Content delivery system and method

• US 9,699,647 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iocast LLC
• Original Assignee: Iocast LLC
• Inventors: Shapiro, Andrew J, Skolnik, Seth M
• Primary Examiner(s): FARAGALLA, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/929,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20140006556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

A method and system for delivering content to a plurality of devices is provided. In one embodiment, the method may be for delivering content elements of one or more presentations to a device configured to communicate via a wireless data network, wherein the content elements include static content elements, dynamic content elements, and on-demand content elements. The method may comprise delivering to the device, data, such as compilation data, of the content elements included in the one or more presentations; delivering the static content elements to the device via the wireless data network during one or more time periods of increased available wireless data network capacity; delivering the dynamic content elements to the device via the wireless data network substantially according to a schedule; and delivering the on-demand content elements to the device via the wireless data network substantially immediately after a user request for an on-demand content element.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing in a memory user-specific information associated with a particular user, the user-specific information including explicit user-specified information and implicit user information based on previously-captured user interactions with content elements;

generating compilation data defining an automatically-selected customized collection of content anticipated to be appealing to the particular user based on the user-specific information, the compilation data identifying a plurality of content elements in the customized collection of content; and

delivering the plurality of content elements of the customized collection of content to a user device via a data network in accordance with the compilation data, the delivering being in advance of an anticipated request for use of the plurality of content elements as determined from the implicit user information based on previously-captured user interactions with content elements by the particular user, wherein the delivering includes delivering at least one content element of the plurality of content elements to the user device via the data network during a time period of increased quality of the user device'"'"'s connection to the data network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivering includes delivering at least one content element of the plurality of content elements to the user device via the data network during a time period anticipated to be of increased quality of the user device'"'"'s connection to the data network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivering includes delivering at least one content element of the plurality of content elements to the user device via the data network during a time period of lower data transmission cost.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content elements comprises music content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content elements comprises at least one element from the group:

news content, weather content, and traffic content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content elements comprises at least one content element from the group:

audio content elements and audio-visual content elements.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the time of delivery of the plurality of content elements is based on the available network capacity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivering includes delivering at least one content element of the plurality of content elements to the user device via the data network during a time period anticipated to allow for higher quality playback.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivering includes delivering at least one content element of the plurality of content elements to the user device via the data network during a time period anticipated to allow for less depletion of user device resources.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of content elements have different formats, the method further comprising re-formatting at least some of the plurality of content elements prior to delivering the plurality of content elements.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the user device is connected to a power source and wherein the delivering the plurality of content elements coincides with the user device being connected to a power source.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the strength of wireless connectivity of the user device and wherein the delivering the plurality of content elements is based, at least in part, on the strength of the wireless connectivity.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the data network comprises a wireless network.

13. A method comprising:

storing in a memory user-specific information associated with a particular user, the user-specific information including explicit user-specified information and implicit user information based on previously-captured user interactions with content elements;

generating compilation data defining an automatically-selected customized collection of content anticipated to be appealing to the particular user based on the user-specific information, the compilation data identifying a plurality of content elements in the customized collection of content; and

delivering the plurality of content elements of the customized collection of content to a user device via a data network in accordance with the compilation data, the delivering being in advance of an anticipated request for use of the plurality of content elements as determined from the implicit user information based on previously-captured user interactions with content elements by the particular user, wherein the delivering the plurality of content elements is based on an importance of the timeliness of delivery with respect to at least one of the plurality of content elements.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the delivering the plurality of content elements is based on an importance of the timeliness of delivery with respect to a schedule of presentation of at least one of the plurality of content elements.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the delivering the plurality of content elements is based on an importance of the timeliness of delivery with respect to a rate of perishability of at least one of the plurality of content elements.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the delivering the plurality of content elements is based on an importance of the timeliness of delivery with respect to pricing of at least one of the plurality of content elements.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the delivering the plurality of content elements is based on an importance of the timeliness of delivery with respect to a schedule of presentation of at least one of the plurality of content elements and a current location of the user device.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the delivering the plurality of content elements is based on an importance of the timeliness of delivery with respect to a rate of perishability of at least one of the plurality of content elements and a current location of the user device.

20. A system comprising:

a server computer communicatively coupled to a data network;

a memory communicatively coupled to the server computer;

a storing processor, executable by the server computer, to store in the memory user-specific information associated with a particular user, the user-specific information including explicit user-specified information and implicit user information based on previously-captured user interactions with content elements;

a generating processor, executable by the server computer, to generate compilation data defining an automatically-selected customized collection of content anticipated to be appealing to the particular user based on the user-specific information, the compilation data identifying a plurality of content elements in the customized collection of content; and

a delivering processor, executable by the server computer, to deliver the plurality of content elements of the customized collection of content to a user device via the data network in accordance with the compilation data, the delivering being in advance of an anticipated request for use of the plurality of content elements as determined from the implicit user information based on previously-captured user interactions with content elements by the particular user, wherein the delivering processor is further configured to deliver at least one content element of the plurality of content elements to the user device via the data network during a time period of increased quality of the user device'"'"'s connection to the data network.