Method and system for redirecting an electronic content request to an alternate content transport mechanism or storage site

• US 7,558,837 B1
• Filed: 06/14/2002
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Denny, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin; Kenny S
• Assistant Examiner(s): WIDHALM, ANGELA M
• Application Number:
  US10/172,244
• Time in Patent Office: 2,580 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/235, 709217-219, 709/238, 709/245, 715/513, 725/115, 707/1, 707/100
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20

Abstract

A method and system are provided for redirecting an electronic content request to an alternate content transport mechanism. Electronic content received from a first transport mechanism, such as a satellite broadcast system, is transmitted to and stored at an end-user content cache. If the user subsequently requests content from an alternate transport mechanism, such as the Internet, a transport proxy server intercepts the request. The transport proxy server compares the URL entered by the user with a database of URLs associated with web site content that has been transmitted to and stored at the user'"'"'s local content cache via the first transport mechanism. If the content requested by the user is presently stored on the user'"'"'s local content cache, the user'"'"'s request is redirected to the device or access application for the first transport mechanism which then retrieves and delivers the requested content from the local storage cache. Needless connection to the Internet web site to obtain the content via the second transport mechanism is avoided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a transport proxy server, a plurality of Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) associated with a first content transmitted to an end-user site via a first transport mechanism, the first content stored locally at the end-user site and the transport proxy server remote to the end-user site, and wherein each URL of the plurality of URLs is associated with a corresponding website of a plurality of websites at which the first content is available via a second transport mechanism;

storing the plurality of URLs at the transport proxy server;

receiving, at the transport proxy server, a request for content from the end-user site via the second transport mechanism, the request for content including a select URL associated with a first website accessible via the second transport mechanism;

comparing, at the transport proxy server, the select URL with each of the plurality of URLs; and

responsive to determining a match between the select URL and a URL of the plurality of URLs;

determining, at the transport proxy server, a memory path to a location of the first content at a local content cache at the end-user site; and

transmitting an indicator of the memory path from the transport proxy server to the end-user site.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining the select URL does not match any URL of the plurality of URLs, forwarding the request for content to a website associated with the select URL via the second transport mechanism.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the first content at the location of the local content cache at the end-user site; and

providing an indicator of the location to the transport proxy server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the indicator of the memory path at the end-user site;

accessing the first content from the location of the local content cache based on the indicator; and

presenting the first content at the end-user site.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

publishing the first content to the websites corresponding to the plurality of URLs.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

publishing the first content to each of a plurality of websites;

aggregating the first content with second content at a content aggregator;

transmitting the first content and the second content to the end-user site via the first transport mechanism; and

responsive to transmitting the first content to the end-user site, transmitting URLs associated with the plurality of websites to the transport proxy server as the plurality of URLs.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transport proxy server is located at a central office site of a telecommunications system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the end-user site and the central office site are connected via a digital subscriber line (DSL).

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the end-user site and the central office site are connected via a cable network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transport mechanism comprises a satellite-based media broadcast mechanism and the second transport mechanism comprises an Internet-based mechanism.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first content comprises multimedia content.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the multimedia content comprises at least one of video content or audio content.

13. A telecommunications system comprising:

a central office remotely connected to an end-user site and comprising;

a database configured to store a plurality of Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) associated with a first content transmitted to the end-user site via a first transport mechanism, the first content stored locally at the select end-user site, and wherein each URL of the plurality of URLs is associated with a corresponding website of a plurality of websites at which the first content is available via a second transport mechanism; and

a transport proxy server configured to;

intercept a request for content transmitted from the end-user site via the second transport mechanism, the request for content including a select URL associated with a first website accessible via the second transport mechanism;

compare the select URL with each of the plurality of URLs stored at the database; and

responsive to determining a match between the select URL and a URL of the plurality of URLs;

determine a memory path to a location of the first content at a local content cache at the end-user site; and

transmit an indicator of the memory path from the transport proxy server to the end-user site.

14. The telecommunications system of claim 13, wherein the transport proxy server further is configured to:

responsive to determining the select URL does not match any URL of the plurality of URLs, forward the request for content to a website associated with the select URL via the second transport mechanism.

15. The telecommunications system of claim 13, further comprising:

the end-user site, wherein the end-user site is configured to;

store the first content at the location of the local content cache; and

provide an indicator of the location to the transport proxy server.

16. The telecommunications system of claim 13, further comprising:

the end-user site, wherein the end-user site is configured to;

responsive to receiving the indicator of the memory path at the end-user site;

access the first content from the location of the local content cache based on the indicator; and

present the first content.

17. The telecommunications system of claim 13, further comprising:

a content aggregator configured to;

aggregate the first content with second content;

determine a plurality of websites at which the first content is published;

transmit the first content and the second content to the end-user site via the first transport mechanism; and

responsive to transmitting the first content to the end-user site, transmit URLs associated with the plurality of websites to the transport proxy server as the plurality of URLs.

18. The telecommunications system of claim 13, wherein the end-user site and the central office site are connected via a digital subscriber line (DSL).

19. The telecommunications system of claim 13, wherein the end-user site and the central office site are connected via a cable network.

20. The telecommunications system of claim 13, wherein the first transport mechanism comprises a satellite-based media broadcast mechanism and the second transport mechanism comprises an Internet-based mechanism.

21. The telecommunications system of claim 13, wherein the first content comprises multimedia content.

22. The telecommunications system of claim 21, wherein the multimedia content comprises at least one of video content or audio content.

23. The telecommunications system of claim 13, further comprising:

the end-user site, the end-user site comprising at least one of a set top box, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, or a television.