Managed wireless distribution network

• US 9,430,667 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Burba, Alexander, Hunt, Brandon T., Gallop, Michael J., Morrison, Frank R. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Hosuk
• Application Number:
  US14/275,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20150324601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 726 26- 30, 713/150, 713/193, 380/270, 709223-226
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A managed wireless distribution network includes multiple devices that communicate with one another via multiple wireless networks (e.g., multiple Wi-Fi networks). Each device in the managed wireless distribution network can host at least one wireless network and/or join at least one wireless network. Content in the managed wireless distribution network is protected so that the content cannot be consumed unless permission to consume the content is obtained. Devices can host portions of protected content regardless of whether they can consume the protected content, and can obtain portions of protected content via the wireless networks of the managed wireless distribution network without having to access a content service over the Internet.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a managed wireless distribution network system configured to obtain parameters allowing the device to join wireless networks hosted by multiple additional devices in a managed wireless distribution network, the device joining a wireless network hosted by one of the multiple additional devices in order to transfer protected content between the device and the one of the multiple additional devices, the managed wireless distribution network system being further configured to identify, during a broadcast window, one or more of the wireless networks that the device can see, and provide to a network management service an indication of the one or more wireless networks that the device can see; and

a content store configured to maintain portions of protected content that can be consumed by a user of the device only if the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content, and that can be transferred to ones of the multiple additional devices in the managed wireless distribution network regardless of whether the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content.

2. A device as recited in claim 1, the wireless networks comprising Wi-Fi networks.

3. A device as recited in claim 1, the parameters of a wireless network including a name of the wireless network and a security key of the wireless network.

4. A device as recited in claim 3, each of the multiple additional devices providing the parameters of the wireless networks to the network management service, and the managed wireless distribution network system being further configured to obtain the parameters of the other wireless networks from the network management service.

5. A device as recited in claim 1, the managed wireless distribution network system being further configured to obtain portions of protected content for storage in the content store from one of the multiple additional devices via a chain of multiple wireless networks of the managed wireless distribution network.

6. A device as recited in claim 1, the managed wireless distribution network system being further configured to obtain portions of protected content from a content service via the Internet.

7. A device as recited in claim 1, the managed wireless distribution network system being further configured to obtain portions of protected content for storage in the content store from another device via a peer-to-peer network over the Internet.

8. A device as recited in claim 1, the device concurrently joining multiple wireless networks while being connected to the Internet.

9. A method implemented in a network management service, the method comprising:

receiving from multiple devices in a managed wireless distribution network parameters used to join multiple wireless networks, each of the multiple wireless networks being hosted by one of the multiple devices;

providing to each of the multiple devices parameters used to join wireless networks hosted by others of the multiple devices;

receiving from each of the multiple devices indications of wireless networks visible to the device;

generating routes through multiple wireless networks for ones of the multiple devices to obtain portions of protected content to others of the multiple devices;

providing an indication of the routes to the multiple devices;

determining which of the multiple devices are to seed which portions of particular protected content; and

instructing ones of the multiple devices to obtain particular portions of the protected content in the absence of a user request to consume the particular protected content at the ones of the multiple devices.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, the wireless networks comprising Wi-Fi networks.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, the parameters of a wireless network including a name of the wireless network and a security key of the wireless network.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, for at least one of the routes, one or more devices hosting a wireless network in the route storing portions of the protected content transferred along the route on a hard drive, and for at least another of the routes, one or more devices hosting a wireless network in the route transferring the portions of the protected content without storing the portions of the protected content on a hard drive.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising identifying to the multiple devices broadcast windows indicating time ranges when the multiple devices are to transmit the name of a wireless network the device hosts so that the other devices can determine which wireless networks are visible.

14. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising providing to one of the multiple devices the parameters used to join a wireless network hosted by the one device, changing the parameters used to join the wireless network hosted by the one device at particular intervals, and providing to the one device the changed parameters after each change in the parameters.

15. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising providing to the ones of the multiple devices routes to other devices in the managed wireless distribution network from which the particular portions can be obtained.

16. A method as recited in claim 9, the determining which of the multiple devices are to seed which portions of particular protected content comprising determining which of the multiple devices are to seed which portions of particular protected content based at least in part on topology analysis of the managed wireless distribution network.

17. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising determining one or more sources from which the portions of particular protected content are to be obtained, and providing to the ones of the multiple devices indications of the one or more sources.

