Content provisioning method and system

• US 8,271,526 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Strulo, Ben, Farr, Jeffery R
• Primary Examiner(s): Leroux, Etienne
• Assistant Examiner(s): WITZENBURG, BRUCE A
• Application Number:
  US10/591,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20070192321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,769 Days
• Field of Search: 707/9, 707/10, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 707/783
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

Content items or data defining access to content items for provision to one or more users is respectively maintained. Respective content access data for those users from which content items or data defining access to content items are received is changed and a sub-set of the content items or data defining access to content items is provided to a user, the members of the sub-set being determined in dependence on the content access data of the user. Each content item or set of data defining access to a content item has a property having a value, and the content access data includes a content access value relating to the property, wherein the sub-set of the content items or data defining access to content items is determined in dependence on the respective values.

Claims

1. A content item provisioning method, comprising the steps:

storing content items for provision to users;

maintaining, for at least one user, respective content access data usable to determine which stored content items may be provided to the users;

receiving content items from a particular user for provision to the users;

changing the respective content access data for said particular user from which content items are received; and

providing a sub-set of the stored content items to said particular user, members of the sub-set being determined in dependence on the respective content access data of said particular user,

wherein each stored content item has a property value, and the content access data comprises a content access value relating to the property value, wherein the sub-set of the content items is determined in dependence on the respective property values.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the property values and content access values are times and/or dates.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the property values and content access values are geographical positions.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein multiple sets of content items are stored, and respective content access data is maintained for one or more of the sets of content items.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein content access data for one set is changed in dependence on receipt from users of content items for that set.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein content access data for one set is changed in dependence on receipt from users of content items for another set or sets.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content access values are changed so as to increase the content items provided in the sub-set.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content access values are changed to give a fixed change in the content items with which the users are provided in the sub-set.

9. The method according to claim 1, and further comprising the step of receiving rating data specifying a rating given to a content item by a user, wherein the changing step comprises changing the content access value for the user from which the content item which was rated was received in dependence on the received rating data.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the rating is weighted according to the content access value of the rating user.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the changing step further comprises receiving requests for specific content items from the users, and changing the content access value for the user from which the requested content item was received.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the changing step further comprises monitoring time or date at which a first content item is received in relation to the time or date a second content item is received, and changing the content access value of the user from which the first content item was received in dependence on a difference between the times and/or dates.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the changing step further comprises monitoring the time since the receipt of a content item and changing the content access value of the user from which the content item was received in dependence on the monitored time.

14. The method according to claim 1, and further comprising the step of permitting a user to perform manipulations of the stored content items in dependence on the user'"'"'s content access value.

15. The method according to claim 1, collectively performed by at least a sub-set of peers within a peer to peer network.

16. A computer program or suite of computer programs stored on a computer module storage medium and arranged such that when executed by a computer system or a plurality of computer systems it/they cause the computer system or systems to perform the method of claim 1.

17. A content item provisioning system, comprising:

content storage arranged in use to store content items for provision to users;

data storage arranged in use to store, for at least one user, respective content access data usable to determine which stored content items may be provided to the users;

first receiving means for receiving content items from a particular user for provision to the users;

a data processor arranged in use;

i) to change the respective content access data for said particular user from which content items are received; and

ii) determine a sub-set of the content items in dependence on the content access data of said particular user; and

means for providing the determined sub-set to said particular user,

wherein each stored content item has a property value, and the content access data comprises a content access value relating to the property value, wherein the sub-set of the content items is determined in dependence on the respective property values.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the property values and content access values are times and/or dates.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the property values and content access values are geographical positions.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein multiple sets of content items are stored in the content storage, and respective content access data is stored in the data storage for each set of content items.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein content access data for one set is changed in dependence on receipt from users of content items for that set.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein content access data for one set is changed in dependence on receipt from users of content items for another set or sets.

23. The system according to claim 17, wherein the content access values are changed so as to increase the content items provided in the sub-set.

24. The system according to claim 17, wherein the content access values are changed to give a fixed change in the content items with which the users are provided in the sub-set.

25. The system according to claim 17, and further comprising means for receiving rating data specifying a rating given to a content item by a user from one or more users, wherein the data processor is further arranged to change the content access value for the user from which the content item which was rated was received in dependence on the received rating data.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the rating is weighted according to the content access value of the rating user.

27. The system according to claim 17, further comprising means for receiving requests for specific content items from the users, and the data processor is further arranged to change the content access value for the user from which the requested content item was received.

28. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a monitor to monitor time or date at which a first content item is received in relation to the time or date a second content item is received, wherein the data processor is further arranged to change the content access value of the user from which the first content item was received in dependence on a difference between the times and/or dates.

29. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a monitor to monitor the time elapsed since the receipt of a content item, the data processor being further arranged to change the content access value of the user from which the content item was received in dependence on the monitored time.

30. The system according to claim 17, and further comprising content item manipulation means arranged in use to permit a user to perform manipulations of the stored content items in dependence on the user'"'"'s content access value.

31. The system according to claim 17, collectively embodied by at least a sub-set of peers within a peer to peer network.

32. A content item provisioning method, comprising the steps:

storing data defining access to content items for provision to users;

maintaining, for at least one user, respective content access data usable to determine which stored data defining access to content items may be provided to the users;

receiving data defining access to content items from a particular user for provision to the users;

changing the respective content access data for said particular user from which data defining access to content items are received; and

providing a sub-set of the stored data defining access to content items to said particular user, members of the sub-set being determined in dependence on the respective content access data of said particular user,

wherein each stored data defining access to a content item has a property value, and the content access data comprises a content access value relating to the property value, wherein the sub-set of the data defining access to content items is determined in dependence on the respective property values.

33. A content item provisioning system, comprising:

content storage arranged in use to store data defining access to content items for provision to users;

data storage arranged in use to store, for at least one user, respective content access data usable to determine which stored data defining access to content items may be provided to the users;

first receiving means for receiving data defining access to content items from a particular user for provision to the users;

a data processor arranged in use;

i) to change the respective content access data for said particular user from which data defining access to content items are received; and

ii) determine a sub-set of the data defining access to content items in dependence on the content access data of said particular user; and

means for providing the determined sub-set to said particular user,

wherein each stored data defining access to content items has a property value, and the content access data comprises a content access value relating to the property value, wherein the sub-set of the data defining access to content items is determined in dependence on the respective property values.