Datacast distribution system

• US 7,437,549 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2002
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 3, LLC
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Prokki, Kai-Uwe, Müller, Dominique, Lindqvist, Markus, Soinio, Markku
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise; Emmanuel L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fields; Courtney D
• Application Number:
  US10/268,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20030088778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• Field of Search: 713/153, 713/160, 713/163, 713/193, 380/201, 380/231, 380/277
• US Class Current: 713/153
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/15 on receiving information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365

Abstract

According to the present invention there is provided a datacast distribution system which allows for the distribution of movies, music, games, application software, and the like using a new or existing terrestrial digital video broadcasting (DVB-T) network or the like.

Claims

1. A method for distributing content files to a terminal, comprising:

associating with each of a plurality of content files a metadata file, wherein each of the metadata files is associated with a unique identifier;

receiving at the terminal a specification of content of interest to a user, said specification being in terms of metadata keywords;

searching said metadata files for said keywords;

noting unique identifiers associated with metadata files including one or more of said keywords;

monitoring incoming packets for the noted unique identifiers, each of said packets conveying a portion of one of said content files;

bringing to attention of said user only content files conveyed by packets that contain one of the noted unique identifiers;

providing individuals with software for formulating content, said software producing for each item of formulated content descriptive attributes;

distributing to receiving terminals the formulated content, and descriptive attributes produced with said software;

allowing users of the receiving terminals to specify attributes corresponding to content of potential interest; and

allowing the users of the receiving terminals to configure the receiving terminals to only display content whose descriptive attributes match the specified attributes, wherein at least one of the content files comprises content formulated using said software,

wherein chat messages are formulated using said software.

2. A method for distributing content files to a terminal, comprising:

associating with each of a plurality of content files a metadata file, wherein each of the metadata files is associated with a unique identifier, and wherein the content files are selected by a content provider;

receiving at the terminal a specification of content of interest to a user, said specification being in terms of metadata keywords;

searching said metadata files for said keywords;

noting unique identifiers associated with metadata files including one or more of said keywords;

monitoring incoming packets for the noted unique identifiers, each of said packets conveying a portion of one of said content files;

bringing to attention of said user only content files conveyed by packets that contain one of the noted unique identifiers;

allowing the content provider to view available bandwidth in a network of a broadcast system;

allowing the content provider to, by defining a certain amount of bandwidth between a stated start time and a stated end time, allocate bandwidth for a broadcast program in one or more network areas; and

allowing said content provider to view network topology.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said network topology corresponds to a certain area of said network.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said network topology corresponds to all of said network.

5. A terminal for receiving at least one content file, comprising:

a memory having program code stored therein;

a processor operatively connected to said memory for carrying out instructions in accordance with said stored program code;

a unidirectional network interface; and

a bidirectional network interface;

wherein said program code, when executed by said processor, causes said processor to perform the steps of;

receiving a specification of content of interest to a user, said specification being in terms of metadata keywords;

noting unique identifiers associated with metadata files including one or more of said keywords;

monitoring incoming packets for the noted unique identifiers, each of said packets conveying a content file portion; and

bringing to attention of said user only content files conveyed by packets that contain one of the noted unique identifiers.

6. The terminal of claim 5, wherein electronic service guide metadata is employed.

7. The terminal of claim 5, wherein said terminal is a cellular telephone.

9. The terminal of claim 5, wherein said bidirectional network interface is a universal mobile telecommunications system interface.

10. The terminal of claim 5 wherein said program code further causes said processor to perform the step of:

filtering received content files.

11. The terminal of claim 10, wherein said filtering includes considering metadata.

12. The terminal of claim 10, wherein said filtering includes considering identifiers.

13. The terminal of claim 10, wherein said filtering includes considering content.

8. A terminal for receiving at least one content file, comprising:

a memory having program code stored therein;

a processor operatively connected to said memory for carrying out instructions in accordance with said stored program code; and

a unidirectional network interface;

wherein said program code, when executed by said processor, causes said processor to perform the steps of;

receiving a specification of content of interest to a user, said specification being in terms of metadata keywords;

noting unique identifiers associated with metadata files including one or more of said keywords;

monitoring incoming packets for the noted unique identifiers, each of said packets conveying a content file portion; and

bringing to attention of said user only content files conveyed by packets that contain one of the noted unique identifiers,

wherein said unidirectional network interface is a terrestrial digital video broadcasting interface.

