Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Michael Gallop

Frank R Morrison, Iii

Brandon T Hunt

Alexander Burba

Nima Ganjeh

Mark James McNulty

Scott Rosemund

Curt Andrew Steeb

Zeyong Xu

Paul C Sutton

Martin Holladay

Raymond D Pedrizetti

Jeffrey David Henshaw

Mehmet Akkurt

Ivan Petrov Trindev

Munisamy Prabu

Eric Neil Lockard

Frank R Iii Morrison

Iii Morrison Frank R

Brandon Hunt

Acquiring an interactive digital content item including a plurality of content portions includes receiving a first set of the content portions that is less than an entirety of the content portions. A partial functionality version of the interactive digital content item is presented using the first set of content portions. A second set of the content portions is received while the partial functionality version of the interactive digital content item is presented. Functionality is added to the partial functionality version of the interactive digital content item using the second set of content portions without interrupting presentation of the partial functionality version of the interactive digital content item.

Presenting digital content item with tiered functionality

Obligatorily-acquired digital content items are stored under service control in one or more local storage machines of a computer based on service commands provided by a centralized management service; and voluntarily-acquired digital content items are stored under user control in the one or more local storage machines of the computer based on user commands. The obligatorily-acquired digital content items are protected from user-commanded deletion. The obligatorily-acquired digital content items are deleted from the one or more local storage machines based on service commands provided by the centralized management service. However, the voluntarily-acquired digital content items are deleted from the one or more local storage machines based on user commands.

Content distribution storage management

Telemetry data from a plurality of peer computers of a peer-to-peer network is aggregated via a computer network. Each of the plurality of peer computers sends telemetry data relating to transfer of a digital content item within the peer-to-peer network. A designated peer computer is quarantined from transferring a digital content item within the peer-to-peer network according to one or more health metrics of the peer-to-peer network derived from the telemetry data aggregated from the plurality of peer computers.

Centralized management of a P2P network

Multiple portions of protected content to host on a device are identified by the device, the multiple portions including one or more portions of each of one or more pieces of protected content. The multiple portions are obtained and stored on the device. The device is one of multiple devices in a managed wireless distribution network that allows portions of protected content to be transferred among the multiple devices via multiple wireless networks hosted by various ones of the multiple devices, and the device is configured to store portions of protected content that can be consumed by a user of the device only if the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content. Participation of the device in the managed wireless distribution network can also be identified, and a reward generated based on the participation of the device in the managed wireless distribution network.

Distributing content in managed wireless distribution networks

Telemetry data from a plurality of peer computers of a peer-to-peer network is aggregated via a computer network. Each of the plurality of peer computers sends telemetry data relating to transfer of a digital content item within the peer-to-peer network. A mitigation operation that modifies transfer of a digital content item between peer computers of the peer-to-peer network is performed according to one or more health metrics of the peer-to-peer network. The one or more health metrics are derived from the telemetry data aggregated from the plurality of peer computers.

A plurality of sources storing portions of a digital content item that includes a plurality of pieces is identified. The plurality of sources includes one or more peer computers of a peer-to-peer network. For each piece of the plurality of pieces of the digital content item, that piece is acquired from a source.

Content-acquisition source selection and management

A managed wireless distribution network includes multiple devices that communicate with one another via multiple wireless networks (e.g., multiple Wi-Fi networks). Each device in the managed wireless distribution network can host at least one wireless network and/or join at least one wireless network. Content in the managed wireless distribution network is protected so that the content cannot be consumed unless permission to consume the content is obtained. Devices can host portions of protected content regardless of whether they can consume the protected content, and can obtain portions of protected content via the wireless networks of the managed wireless distribution network without having to access a content service over the Internet.

Managed wireless distribution network

A plurality of sources storing portions of a digital content item that includes a plurality of pieces is identified. The plurality of sources includes one or more local storage machines of a computer and one or more peer computers of a peer-to-peer network. For each piece of the plurality of pieces of the digital content item, that piece is downloaded from a source. The source is selected from the plurality of sources according to one or more download metrics. The plurality of pieces is organized for installation on the computer as the digital content item.

Various embodiments relating to remote installation of digital content on unlicensed computing machines are provided. In one embodiment, an unlicensed computing machine at which to install a licensed digital content item is identified by a licensed computing machine, a request to transfer a license for the licensed digital content item to the unlicensed computing machine is sent from the licensed computing machine to an authorization service computing machine, and delivery of the licensed digital content item to the unlicensed computing machine is initiated.

Remote installation of digital content

Task sequences are used to manage devices. According to one aspect, a user-defined or user-selected task sequence is received. The task sequence is converted into an ordered series of steps, and the series of steps are performed, in accordance with their order, in managing a device over a network. In certain implementations, the ordered series of steps are steps for automatically deploying an operating system on the device.

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Sammamish, WA, United States of America

Michael Gallop