CONTENT DISTRIBUTION

• US 20140188922A1
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Poyhonen, Ville Petteri, Tuononen, Janne Einari, Strandberg, Ove Bjorn
• Granted Patent: US 9,977,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable

Abstract

The invention introduces a method to inform/configure a peer-to-peer application environment such that an application can find good alternatives for peer selection and data exchange taking the network configuration conditions including caching strategies and deployment into account. In use, a mobile operator stores a tracker file that is used to provide information of likely locations of a data file sought by an end user. The mobile operator provides instructions to a mobile communication device of the end user regarding the location of a tracker file that is available for use by said mobile communication device. In this way, the mobile operator controls the peer-to-peer environment available to the end user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using a mobile communication device to seek a tracker file providing information of likely locations of a data file sought by a user of the mobile communication device; and

obtaining the tracker file from a location instructed by a mobile operator used by the mobile communication device.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mobile operator includes one or more servers that are preconfigured to store one or more tracker files.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mobile operator controls whether or not the mobile communication device is allowed to carry out an active peer node discovery procedure.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said likely locations of the data file comprise locations that have previously downloaded the data file.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said instructions to the mobile communication device regarding the location of the tracker file that is available for use by said mobile communication device comprise a server identifier.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said instructions to the mobile communication device regarding the location of the tracker file that is available for use by said mobile communication device comprise an absolute reference to the tracker file.

2. A method comprising:

storing a tracker file at a server of a mobile operator, wherein the tracker file is used to provide information of likely locations of a data file; and

providing instructions to a mobile communication device that uses said mobile operator regarding the location of a tracker file that is available for use by said mobile communication device.

8. A mobile operator comprising:

a server for storing a tracker file, wherein the tracker file is used to provide information of likely locations of a data file; and

a control mechanism for providing instructions to a mobile communication device that uses said mobile operator regarding the location of the tracker file that is available for use by said mobile communication device.

9. A mobile operator as claimed in claim 8, wherein said control mechanism makes use of a dynamic host configuration protocol.

10. A mobile operator as claimed in claim 8, comprising one or more servers that are preconfigured to store one or more tracker files.

11. A mobile operator as claimed in claim 8, comprising one or more servers that can be dynamically allocated to store one or more tracker files.

12. A mobile operator as claimed in claim 8, wherein said mobile operator is configured to control whether or not the mobile communication device is allowed to carry out an active peer node discovery procedure.

13. A mobile operator as claimed in claim 8, wherein said likely locations of the data file comprise locations that have previously downloaded the data file.

14. A mobile communication device comprising means for obtaining a tracker file from a location instructed by a mobile operator used by the mobile communication device, wherein the tracker file is used to provide information of likely locations of a data file sought by a user of said mobile communication device.

15. A computer program product comprising:

means for enabling an end user to seek a tracker file providing information of likely locations of a data file sought by the end user; and

means for obtaining the tracker file from a location instructed by a mobile operator used by the mobile communication device.

16. A computer program product comprising:

means for storing a tracker file at a server of a mobile operator, wherein the tracker file is used to provide information of likely locations of a data file; and

means for providing instructions to a mobile communication device that uses said mobile operator regarding the location of the tracker file that is available for use by said mobile communication device.