Using groups of user accounts to deliver content to electronic devices using local caching servers
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- at a content provider, performing operations for;
based on a request for content received from an electronic device, acquiring a first account identifier for a first account associated with the electronic device and a second account identifier for a second account associated with a local caching server;
based on the first account identifier, determining that the first account is part of a particular account group that includes the first account identifier, wherein the particular account group includes identifiers for devices that are on a same local area network (LAN);
based on the second account identifier, determining that the second account is part of the particular account group that includes the second account identifier;
wherein the second account associated with the local caching server is on the same LAN as the electronic device, the local caching server storing a cached copy the content, wherein the first account of the electronic device and the second account of the local caching server are both in the particular account group on the same LAN; and
providing a device identifier for the local caching server to the electronic device, the device identifier configured to enable the electronic device to obtain the content from the local caching server on the LAN without accessing a content delivery network (CDN) outside the LAN.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The described embodiments electronically deliver content (e.g., digitally-encoded files) to an electronic device using groups of accounts. In the described embodiments, a content provider obtains a public address of the electronic device and at least one account identifier for the electronic device from a request for the content received from the electronic device. Next, the content provider uses the public address to identify a local caching server (LCS) on a local area network (LAN) to which the electronic device is connected and uses the account identifier to determine that an account associated with the LCS is associated with a group of accounts with which an account for the electronic device is also associated. The content provider then provides a local address of the LCS to the electronic device, which uses the local address to obtain the content from the LCS via the LAN without accessing a content delivery network outside the LAN.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
at a content provider, performing operations for; based on a request for content received from an electronic device, acquiring a first account identifier for a first account associated with the electronic device and a second account identifier for a second account associated with a local caching server; based on the first account identifier, determining that the first account is part of a particular account group that includes the first account identifier, wherein the particular account group includes identifiers for devices that are on a same local area network (LAN); based on the second account identifier, determining that the second account is part of the particular account group that includes the second account identifier;
wherein the second account associated with the local caching server is on the same LAN as the electronic device, the local caching server storing a cached copy the content, wherein the first account of the electronic device and the second account of the local caching server are both in the particular account group on the same LAN; andproviding a device identifier for the local caching server to the electronic device, the device identifier configured to enable the electronic device to obtain the content from the local caching server on the LAN without accessing a content delivery network (CDN) outside the LAN. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method, comprising:
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at an electronic device, performing operations for; sending a request for content to a content provider; receiving a response from the content provider that includes a device identifier for a local caching server that is on a same local area network (LAN) as the electronic device, the device identifier having been selected by determining, based on a first account identifier for a first account associated with the electronic device and/or the request, that the first account is part of a particular account group that includes a second account identifier of a second account associated with the local caching server, wherein the particular account group includes identifiers for devices that are on the same LAN, wherein the local caching server stores a cached copy of the content, wherein the first account of the electronic device and the second account of the local caching server are both in the particular account group on the same LAN; and obtaining the content from the local caching server on the LAN without accessing a content delivery network (CDN) outside the LAN. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A content provider device, comprising:
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a hardware processor; and a networking subsystem; wherein the hardware processor and the networking subsystem perform operations for; acquiring, based on a request for content received from an electronic device, a first account identifier for a first account associated with the electronic device and a second account identifier for a second account associated with a local caching server; determining, based on the first account identifier, that the first account is part of an particular account group that includes the first account identifier, wherein the particular account group includes identifiers for devices that are on a same local area network (LAN); determining, based on the second account identifier, that the second account is part of the particular account group that includes the second account identifier;
wherein the second account associated with a local caching server is on the same LAN as the electronic device, the local caching server storing a cached copy the content, wherein the first account of the electronic device and the second account of the local caching server are both in the particular account group on the same LAN; andproviding a device identifier for the local caching server to the electronic device, the device identifier configured to enable the electronic device to obtain the content from the local caching server on the LAN without accessing a content delivery network (CDN) outside the LAN. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An electronic device, comprising:
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a processor; and a networking subsystem; wherein the processor and the networking subsystem perform operations for; sending a request for content to a content provider; receiving a response from the content provider that includes a device identifier for a local caching server that is on a same local area network (LAN) as the electronic device, the device identifier having been selected by determining, based on a first account identifier for a first account associated with the electronic device and/or the request, that the first account is part of a particular group that includes a second account identifier of a second account associated with the local caching server, wherein the particular account group includes identifiers for devices that are on the same LAN, wherein the local caching server stores a cached copy of the content, wherein the first account of the electronic device and the second account of the local caching server are both in the particular account group on the same LAN; and obtaining the content from the local caching server on the LAN without accessing a content delivery network (CDN) outside the LAN. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification