Patent ID: 8631455

Claim:
A method for determining whether digital content downloaded from a content server to a content buffer can be accessed for playback from the content buffer at a predetermined bit rate without causing a buffer under-run, the method comprising: determining that one or more units of digital content associated with a digital content title still have to be downloaded from the content server and buffered for playback; estimating a download time associated with downloading a first unit of digital content associated with the digital content title from a first encoded sequence stored on the content server to the content buffer, wherein the first encoded sequence is included in a plurality of encoded sequences stored on the content server, and each encoded sequence comprises the digital content title encoded at a different bit rate, and the download time is based on the size of the first unit of digital content and an available download bandwidth; computing a playback time associated with playing back the digital content stored in the content buffer; computing an excess buffer time by subtracting the download time from the playback time; determining whether the excess buffer time is less than or equal to zero, indicating that a buffer under-run will occur; and adding a delta playback time associated with playing back the first unit of digital content from the content buffer to the excess buffer time to generate a new playback time associated with playing back the digital content stored in the content buffer, if the excess buffer time is greater than zero, or indicating that downloading the first unit of digital content from the first encoded sequence is not feasible, if the excess buffer time is less than or equal to zero.