Hybrid networks

• US 7,962,632 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2003
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lipsanen, Matti
• Primary Examiner(s): LAZARO, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US10/533,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,780 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/203, 709/206, 709217-219, 709/227, 709/228, 709/249, 709/239
• US Class Current: 709/229
• 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 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26233 involving content or additional data duration or size, e.g. length of a movie, size of an executable file
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26266 for determining content or additional data repetition rate, e.g. of a file in a DVB carousel according to its importance arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A user through a mobile or fixed terminal (5) informs an agent (33) hosted by an operator server (13) of subjects in respect of which content is requested. The agent (33) searches the internet for relevant content, and determines from a set of user preferences, relating to cost and timing of delivery preferences, a network for use in delivering the content to the terminal. Delivery may be made by a free network, e.g. a WLAN or Bluetooth network, if one is available, or over an expensive network such as a 3G, GSM or GPRS network if the content is requited quickly. If delivery is to be made over a broadcast network (11), such as a DVB-T network (11), a signal is sent to the terminal over a mobile telephone network (7) giving the time of broadcast, in response to which the terminal (5) enables its broadcast receiver at the appropriate time. Also, the agent (33) periodically reviews the content on a data carousel (45) which is awaiting broadcast, and informs the terminal (5) of any forthcoming content which is relevant to the user request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a set of user content delivery preferences relating to user content, wherein the set of user content delivery preferences comprises a delivery cost constraint for delivery of the user content to a terminal;

receiving a request for the delivery of the user content to the terminal;

maintaining a log of session activities that have occurred with respect to the terminal; and

wherein one or more networks are available for delivery of said user content, and none of the one or more available networks would satisfy the delivery cost constraint, and

wherein at least one other network becomes available, selecting the other network for delivery of the user content based on at least a cost for delivery of the user content in view of the cost constraint.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the log of session activities comprises a log of sourced user content relating to the request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the log of session activities further comprises an indication of the delivery status of the user content.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising acknowledging receipt of the user content over a duplex network.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising updating the delivery status of the log on receiving an acknowledgement receipt.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying over a duplex network the terminal prior to the delivery of the user content over a simplex network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising reviewing data stored on a data carousel, and determining if any of the data stored on the data carousel matches the requested user content.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a search query to a content provider to obtain the requested user content, using a network, if an explicit link to the user content has not been provided.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing at least one of information relating to the last update of user content relating to the request, information relating to the user'"'"'s time and/or frequency of updating preferences, and information relating to domains to which searching relating to the user content request is limited.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing user preferences relating to plural users, sourcing an item of user content, sending the user content to plural users, and wherein the log of session activities comprises a log of which ones of the plural users have received the item of user content.

11. The method of claim 10, in which the plural users each are able to define a relevance level of user content of which they require delivery.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising periodically sourcing content, and using the user preferences for the plural users to determine which ones of the plural users has subscribed to the sourced content.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

scheduling the delivery of the user content to limit an amount of time the terminal is connected to the selected network.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of user content delivery preferences further comprises an identification of at least one domain from which content is to be sourced.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automating multiple user content delivery events at different times in response to the request without further user interaction.

16. The method of claim 1, where the set of user content delivery preferences further comprises a user content delivery latency, where the delivery latency is subject to the delivery cost constraint.

17. The method of claim 1, where selecting comprises requesting a delivery cost estimate for at least one of the plurality of networks.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein none of the plurality of available networks would satisfy the delivery cost constraint, the method further comprising,

providing a notification to the terminal, and

providing an option to override the delivery cost constraint.

19. An apparatus comprising:

at least one memory storing a computer program; and

at least one controller;

the at least one memory and the computer program, with the at least one controller configured to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following operations,

establishing a set of user content delivery preferences relating to user content, wherein the set of user content delivery preferences comprises a delivery cost constraint for delivery of the user content to a terminal;

receiving a request for the delivery of the user content to the terminal;

maintaining a log of session activities that have occurred with respect to the terminal; and

wherein one or more networks are available for delivery of said user content, and none of the one or more available networks would satisfy the delivery cost constraint, and

wherein at least one other network becomes available, selecting the other network for delivery of the user content based on at least a cost for delivery of the user content in view of the cost constraint.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the operations further comprise:

scheduling the delivery of the user content to limit an amount of time the terminal is connected to the selected network.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the set of user content delivery preferences further comprises an identification of at least one domain from which content is to be sourced.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the operations further comprise:

automating multiple user content delivery events at different times in response to the request without further user interaction.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, where the set of user content delivery preferences further comprises a user content delivery latency, where the delivery latency is subject to the delivery cost constraint.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, where the operation of selecting comprises an operation of requesting a delivery cost estimate for at least one of the plurality of available networks.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein none of the plurality of available networks would satisfy the delivery cost constraint, the operations further comprise:

providing a notification to the terminal; and

providing an option to override the delivery cost constraint.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the log of session activities comprises a log of sourced user content relating to the request.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the log of session activities further comprises an indication of the delivery status of the user content.