INTERNET PROTOCOL BROADCASTING
First Claim
1. A method for multicasting over a communications system having a communications path between a content provider and a plurality of users, the communications path comprising a shared forward link over which bandwidth resources are shared during a multicast communication, the method comprising:
- receiving content data for a content atom from a content source, the content data comprising payload data and descriptive data, the descriptive data including information characterizing the payload data;
calculating a value of the content atom with respect to a broadcast channel as a function of user preference models and user dictionary models associated with at least some of the plurality of users according to user models maintained by the content provider;
the user dictionary models representing user dictionaries disposed locally to respective users, and the user preference models representing user preferences for local filtering of content added to the user dictionaries;
determining whether to add the content atom to the broadcast channel as a function of the calculated value of the content atom with respect to the broadcast channel; and
when it is determined to add the content atom to the broadcast channel as a function of the calculated value of the content atom with respect to the broadcast channel, multicasting the content atom via the broadcast channel over the communications path to the plurality of users.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, apparatuses, and systems are provided for improving utilization of a communications system through various atom-based techniques for enhancing the viewing experience for Internet protocol content. Some embodiments exploit atom-based processing to determine which content atoms to broadcast (e.g., multicast) over which channels to which subscribers. Other embodiments make atom-based filtering, caching, and/or other determinations at the user terminal. For example, low-level (e.g., physical layer) filtering may be used to limit the amount of user-layer processing needed, and to facilitate delivery of content to those users most likely to desire that content. Still other embodiments allow users to create customized channels of cached content for viewing as a shared channel. Embodiments include techniques for addressing synchronization of channel content and viewing, and social networking, for subscribers to the shared channel. The shared channels may be further used to facilitate social networking among subscribers.
50 Citations
3 Claims
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1. A method for multicasting over a communications system having a communications path between a content provider and a plurality of users, the communications path comprising a shared forward link over which bandwidth resources are shared during a multicast communication, the method comprising:
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receiving content data for a content atom from a content source, the content data comprising payload data and descriptive data, the descriptive data including information characterizing the payload data; calculating a value of the content atom with respect to a broadcast channel as a function of user preference models and user dictionary models associated with at least some of the plurality of users according to user models maintained by the content provider;
the user dictionary models representing user dictionaries disposed locally to respective users, and the user preference models representing user preferences for local filtering of content added to the user dictionaries;determining whether to add the content atom to the broadcast channel as a function of the calculated value of the content atom with respect to the broadcast channel; and when it is determined to add the content atom to the broadcast channel as a function of the calculated value of the content atom with respect to the broadcast channel, multicasting the content atom via the broadcast channel over the communications path to the plurality of users.
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2. A method for handling streams multicast over a communications system having a communications path between a content provider and a plurality of users, the communications path comprising a shared forward link over which bandwidth resources are shared during a multicast communication, the method comprising:
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receiving a metadata stream at a network interface system of a user terminal, the network interface system being configured to receive stream data from the content provider over the communications path at a lower layer subsystem, the lower layer subsystem being configured to determine whether to accept or ignore the stream data according to a stream identifier and to pass at least some of the stream data to a higher layer subsystem when it is determined to accept the stream data according to the stream identifier, the metadata stream being received in association with a stream identifier configured to direct the lower layer subsystem to accept the metadata stream and to pass the metadata to the higher layer subsystem, and the metadata stream comprising metadata configured to describe a plurality of content atoms to be subsequently communicated over a broadcast stream and to associate each of the plurality of content atoms with an atom identifier configured as a substantially unique stream identifier; determining at the higher layer subsystem whether to accept the content atom as a function of a set of user preferences; when it is determined to accept the content atom, communicating the atom identifier associated with the content atom from the higher layer subsystem to the lower layer subsystem; receiving the content atom in association with its atom identifier over the broadcast stream subsequent to determining to accept the content atom; and determining at the lower layer subsystem to accept the content atom as a function of its atom identifier.
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3. A method for mediating sharing of a plurality of customized channels of content atoms among a plurality of users, the content atoms being stored locally to the plurality of users, the method comprising:
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selecting a subscriber group from a plurality of subscriber groups, the subscriber group being associated with a customized channel of the plurality of customized channels and comprising a set of subscribers, each subscriber in the subscriber group being one of the plurality of users that has subscribed to the customized channel; receiving a channel history dataset associated with the customized channel from each subscriber of the subscriber group, the channel history dataset comprising representations of subscriber preferences that affect handling of the content atoms with respect to the customized channel; generating a mediation output according to the channel history datasets, the mediation output representing a set of updates to the channel history datasets configured to substantially synchronize the handling of the content atoms with respect to the customized channel among the subscribers of the subscriber group; and communicating the mediation output to the subscribers of the subscriber group.
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Specification