Method and Apparatus for Providing Enhanced Streaming Content Delivery with Multi-Archive Support Using Secure Download Manager and Content-Indifferent Decoding

Abstract

A system, apparatuses and methods are provided to download and process data and other content streamed over a wide area network using one or more dynamically fetched, material specific, data handlers (e.g., download assistants). A download assistant fetches a data stream from a remote location and processes the streamed data iteratively using buffers and multi-threaded processes through the decoder (e.g., codec), allowing source material-specific processing of the data as it is streamed from one or more download sources as well as content-indifferent and platform-indifferent decoding. To minimize versioning issues, payload construction for secure delivery is simplified to packing and encrypting a directory tree containing any number of files or other digital media into an archive and, when needed, dividing a payload into multiple files or archives with a descriptor that lists the archives.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of preparing encrypted content for rendering to a user, the content being delivered to the user and encrypted, comprising:
 storing, on a computer-readable recording medium, a plurality of download assistants and/or download application program interfaces (APIs), and a plurality of codecs, wherein the plurality of download assistants and/or download APIs comprises at least two different download assistants and/or download APIs for managing at least one of different platforms, different user devices, different operating systems, different methods of rendering content for the user, and different types of content, and the plurality of codecs comprises at least two different codecs to handle at least one of different types of content, and different methods of rendering content for the user;   receiving a request from a user for rendering of selected content;   selecting one of a download assistant and download application program interface (API) from among the plurality of download assistants and/or download APIs to facilitate the fulfillment of the request depending on at least one of a platform employed by the user, an operating system employed by the user, a method of rendering content employed by the user, and a designated content type of the selected content, and selecting a codec from among the plurality of codecs depending on at least one of the method of rendering content employed by the user, and the designated content type of the selected content;   providing to the user the selected one of a download assistant and download API, and the selected codec;   activating a license for the selected content; and   rendering the selected content, as long as the license is verified, by iteratively placing the selected content into buffers via the selected one of a download assistant and download API and decrypting and unpacking the buffers via the selected codec while rendering to provide the selected content to the user.   
     
     
         2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the rendering comprises employing separate threads for the selected one of a download assistant and download API, and for the selected codec, respectively, to stream the selected content into buffers, and to decrypt and unpack the buffers. 
     
     
         3 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the payload for the selected content is prepared for storage by packing and encrypting a directory structure containing at least one of a file and digital media into an archive. 
     
     
         4 . A method as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising dividing the payload into multiple archives with a descriptor that lists the archives when the at least one of a file and digital media exceed a selected size limit. 
     
     
         5 . A method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the rendering further comprises employing the descriptor to facilitate unpacking the buffers. 
     
     
         6 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the selected codec is a dynamic link library (DLL). 
     
     
         7 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising providing at least one of the download assistants with corresponding tokens when they are prepared, associating a token corresponding to a selected download assistant with an order number associated with the request, and providing the download assistant with the selected codec and the selected content upon verification of the download assistant using the token. 
     
     
         8 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the activating of the license for the selected content comprises:
 providing, to the user, a serial number corresponding to the selected content; and   using the serial number and the selected codec to verify the license for use of the selected content by the user.