Method and system for selectively receiving content over a communications network based on network communication speed

• US 20020010780A1
• Filed: 06/07/2001
• Published: 01/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Norman C. Wong, Paul R. Cowles, Rodney Sandor, Tiet Cuong Yu
• Original Assignee: Norman C. Wong, Paul R. Cowles, Rodney Sandor, Tiet Cuong Yu
• Inventors: Sandor, Rodney (Todd), Wong, Norman C., Cowles, Paul R., Yu, Tiet Cuong
• Application Number:
  US09/876,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20020010780A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/022 by sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system selectively provide content to a user over a communications network based upon the detected bandwidth throughput or speed the user is experiencing while communicating over the network. The determination of the bandwidth throughput or speed is not based upon the access mechanism of the users (e.g., dial-up, DSL, cable modem), but is based upon the effective bandwidth throughput the user is experiencing. Briefly, according to the method, the speed is determined automatically; the content is selected based on the determined speed and communicated to the user. Speed may be determined automatically by measuring throughput at the user system or the server side. Preferably the speed is determined non-intrusively. Further preferably, the speed between the user and a particular server is determined for example by measuring the speed of the transfer of a plurality of data content items which measures may be averaged.

Claims

1. A method for selectively communicating a content over a communications network to a user system, the method comprising:

determining automatically a network communication throughput indicative of the communications performance the user system is experiencing;

selecting the content to be communicated based on the network communication throughput; and

communicating to the user system the content selected.

2. A method according to claim 1 whereby the act of determining automatically a network communication throughput comprises receiving said network communication throughput from the user system, said network communication throughput being determined automatically by the user system and being indicative of the communications performance the user system is experiencing.

3. A method according to claim 2 whereby the act of determining automatically a network communication throughput comprises re-writing cookies with values correlated to non-intrusive observation of effective real-time content throughput at said user system.

4. A communications system for selectively communicating a content over a communications network to a user system, the communications system comprising:

a communication throughput indicator component configured for determining automatically a network communication throughput indicative of the communications performance the user system is experiencing;

a selection component configured for selecting the content to be communicated based on the network communications throughput; and

a communicator component for communicating to the user system the content selected.

5. A communications system according to claim 4 wherein said communication throughput indicator component comprises a throughput receiver component configured for receiving said network communication throughput from the user system, said network communication throughput determined automatically by the user system and being indicative of the communications performance the user system is experiencing.

6. A communications system according to claim 5 wherein said communication throughput indicator component comprises cookies configured for re-writing with values correlated to non-intrusive observation of effective real-time content throughput at said user system.