Method and apparatus for wirelessly receiving a file using an application-level connection

• US 20060041943A1
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Singer, Howard, Sadan, Yariv, Popkin, Laird
• Granted Patent: US 7,860,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Ad hoc application-level connections are established between wireless devices. Autonomous selection of files on a provider device facilitates migration of a file from the file provider to a file receiver. Once a file provider and a file receiver are communicatively coupled using an application-level connection, a portion of a determined file is conveyed from the provider node to a receiver node while a connection remains viable. If the connection is severed, a neighbor node and a provider node may again recognize each other. A connection can then be re-established. Once the connection is re-established, a further portion of the file can be conveyed from a provider node to the receiver node.

Claims

1. A method for wirelessly receiving a file comprising:

establishing an application-level connection with a neighbor node;

determining a file to be received from the neighbor node; and

receiving from the neighbor node a portion of the determined file while the connection is viable.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving from the neighbor node a digital rights certificate for the determined file; and

allowing the received portion of the file to be accessed while the digital rights certificate is valid.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein receiving from the neighbor node a digital rights certificate for the determined file comprises receiving from the neighbor node a temporary digital rights certificate for the determined file.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

establishing a connection with a purchase manager; and

obtaining from the digital rights authority at least one of a new digital rights certificate for the determined file and a re-authentication of the digital rights certificate received from the neighbor node.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising marking as invalid the digital rights certificate received from the neighbor node when a current date is greater than an expiration date included in the certificate or the certificate has been used more than a pre-established number of times.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising establishing a connection with a purchase manager;

conveying a user identification to the purchase manager by way of the established connection; and

marking as invalid the digital rights certificate received from the neighbor node when a user identification specific denial is received from the purchase manager by way of the established connection.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a file to be received comprises:

conveying to the neighbor node a file preference indicator;

receiving in response to the file preference indicator an enumeration of available files from the neighbor node; and

selecting a file from the enumeration of available files.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a file to be received comprises:

conveying to the neighbor node a user demographic indicator;

receiving in response to the demographic indicator an enumeration of available files from the neighbor node; and

selecting a file from the enumeration of available files.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a file to be received comprises:

receiving an enumeration of available files from the neighbor node;

filtering the enumeration of available files according to an enumeration of locally available files; and

selecting a file from the filtered enumeration of available files.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein filtering the enumeration of available files comprises:

correlating with an industry standard content identifier a file descriptor included in the enumeration of available files received from the neighbor node;

correlating with an industry standard content identifier a file descriptor included in the enumeration of locally available files; and

eliminating a file descriptor from the enumeration of available files received from the neighbor node when the correlated industry standard content identifier for the file matches a correlated industry standard content identifier for a file descriptor included in the enumeration of locally available files.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a file to be received comprises:

receiving an enumeration of available files from the neighbor node;

presenting the enumeration of available files to a user;

receiving from the user a selection of a file included in the presented enumeration; and

conveying to the neighbor node the user file selection.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a file to be received comprises:

receiving an enumeration of available files from the neighbor node;

making a selection of a file included in the received enumeration according to a preference criterion; and

conveying to the neighbor node the file selection.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein making a selection of a file included in the presented enumeration according to a preference criterion comprises:

monitoring a prior user selection of a download; and

selecting a file from the enumeration of available files according to the prior user download selection.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein making a selection of a file included in the presented enumeration according to a preference criterion comprises:

monitoring a prior user file usage; and

selecting a file from the enumeration of available files according to the prior user file usage.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving from the neighbor node a portion of the determined file comprises:

determining the average viability of the connection with the neighbor node;

receiving a portion of the determined file when the average viability meets a pre-established threshold; and

receiving a file descriptor when the average viability fails to meet a pre-established threshold.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving from the neighbor node a portion of the determined file comprises:

determining the quality of a file available from the neighbor node; and

receiving a portion of the determined file when the quality of the file meets a pre-established threshold.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving from the neighbor node a portion of the determined file comprises:

receiving a file descriptor associated with the file; and

receiving a portion of a determined file while the connection to the neighbor node remains viable.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

re-establishing an application-level connection to the neighbor node; and

receiving a further portion of the determined file by way of the re-established connection while the re-established connection to the neighbor node remains viable.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

establishing an application-level connection to an independent node;

determining if the independent node has stored therein a file corresponding to the file descriptor; and

receiving a further portion of the determined file according to the file descriptor while the connection to the independent node remains viable.

20. A wireless file consumer device comprising:

processor capable of executing an instruction sequence;

wireless interface capable of interacting with a wireless network;

memory capable of storing a file cache and one or more instruction sequences including;

peer-to-peer module that, when executed by the processor, minimally causes the processor to;

recognize a neighbor node; and

establish an application-level connection with the recognized neighbor node using the wireless interface;

file determination module that, when executed by the processor, minimally causes the processor to determine a file to be received from the recognized neighbor node; and

reception module that, when executed by the processor, minimally causes the processor to receive in to the file cache from the connection established with the recognized neighbor node a portion of a determined file while the established connection remains viable.

21. The device of claim 20 further comprising:

presentation unit capable of presenting the contents of a file stored in the file cache to a local user;

digital rights module that, when executed by the processor, minimally cause the processor to receive into the file cache by way of a connection established with a neighbor node a digital rights certificate for the determined file; and

player module that, when executed by the processor, minimally causes the processor to convey to the presentation unit a file stored in the file cache according to a corresponding digital rights certificate.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the digital rights certificate comprises a temporary digital rights certificate.

