Wide area network handset assisted content delivery system and method of using same

• US 7,756,538 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kotzin, Michael D., Bonta, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Matthew D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aminzay, Shaima Q
• Application Number:
  US11/269,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20070105496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 455/517, 455/518, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/417, 455/420, 455/425, 455/426.1, 455/445, 455/450, 4554561-4566, 455/3.03, 455/3.05, 455/9, 455/15, 455/41.2, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wide area network assisted multimedia content delivery system (200) includes a first wide area network handset (205) and a second wide area network handset (207) having one or more transceivers (208) for exchanging information over the wide band network as well as multimedia information via an ad hoc communication. A wide area base unit (201) is used for communicating with the first wide area network handset (205) and second wide area network handset (207) where a content distribution broker (203) associated with the wide area base unit (201) is used for brokering multimedia content (audio, video and text data) between the first wide area network handset (205) and the second wide area network handset (207). The transceiver (208) operates to exchange multimedia content in an ad hoc communication directly between the first wide area network handset (205) and second wide area network handset (207) when within a predetermined proximity.

Claims

1. A multimedia content delivery system comprising:

a first wide area network handset operating to provide an available multimedia content;

a second wide area network handset operating to request a multimedia content;

a wide area base unit for communicating with the first wide area network handset and the second wide area network handset;

at least one processor within the wide area base unit for brokering the multimedia content between the first wide area network handset and the second wide area network handset, wherein the at least one processor operates a database for receiving one or more multimedia content requests and providing an associated content availability notifications,

wherein the brokering comprises matching the available multimedia content with the requested multimedia content, and causing the establishment of an ad hoc network between the first wide area network handset and the second wide area network handset when the first wide area network handset and the second wide area network handset are within a predetermined proximity; and

wherein the first wide area network handset and the second wide area network handset each include at least one transceiver for directly exchanging the multimedia content via the ad hoc network.

2. A multimedia content delivery system as in claim 1, wherein the multimedia content includes at least one of audio data, video data or text data.

3. A multimedia content delivery system as in claim 1, wherein the at least one transceiver is a software defined radio (SDR).

4. A multimedia content delivery system as in claim 1, wherein the at least one transceiver communicates using an ad hoc radio frequency (RF) communication.

5. A multimedia content delivery system as in claim 4, wherein the ad hoc RF communication utilizes a Bluetooth standard.

6. A multimedia content delivery system as in claim 4, wherein the ad hoc RF communication utilizes a WiFi standard.

7. A multimedia content delivery system as in claim 1, wherein the at least one processor communicates periodically with the first wide area network handset and the second wide area network handset regarding their geographical location.

8. A multimedia content delivery system as in claim 1, wherein the at least one processor tracks an approximate position of the first wide area network handset and the second wide area network handset and provides a notification when the first wide area network handset and the second wide area network handset are within range to exchange the at least one multimedia content data.

9. A multimedia content delivery system as in claim 1, further comprising:

one or more other wide area network handsets within the predetermined proximity of the first wide area network handset and the second wide area network handset, each of the one or more other wide area network handsets including at least one transceiver for conveying a message from the first wide area network handset to the second wide area network handsets,

wherein the brokering comprises causing the establishment of an ad hoc network between the one or more other wide area network handsets, the first wide area handset, and the second wide area network handset when the first wide area network handset and the second wide area network handset are not within the predetermined proximity of each other.

10. A cellular communications system for providing information regarding a data content availability to a plurality of subscribers comprising:

a content distribution broker for storing a location of a requested content data, an available content data and an approximate position of each subscriber either requiring or providing the content data;

a first transceiver located within each subscriber for communication with the content distribution broker within the cellular communications system;

a second transceiver located within each subscriber for providing an ad hoc communication with at least one other subscriber; and

wherein the content distribution broker operates to cause the establishment of an ad hoc network between a requesting subscriber requesting a multimedia content with a providing subscriber having the requested multimedia content when the requesting subscriber and the providing subscriber are within a predetermined range of each other for exchanging the multimedia content data using the second transceiver, and to further notify the requesting subscriber and the providing subscriber of a match between the requested multimedia content and the available multimedia content.

11. A cellular telephone communications system as in claim 10, wherein the first transceiver operates to communicate using a cellular communication protocol.

12. A cellular telephone communications system as in claim 10, wherein the second transceiver operates to communicate directly with each subscriber.

13. A cellular telephone communication system as in claim 10, wherein the second transceiver operates using a Bluetooth standard.

14. A cellular telephone communications system as in claim 10, wherein the second transceiver operates using a WiFi standard.

15. A cellular telephone communications system as in claim 10, further including one or more intermediate subscribers within the predetermined range of the requesting and the providing subscriber,

wherein the content distribution broker operates to cause the establishment of an ad hoc network between the one or more intermediate subscribers, the requesting subscriber, and the providing subscriber when the requesting subscriber and the providing subscriber are not within the predetermined range, for conveying the multimedia content data between the requesting subscriber and the providing subscriber through the one or more intermediate subscribers.

16. A cellular telephone communications system as in claim 10, wherein the content distribution broker further acts to store the location of the plurality of subscribers that seek to exchange multimedia content on a periodic basis.

17. A method for providing cellular assisted content delivery at a cellular telephone network site offering multimedia content brokerage services comprising:

reporting to a cellular network site by a first subscriber that a multimedia content is available to be shared;

reporting to the cellular network site by a second subscriber that the second subscriber desires to receive the multimedia content;

matching the available multimedia content with the desired multimedia content;

storing an approximate location of the first subscriber and the second subscriber; and

causing the establishment of an ad hoc network between the first subscriber and the second subscriber and notifying the first subscriber and the second subscriber that the multimedia content is available for exchange via the ad hoc network when the first subscriber and second subscriber are in a predetermined range of one another.

18. A method for providing cellular assisted content delivery as in claim 17, further including the step of:

including a first transceiver and a second transceiver in each subscriber.

19. A method for providing a cellular assisted content delivery as in claim 18, wherein the first transceiver operates to communicate with a cellular network site.

20. A method for providing a cellular assisted content delivery as in claim 18, wherein the second transceiver operates to communicate directly with another subscriber.

21. A method for providing a cellular assisted content delivery as in claim 18, wherein the second transceiver utilizes one from a group of a Bluetooth, a WiFi or a wide area network standard.

22. A method for providing a cellular assisted content delivery as in claim 17, further including the step of:

causing the establishment of an ad hoc network between the first subscriber, the second subscriber, and at least one intermediate subscriber, wherein the intermediate subscriber is within the predetermined range of the first subscriber and the second subscriber, when the first subscriber and the second subscriber are not within the predetermined range; and

exchanging the multimedia content between the first subscriber and the second subscriber through the at least one intermediate subscriber.

23. A method for providing a cellular assisted content delivery as in claim 17, wherein the approximate location of the first subscriber and the second subscriber are stored on a periodic basis.