Patent ID: 8352627

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for downloading data over a communications link, the computer-implemented method comprising: a client requesting from a server a first version of the data from a plurality of versions of the data, wherein the plurality of versions of the data correspond to a plurality of different resolutions of the data and are configured for downloading at a plurality of different connection speeds and wherein the first version of the data corresponds to a first resolution of the data and is configured for downloading at a first connection speed; at the client determining, based upon a rate at which at least a portion of the first version of the data is received at the client, whether a different version of the data that corresponds to a different resolution of the data and is configured for downloading at a different connection speed should be requested; and if, based upon the rate at which at least a portion of the first version of the data is received at the client, that a different version of the data that corresponds to a different resolution of the data and is configured for downloading at a different connection speed should be requested, then the client requesting a second version of the data from the server, wherein the second version of the data corresponds to a second resolution of the data that is different than the first resolution and is configured for downloading at a second connection speed that is different than the first connection speed.