Dynamic server side content request delivery system

• US 7,870,283 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2002
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Intellocity USA, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Sedlak, Brian N., Lemmons, Thomas, Rasmussen, Gary, Zenoni, Ian, Huber, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US10/067,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20020108117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,263 Days
• Field of Search: 725/87, 725/105, 725/118, 709232-235
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/60 Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client , e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/65 Transmission of management data between client and server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Disclosed is a system that optimizes transmission bandwidth of a broadband transmission system such as a cable television, satellite system, or wireless information service. Requests for content items from users are employed to add or delete content items from a list. Content items in the list are ranked relative to the number of requests received or by rate of request. Package groups are created with most requested content items being broadcast more frequently than less requested content items. Transmit groups are produced from package groups and placed in a broadcast queue. A transmit process transmits groups retrieved from the queue.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting requested content items in a broadband transmission system, said method comprising:

receiving requests for a plurality of content items on an upstream path of said broadband transmission system;

creating a list of said content items;

creating a request count for each content item of said plurality of content items based on said requests received;

sorting said requests using said request count;

determining an associated retransmit rate for each of said content items, said content items with a higher request count receiving a higher associated retransmit rate than content items with a lower request count, the retransmit rate indicating how often said content items should be retransmitted;

grouping content items with a request count greater than or equal to a second predetermined access count into a transmit group;

determining a group retransmit rate for said transmit group;

repeatedly broadcasting the content items at said associated retransmit rate; and

repeatedly broadcasting the transmit group at said group retransmit rate.

2. The method for transmitting requested content items as set forth in claim 1 wherein said request count is a number of requests received during a predefined time period for each content item of said plurality of content items.

3. The method for transmitting requested content as set forth in claim 1, said method further comprising:

removing said content item from said list of content items if said request count is equal to or less than a first predetermined content access count.

4. A method for transmitting requested content comprising:

receiving requests for a plurality of content items on an upstream path of a broadband transmission system;

creating a request count for each content item of said plurality of content items based on said requests received;

sorting said requests using said request count;

grouping content items with a request count greater than or equal to a second predetermined access count into a transmit group;

determining a group retransmit rate for said transmit group, said transmit group with a higher request count receiving a higher associated group retransmit rate than a transmit group with a lower request count, the group retransmit rate indicating how often said transmit group should be retransmitted; and

repeatedly broadcasting the transmit group at said group retransmit rate.

5. A method for optimizing transmit bandwidth utilization in a broadband transmission system employing a content item list, said method comprising:

receiving requests on an upstream path of said broadband transmission system for transmission of a plurality of content items;

adding one content item of said plurality of content items to said content item list if said one content item is not in said content item list;

determining a rate of request for each content item contained in said content item list based on said requests received;

deleting content items from said content list for which the number of requests during a predefined time are less than or equal to a predefined rate of request;

determining an associated retransmit rate for each of said content items in said content item list wherein said associated retransmit rate is based on said rate of request, the retransmit rate indicating how often said content items should be retransmitted;

grouping content items with a request count greater than or equal to a second predetermined access count into a transmit group;

determining a group retransmit rate for said transmit group;

repeatedly broadcasting the content items at said associated retransmit rate; and

repeatedly broadcasting the transmit group at said group retransmit rate.

6. The method for optimizing transmit bandwidth utilization as set forth in claim 5 wherein said content items with a higher rate of request are transmitted more frequently than content items with a lower rate of request.

7. The method for optimizing transmit bandwidth utilization as set forth in claim 6 wherein said broadcasting further comprises grouping of a plurality of said content items into a transmit package wherein said transmit package is of a predetermined maximum size.

8. The method for optimizing transmit bandwidth utilization as set forth in claim 6 wherein said repeatedly broadcasting further comprises merging said content items with other transmitted data.

9. A system for optimizing bandwidth utilization in a broadband transmission system, said system comprising:

a first database containing a plurality of content items;

a second database containing user request information for said content items;

a transmit unit;

a server computer; and

a software program that

processes said user request information for said content items,

determines a rate of request for each content item based on said user request information for each said content item,

determines an associated retransmit rate for each content item of said plurality of content items in said first database, said associated retransmit rate responsive to said rate of request for each content item, the retransmit rate indicating how often said content items should be retransmitted,

groups content items with a request count greater than or equal to a second predetermined access count into a transmit group;

determines a group retransmit rate for said transmit group;

repeatedly broadcasts the content items via the transmit unit to a downstream requesting transceiver display based on the retransmit rate; and

repeatedly broadcasts the transmit group at said group retransmit rate.

10. The system as set forth in claim 9 wherein said transmit unit comprises a television transmitter.

11. The system as set forth in claim 9 wherein said transmit unit comprises a server computer connected to a network.

12. The system as set forth in claim 9, said system further comprising:

a third database containing only those of said content items corresponding to said user request information for said content items.

13. The software program as set forth in claim 9 wherein said associated retransmit rate is further responsive to available bandwidth for content item broadcast.

14. The software program as set forth in claim 9 wherein said associated retransmit rate is further responsive to a duration of each content item of said plurality of content items in said first database.