Distribution scheme for subscriber-created content, wherein the subscriber-created content is rendered for a recipient device by the service provider network based on a device characteristic and a connection characteristic of the recipient device

• US 8,965,999 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Neil, Douglas R., Hicks, John Alson III
• Primary Examiner(s): Murray, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US11/469,321
• Time in Patent Office: 3,099 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/217, 709/223, 709/232, 725/4, 725/110
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/54 Store-and-forward switching systems packet switching systems H04L45/00, H04L47/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Distribution schemes for subscriber-created content are described. Subscribers create and upload content for distribution to communities of recipients. The recipients join the communities in response to invitations from the subscribers. When connections to devices associated with the recipients are detected, any content due for delivery to the recipients is distributed. Systems supporting these distribution schemes may include content distribution modules that receive the content from the subscribers, and that provide corresponding content notifications. Content storage modules store the uploaded subscriber content. In response to the content notifications, notification modules notify the recipients that the content is available. Presence modules detect the connections to the devices, and provide corresponding device notifications. In response to the device notifications, device management modules provide recipient notifications, which associate recipients with the detected devices. Content distribution modules receive the recipient notifications and distribute the content to the recipients.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving by a service provider network content from a subscriber who created the content, wherein the service provider network provides a broadband internet access to the subscriber and wherein the service provider network does not include a device of the subscriber and does not include a device of a recipient;

identifying by the service provider network the recipient in a community associated with the subscriber, wherein the recipient has joined the community in response to an invitation extended by the subscriber;

storing the content in the service provider network while waiting for the device of the recipient to connect to the service provider network;

rendering by the service provider network the content for the device of the recipient based on a device characteristic and a connection characteristic of the device of the recipient when the device of the recipient is connected to the service provider network, wherein the rendering comprises down-sampling the content based on the device characteristic and the connection characteristic, wherein an audio component of the content and a video component of the content are separately rendered based on the device characteristic and the connection characteristic;

delivering by the service provider network the content that is rendered to the recipient; and

generating by the service provider network a billing event in response to the content that is rendered and delivered to the recipient.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising creating status data associated with the content and with the recipient, wherein the status data indicates a status of a delivery of the content to the device of the recipient.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising initializing the status data to indicate that the content is awaiting delivery to the recipient.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising updating the status data to indicate that the content has been partially delivered to the recipient.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising updating the status data to indicate that the content has been fully delivered to the recipient.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a further recipient in the community.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising creating further status data associated with the content and with the further recipient, wherein the further status data indicates a status of a delivery of the content to the further recipient.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the recipient that the content is available.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the content includes receiving the content captured by the subscriber using a first device, and further comprising delivering the content to a second device associated with the subscriber.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting by a service provider network a connection to a device of a recipient in a community associated with a subscriber, wherein the recipient has joined the community in response to an invitation extended by the subscriber, wherein the service provider network provides a broadband internet access to the subscriber and wherein the service provider network does not include a device of the subscriber and does not include the device of the recipient;

evaluating by the service provider network whether content created and uploaded by the subscriber is available for delivery to the recipient, wherein the service provider network stores the content while waiting for the device of the recipient to connect to the service provider network;

rendering by the service provider network the content for the device of the recipient based on a device characteristic and a connection characteristic of the device of the recipient when the device of the recipient is connected to the service provider network, wherein the rendering comprises down-sampling the content based on the device characteristic and the connection characteristic, wherein an audio component of the content and a video component of the content are separately rendered based on the device characteristic and the connection characteristic;

delivering by the service provider network the content that is rendered to the recipient; and

generating by the service provider network a billing event in response to the content that is rendered and delivered to the recipient.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising mapping an identifier that is associated with the device to the recipient.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the evaluating whether the content uploaded by the subscriber is available includes analyzing a status field associated with the content and the recipient.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising enabling the recipient to designate the device of the recipient for receiving the content as delivered to the recipient.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the delivering the content to the recipient includes delivering the content to the device of the recipient in accordance with a preference specified by the recipient.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the delivering the content to the recipient includes automatically pushing the content to the device of the recipient in response to detecting the device of the recipient.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the delivering the content to the recipient includes streaming the content to the device of the recipient.

17. A system comprising:

a service provider network comprising;

a content distribution module for receiving content created and uploaded by a subscriber and for providing a content notification in response to receiving the content, wherein the content distribution module is implemented in hardware;

a content storage module for storing the content into a content record, wherein the content storage module stores the content while waiting for a device of a recipient to connect to the service provider network;

a notification module for receiving the content notification and, in response thereto, notifying the recipient that the content is available, wherein the recipient is a member of a community that is associated with the subscriber, wherein the recipient has joined the community in response to an invitation extended by the subscriber, wherein the service provider network provides a broadband internet access to the subscriber and wherein the service provider network does not include a device of the subscriber and does not include the device of the recipient;

a rendering module for receiving the content from the content storage module, for receiving a device characteristic and a connection characteristic of the device of the recipient from a device management module, and for rendering the content for the device of the recipient based on the device characteristic and the connection characteristic, wherein the rendering comprises down-sampling the content based on the device characteristic and the connection characteristic, wherein an audio component of the content and a video component of the content are separately rendered based on the device characteristic and the connection characteristic; and

a billing module for generating a billing event in response to a distribution of the content to the recipient.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the notification module is for associating the recipient with the subscriber based on an identifier associated with the subscriber.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the notification module is for associating a plurality of recipients with the subscriber based on an identifier associated with the subscriber.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the notification module is for accessing a community record with an identifier associated with the subscriber, and for obtaining an identifier for the recipient.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the identifier associated with the subscriber includes an identifier for the community to which the content is to be delivered.

22. A system comprising:

a service provider network comprising;

a presence module for detecting a connection to a device of a recipient and for providing a device notification in response to the detecting;

a device management module for receiving the device notification and for providing a recipient notification in response thereto, wherein the recipient notification associates the recipient with the device of the recipient, wherein the recipient is a member of a community associated with a subscriber, and wherein the recipient has joined the community in response to an invitation extended by the subscriber, wherein the device management module is further for providing a device characteristic and a connection characteristic associated with the device of the recipient;

a content distribution module for receiving the recipient notification and for providing content to be distributed to the recipient, wherein the content is created and uploaded by the subscriber, wherein the content distribution module is implemented in hardware, and wherein the service provider network provides a broadband internet access to the subscriber and wherein the service provider network does not include a device of the subscriber and does not include the device of the recipient, wherein the content distribution module is further for providing a command to distribute the content to the recipient in response to the recipient notification;

a content storage module for receiving the command to distribute the content, and for providing the content in response to the command, wherein the content storage module stores the content while waiting for the command to distribute the content;

a rendering module for receiving the content from the content storage module, for receiving the device characteristic and the connection characteristic from the device management module, and for rendering the content for the device of the recipient based on the device characteristic and the connection characteristic, wherein the rendering comprises down-sampling the content based on the device characteristic and the connection characteristic, wherein an audio component of the content and a video component of the content are separately rendered based on the device characteristic and the connection characteristic; and

a billing module for generating a billing event in response to a distribution of the content to the recipient.