Application services coordinated satellite multicast content delivery

• US 7,810,122 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2005
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nadarajah, Dinesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Beliveau; Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): TELAN, MICHAEL R
• Application Number:
  US11/062,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20050289629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,051 Days
• Field of Search: 725 63- 73, 725/98, 725/105, 725109-133, 725143-153, 455/12.1, 370237-238, 370/248, 370/252, 370/254, 370315-316, 370351-431, 709223-226
• US Class Current: 725/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6162 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6193 involving transmission via a satellite arrangements for data linking, networking or transporting, or for controlling an end to end session in a satellite broadcast system H04B7/18526
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18

Abstract

A method of distributing content includes receiving at least one request for a particular content item. Based on the at least one request, a number of users who are to receive the particular content item and are capable of receiving the particular content item via a wireless link is determined. Based on the number of users, at least one of a wireline link and the wireless link from which the users are to receive the particular content item is selected. The particular content item is distributed to the users via the selected at least one link.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of requests for a particular content item at an application server from a plurality of customer premise devices, wherein each request of the plurality of requests is received via a broadband wireline link from one of the plurality of customer premise devices, and wherein each of the plurality of customer premise devices is capable of receiving the particular content item via the broadband wireline link;

determining a number of the customer premise devices capable of receiving the particular content item via a satellite link;

when the determined number is greater than a preset number, transferring the particular content item from the application server to a satellite content management server to be distributed over a channel and a time slot allocated by the satellite content management server to the customer premise devices capable of receiving the particular content item via the satellite link; and

when the determined number is not greater than the preset number, distributing the particular content item via the broadband wireline link from the application server to the customer premise devices capable of receiving the particular content item via the satellite link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireline link is a fiber to the node (FTTN) connection.

3. The method claim 1 further comprising sending information indicating the channel and the time slot from the application server to the customer premise devices.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising authorizing customer premise devices to receive the particular content item, wherein said authorizing comprises distributing licenses to enable the customer premise devices to receive the particular content item.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising authorizing customer premise devices to use the particular content item, wherein said authorizing comprises distributing licenses to enable the customer premise devices to use the particular content item.

6. A system for distributing content, the system comprising:

an application server programmed to;

receive a plurality of requests for a particular content item from a plurality of customer premise devices, wherein each request of the plurality of requests is received via a fiber to the node (FTTN) link from one of the plurality of customer premise devices, and wherein each of the plurality of customer premise devices is capable of receiving the particular content item via the FTTN link;

determine a number of the customer premise devices capable of receiving the particular content item via a satellite link in response to the request;

when the determined number is greater than a preset number, transfer the particular content item from the application server to a satellite content management server to be distributed over a channel and a time slot allocated by the satellite content management server to the customer premise devices capable of receiving the particular item via the satellite link;

when the determined number is not greater than the preset number, distributing the particular content item via the FTTN link from the application server to the customer premise devices capable of receiving the particular content item via the satellite link;

communicate the particular content item to at least one of a satellite content management server and a land line FTTN network to distribute the particular content item via the selected link to the customer premise devices capable of receiving the particular content item via the satellite link; and

communicate the particular content item to the landline FTTN network to distribute the particular content item via the FTTN link to any customer premise devices not capable of receiving the particular content item via the satellite link.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the application server is to send information indicating the channel and the time slot to the users customer premise devices.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the application server is to authorize devices associated with users to receive the particular content item, wherein the application server authorizes the devices by distributing licenses to enable the devices associated with the users to receive the particular content item.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the application server is to authorize devices associated with users to play back the particular content item, wherein the application server authorizes the devices by distributing licenses to enable the devices associated with the users to play back the particular content item.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the licenses is distributed after distributing the particular content item.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the application server is to authorize devices associated with users to use the particular content item, wherein the application server authorizes the devices by distributing licenses to enable the devices associated with the users to use the particular content item.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the particular content item comprises computer software.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the particular content item comprises video content.