Content storage and delivery systems and associated methods

• US 8,646,016 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kubat, Peter, Weintraub, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Rong
• Application Number:
  US11/694,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20080141321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,503 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for the storage of content on a network and the delivery of content to subscriber locations. According to one system and method, content is delivered to a set-top box from a content source in the process of transmitting the same content to another set-top box. The content source instructs a shared router to duplicate the content such that the content is transmitted to the requesting set-top boxes substantially simultaneously. According to another system and method, a server and cache provide dynamic caching of content such that requests for content are satisfied from the cache if possible. If the requested content is not found in the cache, the content is requested from alternate source and added to the cache. Weight values associated with the stored files are updated such that the more frequently requested files are maintained in the cache.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a content source configured to

receive a request for content from a first set-top box,

transmit the requested content to the first set-top box, wherein the transmission of the requested content is initiated in response to the request received from the first set-top box,

receive another request for the requested content from a second set-top box while the requested content is being transmitted to the first set-top box,

identify, in response to the another request for the requested content from the second set-top box, a closest shared router in terms of network topology to the first set-top box and the second set-top box,

instruct, subsequent to receiving the another request for the requested content and during the transmission of the requested content to the first set-top box, the closest shared router to duplicate a remaining portion of the requested content not yet transmitted to the first set-top box and transmit only the remaining portion of the requested content to both the first and second set-top boxes simultaneously, the remaining portion of the requested content being transmitted to both the first and second set-top boxes starting at a content boundary in the requested content, and

transmit a second portion of the requested content to the second set-top box via the closest shared router after completing transmission of the remaining portion of the requested content to both the first and second set-top boxes, the second portion of the requested content corresponding to a portion of the requested content before the content boundary in the requested content that is transmitted to the first set-top box before the another request is received from the second set-top box.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the content source is further configured to request that a third portion of the requested content be transmitted to the second set-top box from at least one alternate content source, the third portion corresponding to another part of the requested content transmitted to the first set-top box before the another request is received from the second set-top box.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second set-top box is configured to assemble the remaining portion and the second portion of the requested content into a complete content file.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the closest shared router is configured to transmit the remaining portion of the requested content by multicasting the remaining portion of the requested content to the first and second set-top boxes.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the content source comprises a server.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the content source comprises a third set-top box.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the third set-top box receives the requested content from a server prior to receiving the request for content from the first set-top box.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the content comprises a movie and the content boundary is located between consecutive chapters of the movie.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmissions of the remaining portion and the second portion are by way of a common communication pathway.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, by a content source, a request for content from a first set-top box;

transmitting, by the content source, the requested content to the first set-top box, wherein the transmission of the requested content is initiated in response to the request received from the first set-top box;

receiving, by the content source, another request for the requested content from a second set-top box while the requested content is being transmitted to the first set-top box;

identifying, in response to the another request for the requested content from the second set-top box, a closest shared router in terms of network topology to the first set-top box and the second set-top box;

instructing, by the content source subsequent to receiving the another request for the requested content and during the transmission of the requested content to the first set-top box, the closest shared router to duplicate a remaining portion of the requested content not yet transmitted to the first set-top box and transmit only the remaining portion of the requested content to both the first and second set-top boxes simultaneously, the remaining portion of the requested content being transmitted to both the first and second set-top boxes starting at a content boundary in the requested content; and

transmitting, by the content source, a second portion of the requested content to the second set-top box via the closest shared router after completing transmission of the remaining portion of the requested content to both the first and second set-top boxes, the second portion of the requested content corresponding to a portion of the requested content before the content boundary in the requested content that is transmitted to the first set-top box before the another request is received from the second set-top box.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising requesting, by the content source, that a third portion of the requested content be transmitted to the second set-top box from at least one alternate content source, the third content portion corresponding to another part of the requested content transmitted to the first set-top box before the another request is received from the second set-top box.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the instructing of the router comprises instructing the closest shared router to multicast the remaining portion of the requested content to the first and second set-top boxes.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the content source comprises a server.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the content source comprises a third set-top box.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the third set-top box receives the requested content from a server prior to receiving the request for content from the first set-top box.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the content comprises a movie and the content boundary is located between consecutive chapters of the movie.