System and method for selecting a content delivery network

• US 9,749,399 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morrill, Robert J., Bugenhagen, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuen, Kan
• Application Number:
  US14/746,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20150295998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/304 Route determination for signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2227 Quality of service monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/00 Access restriction access security to prevent unauthorised access H04W12/08; Network selection; Access point selection

Abstract

A system and method for selecting a data delivery network. A determination is made of user information associated with a communication from a user. A determination is made of performance information for multiple data delivery networks. The data delivery network is selected for the communication from the multiple data delivery networks.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a data delivery network, comprising:

determining, with a computer, user information associated with a communication from a user, wherein the user information includes communication service requirements, and wherein the communication from the user comprises a request for content delivery;

determining, with the computer, performance information for a plurality of data delivery networks based at least in part on performance information packets generated by nodes along a plurality of paths including at least one path through each of the plurality of data delivery networks, the performance information including information relating to each of the plurality of paths, load balancing, alternative paths, real-time performance, and synthetic traffic; and

selecting, with the computer and using the user information and the performance information, the data delivery network to deliver the content requested by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information includes at least a location of the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a proximity of the user to the data delivery network is a factor in selecting the data delivery network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data delivery network charges different rates in response to proximity of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data delivery network facilitates two-way interactive media communications.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the nodes append performance information to the performance information packets as the performance information packets traverse the paths through the data delivery networks.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested content comprises video content.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the video content comprises streaming video content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested content comprises real-time content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of data delivery networks are operated by different communication carriers.

11. A server for selecting a data delivery network, comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions;

and a memory for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are executed to;

determine user information associated with a communication from a user, wherein the user information includes communication service requirements, and wherein the communication from the user comprises a request for content delivery;

determine performance information for a plurality of data delivery networks based at least in part on performance information packets generated by nodes along a plurality of paths including at least one path through each of the plurality of data delivery networks, the performance information including information relating to each of the plurality of paths, load balancing, alternative paths, real-time performance, and synthetic traffic; and

select, using the user information and the performance information, the data delivery network to deliver the content requested by the user.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the user information includes at least a location of the user.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein a proximity of the user to the data delivery network is a factor in selecting the data delivery network.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein the data delivery network charges different rates in response to proximity of the user.

15. The server of claim 11, wherein the data delivery network facilitates two-way interactive media communications.

16. The server of claim 11, wherein the nodes append performance information to the performance information packets as the performance information packets traverse the paths through the data delivery networks.

17. The server of claim 11, wherein the requested content comprises video content.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the video content comprises streaming video content.

19. The server of claim 11, wherein the requested content comprises real-time content.

20. The server of claim 11, wherein at least two of the plurality of data delivery networks are operated by different communication carriers.