Method and system for controlling content distribution, related network and computer program product therefor

• US 9,054,993 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2013
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Alessi, Marzio, Maffione, Eugenio Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Linglan
• Application Number:
  US13/919,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20130282909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/226
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/50 Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for controlling distribution of media contents over a network, wherein the contents are distributed by making the contents available at surrogate servers. The method includes the steps of identifying additional contents eligible for distribution; defining a set of categories; identifying for each category at least a reference content; associating the additional contents with the predefined categories based on semantics affinity with the reference content, the semantics affinity being calculated as the distance of each of the additional contents to the at least a reference content; selecting at least one of said predefined categories; and making at least one of the additional contents associated with said selected predefined category available for distribution at the surrogate servers.

Claims

1. A system for distributing media contents over a network of an operator, comprising a set of surrogate servers for distributing said contents, by making said contents available at said surrogate servers, said system comprising at least:

a semantic extracted module configured for;

receiving as inputs at least distributed contents, additional contents that are not distributed over the network yet, predefined categories, and a reference content identified for each category, said identification of said reference content comprising identifying a set of reference contents by using search engines and calculating a central reference content of said set of reference contents;

classifying each distributed content/additional content in at least one category, said classification of each of said distributed contents/additional contents being based on semantics affinity among said reference content and each of said distributed content/additional contents, said semantics affinity being calculated as the distance of each of said distributed content/additional content to said at least a reference content, said calculation comprising using data mining or artificial intelligence mechanisms; and

storing said classification of said distributed contents in a first database and said classification of said additional contents in a second database;

a class matcher module configured for;

receiving as input information at least usage information provided by said surrogate servers, category information provided by said first database, and a predefined interest threshold, said predefined interest threshold being representative at least of a frequency of the request for a given content belonging to a given category;

analyzing said input information to generate a class template comprising said input information, when said predefined interest threshold is exceeded;

a class/policy template repository having a first input for receiving said class template and a second input for adding to said class template content information provided by said second database, said content information comprising at least information on an additional content included in said given category; and

a command generator to generate control signals from said modified class template, said control signals being able to control a distribution system in order to make available said at least an additional content at said surrogate servers.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said usage information comprises at least a usage information selected from:

the share for a content in a given geographic area;

the trend of requests during a given time period;

data on users requesting a given content;

statistics concerning those contents most frequently requested;

specific information concerning the most requested content from a given cache server; and

meta-data for any specific requested contents.

3. A network comprising a set of surrogate servers for distributing media contents, wherein said contents are distributed by making these contents available at said surrogate servers, comprising a system according to claim 1.

4. A method for distributing media contents over a network of an operator, comprising a set of surrogate servers for distributing said contents, by making said contents available at said surrogate servers, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving as inputs at least distributed contents, additional contents that are not distributed over the network yet, predefined categories, and a reference content identified for each category, said identification of said reference content comprising identifying a set of reference contents by using search engines and calculating a central reference content of said set of reference contents;

classifying each distributed content/additional content in at least one category, said classification of each of said distributed contents/additional contents being based on semantics affinity among said reference content and each of said distributed content/additional contents, said semantics affinity being calculated as the distance of each of said distributed content/additional content to said at least a reference content, said calculation comprising using data mining or artificial intelligence mechanisms;

storing said classification of said distributed contents in a first database and said classification of said additional contents in a second database;

receiving input information comprising at least usage information provided by said surrogate servers, category information provided by said first database, and a predefined interest threshold, said predefined interest threshold being representative at least of a frequency of the request for a given content belonging to a given category;

analyzing said input information so as to generate a class template comprising said input information, when said predefined interest threshold is exceeded;

adding to said class template content information provided by said second database, said content information comprising at least information on an additional content included in said given category; and

generating control signals from said modified class template, said control signals being able to control a distribution system in order to make available said at least an additional content at said surrogate servers.

5. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a computer to perform the steps of claim 4.