Method and apparatus for distributing content via diverse networks

• US 10,182,387 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2016
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beattie, Jr., James G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Dung B
• Application Number:
  US15/170,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20170353907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/00 Network traffic management; Network resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/18 based on predicted events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/00 Access restriction access security to prevent unauthorised access H04W12/08; Network selection; Access point selection

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, predicting opportunities for a mobile communication device to access a network via available pathways during a first time period according to a history of network connectivity of the mobile communication device, selecting a first pathway of the available pathways according to the opportunities that are predicted for the mobile communication device to access the network via the available pathways during the first time period, and directing transmission of first data to the mobile communication device via the first pathway during the first time period, wherein a presence of a second data at the mobile communication device enables an application to access the first data at the mobile communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

identifying available pathways for a mobile communication device to access a first network;

monitoring communications between the mobile communication device and the first network via the available pathways to generate a history of network connectivity associated with the mobile communication device;

predicting opportunities for the mobile communication device to access the first network via the available pathways during a first time period according to the history of network connectivity;

selecting a first pathway of the available pathways according to the opportunities that are predicted for the mobile communication device to access the first network via the available pathways during the first time period;

directing transmission of first data to the mobile communication device from the first network via the first pathway during the first time period; and

directing transmission of second data to the mobile communication device from a second network, wherein a presence of the second data from the second network at the mobile communication device enables an application to utilize the first data from the first network at the mobile communication device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

predicting second opportunities for the mobile communication device to access the second network via second available pathways during a second time period according to the history of network connectivity; and

selecting a second pathway of the second available pathways according to the second opportunities that are predicted for the mobile communication device to access the second network via the second available pathways during the second time period, wherein the transmission of the second data is directed to occur via the second pathway during the second time period.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the application is unable to access the first data at the mobile communication device until the second time period.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining quality of network access for the available pathways, wherein the first pathway is further selected according to a first quality of network access for the first pathway.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the first quality of network access comprises a cost associated with downloading the first data from the first network to the mobile communication device via the first pathway.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the first quality of network access comprises a resource loading associated with downloading the first data from the first network to the mobile communication device via the first pathway.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first data includes an embedded time hack, which prevents the application from accessing the first data until a specified time.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first data is transmitted via the first pathway to a server that is accessible by the mobile communication device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first data comprises media content that is presented by the application after being enabled by the second data.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the first data comprises software data that is loaded into the mobile communication device via the application after being enabled by the second data.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the first data is encrypted, and wherein the second data includes a decryption key.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the second data is associated with the presence of the mobile communication device at a location.

13. A method, comprising:

monitoring, by a processing system including a processor, communications between a mobile communication device and a first network via available pathways to generate a history of network connectivity associated with the mobile communication device;

predicting, by the processing system, opportunities for the mobile communication device to access the first network via the available pathways during a first time period according to the history of network connectivity;

selecting, by the processing system, a first pathway of the available pathways according to the opportunities that are predicted for the mobile communication device to access the first network via the available pathways during the first time period; and

directing, by the processing system, transmission of first data to the mobile communication device from the first network via the first pathway during the first time period, wherein second data is received at the mobile communication device from a second network, and wherein a presence of the second data from the second network at the mobile communication device enables an application to utilize the first data from the first network at the mobile communication device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising directing, by the processing system, transmission of the second data to the mobile communication device from the second network.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

predicting, by the processing system, opportunities for the mobile communication device to access the second network via second available pathways during a second time period according to the history of network connectivity; and

selecting, by the processing system, a second pathway of the available pathways according to the opportunities that are predicted for the mobile communication device to access the second network via the second available pathways during the second time period, wherein the transmission of the second data from the second network is directed to occur via the second pathway during the second time period.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising identifying, by the processing system, the available pathways for the mobile communication device to access the first network.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining, by the processing system, quality of network access for the available pathways, wherein the first pathway is further selected according to a first quality of network access for the first pathway.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the first data is encrypted, and wherein the second data includes a decryption key.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

predicting opportunities for a mobile communication device to access a first network via available pathways during a first time period according to a history of network connectivity of the mobile communication device;

selecting a first pathway of the available pathways according to the opportunities that are predicted for the mobile communication device to access the first network via the available pathways during the first time period; and

directing transmission of first data to the mobile communication device from the first network via the first pathway during the first time period, wherein second data is received at the mobile communication device from a second network, and wherein a presence of the second data from the second network at the mobile communication device enables an application to utilized the first data from the first network at the mobile communication device.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise monitoring communications between the mobile communication device and the first network via the available pathways to generate a history of network connectivity associated with the mobile communication device.