Patent ID: 7991906

Claim:
A method comprising: logically dividing streaming media content to be played by a peer in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network into a plurality of time-ordered data chunks; partitioning a buffer map on the peer into a plurality of time-urgency ordered regions; defining, for each of the regions, a respective target fullness amount; populating the buffer map with information that identifies at least a plurality of to-be-played data chunks of the streaming media content; populating the buffer map with information that indicates which of the plurality of to-be-played data chunks are available at the peer; assigning each the plurality of to-be-played data chunks to one of the plurality of time-urgency ordered regions of the buffer map according to relative time urgency of the plurality of to-be-played data chunks; and determining a schedule for requesting one or more of the to-be-played data chunks from one or more neighboring peers based at least in part on the buffer map and the defined target fullness amounts of the regions.