prior to reproduction of a corresponding multimedia block in a fast forward or reverse mode and containing position information about the corresponding multimedia block is requested by and received through P2P communication and is reproduced only in a fast forward or reverse mode, wherein said preset multimedia content is a single multimedia content file in which the multimedia blocks and the indexing blocks are consecutively and alternately disposed; and a) requesting of said UMDs content information including information regarding whether or not the starting block and the indexing blocks of the preset multimedia content are stored in said UMDs; and b) detecting an indexing distribution state among the UMDs based on the content information received as a result of the act a).