23. The device of claim 21 wherein the digital rights module further minimally causes the processor to:

establish a connection with a purchase manager using the wireless interface;

obtain from the purchase manager using the established connection at least one of a new digital rights certificate for the determined file and a re-authentication of the digital rights certificate for the determined file received by way of the connection established with a neighbor node.

24. The device of claim 21 wherein the digital rights module further minimally causes the processor to mark as invalid a digital rights certificate stored in the file cache when a current date is greater than an expiration date included in the certificate or the certificate has been used more than a pre-established number of times.

25. The device of claim 21 wherein the digital rights module further minimally causes the processor to:

establish a connection with a purchase manager using the wireless interface;

convey to the purchase manager using the established connection a user identifier for a local user; and

mark as invalid a digital rights certificate received by way of a connection established with a neighbor node when a user identifier specific denial is received from the purchase manager using the connection established with said purchase manager.

26. The device of claim 20 wherein the file determination module includes a preference indicator module that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to determine a file to be received from a neighbor node by minimally causing the processor to:

convey to a connection established to a recognized neighbor node a file preference indicator;

receive by way of the connection established to a recognized neighbor node an enumeration of available files; and

select one or more files from the enumeration of available files.

27. The device of claim 20 wherein the file determination module includes a demographic module that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to determine a file to be received from a neighbor node by minimally causing the processor to:

convey to a connection established to a recognized neighbor node a demographic indicator;

receive by way of the connection established to a recognized neighbor node an enumeration of available files; and

select one or more files from the enumeration of available files.

28. The device of claim 20 wherein the file determination module includes a filter module that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to determine a file to be received from a neighbor node by minimally causing the processor to:

receive by way of the connection established to a recognized neighbor node an enumeration of available files;

filter the received enumeration of available files according to an enumeration of files stored in the file cache; and

select one or more files from the filtered received enumeration of available files.

29. The device of claim 28 wherein the filter module, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to filter the received enumeration of available files by minimally causing the processor to:

correlate with an industry standard content identifier a file descriptor included in the enumeration of available files received from the neighbor node;

correlate with an industry standard content identifier a file descriptor included in an enumeration of files stored in the file cache; and

eliminate a file descriptor from the enumeration of available files received from the neighbor node when the correlated industry standard content identifier for the file matches a correlated industry standard content identifier for a file descriptor included in the enumeration of files stored in the file cache.

30. The device of claim 20 further comprising a local user interface and wherein the file determination module includes a user selection module that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to determine a file to be received from a neighbor node by minimally causing the processor to:

receive by way of the connection established to a recognized neighbor node an enumeration of available files;

direct the enumeration of available files to the local user interface;

receive a selection of one or more files from the local user interface; and

convey to the connection established with the neighbor node the selection of one or more files.

31. The device of claim 20 wherein the file determination module includes a preference selection module that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to determine a file to be received from a neighbor node by minimally causing the processor to:

receive by way of the connection established to a recognized neighbor node an enumeration of available files;

select one or more files from the enumeration of available files according to a preference criterion; and

convey to the connection established with the neighbor node the selection of one or more files.

32. The device of claim 31 wherein the preference module causes the processor to select one or more files according to a selection criterion by minimally causing the processor to:

monitor a prior user download selection; and

select one or more files from the enumeration of available files according to the prior user download selection.

33. The device of claim 31 wherein the preference module causes the processor to select one or more files according to a selection criterion by minimally causing the processor to:

monitor a prior user file usage of files stored in the file cache; and

select one or more files from the enumeration of available files according to the prior user file usage.

34. The device of claim 20 wherein the reception module, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to receive in to the file cache a file from a neighbor node by minimally causing the processor to:

determine the average viability of the connection established with the neighbor node by means of the wireless interface;

receive into the file cache a portion of the determined file when the average viability meets a pre-established threshold; and

receive into the memory a file descriptor when the average viability fails to meet a pre-established threshold.

35. The device of claim 20 wherein the reception module, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to receive in to the file cache a file from a neighbor node by minimally causing the processor to:

determine the quality of a file available from the neighbor node; and

receive into the file cache a portion of the determined file when the quality of the file meets a pre-established threshold.

36. The device of claim 20 wherein the reception module, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to receive in to the file cache a file from a neighbor node by minimally causing the processor to:

receive into the memory a file descriptor associated with a determined file from the neighbor node by means of a connection established through the wireless interface; and

receive into the file cache a portion of the determined file while the connection to the neighbor node remains viable.

37. The device of claim 36 wherein the reception module, when executed by the processor, further minimally causes the processor to:

execute the peer-to-peer module so as to minimally cause the processor to re-establish an application-level connection with the neighbor node by way of the wireless interface; and

receive into the file cache a further portion of the determined file by way of the re-established connection while the re-established connection remains viable.

38. The device of claim 36 wherein the reception module, when executed by the processor, further minimally causes the processor to:

execute the peer-to-peer module so as to minimally cause the processor to establish an application-level connection with an independent node by way of the wireless interface;

determine if the independent node has stored therein a file corresponding to the file descriptor; and

receive into the file cache a further portion of the determined file according to the file descriptor by way of the connection while the connection remains viable.