Method and system for ensuring continuous data flow between re-transmitters within a chaincast communication system
First Claim
1. A communication system comprising:
- a plurality of information receiver and retransmitter devices (IRRTs) coupled to the Internet wherein each IRRT is for receiving and rendering broadcast information and for selectively retransmitting broadcast information to another IRRT, and wherein each IRRT includes a transmission buffer having a buffer forward portion for storing broadcast information to be rendered and a buffer past portion for storing broadcast information that has been rendered and can be retransmitted to another IRRT, wherein a rendering pointer separates said buffer forward and buffer past portions;
a plurality of primary broadcast servers coupled to the Internet, each for originating respective primary broadcast information that is chaincast among a group of IRRTs of said plurality of IRRTs; and
a chaincast manager coupled to said Internet and for registering said plurality of primary broadcast servers and for scheduling information transfers of said respective primary broadcast information to IRRTs based on broadcast requests generated by said IRRTs to said chaincast manager.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for performing chaincast communication to multiple communication systems (e.g., computer systems) within a system of coupled electronic devices (e.g., the Internet). The present invention provides a system wherein a broadcast source communicates primary broadcast information (e.g., encoded audio radio content, encoded audio/video television content, etc.) to a first group of electronic devices. The first group of electronic devices can be instructed by a chaincast manager to then communicate (e.g., forward or retransmit) the broadcast information to other electronic devices which devices can also be instructed to communicate to more devices, etc., thereby reducing the bandwidth requirements of the communication channel between the broadcast source and the first group of electronic devices. The chaincast manager, coupled to the Internet, is used to track and manage which devices are forwarding broadcast information to which other devices. The chaincast manager is also used to monitor the packet rates between the electronic devices. In response to the packet rates falling below a pre-determined threshold value, the transmission re-routes communications to provide better communication load sharing across the system. The chaincast communication system may also include a number of secondary broadcast servers for broadcasting secondary information content (e.g., advertisement, emergency information, community information, etc.) to be rendered independently of the primary broadcast information content.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A communication system comprising:
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a plurality of information receiver and retransmitter devices (IRRTs) coupled to the Internet wherein each IRRT is for receiving and rendering broadcast information and for selectively retransmitting broadcast information to another IRRT, and wherein each IRRT includes a transmission buffer having a buffer forward portion for storing broadcast information to be rendered and a buffer past portion for storing broadcast information that has been rendered and can be retransmitted to another IRRT, wherein a rendering pointer separates said buffer forward and buffer past portions;
a plurality of primary broadcast servers coupled to the Internet, each for originating respective primary broadcast information that is chaincast among a group of IRRTs of said plurality of IRRTs; and
a chaincast manager coupled to said Internet and for registering said plurality of primary broadcast servers and for scheduling information transfers of said respective primary broadcast information to IRRTs based on broadcast requests generated by said IRRTs to said chaincast manager. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A communication system comprising:
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a plurality of information receiver and retransmitter devices (IRRTs) coupled to the Internet wherein each IRRT is for receiving and rendering broadcast information and for selectively retransmitting broadcast information to another IRRT, and wherein each IRRT includes a transmission buffer having a buffer forward portion for storing broadcast information to be rendered and a buffer past portion for storing broadcast information that has been rendered and can be retransmitted to another IRRT, wherein a rendering pointer separates said buffer forward and buffer past portions;
a plurality of primary broadcast servers coupled to the Internet and each for originating respective radio broadcast information that is chaincast among a group of IRRTs;
a plurality of secondary broadcast servers coupled to the Internet and each for originating respective advertisement broadcast information that is chaincast among a group of IRRTs; and
a chaincast manager coupled to said Internet and for registering said plurality of primary and secondary broadcast servers and for scheduling information transfers of said radio broadcast information to IRRTs based on broadcast requests generated by said IRRTs to said chaincast manager and wherein said chaincast manager is also for supplying a respective IRRT with a list of all registered primary broadcast servers in response to a request by said respective IRRT for said list. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of communicating broadcast information over the Internet comprising the steps of:
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a) causing a primary server to communicate a first stream of data packets representing primary broadcast information to a first user device and rendering said primary broadcast information thereon, wherein said server and said first user device are coupled to the Internet, and wherein said first user device includes a first transmission buffer having a buffer forward portion for storing broadcast information to be rendered and a buffer past portion for storing broadcast information that has been rendered and can be retransmitted to another user device, wherein a first rendering pointer separates said buffer forward and buffer past portions;
b) causing said server to communicate a second stream of data packets representing said primary broadcast information to a second user device and rendering said primary broadcast information thereon, wherein said second user device is coupled to the Internet and configured for rendering said primary broadcast information, and wherein said second user device includes a second transmission buffer having a buffer forward portion for storing broadcast information to be rendered and a buffer past portion for storing broadcast information that has been rendered and can be retransmitted to another user device, wherein a second rendering pointer separates said buffer forward and buffer past portions;
c) causing said first user device to communicate a third stream of data packets representing said primary broadcast information to a third user device and rendering said primary broadcast information thereon, wherein said third user device is coupled to the Internet and configured for rendering said primary broadcast information, and wherein said third user device includes a third transmission buffer having a buffer forward portion for storing broadcast information to be rendered and a buffer past portion for storing broadcast information that has been rendered and can be retransmitted to another user device, wherein a third rendering pointer separates said buffer forward and buffer past portions;
d) monitoring a packet rate of said third stream; and
f) in response to said packet rate falling below a pre-determined rate, causing said second user device to communicate a fourth stream of data packets representing said primary broadcast information to said third user device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of communicating Web content over the Internet comprising the steps of:
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a) causing a Web server to communicate a first stream of data packets representing content of an URL (Universal Resource Locator) to a first user device and causing said first user device to render said content thereon when said URL is accessed by said first user device, and wherein said first user device includes a first transmission buffer having a buffer forward portion for storing data packets to be rendered and a buffer past portion for storing data packets that have been rendered and can be retransmitted to another user device, wherein a first rendering pointer separates said buffer forward and buffer past portions; and
b) causing said first user device to communicate a second stream of data packets representing said content of said URL to a second user device and causing said second user device to render said content thereon when said second user device accesses said URL pseudo-simultaneously with said first user device, and wherein said second user device includes a second transmission buffer having a buffer forward portion for storing data packets to be rendered and a buffer past portion for storing data packets that have been rendered and can be retransmitted to another user device, wherein a second rendering pointer separates said buffer forward and buffer past portions. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. A communication system comprising:
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a plurality of information receiver and retransmitter devices (IRRTs) coupled to the Internet and wherein each IRRT is operable to receive broadcast information, operable to render a portion of said broadcast information and configured by a chaincast manager to selectively retransmit a portion of said broadcast information to another IRRT, and wherein each IRRT includes a transmission buffer having a buffer forward portion for storing broadcast information to be rendered and a buffer past portion for storing broadcast information that has been rendered and can be retransmitted to another IRRT, wherein a rendering pointer separates said buffer forward and buffer past portions;
a plurality of primary broadcast servers coupled to the Internet, each operable to originate respective primary broadcast information that is chaincast among a group of IRRTs of said plurality of IRRTs;
a plurality of secondary broadcast servers coupled to the Internet and each operable to originate respective secondary broadcast information that is chaincast among a group of IRRTs of said plurality of IRRTs; and
wherein said chaincast manager is coupled to said Internet and operable to register said plurality of primary and secondary broadcast servers and operable to schedule information transfers of said respective primary broadcast information to IRRTs based on broadcast requests generated by said IRRTs to said chaincast manager. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification