Content distribution service

• US 8,341,220 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US11/515,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20070276840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,307 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895

Abstract

The technology disclosed herein is related to content distribution. It involves transmission of a request to a server for content, reception and display of that content on a user device. In addition, requests are received to send notification to at least one remote user and the server sends an indication that at least one remote user has selected content. A user device is enabled to send and/or receive at least one communication involving at least one remote user.

Claims

1. A method for receiving content comprising:

transmitting a request for content to a server;

receiving from the server on a first peer user device information identifying one or more specific instances of said content from said server;

displaying on said first peer user device an indication of said one or more specific instances of said content;

receiving a request at said first peer user device for at least a specific instance of said content from a second peer user device;

transmitting from said first peer user device said request for at least said specific instance of said content to said server;

receiving a request at said first peer user device to send a notification to said second peer user device, the second peer user device selected from a member list maintained by a member list management logic, the member list containing information about whether the member is online or offline;

transmitting said notification to be sent to said second peer user device to said server, including transmitting a request to vote for a desired time to deliver for a specific instance of the content;

receiving from said server an indication that said second peer user device has selected said specific instance of said content;

receiving on said first peer user device said specific instance of said content;

enabling said first peer user device to concurrently handle with the second peer user device at least one manipulation of said specific instance of said content; and

enabling said first peer user device to send and/or receive at least one communication involving said second peer user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the request to vote for the desired time to deliver for the specific instance of the content comprises:

transmitting the request to the server for the second peer user device to vote for the desired time to deliver for the specific instance of the content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the request to vote for the desired time to deliver for the specific instance of the content comprises:

transmitting the request to the second peer user device for the second peer user device to vote for the desired time to deliver for the specific instance of the content.

4. A device comprising:

circuitry for transmitting a request for content to a server;

circuitry for receiving on a first peer user device information identifying one or more specific instances of said content from said server;

circuitry for displaying on said first peer user device an indication of said one or more specific instances of said content;

circuitry for receiving a request at said first peer user device for at least a specific instance of said content from a second peer user device;

circuitry for transmitting from said first peer user device said request for at least said specific instance of said content to said server;

circuitry for receiving a request at said first peer user device to send a notification to said second peer user device, the second peer user device selected from a member list maintained by a member list management logic, the member list containing information about whether the member is online or offline;

circuitry for transmitting said notification to said second peer user device to said server, including circuitry for transmitting a request to facilitate a user to vote for a time to transmit the content;

circuitry for receiving from said server an indication that said second peer user device has selected said specific instance of said content;

circuitry for receiving on said first peer user device said specific instance of said content;

circuitry for enabling said first peer user device to concurrently handle with the second peer user device at least one manipulation of said specific instance of said content; and

circuitry for enabling said first peer user device to send and/or receive at least one communication involving said second peer user device.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the circuitry for transmitting a request to facilitate a user to vote for a time to transmit the content includes:

circuitry for transmitting the request to facilitate a user to vote for a time to transmit the content, where the time is selectable from possible times that are pre-specified by the server.

6. A system for receiving content comprising:

means for transmitting a request for content to a server;

means for receiving on a first peer user device information identifying one or more specific instances of said content from said server;

means for displaying on said first peer user device an indication of said one or more specific instances of said content;

means for receiving a request at said first peer user device for at least a specific instance of said content from a second peer user device;

means for transmitting from said first peer user device said request for at least said specific instance of said content to said server;

means for receiving a request at said first peer user device to send a notification to said second peer user device, the second peer user device selected from a member list maintained by a member list management logic, the member list containing information about whether the member is online or offline;

means for transmitting said notification to said second peer user device, including means for transmitting from said first peer user device a request to vote for a desired time to transmit for a specific instance of the content to said server;

means for receiving from said server an indication that said second peer user device has selected said specific instance of said content;

means for receiving on said first peer user device said specific instance of said content;

means for enabling said first peer user device to concurrently handle with the second peer user device at least one manipulation of said specific instance of said content; and

means for enabling said first peer user device to send and/or receive at least one communication involving said second peer user device.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the desired time is selectable from possible times that are pre-specified by the server.