18. A method implemented in a device, the method comprising:

obtaining parameters allowing the device to join Wi-Fi networks hosted by multiple additional devices in a managed wireless distribution network, the device joining a Wi-Fi network hosted by one of the multiple additional devices in order to transfer protected content between the device and the one of the multiple additional devices;

obtaining a first one or more portions of particular protected content from a content service via the Internet, a second one or more portions of the particular protected content from another device via a P2P network over the Internet, and a third one or more portions of the particular protected content from another device in the managed wireless distribution network chained to the device via multiple Wi-Fi networks; and

maintaining portions of protected content that can be consumed by a user of the device only if the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content, and that can be transferred to ones of the multiple additional devices in the managed wireless distribution network regardless of whether the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, from a network management service, an indication of particular portions of particular protected content that are to be seeded by the device; and

obtaining and storing the particular portions of the protected content in the absence of a user request to consume the particular protected content at the device.

20. A method as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

receiving additional protected content received from a first additional device of the multiple additional devices and providing the additional protected content to a second additional device of the multiple additional devices without storing the protected content on a hard drive of the device.

21. A method implemented in a device, the method comprising:

obtaining, via a managed wireless distribution network system of the device, parameters allowing the device to join wireless networks hosted by multiple additional devices in a managed wireless distribution network;

joining a wireless network hosted by one of the multiple additional devices in order to transfer protected content between the device and the one of the multiple additional devices;

identifying, via the managed wireless distribution network system and during a broadcast window, one or more of the wireless networks that the device can see;

providing, via the managed wireless distribution network system and to a network management service, an indication of the one or more wireless networks that the device can see; and

maintaining, at a content store of the device, portions of protected content that can be consumed by a user of the device only if the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content, and that can be transferred to ones of the multiple additional devices in the managed wireless distribution network regardless of whether the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, further comprising obtaining, via the managed wireless distribution network system, parameters of other wireless networks from the network management service, the parameters of a wireless network including a name of the wireless network and a security key of the wireless network.

23. A method as recited in claim 21, further comprising obtaining, via the managed wireless distribution network system, portions of protected content for storage in the content store from:

one of the multiple additional devices via a chain of multiple wireless networks of the managed wireless distribution network;

or

from another device via a peer-to-peer network over the Internet.

24. A network management service implemented on one or more devices, the network management service comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

receiving from multiple devices in a managed wireless distribution network parameters used to join multiple wireless networks, each of the multiple wireless networks being hosted by one of the multiple devices;

providing to each of the multiple devices parameters used to join wireless networks hosted by others of the multiple devices;

receiving from each of the multiple devices indications of wireless networks visible to the device;

generating routes through multiple wireless networks for ones of the multiple devices to obtain portions of protected content to others of the multiple devices;

providing an indication of the routes to the multiple devices;

determining which of the multiple devices are to seed which portions of particular protected content; and

instructing ones of the multiple devices to obtain particular portions of the protected content in the absence of a user request to consume the particular protected content at the ones of the multiple devices.

25. A device as recited in claim 24, the acts further comprising identifying to the multiple devices broadcast windows indicating time ranges when the multiple devices are to transmit the name of a wireless network the device hosts so that the other devices can determine which wireless networks are visible.

26. A device as recited in claim 24, the acts further comprising providing to one of the multiple devices the parameters used to join a wireless network hosted by the one device, change the parameters used to join the wireless network hosted by the one device at particular intervals, and provide to the one device the changed parameters after each change in the parameters.

28. A device as recited in claim 26, the acts further comprising:

receiving, from a network management service, an indication of particular portions of particular protected content that are to be seeded by the device; and

obtaining and storing the particular portions of the protected content in the absence of a user request to consume the particular protected content at the device.

29. A device as recited in claim 26, the acts further comprising receiving additional protected content received from a first additional device of the multiple additional devices and providing the additional protected content to a second additional device of the multiple additional devices without storing the protected content on a hard drive of the device.

27. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

obtaining parameters allowing the device to join Wi-Fi networks hosted by multiple additional devices in a managed wireless distribution network the device joining a Wi-Fi network hosted by one of the multiple additional devices in order to transfer protected content between the device and the one of the multiple additional devices;

obtaining a first one or more portions of particular protected content from a content service via the Internet, a second one or more portions of the particular protected content from another device via a P2P network over the Internet, and a third one or more portions of the particular protected content from another device in the managed wireless distribution network chained to the device via multiple Wi-Fi networks; and

maintaining portions of the protected content that can be consumed by a user of the device only if the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content, and that can be transferred to ones of the multiple additional devices in the managed wireless distribution network regardless of whether the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content.