Methods and systems for automated content distribution

• US 8,548,918 B1
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Amidon, Christopher, Walsh, Richard, Issa, Alfredo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hewitt, II, Calvin L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nilforoush, Mohammad A
• Application Number:
  US11/640,577
• Time in Patent Office: 2,479 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/10 Usage protection of distributed data files

Abstract

Content distributions may be optimized based on data from past distributions, including recipients, content metadata, and distribution path strength parameters. A content distribution package may be assembled, with the package including content metadata and an optimized distribution path. Clients that receive the package may modify the distribution. The details of the modified distribution may be reported back for inclusion in the distribution history records. In some embodiments, updates to the distribution records may be reflected in real-time such that ongoing distributions of content may be adjusted in response to feedback regarding distributions of other content. Each client may maintain a content management queue for users to specify, for each content package, which content is to be downloaded, which content is to be disregarded, and parameters and preferences for further distribution of the package itself.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a computing device programmed to automate content distribution, receiving proposed distribution data defining a proposed distribution of new content;

wherein the proposed distribution data includes an initial distribution list identifying a first plurality of recipient client devices and metadata describing the new content;

accessing, by the computing device, distribution history data comprising a plurality of records, each record corresponding to a previous distribution of content and including metadata describing the previously-distributed content, at least some of the records identifying a path of a plurality of successive recipient client devices that previously received the previous distribution of content;

generating, by the computing device, an optimal distribution path for the new content including a distribution list identifying an initial plurality of recipient client devices to which the new content should be initially distributed and a subsequent plurality of recipient client devices to which at least one of the initial plurality of recipient devices should subsequently distribute the new content, based on the proposed distribution data and the at least some of the records;

receiving, by the computing device, distribution progress data for at least one ongoing distribution;

updating, by the computing device, the distribution history data based on the distribution progress data;

generating, by the computing device, a new optimal distribution path based on updated distribution history data; and

distributing, by the computing device, subsequent content according to the new optimal distribution path.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein generating the optimal distribution path further comprises:

generating a combined distribution path for the new content;

wherein the combined distribution path comprises a combination of a plurality of distribution paths for previously-distributed content having similar metadata to the metadata describing the new content;

calculating a strength of relationships between each client device in the combined distribution path to determine a relationship strength for each link in the combined distribution path;

comparing the relationship strength for each link to a threshold; and

including, in the optimal distribution path, only those client devices from the combined distribution path that are connected by a link that satisfies the threshold.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

sending data adjusting the optimal distribution path for the at least one ongoing distribution based on one or more updates to the distribution history data.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the optimal distribution path for the at least one ongoing distribution is updated based on one or more updates to the distribution history data, wherein said one or more updates are based at least in part on distribution progress data for a distribution other than the one being updated.

5. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein receiving distribution progress data, updating the distribution history data, and sending data adjusting the optimal distribution path for the at least one ongoing distribution occur substantially in real-time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least some of the records further comprise data identifying whether each recipient client device of the plurality of recipient client devices played the content or did not play the content.

6. A non-transitory computer software product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium embodying program instructions, which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform actions including:

receiving proposed distribution data defining a proposed distribution of new content;

wherein the proposed distribution data includes an initial distribution list identifying a first plurality of recipient client devices and metadata describing the new content;

accessing distribution history data comprising a plurality of records, each record corresponding to a previous distribution of content and including metadata describing the previously-distributed content, at least some of the records identifying a path of a plurality of successive recipient client devices that previously received the previous distribution of content;

generating an optimal distribution path for the new content including a distribution list identifying an initial plurality of recipient client devices to which the new content should be initially distributed and a subsequent plurality of recipient client devices to which at least one of the initial plurality of recipient devices should subsequently distribute the new content, based on the proposed distribution data and the at least some of the records;

receiving, by the computing device, distribution progress data for at least one ongoing distribution;

updating, by the computing device, the distribution history data based on the distribution progress data;

generating, by the computing device, a new optimal distribution path based on updated distribution history data; and

distributing, by the computing device, subsequent content according to the new optimal distribution path.

7. The product as set forth in claim 6, wherein the program instructions cause the one or more computing devices to perform actions further including:

sending data adjusting the optimal distribution path for an at least one ongoing distribution based on one or more updates to the distribution history data.

8. The product as set forth in claim 7, wherein the program instructions cause the one or more computing devices to receive distribution progress data, update the distribution history data, and send the data adjusting the optimal distribution path for the at least one ongoing distribution substantially in real-time.

10. A method comprising:

identifying, by a computing device, an originating user as an initial source of first digital content for a particular first instance of digital content distribution;

receiving, by the computing device, first proposed distribution data for the first digital content including a first initial distribution list and digital metadata describing the first digital content;

distributing, by the computing device, to a computer network the first content according to the proposed distribution data;

receiving by the computing device through the computer network distribution progress data from computing device clients that have received the first digital content including successive recipient client devices that received the first digital content from intermediary client devices;

storing, by the computing device, records associated with the distribution progress data;

creating, by the computing device, distribution history data based on received distribution progress data;

identifying, by the computing device, second digital data to be distributed from the computing device;

receiving, by the computing device, second proposed distribution data for the second digital data including a second initial distribution list and digital metadata describing the second digital content;

accessing, by the computing device, the distribution history data including one or more of the records; and

generating, by the computing device, an optimal distribution path for the second digital content including a second distribution list identifying an initial plurality of recipient client devices to which new content should be initially distributed and a subsequent plurality of recipient client devices based on the proposed distribution data and the at least some of the records.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein generating the optimal distribution path further comprises:

generating a combined distribution path for the new content;

wherein the combined distribution path comprises a combination of a plurality of distribution paths for previously-distributed content having similar metadata to the metadata describing the new content;

calculating a strength of relationships between each client device in the combined distribution path to determine a relationship strength for each link in the combined distribution path;

comparing the relationship strength for each link to a threshold; and

including, in the optimal distribution path, only those client devices from the combined distribution path that are connected by a link that satisfies the threshold.