Distributing multi-media content to a plurality of potential accessing devices
View Patent ↗A method begins by a dispersed storage (DS) processing module encoding a data segment of multi-media content using a dispersed storage error coding function to produce a set of encoded data slices and partitioning the set of encoded data slices into a first sub-set of encoded data slices and a second sub-set of encoded data slices, wherein the first sub-set of encoded data slices include less than a decode threshold number of encoded data slices. The method continues with the DS processing module distributing the first sub-set of encoded data slices to a plurality of potential accessing devices and when accessing information from a device of the plurality of potential accessing devices is received, sending at least one of the encoded data slices of the second sub-set of encoded data slices to the device such that the device has the decode threshold number of encoded data slices.
1. A method comprises:
encoding a data segment of multi-media content using a dispersed storage error coding function to produce a set of encoded data slices;
partitioning the set of encoded data slices into a first sub-set of encoded data slices and a second sub-set of encoded data slices, wherein the first sub-set of encoded data slices include less than a decode threshold number of encoded data slices;
distributing the first sub-set of encoded data slices to a plurality of potential accessing devices; and
when accessing information from a device of the plurality of potential accessing devices is received, sending at least one of the encoded data slices of the second sub-set of encoded data slices to the device such that the device has the decode threshold number of encoded data slices.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprises:
distributing the first sub-set of encoded data slices to the plurality of potential accessing devices in advance of an available purchase date of the multi-media content.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending the at least one of the encoded data slices further comprises:
sending the at least one of the encoded data slices and remaining encoded data slices of the second sub-set of encoded data slices in accordance with a transmission protocol.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the accessing information comprises at least one of:
purchasing information to purchase the multi-media content; and
viewing information regarding viewing of the multi-media content.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein distributing the first sub-set of encoded data slices further comprises:
distributing a delete function with the first sub-set of encoded data slices, wherein the delete function is activated to delete the first sub-set of encoded data slices when the accessing information is not received in a specified time frame.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encoding the data segment into the set of encoded data slices further comprises:
embedding a delete function within the first sub-set of encoded data slices, wherein the delete function is activated to delete the first sub-set of encoded data slices when the accessing information is not received in a specified time frame.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distributing the first sub-set of encoded data slices further comprises:
identifying the plurality of potential accessing devices by at least one of:
identifying a potential accessing device based on a likelihood of consumption of the multi-media content by the potential accessing device;
receiving a content request from the potential accessing device;
receiving a pre-purchase order for the multi-media content from the potential accessing device; and
polling the potential accessing device regarding accessing the multi-media content.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distributing the first sub-set of encoded data slices comprises:
determining a distribution scheme; and
distributing the first sub-set of encoded data slices in accordance with the distribution scheme.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining the distribution scheme comprises at least one of:
determining one or more connectivity routes to the plurality of potential accessing devices;
determining a system loading threshold, where the distributing the first sub-set of encoded data slices to the plurality of potential accessing devices occurs when system loading compares favorably to the system loading threshold;
determining a time of day based factor for distributing the first sub-set of encoded data slices to the plurality of potential accessing devices; and
identifying intermediate devices to facilitate the distributing the first sub-set of encoded data slices to the plurality of potential accessing devices.
10. A dispersed storage (DS) module comprises:
a first module, when operable within a computing device, causes the computing device to:
encode a data segment of multi-media content using a dispersed storage error coding function to produce a set of encoded data slices;
a second module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to:
partition the set of encoded data slices into a first sub-set of encoded data slices and a second sub-set of encoded data slices, wherein the first sub-set of encoded data slices include less than a decode threshold number of encoded data slices;
a third module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to:
distribute the first sub-set of encoded data slices to a plurality of potential accessing devices; and
a fourth module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to:
when accessing information from a device of the plurality of potential accessing devices is received, send at least one of the encoded data slices of the second sub-set of encoded data slices to the device such that the device has the decode threshold number of encoded data slices.
11. The DS module of claim 10 , wherein the third module is further operable to:
distribute the first sub-set of encoded data slices to the plurality of potential accessing devices in advance of an available purchase date of the multi-media content.
12. The DS module of claim 10 , wherein the fourth module is further operable to send the at least one of the encoded data slices by:
sending the at least one of the encoded data slices and remaining encoded data slices of the second sub-set of encoded data slices in accordance with a transmission protocol.
13. The DS module of claim 10 , wherein the accessing information comprises at least one of:
purchasing information to purchase the multi-media content; and
viewing information regarding viewing of the multi-media content.
14. The DS module of claim 10 , wherein the third module is further operable to distribute the first sub-set of encoded data slices by:
distributing a delete function with the first sub-set of encoded data slices, wherein the delete function is activated to delete the first sub-set of encoded data slices when the accessing information is not received in a specified time frame.
15. The DS module of claim 10 , wherein the first module is further operable to encode the data segment into the set of encoded data slices by:
embedding a delete function within the first sub-set of encoded data slices, wherein the delete function is activated to delete the first sub-set of encoded data slices when the accessing information is not received in a specified time frame.
16. The DS module of claim 10 , wherein the third module is further operable to distribute the first sub-set of encoded data slices by:
identifying the plurality of potential accessing devices by at least one of:
identifying a potential accessing device based on a likelihood of consumption of the multi-media content by the potential accessing device;
receiving a content request from the potential accessing device;
receiving a pre-purchase order for the multi-media content from the potential accessing device; and
polling the potential accessing device regarding accessing the multi-media content.
17. The DS module of claim 10 , wherein the third module is further operable to distribute the first sub-set of encoded data slices by:
determining a distribution scheme; and
distributing the first sub-set of encoded data slices in accordance with the distribution scheme.
18. The DS module of claim 17 , wherein the third module is operable to determine the distribution scheme by at least one of:
determining one or more connectivity routes to the plurality of potential accessing devices;
determining a system loading threshold, where the distributing the first sub-set of encoded data slices to the plurality of potential accessing devices occurs when system loading compares favorably to the system loading threshold;
determining a time of day based factor for distributing the first sub-set of encoded data slices to the plurality of potential accessing devices; and
identifying intermediate devices to facilitate the distributing the first sub-set of encoded data slices to the plurality of potential accessing devices.