Method and system for content distribution

• US 20080066125A1
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Hein, Julia, Li, Zhi, Ou, Canhui, Heinmiller, Wayne Robert, Sposato, Steve
• Application Number:
  US11/510,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066125A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/97
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• 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 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• 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

A method and system for content distribution. A scheduler for determining content to be sent to one or more devices and for creating a schedule to transmit the content. A content server for accessing content to be sent to one or more devices. A delivery modules to effectuate delivery of the content via at least one transmission protocol to the one or more devices according to the schedule.

Claims

1. A server system comprising:

a scheduler module to;

select content to be scheduled for delivery to a device in advance of use of the content based on processing at least one of content requests received from the device and content predictions made for the device, and

schedule the content for delivery over a network during a non-peak period;

a content server to access the content to be transmitted to the device; and

a delivering module to effectuate delivery of the content over the network via a transmission protocol to the device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver module to provide content requests to the scheduler module.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an order predictor module to provide content predictions to the scheduler module.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the content include video content and the network includes a network of an Internet Protocol Television system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission protocol includes a multicast transmission protocol.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the device includes an intermediate device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the content includes at least one of video content, digital music content, data content and informational content.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-peak period includes at least one of when network congestion of the network is low or the content server distributing the content has available capacity.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the network includes a network of an Internet Protocol Television system, wherein the transmission protocol includes a multicast transmission protocol, wherein the device includes an intermediate device, and wherein the content includes at least one of video content, digital music content, data content and informational content.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

include content requests as a first selection of content,

include content predictions as a second selection of the content; and

select a portion of the content to deliver by a multicast transmission protocol based on an analysis of the first and the second selection of the content.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the portion of the content includes at least one of a partial portion of the content and an entire portion of the content.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the portion of the content includes a partial portion of the content.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

transmit a content request for content;

receive the content via a multicast transmission protocol during a non-peak period in response to the content request; and

a storage to retain the content.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide the content to one or more user devices; and

expire the content.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, where the processor is further configured to:

restrict access to the content.

16. A method comprising:

analyzing network traffic of a network; and

scheduling delivery of at least a portion of video content of an Internet Protocol Television system through the network via a transmission protocol based on the network traffic analysis.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining a portion of the video content to be scheduled according to one or more scheduling factors.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more scheduling factors includes at least one of one or more processed content requests, predicted content, and weighing one or more processed content requests and predicted content.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

transmitting the video of the video content via multicast transmission protocol.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein analyzing network traffic includes determining peak periods and non-peak periods and further comprising:

transmitting the portion of the content via a multicast transmission protocol during the non-peak traffic periods.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

determining a first section of the portion of the content for transmission via a multicast transmission protocol and determining a second section of the portion of the content for transmission via a unicast transmission protocol.

22. A method comprising:

receiving a number of requests for video content; and

transmitting the content via a multicast transmission protocol in response to the number of requests for video content during a non-peak period to a plurality of devices.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

selecting a plurality of intermediate devices as the plurality of devices; and

receiving and storing the content.

24. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

analyze network traffic of a network; and

schedule delivery of at least a portion of video content of an Internet Protocol Television system through the network via a transmission protocol based on the network traffic analysis.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

include content requests as a first selection of video content;

include content predictions as a second selection of the video content; and

select a portion of the content to deliver by a multicast transmission protocol based on an analysis of the first and the second selection of the video content.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

transmit the portion of the content via a multicast transmission protocol during a non-peak period to a plurality of devices.