USER-REQUEST-INITIATED TRANSMISSION OF DATA FILES

• US 20110153656A1
• Filed: 03/26/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ratri Bajar, Series 65 of Allied Security Trust I (Allied Security Trust)
• Original Assignee: Ratri Bajar, Series 65 of Allied Security Trust I (Allied Security Trust)
• Inventors: Sundström, Anders, Lindbäck, Lars, Lundmark, Magnus, Christensen, Mattias L.
• Application Number:
  US12/996,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20110153656A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles

Abstract

A computer node (100) connected to a network (N) is associated with a collection of data files (F1, . . . , Fm) adapted to be supplied to user terminals (T1, T2) for playback/display therein. The node (100) receives user requests (R) from user terminals (T1, T2) via a request input interface (110). Each request (R) identifies a requested data file (F1) in the collection of data files (F1, . . . , Fm). In response to and based on each such request (R), a control unit (120) derives at least two basic request components (r1, r2, r3). Each basic request component (r1, r2, r3) reflects a respective set of features characterizing specific aspects of a playback/display capacity of the user terminal (T1) from which the user request (R) was originated. Based on the at least two basic request components (r1, r2, r3), the control unit (120) also executes a playback/display capacity algorithm containing at least two consecutive steps. Based on a result of the of the algorithm, the control unit (120) derives a composite playback/display capacity (C_τ-tot) of the user terminal (T1); selects (v_ID) a version (F1vi) of the requested data file (F1) which version (F1vi) matches the composite playback/display capacity (C_τ-tot) in respect of the particular contents of the file (F1); and causes forwarding of the selected version (F1vi) of the requested data file (F1) to the user terminal (T1).

Claims

1. A computer node configured to be connected to a data network, the node being associated with a collection of data files adapted to be supplied to user terminals for playback/display therein, the node comprising:

a request input interface configured to receive user requests from user terminals via the data network, each user request identifying a requested data file in the collection of data files, and

a control unit configured to receive incoming user requests from the request input interface, and in response to each such request select a particular version of the data file from the collection of data files, the collection of data files including at least two different versions of each data file where each version is adapted for playback/display in at least one type of user terminal, characterized in that the collection of data files is stored in a payload database of a network resource separated from the computer node, and the control unit is further configured to;

derive at least two basic request components based on the user request, each basic request component reflecting a respective set of features characterizing specific aspects of a playback/display capacity of the user terminal from which the user request was originated,

execute a playback/display capacity algorithm based on the at least two basic request components, the algorithm containing at least two consecutive steps,

derive a composite playback/display capacity of the user terminal based on a result of the execution of said algorithm, the composite playback/display capacity reflecting the terminal'"'"'s capability to handle a particular type of content included in the requested data file (F1),

select a version of the requested data file which version matches the composite playback/display capacity, and

cause forwarding of the selected version of the requested data file from the payload database to the user terminal.

2. The node according to claim 1, wherein a first component of the at least two basic request components comprises user-agent data reflecting at least one of the following pieces of information:

vendor, model, display size, software version and character set supported.

3. The node according to claim 2, wherein a second component of the at least two basic request components comprises accept data reflecting the particular type of content included in the requested data file.

4. The node according to claim 3, wherein a third component of the at least two basic request components comprises user-agent-profile data specifying a URL to a file describing a predefined set of features in respect of the playback/display capacity of the user terminal.

5. The node according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to derive at least one auxiliary request component in addition to the at least two basic request components based on the user request if the control unit finds that the basic request components fail to fulfill a completeness requirement.

6. The node according to claim 1, wherein the at least one auxiliary request component comprises at least one of:

an x-operamini-phone-ua header field,

an x-wap-profile header field,

an x-up-devcap-screenpixels header filed, and

an x-device-accept header field.

7. The node according to claim 1, comprising an exceptions database describing corrections of known anomalies, and the control unit is configured to adjust the features of the playback/display capacity of the user terminal derived from the at least two basic request components based on the contents of the exceptions database, and thus produce an enhanced composite playback/display capacity of the user terminal.

8. The node according to claim 1, comprising a rules database over parameters which describe features of the playback/display capacity of the user terminal in addition to the contents of the at least two basic request components, and the control unit is configured to apply a set of rules from the rules database to the result of the playback/display capacity algorithm and thus produce an enhanced composite playback/display capacity of the user terminal.

9. The node according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to:

generate a data record reflecting the enhanced composite playback/display capacity,

store the data record in association with a terminal reference in a storage means, and in response to a received future user request

check if the future user request was originated from a user terminal which has a terminal reference matching a terminal reference stored in the storage means, and if so

retrieve an enhanced composite playback/display capacity from a data record being associated with the matching terminal reference.

