Prediction-based adaptive content broadcasting over a network

• US 8,001,217 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2005
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Pan, James, Lima, Claudio, Black, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit; Bunjob
• Application Number:
  US11/249,195
• Time in Patent Office: 2,133 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-247, 701/213
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy

Abstract

A system, a method and computer-readable media for distributing content to client devices over a network. Various items of content are stored in the network or available through the network such that a client device may request to receive an item of content over the network. The method selects items of content by anticipating which of the items users will request. The selected items of content are transmitted over the network in a group delivery to multiple client devices.

Claims

1. One or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon to perform a method for providing content to client devices over a network, said method comprising:

storing one or more items of content for transmission to one or more of said client devices, wherein at least a portion of said client devices are configured to submit one or more user requests to receive at least one of said one or more items of content;

selecting at least one of said one or more items of content in anticipation of at least one of said one or more user requests;

identifying, by way of one or more devices on said network, one or more client devices within a cell or group of cells to receive, via a group delivery, said selected one or more items of content, wherein at least a portion of the identified one or more client devices did not invite or request transmission of the selected one or more items of content;

transmitting, via the group delivery, the selected at least one item of content over a wireless communication channel to the identified one or more client devices; and

incident to receiving at least a portion of the group delivery, determining, by at least a portion of the client devices, when a client device is configured to store the transmission of said selected at least one item of content, wherein said determining includes accessing historic user behavior so as to infer user-defined preferences indicating whether said selected at least one item of content should be stored on the client device, in accordance with said device'"'"'s available resources.

2. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said selecting utilizes an algorithm configured to predict user demand associated with said one or more items or content.

3. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said user-defined preferences include an evaluation of an amount of available memory in said data store of said client device.

4. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said client devices are handheld devices having wireless communication capabilities.

5. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said user-defined preferences include an evaluation of a remaining battery life of said client device.

6. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said selecting includes determining the popularity of at least a portion of said one or more items of content.

7. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises receiving a request for transmission of one of said one or more items of content to one of said client devices and the switching of said communication channel from point-to-point mode to point-to-multipoint mode is in response to said request.

8. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein said method further comprises responding to said request by transmitting the requested item of content to multiple of said client devices in said group delivery.

9. One or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon to perform a method for allocating broadcast resources on a network, said method comprising:

utilizing a plurality of wireless communication channels to transmit communications to a plurality of client devices, wherein at least one of said plurality of wireless communication channels can be switched between a point-to-point communication mode to a point-to-multipoint communication mode;

selecting a set of content for broadcasting to at least a portion of said plurality of client devices via one or more group deliveries;

identifying, by way of one or more devices on said network, a plurality of client devices within a cell or group of cells to receive, via said one or more group deliveries, said selected one or more items of content, wherein at least a portion of the identified one or more client devices did not invite or request transmission of the selected one or more items of content;

monitoring network utilization associated with at least one of said plurality of wireless communication channels;

when said monitoring detects low network utilization, switching at least one of said plurality of wireless communication channels from point-to-point communication mode to point-to-multipoint communication mode, and broadcasting at least a portion of said set of content to the identified plurality of client devices via said one or more group deliveries over at least one of said plurality of wireless communication channels; and

incident to receiving at least a portion of the broadcast, determining, by at least a portion of the client devices, when a client device is configured to receive said broadcast of content, wherein said determining includes said client devices accessing historic user behavior so as to infer user-defined preferences indicating whether said selected one or more items of content should be stored on the client device, in accordance with said device'"'"'s available resources.

10. The computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein said determining includes accessing user-defined preferences stored in said one or more client devices that relate to a remaining battery life of said client device.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein said method further comprises transmitting one or more requested real-time communications over at least a portion of said plurality of communication channels.

12. The computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein said selecting said set of content includes anticipating one or more distribution requests from at least a portion of said plurality of said client devices.