8. A system related to content comprising:

a first peer user device including;

means for receiving an indication that a second peer user device has selected a specific instance of content;

means for transmitting a request to vote for a desired time to transmit for the specific instance of content;

means for receiving a request to send a notification that a user has selected a specific instance of content to said second peer user device in relation to a request to vote for a desired time for the specific instance of content, wherein the second peer user device is selected from a member list maintained by a member list management logic,

wherein the member list includes information about whether the respective member is online or offline;

means for transmitting said notification to at least one server;

means for receiving the specific instance of content;

means for enabling said first peer user device to concurrently handle with the second peer user device at least one manipulation of said specific instance of said content; and

means for enabling said first peer user device to send and/or receive at least one communication contextually related to the specific instance of content and involving said second peer user device and substantially contemporaneous with a receiving of the specific instance of content.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said means for enabling said first peer user device to send and/or receive at least one communication contextually related to the specific instance of content and involving said second peer user device and substantially contemporaneous with a receiving of the specific instance of content comprises:

means for configuring said first peer user device to handle at least one communication involving said second peer user device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said first peer user device further includes:

means for receiving information identifying one or more specific instances of content from said server.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said first peer user device further includes:

means for displaying an indication of said one or more specific instances of content.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said first peer user device further includes:

means for transmitting a request for one or more specific instances of content to a server.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein means for receiving a request to send a notification that a user has selected a specific instance of content to said second peer user device further comprises:

means for receiving a request from the user to send the notification that the user has selected the specific instance of content to a member of a member list.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein means for receiving a request to send a notification that a user has selected a specific instance of content to said second peer user device further comprises:

means for receiving a request to send the notification in relation to information identifying a time for the specific instance of content.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein means for receiving a request to send a notification that a user has selected a specific instance of content to said second peer user device further comprises:

means for receiving a request to send the notification in relation to a request to modify the selection of the specific instance of content.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein means for receiving a request to send a notification that a user has selected a specific instance of content to said second peer user device further comprises:

means for receiving a request to send the notification in relation to a request to manipulate the specific instance of content.

17. A method related to content, said method comprising:

receiving on a first peer user device an indication that a second peer user device has selected a specific instance of content;

receiving the specific instance of content;

enabling the first peer user device to concurrently handle with the second peer user device at least one manipulation of said specific instance of said content;

receiving at the first peer user device a request to vote for a desired time for the specific instance of the content;

sending a notification regarding a specific instance of content to said second peer user device, wherein the second peer user device is selected from a member list maintained by a member list management logic, wherein the member list includes information about whether the respective member is online or offline;

transmitting said notification to a server, wherein said server is capable of communicating with said first peer user device and said second peer user device; and

enabling said first peer user device to send and/or receive at least one communication contextually related to the specific instance of content and involving said second peer user device and substantially contemporaneous with a receiving of the specific instance of content.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said enabling said first peer user device to send and/or receive at least one communication contextually related to the specific instance of content and involving said second peer user device and substantially contemporaneous with a receiving of the specific instance of content comprises:

configuring said first peer user device to handle at least one communication involving said second peer user device.

19. The method of claim 17, further including:

receiving information identifying one or more specific instances of content from a server.

20. The method of claim 17, further including:

displaying an indication of said one or more specific instances of content.

21. The method of claim 17, further including:

transmitting a request for one or more specific instances of content to a server.

22. The method of claim 17, further including:

receiving at said first peer user device a request to send a notification that a user has selected a specific instance of content to said second peer user device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving at said first peer user device a request to send a notification that a user has selected a specific instance of content to said second peer user device comprises:

receiving a request from the second peer user device to send the notification that the second peer user device user has selected the specific instance of content to a member of a member list.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving at said first peer user device a request to send a notification that a user has selected a specific instance of content to said second peer user device comprises:

receiving a request to send the notification in relation to information identifying a time for the specific instance of content.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving at said first peer user device a request to send a notification that a user has selected a specific instance of content to said second peer user device comprises:

receiving a request to send the notification in relation to a request to modify the selection of the specific instance of content.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving at said first peer user device a request to send a notification that a user has selected a specific instance of content to said second peer user device comprises:

receiving a request to send the notification in relation to a request to vote for a desired time for the specific instance of content.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving at said first peer user device a request to send a notification that a user has selected a specific instance of content to said second peer user device comprises:

receiving a request to send the notification in relation to a request to manipulate the specific instance of content.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein the request to vote for the desired time for the specific instance of the content comprises:

a packet sent to the first peer user device and the second peer user device, wherein voting for the desired time includes selecting a desired time from a list of possible times for the server to stream the desired content.

29. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving at the first peer user device information identifying whether the second peer user device has received an indication of a vote for a desired time.