Patent ID: 7886068

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, at a caching server from a media data server, a streaming media data playlist comprising a plurality of streaming media data entries associated with a single data pointer, wherein the streaming media data entries are received in a recognizable pattern, the recognizable pattern defining an order for the plurality of streaming media data entries; determining if the recognizable pattern is one of a media data server generated pattern and a client generated pattern, wherein the determining comprises determining whether metadata of the media server generated pattern has been modified based on a plurality of streaming media data entries of the media data server generated pattern, wherein metadata of a media server generated pattern is modified based on the recognizable pattern and wherein metadata of a client generated pattern is not modified based on the recognizable pattern; identifying, by the caching server, a loop pattern in the streaming media data playlist; breaking a connection between the caching server and the media data server as a result of identifying the loop pattern; and if the recognizable pattern is a media data server generated pattern, storing the streaming media data play list in a cache memory in an order defined by the recognizable pattern, wherein a streaming media entry that repeats in the media data server generated pattern is stored only once, wherein an indication for the loop pattern is set by the caching server as a result of identifying the loop pattern.