14. A terminal for receiving at least one content file, comprising:

a memory having program code stored therein;

a processor operatively connected to said memory for carrying out instructions in accordance with said stored program code; and

a unidirectional network interface;

wherein said program code, when executed by said processor, causes said processor to perform the steps of;

receiving a specification of content of interest to a user, said specification being in terms of metadata keywords;

noting unique identifiers associated with metadata files including one or more of said keywords;

monitoring incoming packets for the noted unique identifiers, each of said packets conveying a content file portion;

bringing to attention of said user only content files conveyed by packets that contain one of the noted unique identifiers; and

filtering received content files,

wherein said filtering includes performing pattern recognition.

15. An apparatus for distributing content files to a terminal, comprising:

a memory having program code stored therein; and

a processor operatively connected to said memory for carrying out instructions in accordance with said stored program code;

wherein said program code, when executed by said processor, causes said processor to perform the steps of;

associating with each of a plurality of content files a metadata file, wherein each of the metadata files is associated with a unique identifier;

receiving at the terminal a specification of content of interest to a user, said specification being in terms of metadata keywords;

searching said metadata files for said keywords;

noting unique identifiers associated with metadata files including one or more of said keywords;

monitoring incoming packets for the noted unique identifiers, each of said packets conveying a portion of one of said content files;

bringing to attention of said user only content files conveyed by packets that contain one of the noted unique identifiers;

providing individuals with software for formulating content, said software producing for each item of formulated content descriptive attributes;

distributing to receiving terminals the formulated content, and descriptive attributes produced with said software;

allowing users of the receiving terminals to specify attributes corresponding to content of potential interest; and

allowing the users of the receiving terminals to configure the receiving terminals to only display content whose descriptive attributes match the specified attributes, wherein at least one of the content files comprises content formulated using said software,

wherein chat messages are formulated using said software.

16. An apparatus for distributing content files to a terminal, comprising:

a memory having program code stored therein; and

a processor operatively connected to said memory for carrying out instructions in accordance with said stored program code;

wherein said program code, when executed by said processor, causes said processor to perform the steps of;

associating with each of a plurality of content files a metadata file, wherein each of the metadata files is associated with a unique identifier, and wherein the content files are selected by a content provider;

receiving at the terminal a specification of content of interest to a user, said specification being in terms of metadata keywords;

searching said metadata files for said keywords;

noting unique identifiers associated with metadata files including one or more of said keywords;

monitoring incoming packets for the noted unique identifiers, each of said packets conveying a portion of one of said content files;

bringing to attention of said user only content files conveyed by packets that contain one of the noted unique identifiers;

allowing the content provider to view available bandwidth in a network of a broadcast system;

allowing the content provider to, by defining a certain amount of bandwidth between a stated start time and a stated end time, allocate bandwidth for a broadcast program in one or more network areas; and

allowing said content provider to view network topology.

17. A method for receiving at least one content file, comprising:

receiving, at a terminal possessing a bidirectional network interface, a specification of content of interest to a user, said specification being in terms of metadata keywords;

noting unique identifiers associated with metadata files including one or more of said keywords;

monitoring incoming packets for the noted unique identifiers, each of said packets conveying a content file portion; and

bringing to attention of said user only content files conveyed by packets that contain one of the noted unique identifiers.

18. A method for receiving at least one content file, comprising:

receiving, at a terminal possessing a unidirectional network interface, a specification of content of interest to a user, said specification being in terms of metadata keywords;

noting unique identifiers associated with metadata files including one or more of said keywords;

monitoring incoming packets for the noted unique identifiers, each of said packets conveying a content file portion; and

bringing to attention of said user only content files conveyed by packets that contain one of the noted unique identifiers,

wherein said unidirectional network interface is a terrestrial digital video broadcasting interface.

19. A method for receiving at least one content file, comprising:

receiving a specification of content of interest to a user, said specification being in terms of metadata keywords;

noting unique identifiers associated with metadata files including one or more of said keywords;

monitoring incoming packets for the noted unique identifiers, each of said packets conveying a content file portion;

bringing to attention of said user only content files conveyed by packets that contain one of the noted unique identifiers; and

filtering received content files,

wherein said filtering includes performing pattern recognition.