Communications network

• US 20040117426A1
• Filed: 10/16/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications (BT Group Plc) (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications (BT Group Plc) (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Rudkin, Steven, Carver, Andrew R, Rizzo, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,707,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/200
• 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 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/901 Wide area network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/908 Local area network

Abstract

A method of providing personalised content over a communications network such as the Internet is disclosed. Providing personalised content includes both generating content which depends on the recipient of that content and delivering that content in a manner that depends on the recipient. Although methods of providing personalised content are known, none of those methods provide a mechanism for deciding when and how to personalise content. By enabling a content provider to send policy data to local caches and having a local agent computer arrange for content files to be delivered in accordance with those policy files, such a mechanism is provided.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communications network comprising a remote network in communication with a local network, said method comprising:

transmitting content delivery policy data from said remote network to said local network, said content delivery policy data being analysable to find content delivery parameters given at least one communication attribute;

operating said local network to;

store said content delivery policy data at said local network;

receive a communication attribute for the delivery of content data to a recipient;

analyse said content delivery policy data to find content-delivery parameters for said content data delivery; and

deliver said content data to said recipient in accordance with said parameters for said delivery;

wherein;

said local network further comprises a local content data store arranged to store said content data; and

said content data delivery step comprises delivering said content data from said local store over said local network with one of a plurality of classes of service selected in accordance with said parameters.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said at least one communication attribute comprises a recipient identifier or one or more recipient attributes.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said communication attribute comprises one or more recipient attributes, said method further comprising the steps of operating said remote network to:

a) store data listing one or more recipient attributes for each of a plurality of first recipient identifiers;

b) receive an recipient attributes request message including an indication of a first recipient identifier;

c) responsive to said recipient attributes request message, sending a recipient attributes reply message containing said recipient attributes associated in said stored data with said first recipient identifier to said local network.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein:

said recipient attributes request message further comprises a recipient network address;

said recipient attributes reply message further comprises said recipient network address;

said method further comprises the step of operating said local network to store said recipient attributes in association with said recipient network address for a predetermined period of time;

said content data delivery step comprises;

receiving a content data request, said content data request including a recipient network address;

finding the recipient attributes associated with said network address; and

providing said content data over said network in accordance with said recipient attributes.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein said predetermined period of time extends for one user session with said remote network.

6. A method according to any preceding claim wherein said content delivery policy data comprises a plurality of subsets of content delivery policy data, each subset relating to a predetermined class of content data;

said method further comprising;

receiving a request that content data be provided to a user, said request including a content data identifier;

classifying said content data as belonging to a predetermined content class based on said content data identifier; and

said content delivery policy data analysis step comprises;

selecting a subset of said content delivery policy data which corresponds to said content class; and

analysing said subset.

7. A method according to claim 1 in which each first recipient identifier comprises a user name, said recipient attributes comprise one or more user attributes, and said content data delivery step comprises providing, in accordance with said user attributes, said data to a user associated with said first recipient identifier.

8. A method according to any preceding claim wherein said method further comprises operating said local network to carry out a bidding process, said delivery of said content data further depending upon prices offered by said local network.

9. A method of operating a communications network comprising a remote network in communication with a local network, said method comprising:

transmitting content provision policy data from said remote network to said local network, said content provision policy data being analysable to find content provision adaptation parameters given at least one communication attribute;

operating said local network to;

store said content provision policy data at said local network;

receive a communication attribute for the provision of a content data to a recipient;

analyse said content provision policy data to find content provision adaptation parameters for said content data provision; and

provide said content data to said recipient in accordance with said parameters for said provision;

wherein said content data provision step comprises generating said content data in accordance with said communication attributes.

10. A communications network comprising a remote network in communication with a local network, said network comprising:

policy transmission means arranged in operation to transmit content delivery policy data from said remote network to said local network, said content delivery policy data being analysable to find content delivery parameters given at least one communication attribute;

said local network being arranged in operation to;

store said content delivery policy data at said local network;

receive a communication attribute for the delivery of content data to a recipient;

analyse said content delivery policy data to find content delivery parameters for said content data delivery; and

deliver said content data to said recipient in accordance with said parameters for said delivery;

wherein;

said local network further comprises a local content data store arranged to store said content data; and

said local network is further arranged in operation to delivering said content data to said recipient by delivering said content data from said local store over said local network with one of a plurality of qualities of delivery selected in accordance with said parameters.

11. A communication network according to claim 10 wherein said local network comprises a datagram network.

12. A communication network according to claim 11 wherein said datagram network comprises:

datagram marking means arranged in operation to mark datagrams addressed to a recipient'"'"'s network address in accordance with said parameters for a delivery to said network address; and

datagram scheduling means arranged in operation to receive datagrams marked by said datagram marking means and to forward them in a manner dependent on said marking, thereby to cause the quality of said delivery to be in accordance with said parameters.

13. A communication network according to claim 11 wherein said datagram network comprises:

datagram scheduling means arranged in operation to receive datagrams addressed to a receipient'"'"'s network address and to forward them in a manner dependent on said network address, thereby to cause the quality of said delivery to be in accordance with said parameters.