System and Method for Selecting Media to be Preloaded for Adjacent Channels

Abstract

An electronic device with one or more processors and memory starts to download first content from a content delivery server. The first content corresponds to a first channel in a predetermined sequence of channels. While downloading the first content and before presenting second content that corresponds to a second channel that is adjacent to the first channel in the predetermined sequence of channels, the device presents the first content and periodically preloads, using a connection over the Internet to a content delivery server for the second content, portions of the second content from the content delivery server for the second content. The device periodically stores the preloaded portions of the second content in the memory. While presenting the first content, the electronic device receives a request for the second content. In response to receiving the request, the device transitions between presenting the first content to presenting the second content.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 at an electronic device with one or more processors and memory:
 starting to download first content from a content delivery server, wherein the first content corresponds to a first channel in a predetermined sequence of channels; 
 while downloading the first content and before presenting second content that corresponds to a second channel that is adjacent to the first channel in the predetermined sequence of channels:
 presenting the first content at the electronic device; 
 periodically preloading, using a connection over the Internet to a content delivery server for the second content, portions of the second content from the content delivery server for the second content, wherein periodically preloading portions of the second content comprises, while maintaining the connection over the Internet to the content delivery server for the second content, stopping delivery of the second content to the electronic device from the content delivery server for the second content after downloading a portion and, at a later time, refreshing the downloading; and 
 periodically storing the preloaded portions of the second content in the memory; 
 
   while presenting the first content at the electronic device, receiving a request for the second content; and   in response to receiving the request, transitioning between presenting the first content to presenting the second content.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein preloading a respective content includes:
 establishing a connection for receiving the respective content from a respective content source;   receiving at least a portion of the respective content from the respective content source using the connection; and   while maintaining the connection, stopping delivery of the respective content to the electronic device from the respective content source.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising after starting to download the first content, starting to preload third content from a content source for the third content, wherein the third content corresponds to a third channel in the predetermined sequence of channels that is adjacent to the first channel. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first content is a type of content selected from the group consisting of audio content, video content, and image content. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transitioning between presenting the first content to presenting the second content comprises transitioning between video channels. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transitioning between presenting the first content to presenting the second content comprises transitioning between audio streams. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the second content is a live video stream;   preloading the second content includes caching a cached portion of the second content; and   the method includes, in response to receiving the request for the second content:
 determining whether the request meets recency criteria; 
 in accordance with a determination that the request meets recency criteria, starting to play the second content using the cached portion of the second content; and 
 in accordance with a determination that the request does not meet the recency criteria, requesting, from the content source for the second content, data corresponding to a portion of the second content that is outside of the cached portion of the second content. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 receiving the request includes detecting a gesture; and   the second content is presented in response to detecting an end of the gesture.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the second content is requested from the content source for the second content in response to detecting the end of the gesture. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the second content is requested from the second content source in response to detecting a beginning of the gesture. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 receiving the request includes detecting a gesture; and   at least a portion of the second content is presented in response to detecting a beginning of the gesture.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 operating in a first concurrent-download mode of operation, wherein while in the first concurrent-download mode of operation, the device downloads concurrent media streams in accordance with first concurrent download constraints;   while operating in the first concurrent-download mode of operation, detecting a change in an available bandwidth for downloading media streams; and   in response to detecting the change in the available bandwidth for downloading media streams, operating in a second concurrent-download mode of operation, wherein, while in the second concurrent-download mode of operation, the device downloads concurrent media streams in accordance with second concurrent download constraints that are different from the first concurrent download constraints.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, in response to the request, presenting at least a portion of third content concurrently with at least the portion of the second content and the portion of the first content. 
     
     
         14 . An electronic device, comprising:
 one or more processors;   memory; and   one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
 starting to download first content from a content delivery server, wherein the first content corresponds to a first channel in a predetermined sequence of channels; 
 while downloading the first content and before presenting second content that corresponds to a second channel that is adjacent to the first channel in the predetermined sequence of channels:
 presenting the first content at the electronic device; 
 periodically preloading, using a connection over the Internet to a content delivery server for the second content, portions of the second content from the content delivery server for the second content, wherein periodically preloading portions of the second content comprises, while maintaining the connection over the Internet to the content delivery server for the second content, stopping delivery of the second content to the electronic device from the content delivery server for the second content after downloading a portion and, at a later time, refreshing the downloading; and 
 periodically storing the preloaded portions of the second content in the memory; 
 
   while presenting the first content at the electronic device, receiving a request for the second content; and   in response to receiving the request, transitioning between presenting the first content to presenting the second content.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a computer system with one or more processors, cause the computer system to:
 start to download first content from a content delivery server, wherein the first content corresponds to a first channel in a predetermined sequence of channels;   while downloading the first content and before presenting second content that corresponds to a second channel that is adjacent to the first channel in the predetermined sequence of channels:
 present the first content at the electronic device; 
 periodically preload, using a connection over the Internet to a content delivery server for the second content, portions of the second content from the content delivery server for the second content, wherein periodically preloading portions of the second content comprises, while maintaining the connection over the Internet to the content delivery server for the second content, stopping delivery of the second content to the electronic device from the content delivery server for the second content after downloading a portion and, at a later time, refreshing the downloading; and 
 periodically store the preloaded portions of the second content; 
   while presenting the first content at the electronic device, receive a request for the second content; and
 in response to receiving the request, transition between presenting the first content to presenting the second content.