Transmitting high bandwidth network content on a low bandwidth communications channel during off peak hours

• US 5,978,381 A
• Filed: 06/06/1997
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WebTV Networks Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Schneck, Stuart, Perlman, Stephen G., Yundt, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sam, Phirin
• Application Number:
  US08/870,532
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 370/432, 370/229, 370/230, 370/232, 370/233, 370/234, 370/235, 370/468, 370/477, 348/7, 348/8, 348/10, 348/12, 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 395/200.59, 395/670-674, 395/406, 395/182.11, 395/200.47, 395/200.57, 395/200.58
• US Class Current: 370/432
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention describes a method for transmitting high bandwidth network content on a low bandwidth communications channel during off peak hours. According to one embodiment of the present invention, criteria is determined for downloading data from the communications channel and the data is downloaded from the communications channel during off-peak hours based on the determined criteria. According to another embodiment, a method for coordinated multicasts on a network is described. Download requests are received on a server from a plurality of clients on the network and stored on the server for the coordinated multicast. The coordinated multicast is generated at a predetermined time and then broadcast from the server to the plurality of clients at the predetermined time.

Claims

1. In a computer network that includes (i) a plurality of remote servers for accessing a plurality of network sites containing various types of content that can be viewed and downloaded, (ii) a plurality of proxy servers for caching content from frequently accessed sites of one or more of the remote servers, and (iii) a plurality of client systems each having a caching store to which requested content of one or more sites on the network can be downloaded from any of the remote or proxy servers, and wherein each of the remote servers, proxy servers and client systems are logically connected to one another over a plurality of communications channels, at least some of which are low bandwidth communication channels, a method of improving transmission of network content by utilizing off peak as opposed to peak time periods for downloading selected content, comprising the steps of:

tracking at the client system on-line usage of a user in the form of information that corresponds to one or more sites and/or the content contained at such sites accessed by the user;

during an off peak time period, the client system automatically and without user intervention, connecting to at least one of said remote or proxy servers, and authenticating to the connected server the client system that is connecting;

thereafter, during the off peak time period, downloading from the connected server content from one or more sites on the network as identified from the information tracked at the client system; and

storing the downloaded content in the caching store of the client system, and then disconnecting the client system prior to return of the peak time period.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of downloading said context from one or more sites during off-peak hours includes the step of downloading advertising data.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said step of downloading said advertising data includes the step of storing said downloaded advertising data separately from other downloaded content.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein said step of downloading said advertising data includes the step of allowing users to prevent downloading advertising data.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said communications channels is a telephone network.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said communications channels is an Integrated Services Digital Network (JSDN) network.

7. A method according to claim 1:

wherein said step of connecting to said at least one remote or proxy servers includes the acts of receiving on said at least one server download requests from a plurality of client systems on said network, and storing said download requests on said server for user during a coordinated multicast; and

wherein said step of downloading content includes the act of broadcasting said coordinated multicast from said server to said plurality of clients at a predetermined time.

8. The method according to claim 7 further including the steps of:

said plurality of client systems assessing individual user profiles and previously downloaded data; and

generating said requests based on the assessed individual user profiles and previously downloaded data.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein said act of broadcasting said coordinated multicast from said server to said plurality of client systems at said predetermined time includes the act of broadcasting streams of data from said server to said plurality of clients.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein said act of broadcasting streams of data from said server to said plurality of client systems includes the act of rebroadcasting streams of data from said server to said plurality of client systems at predetermined times after said broadcast.

11. In a computer network that includes (i) a plurality of remote servers for accessing a plurality of network sites containing various types of content that can be viewed and downloaded, (ii) a plurality of proxy servers for caching content from frequently accessed sites of one or more of the remote servers, and (iii) a plurality of client systems each having a caching store to which requested content of one or more sites on the network can be downloaded from any of the remote or proxy servers, and wherein each of the remote servers, proxy servers and client systems are logically connected to one another over a plurality of communications channels, at least some of which are low bandwidth communication channels, as an article of manufacture, computer program product for utilization on a client system in order to implement a method of improving transmission of network content by utilizing off peak as opposed to peak time periods for downloading selected content, said computer program product comprising:

computer readable medium for containing computer program code means; and

wherein the computer program code means comprise instructions for operating a client system in accordance with a method which is comprised of the steps of;

tracking at the client system on-line usage of a user in the form of information that corresponds to one or more sites and/or the content contained at such sites accessed by the user;

during an off peak time period, the client system automatically and without user intervention, connecting to at least one of said remote or proxy servers, and authenticating to the connected server the client system that is connecting;

thereafter, during the off peak time period, downloading from the connected server content from one or more sites on the network as identified from the information tracked at the client system; and

storing the downloaded content in the caching store of the client system, and then disconnecting the client system prior to return of the peak time period.

12. The method as implemented by the computer program product according to claim 11 wherein said step of downloading context from said one or more sites during off-peak hours includes the step of downloading advertising data.

13. The method as implemented by the computer program product according to claim 12 wherein said step of downloading said advertising data includes the step of storing said downloaded advertising data separately from other downloaded content.

14. The method as implemented by the computer program product according to claim 12 wherein said step of downloading said advertising data includes the step of allowing users to prevent downloading advertising data.

15. The method as implemented by the computer program product according to claim 11 wherein at least one of said communications channels is a telephone network.

16. The method as implemented by the computer program product according to claim 11 wherein at least one of said communications channels is an Integrated Services Digital Network (JSDN) network.

17. A method as implemented by the computer program product according to claim 11:

wherein said step of connecting to said at least one remote or proxy servers includes the acts of receiving on said at least one server download requests from a plurality of client systems on said network, and storing said download requests on said server for use during a coordinated multicast; and

wherein said step of downloading content includes the act of broadcasting said coordinated multicast from said server to said plurality of clients at a predetermined time.

18. The method as implemented by the computer program product according to claim 17 further including the steps of:

said plurality of client systems assessing individual user profiles and previously downloaded data; and

generating said requests based on the assessed individual user profiles and previously downloaded data.

19. The method as implemented by the computer program product according to claim 17 wherein said act of broadcasting said coordinated multicast from said server to said plurality of client systems at said predetermined time includes the act of broadcasting streams of data front said server to said plurality of clients.

20. The method as implemented by the computer program product according to claim 19 wherein said act of broadcasting streams of data from said server to said plurality of client systems includes the act of rebroadcasting streams of data from said server to said plurality of client systems at predetermined times after said broadcast.