10. The node according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to cause a progressive forwarding of the contents of the selected version of the requested data file to the user terminal in such a manner that the user terminal is enabled to initiate playback/display of the data file prior to that all the contents of the file has reached the user terminal.

11. The node according to claim 10, wherein the control unit (120) is configured to cause streaming of the selected version of the requested data file (F1) to the user terminal.

12. The node according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to:

select an alternative data file if no version of the requested data file can be found in the collection of data files that matches the composite playback/display capacity of the user terminal, the alternative data file matching the composite playback/display capacity of the user terminal however including contents different from the contents of the requested data file, and

cause forwarding of the alternative data file to the user terminal.

13. A method of supplying data files to user terminals for playback/display therein, the method comprising:

receiving a user request in a node via a data network, the user request originating from a user terminal and the user request identifying a requested data file in a collection of data files, the collection of data files including at least two different versions of each data file where each version is adapted for playback/display in at least one type of user terminal; and

selecting in response to the user request a particular version of the data file from the collection of data files,

characterized by the collection of data files being stored in a payload database of a network resource separated from the computer node, and the method comprising;

deriving at least two basic request components based on the user request, each basic request component reflecting a respective set of features characterizing specific aspects of a playback/display capacity of the user terminal from which the user request was originated;

executing a playback/display capacity algorithm based on the at least two basic request components, the algorithm containing at least two consecutive steps;

deriving a composite playback/display capacity of the user terminal based on a result of the execution of said algorithm, the composite playback/display capacity reflecting the terminal'"'"'s capability to handle a particular type of content included in the requested data file;

selecting a version of the requested data file which version matches the composite playback/display capacity; and

forwarding of the selected version of the requested data file from the payload database (140) to the user terminal.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein a first component of the at least two basic request components comprises user-agent data reflecting at least one of the following pieces of information:

vendor, model, display size, software version and character set supported.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein a second component of the at least two basic request components comprises accept data reflecting the particular type of content included in the requested data file.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein a third component of the at least two basic request components comprises user-agent-profile data specifying a URL to a file describing a predefined set of features in respect of the playback/display capacity of the user terminal.

17. The method according to claim 13, comprising deriving at least one auxiliary request component in addition to the at least two basic request components if the control unit finds that the basic request components fail to fulfill a completeness requirement.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the at least one auxiliary request component comprises at least one of:

an x-operamini-phone-ua header field,

an x-wap-profile header field,

an x-up-devcap-screenpixels header filed, and

an x-device-accept header field.

19. The method according to claim 13, comprising:

searching an exceptions database describing corrections of known anomalies; and

in response to a hit in said database in respect of the user terminal

adjusting the features of the playback/display capacity of the user terminal derived from the at least two basic request components, thus producing an enhanced composite playback/display capacity of the user terminal.

20. The method according to claim 13, comprising:

searching a rules database over parameters describing features of the playback/display capacity of the user terminal in addition to the contents of the at least two basic request components; and

applying a set of rules from the rules database to the result of the playback/display capacity algorithm, thus producing an enhanced composite playback/display capacity of the user terminal.

21. The method according to claim 13, comprising:

generating a data record reflecting the enhanced composite playback/display capacity; and

storing the data record in association with a terminal reference in a storage means.

22. The method according to claim 21, comprising:

receiving a new user request in the node via the data network;

checking if the new user request (R) was originated from a user terminal having a terminal reference matching a terminal reference stored in the storage means; and

if so

retrieving an enhanced composite playback/display capacity from a data record being associated with the matching terminal reference.

25. The method according to claim 13, comprising:

selecting an alternative data file if no version of the requested data file can be found in the collection of data files that matches the composite playback/display capacity of the user terminal, the alternative data file matching the composite playback/display capacity of the user terminal however including contents different from the contents of the requested data file; and

forwarding of the alternative data file to the user terminal.

26. A computer program loadable into the memory of a data-processing apparatus, comprising software for controlling the steps of claim 13 when said program is run on the data-processing apparatus.

27. A computer readable medium, having a program recorded thereon, where the program is to make a data-processing apparatus control the steps of claim 13 when the program is loaded into the data-processing apparatus.

23. The method according to claim 23, comprising forwarding progressively the contents of the selected version of the requested data file to the user terminal, the content being forwarded in such a manner that the user terminal is enabled to initiate playback/display of the data file prior to that all the contents of the file has reached the user terminal.

24. The method according to claim 23, comprising streaming the selected version of the requested data file to the user terminal.