Methods and apparatus for content delivery notification and management
First Claim
1. A method of providing notification in a content based network, the method comprising:
- receiving a request for delivery of content from an entity in communication with said network;
evaluating at least one parameter related to available bandwidth of said network;
when said evaluating indicates that said available bandwidth is limited, delaying the servicing of said request for content; and
providing a notification based at least in part on said delaying.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for handling situations where requested services require more network capacity than presently available, and notifying network users of an delay in providing such services. In one embodiment, the invention comprises apparatus and methods for the detection of capacity (e.g., bandwidth) shortage, determination of a delayed delivery mode and schedule for the delivery of the requested content, and notification of the availability of the content to the user via, e.g., on-screen display, e-mail, text message, or other mode. The user can also specify their own notification preferences and delivery time. Requests for and delivery of the content may be performed from/to different locations as well. Network server apparatus, consumer premises equipment (CPE), and a software architecture adapted to implement the foregoing functionality, are also disclosed.
-
Citations
54 Claims
-
1. A method of providing notification in a content based network, the method comprising:
-
receiving a request for delivery of content from an entity in communication with said network; evaluating at least one parameter related to available bandwidth of said network; when said evaluating indicates that said available bandwidth is limited, delaying the servicing of said request for content; and providing a notification based at least in part on said delaying. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method of processing requests for content delivery in a content-based network, the method comprising:
-
receiving a request for content from a client device in operative communication with said network; evaluating the network'"'"'s capacity to fulfill said request substantially in real time; determining, where said capacity is not available, a delayed delivery mode to be used to deliver said content; and providing a notification to at least said client device relating to said non-availability and said delayed delivery mode. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method of delayed-delivery of content requests in a content based network, the method comprising:
-
receiving a request for content from client device having at least one tuner, or a proxy thereof; evaluating available bandwidth in said network to fulfill said request for content; when said available bandwidth is insufficient to fulfill said request, issuing a notification of delay to said client device or said proxy; and delivering said requested content after sufficient bandwidth becomes available; wherein said delivering comprises receiving said content using said at least one tuner. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. For use in a content-based network having at least one content source and a plurality of client devices, a software architecture adapted to provide delayed delivery of content and notification thereof, the architecture comprising:
-
a first process associated with said source; and a second process disposed on respective ones of at least a portion of said plurality of client devices; wherein said first process is adapted to; evaluate at least one aspect of the network to determine if sufficient capacity is available to immediately service a content request; where said capacity is not sufficient, determine at least a time when said capacity is projected to be sufficient; and issue a notification to an entity making said request indicating at least said time. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. Consumer premises equipment (CPE) adapted for delayed content delivery notification within a content-based network, comprising:
-
a processor; at least one software process operative to run on said processor; and at least one display interface; wherein said at least one process is adapted to receive information relating to delayed delivery of content previously requested, and cause display of a notification on an associated display device via said at least one display interface. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
-
-
40. A method of providing contextually relevant advertising, comprising:
-
receiving a request for content delivery, said content having at least one context; determining that insufficient network capacity exists to service said request immediately; and generating a notification to a requesting entity indicating that delivery of said content will be delayed; wherein said notification comprises at least one advertising element that is related to said content via at least said context. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
-
-
44. For use in a content based network, a method of delivering requested content via a delayed delivery mechanism, comprising:
-
determining that the requested content cannot be delivered immediately because of capacity or bandwidth shortage; storing, on a storage device remote from the subscriber'"'"'s location, at least a portion of said requested content for later delivery to said subscriber'"'"'s location; and providing a notification of the delay of said delivery of said requested content to said subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
-
-
53. A method of notifying subscribers within a content-based network of the availability of new or previously unavailable content, comprising:
-
providing a first notification of an impending availability for said content; substantially in response to said act of providing, receiving a request for notification of the availability of said content from a subscriber; determining that the content is available; and providing said notification of availability to said subscriber substantially in response to said determining.
-
-
54. Network server apparatus for use in a content-based network and adapted to process requests for content delivery, comprising:
-
a processor; a communications interface in operative communication with said processor and said network, said interface being adapted to receive said requests; and a software process operative to run on said processor, said software process adapted to; receive a request for content from a client device in operative communication with said network via said interface; evaluate the network'"'"'s capacity to fulfill said request substantially in real time; determine, where said capacity is not available, a delayed delivery mode to be used to deliver said content; and provide a notification to at least said client device relating to said non-availability and said delayed delivery mode.
-
Specification