The vehicle control system/method for adapting a control function based on a user profile may comprise: a gesture recognition module; a user profile module; a function control module; a processor; a non-transitory storage element coupled to the processor; encoded instructions stored in the non-transitory storage element, wherein the encoded instructions when implemented by the processor, configure the system to: identify a user; retrieve a user profile for the identified user; receive at a gesture recognition module, an input indicating a gesture from the user; identify a control function request corresponding to the gesture input; send a verification of the control function request; and receive at a function control module characteristics parsed from the user profile that effect the control function request by the user profile module to adapt a control function command for an adapted control function output by the function control module.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to maintain content rights parameters associated with media content and a user where the content rights parameters include limits to distribution of the media content to a plurality of communication devices associated with the user and where a portion of the plurality of communication devices use different communication protocols from another portion of the plurality of communication devices, monitor for access to the media content by one communication device of the plurality of communication devices of the user, and obtain rights control data that is adapted to allow for presentation of the media content by the one communication device of the user where the rights control data is generated based on the content rights parameters. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to maintain content rights parameters associated with media content and a user where the content rights parameters include limits to distribution of the media content to a plurality of communication devices associated with the user and where a portion of the plurality of communication devices use different communication protocols from another portion of the plurality of communication devices, monitor for access to the media content by one communication device of the plurality of communication devices of the user, and obtain rights control data that is adapted to allow for presentation of the media content by the one communication device of the user where the rights control data is generated based on the content rights parameters. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving, from a streaming application, a listing of media content items provided by the streaming application to a first device of a first user, determining a priority set of the media content items of the listing of media content items according to relative demand profiles of a plurality of media content items, for each priority media content item of the priority set of the media content items, providing the priority media content item to an edge server of a set of edge servers accessible to the first device, updating edge server location information associated with the priority media content item, and providing the edge server location information to the streaming application. Other embodiments are disclosed.

In embodiments of systems and methods for synchronous content presentation, an Edge server device may receive a decryption key for an encrypted content segment that is or will be delivered to a plurality of wireless devices over the wireless communication network, and may send the decryption key to the plurality of wireless devices after the encrypted content segment has been received by the plurality of wireless devices in a manner that enables the plurality of wireless devices to decrypt the encrypted content segment approximately simultaneously. A wireless device may receive, and optionally temporarily store, the encrypted content segment from the wireless communication network, receive the decryption key from the Edge server device after receiving the encrypted content segment, and decrypt the stored encrypted content segment using the received decryption key.

A method for playing back streaming content according to an embodiment may include a step in which a streaming player client sets an initial bitrate for a player module playing back streaming content; a step in which the streaming player client delivers, from the player module to a streaming server, a manifest file request for the streaming content; a step in which a local proxy server edits the manifest file delivered from the streaming server, the manifest file being edited on the basis of the set initial bitrate; and a step in which the local proxy server delivers the edited manifest file to the player module through the streaming player client.

A method for playing back streaming content according to an embodiment may include a step in which a streaming player client sets an initial bitrate for a player module playing back streaming content; a step in which the streaming player client delivers, from the player module to a streaming server, a manifest file request for the streaming content; a step in which a local proxy server edits the manifest file delivered from the streaming server, the manifest file being edited on the basis of the set initial bitrate; and a step in which the local proxy server delivers the edited manifest file to the player module through the streaming player client.

Method for distributing an audio/video stream in an audio/video stream distribution system, and a dynamic parent node are provided. The system includes an information exchange center and distribution subsystems. The distribution subsystem includes an edge node layer, a static parent node layer, and a dynamic parent node layer. The method includes: receiving a stream-pulling request initiated by a stream-pulling client, and determining whether there exists an audio/video stream to which the stream-pulling request is directed in the first dynamic parent node, the stream-pulling request including an area identity provided by the information exchange center; determining a second dynamic parent node in a second distribution subsystem corresponding to the area identity based on pre-configured subarea information when there does not exist the audio/video stream in the first dynamic parent node; and obtaining the audio/video stream from the second dynamic parent node, and feeding back the audio/video stream to the stream-pulling client.

Methods and systems for intelligent use of off-peak bandwidth are disclosed. An example method can comprise receiving a request for content from a user device. The content server can transmit the content to the user device. Upon receiving a teardown command to suspend transmission of the content, after transmitting a first portion of the content to the user device, the content server can determine that playback of the content is likely to be resumed at a peak time. The content server can then pre-position a second portion of the content proximate to the user device prior to the peak time.

Methods and systems for intelligent use of off-peak bandwidth are disclosed. An example method can comprise receiving a request for content from a user device. The content server can transmit the content to the user device. Upon receiving a teardown command to suspend transmission of the content, after transmitting a first portion of the content to the user device, the content server can determine that playback of the content is likely to be resumed at a peak time. The content server can then pre-position a second portion of the content proximate to the user device prior to the peak time.