EXPEDITING CONTENT RETRIEVAL USING PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKS

• US 20170163718A1
• Filed: 02/23/2017
• Published: 06/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BitTorent, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bittorrent Incorporated
• Inventors: Yerkes, Arthur W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,554,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms

Abstract

A download manger running on a computer system identifies an in-progress download of content by the computer system directly from a content system. The download manager causes the computer system to join a peer-to-peer network in which the content is being shared. The computer system starts to receive data blocks of the content from peer-to-peer network, as it continues the download from the content system. Based on the receipt of the content from the peer-to-peer network and from the content system, the download manager determines whether the computer system should rely primarily on the peer-to-peer network instead of the content system for receiving the content. If a determination is made to rely on the peer-to-peer network instead of the content system, the download manager terminates the download from the content system and continues receiving data blocks of the content from the peer-to-peer network.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing the receiving of digital content, the method comprising:

identifying an in-progress download of content by a computer system from a content system;

joining, by the computer system during the download of the content from the content system, a peer-to-peer network in which the content is being shared by at least one peer in the peer-to-peer network;

responsive to joining the peer-to-peer network, simultaneously downloading, by the computer system, data blocks of the content from the peer-to-peer network and from the content system via the in-progress download;

determining, by the computer system based on the simultaneous downloading, whether to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network for receiving the content;

responsive to determining to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network, terminating, by the computer system, the in-progress download from the content system; and

receiving, by the computer system, at least a portion of the content through the peer-to-peer network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network comprises:

responsive to the receipt of data blocks of the content from the peer-to-peer network being faster than via the download from the content system, determining to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network instead of the content system for receiving the content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network comprises:

responsive to receiving a data block of the content from to peer-to-peer network before receiving the data block via the download from the content system,

determining to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network instead of the content system for receiving the content.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to terminating the in-progress download from the content system and not receiving a data block of the content from the peer-to-peer network within a threshold period, requesting the data block from the content system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network comprises:

responsive to a difference between an amount of the content received from the peer-to-peer network and an amount of the content received from the content system since joining the peer-to-peer network being greater than a threshold, determining not to rely on the peer-to-peer network.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

responsive to determining not to rely on the peer-to-peer network, terminating the downloading of data blocks of the content from the peer-to-peer network.

7. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions which cause one or more processors to performs steps comprising:

identifying an in-progress download of content by a computer system from a content system;

joining, by the computer system during the download of the content from the content system, a peer-to-peer network in which the content is being shared by at least one peer in the peer-to-peer network;

responsive to joining the peer-to-peer network, simultaneously downloading, by the computer system, data blocks of the content from the peer-to-peer network and from the content system via the in-progress download;

determining, by the computer system based on the simultaneous downloading, whether to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network for receiving the content;

responsive to determining to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network, terminating, by the computer system, the in-progress download from the content system; and

receiving, by the computer system, at least a portion of the content through the peer-to-peer network.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein determining whether to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network comprises:

responsive to the receipt of data blocks of the content from the peer-to-peer network being faster than via the download from the content system, determining to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network instead of the content system for receiving the content.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein determining whether to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network comprises:

responsive to receiving a data block of the content from to peer-to-peer network before receiving the data block via the download from the content system, determining to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network instead of the content system for receiving the content.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to performs steps comprising:

responsive to terminating the in-progress download from the content system and not receiving a data block of the content from the peer-to-peer network within a threshold period, requesting the data block from the content system.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein determining whether to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network comprises:

responsive to a difference between an amount of the content received from the peer-to-peer network and an amount of the content received from the content system since joining the peer-to-peer network being greater than a threshold, determining not to rely on the peer-to-peer network.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to performs steps comprising:

responsive to determining not to rely on the peer-to-peer network, terminating the downloading of data blocks of the content from the peer-to-peer network.

13. A computer system for managing the receiving of digital content, the system comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to perform steps comprising;

identifying an in-progress download of content by the computer system from a content system;

joining, during the download of the content from the content system, a peer-to-peer network in which the content is being shared by at least one peer in the peer-to-peer network;

responsive to joining the peer-to-peer network, simultaneously downloading data blocks of the content from the peer-to-peer network and from the content system via the in-progress download;

determining, based on the simultaneous downloading, whether to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network for receiving the content;

responsive to determining to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network, terminating the in-progress download from the content system; and

receiving at least a portion of the content through the peer-to-peer network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein determining whether to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network comprises:

responsive to the receipt of data blocks of the content from the peer-to-peer network being faster than via the download from the content system, determining to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network instead of the content system for receiving the content.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein determining whether to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network comprises:

responsive to receiving a data block of the content from to peer-to-peer network before receiving the data block via the download from the content system, determining to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network instead of the content system for receiving the content.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to performs steps comprising:

responsive to terminating the in-progress download from the content system and not receiving a data block of the content from the peer-to-peer network within a threshold period, requesting the data block from the content system.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein determining whether to primarily rely on the peer-to-peer network comprises:

responsive to a difference between an amount of the content received from the peer-to-peer network and an amount of the content received from the content system since joining the peer-to-peer network being greater than a threshold, determining not to rely on the peer-to-peer network.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to performs steps comprising:

responsive to determining not to rely on the peer-to-peer network, terminating the downloading of data blocks of the content from the peer-to-peer network.