Local service provider for pull based intelligent caching system

• US 6,298,373 B1
• Filed: 03/02/1999
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Leach, Paul J., Burns, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/260,932
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 709/102, 709/200, 709/202, 709/203, 709/213, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18582 Arrangements for data linking, i.e. for data framing, for error recovery, for multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• 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

A network system includes a content provider connected to local service providers via an interactive distribution network, such as the Internet. The local service providers facilitate delivery of the content from the content provider to multiple subscribers. The local service providers schedule delivery of frequently requested content from the content provider prior to a peak time when the subscribers are likely to request the content. The content is downloaded from the content provider during the off-peak hours and cached at the local service providers for serving to the subscribers during the ensuing peak time. In this manner, the frequently requested content is already present at the local service providers and ready to be served to the subscribers before they actually request it. When the content is finally requested, the data is streamed continuously in real-time for just-in-time rendering at the subscriber computer. Another aspect of this invention involves supplementing content delivery over the Internet with delivery of content over a secondary network, such as a broadcast satellite network. The supplemental broadcast link offers additional bandwidth at a fraction of the cost that would be incurred if the local service provider installed additional Internet connections, such as T1 or T3 connections.

Claims

1. A local service provider for facilitating delivery of continuous data content from a content provider to individual content rendering units, the content serving unit comprising:

a computer programmed to detect a peak time when the content rendering units are likely to request the particular target resource and to schedule a request for the particular target resource at a selected time prior to the peak time;

a cache memory to store the particular target resource received from the content provider in response to the scheduled requests;

a continuous media server to store any continuous data files referenced in the particular target resource; and

the computer being further programmed to serve the particular target resource stored in the cache memory to a content rendering unit during the peak time, and if requested by the content rendering unit, to initiate transmission of a continuous data file from the continuous media server that is referenced in the target resource.

2. A local service provider as recited in claim 1, wherein the target resource in the cache memory- contains target specifications to remote locations where the continuous data files are stored remotely from the content serving unit, and the computer is programmed to change the target specifications within the cached target resource to reference the continuous data files stored in the continuous media server.

3. A local service provider as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer is programmed to estimate a time-to-live tag for the target resources received from the content provider to indicate when the target resources are expected to be updated.

4. A content serving unit for facilitating delivery of content from a content provider to individual content rendering units, the content serving unit comprising:

a computer;

a storage medium connected to the computer;

a network port responsive to the computer to request and receive content from the content provider over a network;

a receiver to receive a signal from the content provider, the signal carrying additional content; and

the computer being programmed to store the additional content received at the receiver in the storage medium.

5. A content serving unit as recited in claim 4, wherein the computer is programmed to monitor usage patterns of the content and to schedule requests for the content so that the content is received from the content provider at a time prior to the peak time.

6. A content serving unit as recited in claim 4, wherein the computer is programmed to serve the additional content stored in the storage medium to a content rendering unit in response to a request from the content rendering unit.

7. A content serving unit as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

a memory to store target specifications for referencing the content at the content provider; and

the computer being programmed to change the target specifications to reference the content stored in the storage medium instead of referencing that same content at the content provider.

8. A content serving unit as recited in claim 4, wherein:

the network port comprises a connector compatible with a wire-based communications network; and

the receiver comprises a receiver capable of receiving signals conveyed through a wireless medium.

9. A content serving unit as recited in claim 4, wherein the computer is programmed to estimate a time-to-live tag for the content received from the content provider to indicate when the content is expected to be updated.