Method for selecting among equivalent files on a global computer network

• US 6,473,756 B1
• Filed: 06/11/1999
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Acceleration Software International Corporation
• Inventors: Ballard, Clinton L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mofiz, Apu M
• Application Number:
  US09/330,676
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 707/6, 707/1-100, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/10, 707/505.1, 707/203, 707/227
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A file among equivalent files identified during a search of a global computer network is selected to be downloaded to a local computer. Equivalent files are found frequently where different copies of the same song are stored many times on a global computer network. A portion of all or a subset of the equivalent files are screened during a brief trial download period. Because the files are expected to be located at different sites, the bandwidth of the pathways to the respective files may vary. Amongst other criteria, the file with the best download performance during the trial time period is selected to be downloaded in its entirety.

Claims

1. A method for selecting among files on a global computer network, comprising the steps of:

searching at least a portion of the global computer network for files meeting a search criteria, wherein a list of files meeting said search criteria is identified;

attempting to download a portion of each file among a subset of the files on said list;

screening the files attempted to be downloaded based upon selection criteria; and

selecting one of the screened files attempted to be downloaded to be completely downloaded;

wherein the selection criteria includes at least a download bandwidth performance during a trial downloading time period.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the step of screening comprises:

after a first time period, evaluating the download bandwidth performance for each file having at least a portion being downloaded;

eliminating at least one file among the files being screened from consideration based on said at least one file having a slowest bandwidth performance, downloading of said eliminated file being discontinued; and

repeating the steps of evaluating and eliminating after subsequent time periods until a file is identified which complies with the selection criteria and has a best download bandwidth performance.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the step of attempting comprises attempting to download a portion of each file among a subset of the files on said list for a trial downloading time period;

and

in which the step of screening comprises;

evaluating the downloading bandwidth performance during the trial time period for each file having at least a portion being downloaded; and

identifying one file among the files being screened which complies with the selection criteria and has a best download bandwidth performance.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the step of attempting comprises attempting to download a portion of each file among a subset of the files on said list for a trial downloading time period;

and in which the selection criteria comprises first criteria and second criteria, the first criteria being said download bandwidth performance during the trial downloading time period, and in which the step of screening comprises;

evaluating the downloading bandwidth performance during the trial time period for each file having at least a portion being downloaded; and

identifying one file among the files being screened which complies with the second criteria and has a best download bandwidth performance.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the steps of searching, attempting, screening and selecting are executed a plurality of times to select a plurality of files, the method further comprising the steps of:

maintaining an indication of files selected during the selecting step; and

prior to the step of attempting, choosing said subset of files to attempt downloading from the list of files meeting the search criteria, said step of choosing comprising identifying at random a first number of files from the list of files meeting the search criteria.

6. The method of claim 4, in which the step of choosing further comprises identifying a second number of files from the list of files meeting the search criteria that previously have been selected during the selecting step of a previous execution of the searching, attempting, screening and selecting steps.

7. The method of claim 5, in which the steps of attempting, screening and selecting are performed at one or more end user computers and the step of maintaining is performed at a server computer.

8. A method for selecting among files on a global computer network, comprising the steps of:

searching at least a portion of the global computer network for files meeting a search criteria, wherein a list of files meeting said search criteria is identified in which the list of files is a list of equivalent files;

attempting to download a portion of each file among a subset of the files on said list;

screening the files attempted to be downloaded based upon selection criteria; and

selecting one of the screened files attempted to be downloaded to be completely downloaded;

wherein the selection criteria includes at least a download bandwidth performance during a trial downloading time period.

9. The method of claim 8, in which the list of equivalent files comprises either one or both of identical and non-identical copies of a same audio work.

10. The method of claim 9, in which a first audio work and a second audio work are considered to be the same audio work where the first audio work and the second audio work are of the same song by the same artist for the same performance.

11. The method of claim 8, in which the list of equivalent files comprises either one or both of identical and non-identical copies of an audio work of a same song as performed by a same artist at either one or both of a same or a different performance.

12. The method of claim 8, in which the list of equivalent files comprises either one or both of identical and non-identical copies of an audio work of a same song as performed by either one or both of a same or a different artist at either one or both of a same or a different performance.

13. A system for searching a global computer network, comprising:

means for searching at least a portion of the global computer network for files meeting a search criteria, the searching means producing a list of files meeting said search criteria;

means for downloading a portion of a subset of files on said list;

means for screening each file attempted to be downloaded based upon selection criteria, said screening means comprising means for comparing bandwidth performance for each file of the plurality of files which has a portion downloaded; and

means for selecting one of the screened files attempted to be downloaded to be completely downloaded based at least in part on the bandwidth performance associated with the selected file.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for choosing said subset of files from the list of files, wherein at least one file from the list of files is chosen based upon a prior selection rating of such file.

15. The system of claim 14, comprising and end user computer and a server computer, wherein the end user computer comprises the downloading means, the screening means and the selecting means and wherein the server computer comprises the choosing means.

16. The system of claim 14, comprising and end user computer and a server computer, wherein the end user computer comprises the downloading means, and wherein the server computer comprises the choosing means and the comparing means.

17. The system of claim 13, in which the selection criteria comprises first criteria and second criteria, the second criteria being said bandwidth performance.

18. The system of claim 13, in which the list of files consists of a list of equivalent files of either one or both of identical and non-identical copies of a same audio work.

19. The system of claim 18, in which first and second audio works are considered to be the same audio work where the first and second audio work are of the same song by the same artist for the same performance.

20. The system of claim 13, in which the list of files consists of a list of equivalent files of either one or both of identical and non-identical copies of an audio work of a same song as performed by a same artist at either one or both of a same or a different performance.

21. The system of claim 13, in which the list of files consists of a list of equivalent files of either one or both of identical and non-identical copies of an audio work of a same song as performed by either one or both of a same or a different artist at either one or both of a same or a different performance.

22. The system of claim 13, in which the downloading means comprises:

means for downloading a portion of the subset of files on said list for a trial downloading time period.

23. The system of claim 13, in which the screening means comprises:

means for evaluating the downloading bandwidth performance for each file having at least a portion being downloaded after each one of a plurality of time periods;

means for eliminating after each one of said plurality of time periods, at least one file among the files being screened from consideration based on said at least one file having a slowest bandwidth performance.

24. The system of claim 23, in which each one of said plurality of time periods is of equal time length.

25. The system of claim 23, in which at least one of said plurality of time periods is of a different length than another one of said plurality of time periods.