Patent ID: 7133486

Claim:
A method for downloading and displaying a video program using a mobile terminal in an interworking environment that includes a first radio access network having a first data transfer rate and a second radio access network having a second data transfer rate that is faster than the first data transfer rate, the method comprising the steps of: downloading, via the first or second radio access networks, a layer of the video program encoded into multiple layers, the video program being downloaded at the second data transfer rate when the mobile terminal is in the coverage area of the second radio access network; displaying the downloaded video program at a playback rate that corresponds to a display quality; buffering excess portions of the downloaded program that result when a rate at which the video program is being downloaded exceeds a rate at which the video program is displayed; and increasing the number of layers being downloaded, and the playback rate at which the video program is displayed to thereby increase the display quality, when the buffered excess portions of the downloaded program exceeds a threshold level.