Synchronization of bulk data transfers to end node devices in a multimedia network

• US 20020122427A1
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navic Systems, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hall, Peter, Killer, Roger, Kamentsky, Lee, Fagnani, Mark, LaCroix, John
• Application Number:
  US09/969,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20020122427A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26233 involving content or additional data duration or size, e.g. length of a movie, size of an executable file
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

Synchronization of bulk data transfers to end node devices in a multimedia network involves sending an initial schedule message prior to broadcast or multicast of a content file. The content file could be a promotion or other file that must be efficiently sent to a large number of end node devices, such as television set top boxes. The schedule message contains at least a data transmission time for the content file so that an end node device is aware of when to listen for the later bulk data transmission of the content file. The schedule message may contain other parameters such as promotion identification, message duration, frequency, multicast address and UDP port.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of content to end node devices in a multimedia network, comprising:

scheduling multiple transmissions of content to two or more sets of end node devices;

notifying multiple sets of end node devices of the scheduled transmissions;

transmitting the content; and

selectively receiving a subset of the content during the scheduled transmissions.

2. The method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 1, wherein scheduling transmissions comprises:

generating transmission schedules for the two or more sets of end node devices, each transmission schedule being customized for an end node device;

the transmission schedules comprising content control data for the subset of content, the content control data specifying parameters for selectively receiving the subset of content.

3. The method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 2, wherein the parameters comprise a data transmission time.

4. The method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 2, wherein the parameters comprise a set of module identifiers, each module identifier uniquely identifying content scheduled for transmission.

5. The method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 2, wherein the parameters comprise a destination port address.

6. The method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 5, wherein the destination port address is a multicast port address.

7. The method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 5, wherein the destination port addresses is a broadcast port address.

8. The method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 2, wherein notifying multiple sets of end node devices comprises:

delivering the transmission schedules to each device of the two or more sets of end node devices prior to the scheduled transmissions.

9. The method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 1, wherein selectively receiving the subset of content comprises:

listening for the subset of content on a destination port address during the scheduled transmissions initiated at a data transmission time;

selecting the subset of content during the scheduled transmissions; and

receiving the subset of content.

10. A method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 1, wherein scheduling transmissions further comprises:

generating a transmission request for the content, the transmission request comprising transmission control data controlling the transmission of content.

11. The method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 10, wherein the transmission control data of the transmission request comprises module identifiers corresponding to content scheduled for transmission, a data transmission rate, a data transmission time, and a destination port address.

12. The method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 1, wherein the content is a plurality of promotions.

13. The method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 1, wherein the scheduled transmissions are scheduled multicast transmissions.

14. The method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 1, wherein the scheduled transmissions are scheduled broadcast transmissions.

15. The method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 1 wherein the content is transmitted multiple times during the scheduled transmissions to ensure that the plurality of end node devices receive the subset of content.

16. The method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 2, wherein the parameters specify a capture of an ATVEF HTML tag in the video blanking interval during a program broadcast as a trigger event to initiate reception of content.

17. The method for synchronizing bulk data transfers of claim 2, wherein the parameters specify a receipt of a start message as a trigger event t o initiate reception of content.

19. The content delivery system of claim 18, wherein

the content server subsystem schedules transmissions by generating transmission schedules for the two or more sets of end node devices, each transmission schedule being customized for an end node device;

the transmission schedules comprising content control data for the subset of content, the content control data specifying parameters for selectively receiving the subset of content.

20. The content delivery system of claim 19, wherein the parameters comprise a data transmission time.

21. The content delivery system of claim 19, wherein the parameters comprise a set of module identifiers, each module identifier uniquely identifying content scheduled for transmission.

22. The content delivery system of claim 19, wherein the parameters comprise a destination port address.

23. The content delivery system of claim 22, where the destination port address is a multicast port address.

24. The content delivery system of claim 22, where the destination port address is a broadcast port address.

25. The content delivery system of claim 19, wherein the content server subsystem notifies the multiple sets of end node devices by delivering the transmission schedules to each device of the two or more sets of end node devices prior to the scheduled transmissions.

26. The content delivery system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of end node devices selectively receive the subset of content by listening for the subset of content on a destination port address during the scheduled transmission initiated at a data transmission time, selecting the subset of content during the scheduled transmissions, and receiving the subset of content.

27. The content delivery system of claim 19, wherein the content manager server comprises:

a content database, the content database storing the content;

a content scheduler, the content scheduler generating and delivering the transmission schedules to the plurality of end node devices; and

a bulk data server, the bulk data server transmitting the content.

28. The content delivery system of claim 27, wherein the content scheduler generates and delivers a transmission request to the bulk data server, the transmission request comprising transmission control data controlling the transmission of content.

29. The content delivery system of claim 28, wherein the transmission control data of the transmission request comprises a destination port address, a data transmission time, a data transmission rates and module identifiers corresponding to the scheduled subset of content.

30. The content delivery system of claim 29, wherein the bulk data server obtains the content from the content database and transmits the content to the destination port address at the data transmission time at the data transmission rate.

31. The content delivery system of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of end node devices comprises:

a content agent;

a bulk data agent;

the content agent receiving a transmission schedule from the content manager server;

the bulk data agent selectively receiving the subset of content during the scheduled transmissions.

32. The content delivery system of claim 31, wherein the content agent forwards download requests for the subset of content to the bulk data agent, the download requests comprising destination port addresses and data transmission times extracted from the transmission schedule.

33. The content delivery system of claim 32, wherein the bulk agent selectively receives the subset of content by listening on the destination port address during the scheduled transmission initiated at the data transmission time for the subset of content, selecting the subset of content during the scheduled transmissions, and receiving the subset of content.

34. The content delivery system of claim 18 wherein the plurality of end node devices are a plurality of set top boxes capable of activating content in a television environment.

35. The content delivery system of claim 18 wherein the content is a plurality of promotions.

36. The content delivery system of claim 18 wherein the scheduled transmissions are scheduled multicast transmissions.

37. The content delivery system of claim 18 wherein the scheduled transmissions are scheduled broadcast transmissions.

18. A content delivery system for synchronizing bulk data transfers of content to end node devices in a multimedia network, comprising:

a content server subsystem;

a plurality of end node devices;

the content server subsystem scheduling multiple transmissions of content to two or more sets of end node devices;

the content server subsystem notifying multiple sets of end node devices of the scheduled transmissions;

the content server subsystem transmitting the content; and

the plurality of end node devices selectively receiving a subset of the content during the scheduled transmissions.