Content delivery system and method

• US 8,498,628 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iocast LLC
• Original Assignee: Iocast LLC
• Inventors: Shapiro, Andrew J., Skolnik, Seth M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, KUO-KONG
• Application Number:
  US11/691,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20080242280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,317 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/456.1, 455/426.1, 455/414.1, 455/3.05, 455/3.04, 455/4.05, 455/3.06, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 709/231, 709/203, 705/26, 725/135, 725/136, 725/81, 725/12, 725/109, 386/124
• US Class Current: 455/414.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• 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 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

A method and system for delivering content to a plurality of devices is provided. In one embodiment, the method may be for delivering content elements of one or more presentations to a device configured to communicate via a wireless data network, wherein the content elements include static content elements, dynamic content elements, and on-demand content elements. The method may comprise delivering to the device, data, such as compilation data, of the content elements included in the one or more presentations; delivering the static content elements to the device via the wireless data network during one or more time periods of increased available wireless data network capacity; delivering the dynamic content elements to the device via the wireless data network substantially according to a schedule; and delivering the on-demand content elements to the device via the wireless data network substantially immediately after a user request for an on-demand content element. In addition, the method may comprise determining that the device is accessible via a communication link, such as a wireless local area network, that does not include the wireless data network and delivering one or more content elements to the device via the communication link. Further, the method may comprise determining that the device is communicatively coupled to an internet access device and delivering one or more content elements to the device via the internet access device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing in a memory user-specific information associated with a particular user, the user-specific information including explicit user-specified information and implicit user information based on previously-captured user interactions with content elements;

generating compilation data defining an automatically-selected customized collection of content anticipated to be appealing to the particular user based on the user-specific information, the compilation data identifying a plurality of content elements in the customized collection of content; and

delivering the plurality of content elements of the customized collection of content to a user device via a wireless data network in accordance with the compilation data, the delivering being in advance of an anticipated request for use of the plurality of content elements as determined from the implicit user information based on previously-captured user interactions with content elements by the particular user, wherein the delivering includes delivering at least one content element of the plurality of content elements to the user device via the wireless data network during a time period of increased available wireless data network capacity.

2. The method of claim 1 including delivering at least one content element of the plurality of content elements to the user device via the wireless data network in accordance with a schedule.

3. The method of claim 1 including delivering content elements to the user device via the wireless data network substantially immediately after generation of the automatically-selected customized collection of content.

4. The method of claim 1 including delivering the compilation data to the user device via the wireless data network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the customized collection of content includes at least one content element corresponding to a geographical location of the particular user.

6. The method of claim 1 including determining if a content element of the plurality of content elements is already resident in the user device, and if the content element is already resident in the user device, then not delivering the content element to the user device via the wireless data network.

7. The method of claim 1 including collecting user feedback comprising explicit user input and information corresponding to implicit user interaction with the content elements of the customized collection of content.

8. The method of claim 1 including using market data received from a third party for the automatic selection of the customized collection of content.

9. The method of claim 1 including incorporating advertisements received from a third party into the customized collection of content.

10. The method of claim 1 including modifying the delivery of the plurality of content elements to improve efficiency of a cache in the user device.

11. The method of claim 1 including modifying the delivery of the plurality of content elements based on a content priority of each of the plurality of content elements.

12. The method of claim 1 including scheduling the delivery of the plurality of content elements based on the timeliness nature of each of the content elements.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the customized collection of content is played on multiple channels of the user device.

14. The method of claim 1 including determining if the user device is connected to an external power source and delivering the plurality of content elements to the user device while the user device is connected to the external power source.

15. The method of claim 1 including determining the strength of the wireless connectivity of the user device with the wireless data network and timing the delivery of the plurality of content elements based, at least in part, on the strength of the wireless connectivity.

16. The method of claim 1 including determining if the user device is accessible via a communication link that does not include the wireless data network and delivering the plurality of content elements to the user device via the communication link while the user device is accessible via the communication link.

17. The method of claim 1 including determining if the user device is communicatively coupled to an internet access device and delivering the plurality of content elements to the user device via the internet access device.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein a time of delivery of at least one of the plurality of content elements to the user device is based, at least in part, on one or more parameters determined by an operator of the wireless data network.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein a time of delivery of at least one of the plurality of content elements to the user device is based, at least in part, on a subscription level associated with the user device.

20. A system comprising:

a server computer communicatively coupled to a wireless data network;

a memory communicatively coupled to the server computer;

a storing processor, executable by the server computer, to store in the memory user-specific information associated with a particular user, the user-specific information including explicit user-specified information and implicit user information based on previously-captured user interactions with content elements;

a generating processor, executable by the server computer, to generate compilation data defining an automatically-selected customized collection of content anticipated to be appealing to the particular user based on the user-specific information, the compilation data identifying a plurality of content elements in the customized collection of content; and

a delivering processor, executable by the server computer, to deliver the plurality of content elements of the customized collection of content to a user device via the wireless data network in accordance with the compilation data, the delivering being in advance of an anticipated request for use of the plurality of content elements as determined from the implicit user information based on previously-captured user interactions with content elements by the particular user, wherein the delivering processor is further configured to deliver at least one content element of the plurality of content elements to the user device via the wireless data network during a time period of increased available wireless data network capacity.