Abstract

A system for loading videos includes an interactive video player with a loader. The videos are organized at the source in segments in a tree structure. The interactive video player pre-loads, ie downloads in advance, those segments likely to be selected next according to a priority scheme based on parameters such as popularity of the segments, user characteristics such as gender, age, location, viewing history. Multiple segments may be downloaded simultaneously. The segments are then intended to be seamlessly played out in accordance with the user selections.

IPC Classes  ?

• H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
• H04N 21/8541 - Content authoring involving branching, e.g. to different story endings
• H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
• H04N 21/2343 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements