Content delivery according to device activity

• US 20040210628A1
• Filed: 02/03/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Inkinen, Sami, Ostergard, Toni
• Granted Patent: US 8,595,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A content transfer system includes a provider device 40 and a receptor device, such as a personal digital assistant 20. The receptor device 20 is arranged to monitor the activity or usage of the device, and determine or predict therefrom a period of low device activity. In such a low period of activity, content transfer control means, in the form of a controller 21, is arranged to initiate the transfer of an item of content from the provider device 40 to the receptor device 20. The content may be secondary content such as text information from a television signal. Compression, decompression or other processor intensive tasks, such as preparing the content according to the output capabilities, may also be performed during times of low device activity.

Claims

1. A system comprising a content provider device and a content receptor device, the content provider device usable to transfer content to the content receptor device, and the content receptor device operable to receive content from the content provider device and store the content on memory means, wherein at least one of devices comprises content transfer control means arranged to initiate the transfer of an item of content from the content provider device to the memory means of the content receptor device according to the determination of an acceptable level of device activity.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the content transfer control means is arranged to distinguish between different threshold levels of device activity.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the content transfer control means is arranged to determine device activity by analyzing the passing of time and by associating acceptable levels of device activity with particular times.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the content transfer control means is arranged to determine device activity by monitoring the usage of one or more of the device components over a particular time duration.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the content receptor device comprises the content transfer control means configured to determine a acceptable activity period by monitoring component usage over a particular time duration, and wherein the content transfer control means is configured to consider that an acceptable activity period has occurred when component usage has been below a particular threshold level over the particular time duration.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein device activity is determined by content transfer control means arranged to analyze changes in the activity of the or each device over a time duration and to predict therefrom acceptable device activity levels for subsequent time durations.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the content transfer control means is configured to suspend or terminate the transfer of the item of content until a period of acceptable device activity upon interruption of an acceptable level of device activity by an unacceptable level of device activity.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the content transfer control means is arranged to compress the transferred content.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the content transfer control means is arranged to configure the content into a form suitable for delivery using the particular delivery capabilities of the content receptor device.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the content provider device includes a wireless transmitter means for conveying the content to a wireless receiver means of the content receptor device.

11. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which the content provider device includes a secondary content receiver.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11, in which the content provider device is arranged to record an update time of one or more items of content.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, in which the content transfer control means is arranged to transfer only content which have been updated since a last download.

14. A system as claimed in claim 11, in which the content receptor device includes means for allowing content of interest to be user defined.

15. A content receptor device operable to receive content from a content provider device and store the content on memory means, the content receptor device comprising content transfer control means arranged to initiate the transfer of an item of content according to the determination of an acceptable level of device activity.

16. A device according to claim 15, wherein the content transfer control means is arranged to distinguish between different threshold levels of device activity.

17. A device according to claim 15, wherein the content transfer control means is arranged to determine device activity by analyzing the passing of time and by associating acceptable levels of device activity with particular times.

18. A device according to claim 15, wherein the content transfer control means is arranged to determine device activity by monitoring the usage of one or more of the device components over a particular time duration.

19. A device according to claim 15, wherein the content transfer control means is configured to suspend or terminate the transfer of the item of content until a period of acceptable device activity upon interruption of an acceptable level of device activity by an unacceptable level of device activity.

20. A device according to claim 15, wherein the content transfer control means is arranged to compress the transferred content.

21. A device according to claim 15, wherein the content transfer control means is arranged to configure the content into a form suitable for delivery using the particular delivery capabilities of the content receptor device.

22. A device as claimed in claim 15, in which the content transfer control means is arranged to transfer only content which have been updated since a last download.

23. A device as claimed in claim 15, in which the content receptor device includes means for allowing content of interest to be user defined.

24. A method of providing content from a content provider device to a content receptor device, the content provider device usable to transfer content to the content receptor device, and the content receptor device operable to receive content from the content provider device and store the content on memory means, the method comprising determining an acceptable level of device activity by the content transfer control means, and in response thereto initiating the transfer of an item of content.