Method and system for distributing content to a user device through allocated assets of a satellite network and a broadband network

• US 9,077,855 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Riley, Xavier D., Sue, Ranny Q.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Assistant Examiner(s): TELAN, MICHAEL R
• Application Number:
  US11/782,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20090031354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,905 Days
• Field of Search: 725 63- 66, 725 86-104, 725/118, 725/148
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• 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 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A communication system 100 includes a content repository 274 storing a plurality of content files associated with the content distribution system. A transport processing system 250 communicating with the content distribution system, a terrestrial communication network 132, and a content delivery network 280 communicating with the content distribution system 260 and the terrestrial network. The content management system assigns a satellite category or a broadband category to each of the plurality of content files in response to a popularity rating. The content distribution system 274 communicates the content to the transport processing system. The transport processing system 250 communicates the content through a satellite from the transport processing system to a user device. The content distribution system 260, in response to the broadband category, communicates the content to the content delivery network 280. The content delivery network 280 communicates the content through a terrestrial communication network to the user device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing a content file having a header for terrestrial communication in a content repository associated with a content distribution system;

receiving a request for content from a user device;

determining a popularity rating of the content file after receiving the request for content;

in response to the popularity rating, selecting a satellite for communicating the content;

allocating satellite assets in response to the popularity rating;

reformatting the header of the content file from a first header to a second header by removing a program map table and changing a service channel identifier or program identifier to a broadcast service channel identifier or broadcast program identifier suitable for satellite broadcasting in response to selecting the satellite; and

broadcasting a mapping to the user device;

tuning the user device in response to the mapping;

receiving the content file with the second header at the user device from the satellite instead of a terrestrial communication network in response to tuning.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein allocating satellite assets comprises allocating satellite assets at a content management system.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein allocating satellite assets comprises allocating a number of pipes and pipe sizes.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein allocating satellite assets comprises determining a number of content titles for pipes and distributing the content corresponding to the titles through pipes.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein allocating satellite assets comprises allocating satellite assets in response to a content size.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein allocating satellite assets comprises allocating satellite assets at a content delivery network.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein determining a popularity rating comprises determining the popularity rating based on an amount of downloads from the content delivery network.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a popularity rating comprises determining the popularity rating at a content delivery network and further comprising communicating the popularity rating to a content management system.

9. A method comprising:

storing a plurality of content files having headers for terrestrial communication in a content repository associated with a content distribution system, said headers each comprising a program map table and a service channel identifier or a program identifier;

receiving a request for a selected content of the plurality of content files from a user device;

determining a popularity rating of the plurality of content files after receiving the request for a first content;

assigning a satellite category or a broadband category to each of the plurality of content files in response to the popularity rating;

in response to the satellite category, reformatting a header of a first content file of the plurality of content files from a first header to a second header by removing the program map table and changing the service channel identifier or program identifier to a broadcast service channel identifier or broadcast program identifier suitable for satellite broadcasting, communicating the first content file with the second header to a transport processing system, communicating the content with the second header to a satellite from the transport processing system, broadcasting a mapping to the user device, tuning the user device based on the mapping and receiving the content at the user device through the satellite in response to tuning; and

in response to the broadband category, communicating the content to a content delivery network, communicating the content to a terrestrial communication network from the content delivery network and communicating content to the user device through the terrestrial communication network.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising determining a popularity rating at a content delivery network.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the popularity rating corresponds to an amount of downloads from the content delivery network.

12. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising determining a popularity rating at a content delivery network and communicating the popularity rating to a content management system.

13. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising in response to the satellite category, determining a satellite asset allocation and wherein communicating content to the user device comprises communicating the content to the user device in response to the asset allocation.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein determining an asset allocation comprises determining the asset allocation at a content management system.

15. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein determining the satellite asset allocation comprises determining a number of pipes and a pipe sizes.

16. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein determining the satellite asset allocation comprises determining a number of content titles and distributing the content corresponding to the titles through pipes.

17. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising determining a satellite asset location in response to a content size.

18. A communication system comprising:

a content repository storing a plurality of content files having headers for terrestrial communication associated with a content distribution system;

a transport processing system communicating with the content distribution system;

a terrestrial communication network;

a content delivery network communicating with the content distribution system and the terrestrial network and determining a popularity rating of the content;

a content management system receiving the popularity rating and assigning a satellite category or a broadband category to each of the plurality of content files in response to the popularity rating;

said content distribution system reformatting a first header of a first content with a plurality of content files to a second header by removing a program map table and changing a service channel identifier or program identifier to a broadcast service channel identifier or broadcast program identifier suitable for satellite broadcasting, communicating the first content to the transport processing system in response to the satellite category;

said content management system generating a mapping in response to the content management system assigning a satellite category;

a guide delivery system broadcasting the mapping to a user device;

said transport processing system broadcasting the content with the second header through a satellite from the transport processing system to the user device;

said user device receiving the mapping and tuning to the first content from the satellite in response to the mapping;

said content distribution system in response to the broadband category, communicating the first content with the first header to the content delivery network; and

said content delivery network communicating the first content with the first header through a terrestrial communication network to the user device.

19. A communication system as recited in claim 18 wherein the content delivery network determines the popularity rating corresponding to an amount of downloads from the content delivery network.

20. A communication system as recited in claim 18 wherein the content delivery network communicates the popularity rating to a content management system.

21. A communication system as recited in claim 18 wherein the content management system determines a satellite asset allocation in response to the popularity rating and wherein the content delivery network communicates the first content to the user device in response to the asset allocation.

22. A communication system as recited in claim 21 wherein the content management system determines the satellite asset allocation by determining a number of pipes and a pipe sizes for the first content.

23. A communication system as recited in claim 21 wherein the content management system determines the satellite asset allocation by determining a number of content titles and distributing the content corresponding to the titles through pipes.

24. A communication system as recited in claim 21 wherein the content management system determines the satellite asset allocation by determining an asset location in response to a content size.