Netflix Patent Applications

ADAPTIVE ROW SELECTION

Granted: July 24, 2014
Application Number: 20140208268
Embodiments provide techniques for presenting a user interface. An initial interface containing a first plurality of selectable elements is presented to a user. Embodiments assign the user to a first one of a plurality of preference groups. A plurality of selections made by the user of selectable elements from the plurality of selectable elements are detected. Embodiments then generate a second interface for the user that includes a second plurality of selectable elements, based on the…

SITE-BASED SERVER SELECTION

Granted: July 10, 2014
Application Number: 20140195646
In an embodiment, a method comprises receiving a first data streamed from a first server computer at a first site; collecting a first throughput data for the first site based, at least in part, on a first throughput of the first data streamed from the first server computer; receiving a second data streamed from a second server computer at a second site; collecting a second throughput data for the second site based, at least in part, on a second throughput of the second data streamed from…

PROXY APPLICATION WITH DYNAMIC FILTER UPDATING

Granted: July 10, 2014
Application Number: 20140195645
The disclosure describes a proxy server application that supports the dynamic modification of proxy rules implemented by a proxy server. The proxy rules implemented by the proxy server specify network behaviors to be performed at various points during the handling of requests from client applications. A proxy server implements the proxy rules by processing one or more user-generated network traffic filters for managing network traffic. In an embodiment, users generate network traffic…

ADAPTIVE STREAMING FOR DIGITAL CONTENT DISTRIBUTION

Granted: July 3, 2014
Application Number: 20140189771
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for adapting playback bit rate to available delivery bandwidth in a content delivery system comprising a content server and a content player. A content player periodically estimates whether a given playback bit rate can feasibly provide complete playback for a given title assuming currently available bandwidth. If playback becomes unfeasible at a current bit rate assuming currently available bandwidth, then the content player…

MANAGING CONTENT ON AN ISP CACHE

Granted: June 12, 2014
Application Number: 20140164547
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method for updating content stored in a cache residing at an internet service provider (ISP) location that includes receiving popularity data associated with a first plurality of content assets, where the popularity data indicate the popularity of each content asset in the first plurality of content assets across a user base that spans multiple geographic regions, generating a manifest that includes a second plurality of content assets…

MULTI-CDN DIGITAL CONTENT STREAMING

Granted: May 22, 2014
Application Number: 20140143431
Techniques for optimizing a plurality of parallel network connections for a digital content stream through a network between a plurality of content servers and a content player. Embodiments determine an indication of network performance for each of the plurality of parallel network connections. Additionally, upon determining that a first one the plurality of parallel network connections is underperforming, based on whether the indication of network performance associated with the first…

MULTI-CDN DIGITAL CONTENT STREAMING

Granted: May 22, 2014
Application Number: 20140143301
Techniques for transmitting a digital content stream through a network between a plurality of content servers and a content player. Network performance information for the plurality of content servers is retrieved. Embodiments then determine a mapping of the plurality of content servers to a plurality of portions of a content buffer on the content player, based on the retrieved network performance information. A request is transmitted to each of the plurality of content servers to…

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING PLAYBACK OF STREAMING DIGITAL CONTENT

Granted: April 17, 2014
Application Number: 20140108614
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for managing playback of digital content on two or more different playback devices. A playback device designated as a controller is associated with a playback device designated as a playback target. Association is implemented via a local network discovery protocol. The controller issues commands to the target, which then streams digital content directly from a content server. The controller is able to separately stream…

PARTITIONING STREAMING MEDIA FILES ON MULTIPLE CONTENT DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS

Granted: April 17, 2014
Application Number: 20140108671
Techniques are disclosed for generating preference rankings in response to requests for streaming media content received from client devices. The preference rankings are used to indirectly partition streaming media content across different content distribution networks (CDNs). Such partitions may be referred to as a “soft” partition, as all of the streaming media content remains available from each CDN. That is, the partitioning of content across CDNs is not absolute, and any content…

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING PLAYBACK OF STREAMING DIGITAL CONTENT

Granted: April 17, 2014
Application Number: 20140108623
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for managing playback of digital content on two or more different playback devices. A playback device designated as a controller is associated with a playback device designated as a playback target. Association is implemented via a local network discovery protocol. The controller issues commands to the target, which then streams digital content directly from a content server. The controller is able to separately stream…

RELATIONSHIP-BASED SEARCH AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Granted: April 10, 2014
Application Number: 20140101192
Techniques are described for determining relationships between user activities and determining search results and content recommendations based on the relationships. A plays-related-to-searches application may determine a relationship score between plays of a media title and searches of a query by determining a distance between a projection of the search onto the space of the users and a projection of plays of the media title onto the space of the users. A plays-after-searches…

RELATIONSHIP-BASED SEARCH AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Granted: April 10, 2014
Application Number: 20140101142
Techniques are described for determining relationships between user activities and determining search results and content recommendations based on the relationships. A plays-related-to-searches application may determine a relationship score between plays of a media title and searches of a query by determining a distance between a projection of the search onto the space of the users and a projection of plays of the media title onto the space of the users. A plays-after-searches…

SECURITY CREDENTIAL DEPLOYMENT IN CLOUD ENVIRONMENT

Granted: March 20, 2014
Application Number: 20140082350
Techniques are described for deploying a security credential for an application deployed in a cloud. An encrypted security credential is received from a remote system and is inserted into a virtual machine instance associated with the application. Upon deploying the virtual machine instance, embodiments transmit a request to a cryptex server for a decrypted security credential, the request including the encrypted security credential and a virtual machine identifier for the deployed…

SECURITY CREDENTIAL DEPLOYMENT IN CLOUD ENVIRONMENT

Granted: March 20, 2014
Application Number: 20140082349
Techniques are described for deploying a security credential for an application deployed in a cloud. An encrypted security credential is received from a remote system and is inserted into a virtual machine image associated with the application. Upon deploying the virtual machine image as a virtual machine instance, embodiments transmit a request to a cryptex server for a decrypted security credential, the request including the encrypted security credential and a virtual machine…

SPECULATIVE PRE-AUTHORIZATION OF ENCRYPTED DATA STREAMS

Granted: February 20, 2014
Application Number: 20140052873
Techniques are disclosed for improving user experience of multimedia streaming over computer networks. For example, a method for presenting multimedia content may generally include receiving a request to stream a media title. In response to the request, unencrypted content for the media title is streamed to a client. While streaming the unencrypted content, a digital rights management (DRM) license to access encrypted content for the media title is requested. After receiving the DRM…

Application Discovery

Granted: January 2, 2014
Application Number: 20140006474
The disclosure describes methods or communication protocols that enable second-screen applications, such as smartphones, to discover and launch first-screen applications on first-screen devices, such as Internet enabled high definition televisions. Second-screen devices can search local networks for the presence of discovery servers on first-screen devices. Well-known protocols such as RESTful HTTP services and Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) may be leveraged to implement the discovery…

API PLATFORM THAT INCLUDES SERVER-EXECUTED CLIENT-BASED CODE

Granted: November 28, 2013
Application Number: 20130318154
A technique for providing an API from a server to one of more endpoint devices including receiving a request for data from a endpoint device, retrieving one or more data resources from the data resources available within the server, based upon the request, manipulating the data within the retrieved data resources into a response optimized for the endpoint device, and transmitting the response to the endpoint device.

UPSTREAM FAULT DETECTION

Granted: October 24, 2013
Application Number: 20130283112
Techniques are described for detecting faults in media content based on the behavior of users viewing the media content. Embodiments stream a first instance of media content to one or more users. The behavior of the one or more users is monitored while the users are viewing the streaming first instance of media content. Embodiments then determine whether the first instance of media content is faulty, based on the monitored behavior of the one or more users.

PARALLEL STREAMING

Granted: July 4, 2013
Application Number: 20130173758
Embodiments of the present invention set forth techniques for a content player to stream a media file using multiple network connections. To stream the media file, the content player downloads metadata associated with a requested media file, establishes a network connection with multiple content servers (or multiple network connections with a single content server or both) and begins requesting portions of the media file. In response, the requested portions are transmitted to the content…

STARTUP TIMES OF STREAMING DIGITAL MEDIA PLAYBACK

Granted: June 20, 2013
Application Number: 20130160146
Techniques are provided for streaming digital media content. In one embodiment, metadata associated with a digital media content title is retrieved prior to receiving any user request to play the digital media content title. Upon receiving a user request to play the digital media content title, a license is requested based on the retrieved metadata. Upon receiving the license, streaming playback of digital media content title begins.