Distributed multimedia transfer

• US 20030078986A1
• Filed: 10/22/2001
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mavenir Systems Incorporated (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Comverse Incorporated (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Melaku, Makonnen, Fu, Zhongsu, Ayres, Larry E., Mohan, Seshadri, Wiener, Stephen N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,302,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A multimedia distribution kiosk can communicate with a remote user to receive multimedia requests and can communicate with a multimedia content provider to obtain requested multimedia content. The kiosk can cache received multimedia content and provide the content as desired. The kiosk can also be used to upload multimedia content to a server. For example, an occupant of an automobile may access a system of kiosks to determine the nearest kiosk and request download of content prior to arrival at that kiosk.

A method of processing multimedia data includes providing remote access by a user device associated with a user to a multimedia distribution unit, communicating with the user device and a multimedia server, caching multimedia content downloaded from the server, and providing the downloaded content to the user device.

A system includes a multimedia server, and a distributed network of multimedia kiosks. The kiosks can communicate with the server to obtain multimedia data and can communicate with a remote user device to determine desired data. The server provides the desired data to a selected kiosk in accordance with where the user device is expected to be in the future.

Claims

1. A multimedia distribution kiosk comprising:

a first communication interface configured to receive, from a remote user, multimedia requests for multimedia content;

a second communication interface configured to communicate with a multimedia content provider;

a cache memory; and

a processor coupled to the first and second communication interfaces and the memory and configured to receive indicia of the multimedia requests from the first communication interface, to communicate with the multimedia content provider through the second communication interface to obtain the multimedia content, to store the multimedia content in the memory, and to provide the multimedia content as desired.

2. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the first communication interface is configured to receive the multimedia requests at a first speed and the second communication interface is configured to communicate with the content provider at a second speed that is faster than the first speed.

3. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to provide the multimedia content in real time or near-real time.

4. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to provide the multimedia content through a user interface, the user interface including at least one of a third communication interface, and a digital storage device configured to store digital data on a tangible medium.

5. The kiosk of claim 4 wherein the digital storage device is configured to write digital data to at least one of a compact disc, a digital video disc, and a digital audio tape.

6. The kiosk of claim 4 wherein the third communication interface is configured to communicate with a user wirelessly.

7. The kiosk of claim 6 wherein the third communication interface is configured to communicate with a user according to a short-range wireless protocol.

8. The kiosk of claim 7 wherein the short-range wireless protocol is at least one of the Bluetooth (IEEE 802.11) protocol, the HiperLAN (IEEE 802.11a) protocol, the U-NII protocol, the IEEE 802.11a, and the WLAN (IEEE 802.11b) protocol.

9. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the first interface is configured to receive the remote multimedia requests for multimedia content through at least one of a wireless connection and a packet-switched wide-area network communication path.

10. The kiosk of claim 9 wherein the first interface is configured to communicate wirelessly according to at least one of the Bluetooth (IEEE 802.11) protocol, the HiperLAN (IEEE 802.11a) protocol, the U-NII protocol, the IEEE 802.11a, and the IEEE 802.11b protocol.

12. The kiosk of claim 1I wherein the processor is configured to obtain the suggestions from the content provider.

14. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the first communication interface is configured to receive multimedia upload information from a user device at a first speed and to transfer the multimedia upload information toward a multimedia content receiver through an upload interface at a second speed that is faster than the first speed.

15. The kiosk of claim 14 wherein the upload interface is the second communication interface.

11. The kiosk of claim I wherein the processor is configured to use user information from the first communication interface to provide suggestions for multimedia associated with the user.

13. The kiosk of claim 11 wherein the first communication interface is configured to provide as the user information at least one of information derived by the first communication interface from handshaking for a communication between the first communication interface and the user, information associated with a transmitting device used by the user supplied to the first communication interface from the transmitting device, and information supplied to the first communication interface by the user.

16. A method of processing multimedia data, the method comprising:

providing remote access, by a user device associated with a user, to a first multimedia distribution unit;

communicating with the user device to provide to the user multimedia options, and to receive a selection by the user of desired multimedia content;

communicating with a multimedia server to download the desired multimedia content;

caching the downloaded desired multimedia content in a second multimedia distribution unit; and

providing, to the user device, the downloaded desired multimedia content from the second multimedia distribution unit.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the providing access includes providing access to the first multimedia distribution unit from a plurality of multimedia distribution units, to which unit access is provided is dependent on at least one of a selection indicated by a user, a current location of the user, and an expected future location of the user.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

obtaining user information to identify the user;

using the user information to obtain recommendations of multimedia data likely to be desired by the user; and

caching the recommendations;

wherein the communicating with the user includes providing the recommendations to the user.

19. The method of claim 18 providing the downloaded content by at least one of wirelessly communicating with a user device associated with the user, communicating through a physical connection with the user device, and storing the downloaded data on a storage medium and providing the medium to the user.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein providing the downloaded content by wirelessly communicating with the user device includes using a short-range wireless protocol.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein short-range wireless protocol is at least one of the Bluetooth (IEEE 802.11) protocol, the HiperLAN (IEEE 802.11a) protocol, the U-NII protocol, the IEEE 802.11a, and the WLAN (IEEE 802.11b) protocol.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the medium is one of a cassette tape, a compact disc, a digital video disc, a digital audio tape, and a memory chip.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the first and second multimedia distribution units are the same multimedia distribution unit.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein the communicating with the user device includes using a short-range wireless protocol.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein short-range wireless protocol is at least one of the Bluetooth (IEEE 802.11) protocol, the HiperLAN (IEEE 802.11a) protocol, the U-NII protocol, the IEEE 802.11a, and the WLAN (IEEE 802.11b) protocol.

26. A system comprising:

a multimedia server configured to provide multimedia data;

a distributed network of multimedia distribution devices coupled to the multimedia server and configured to communicate with the server to obtain desired multimedia data and configured to communicate with a remote user device to determine the desired multimedia data;

wherein the server is configured to provide the desired multimedia data to a selected distribution device in accordance with future-location indicia indicative of a future location of the user device.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the distribution devices are configured to provide the desired multimedia data in at least one of a wireline communication, a wireless communication, and a physical storage medium.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the medium is one of a cassette tape, a compact disc, a digital video disc, a digital audio tape, and a memory chip.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the wireless communication is according to a short-range wireless protocol.

30. The system of claim 26 further comprising a location server configured to provide present-location indicia indicative of a present location of the user device, and wherein the network is configured to communicate with the user device via a distribution device determined in accordance with the present location of the user device.

31. The system of claim 26 further comprising a location server configured to determine the future-location indicia in accordance with a present location of the user device, a present speed of travel and a present direction of travel.

32. The system of claim 26 wherein each distribution device is configured to provide suggestions of multimedia data to the user device wherein the suggestions are associated with a profile of a user, associated with the user device, and characteristics of multimedia data available through the server.