Method and system for communicating content to a client device by pulling content from a publisher from a content delivery network when first requested by the client device

• US 10,257,249 B1
• Filed: 02/14/2013
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lam, Thai, Makhijani, Michael A., Xie, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joshi, Suraj M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Habtemariam, Melaku Y
• Application Number:
  US13/767,499
• Time in Patent Office: 2,245 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-204, 709217-219, 709232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A content delivery network and method for operating the same includes a content delivery network (CDN) origin server and a content delivery network edge server receiving a request for a first content from a first client device and communicating the request for the first content to the content delivery network origin server. The CDN origin server communicates a pull signal to a publisher origin server when the request for the first content is a first request, receives the first content from the publisher origin server and stores the first content. The CDN origin server communicates the first content to the first client through the CDN edge server.

Claims

1. A method of operating a content delivery network comprising:

receiving a request for a first content from a first client device at a content delivery network edge server;

communicating the request for the first content to a content delivery network origin server disposed in the content delivery network;

when the request for the first content is a first request, communicating a pull signal from the content delivery network origin server to a publisher origin server;

receiving the first content at the content delivery network origin server from the publisher origin server;

storing the first content at the content delivery network origin server of the content delivery network after receiving the first content;

communicating the content from the content delivery network origin server to the content delivery network edge server;

communicating the first content to the first client from the content delivery network edge server;

receiving a second request for the first content at the content delivery network edge server from a second client device;

communicating a validation query signal from the content delivery network to the publisher origin server in response to receiving a second request;

generating a validation response signal at the publisher origin server comprising an indication as to whether the first content exists at the publisher origin server by determining whether the first content is still stored in the publisher origin server, whether the first content has changed and whether the expiration of the first content has changed, said validation response signal different than and separate from the first content;

receiving the validation response signal at the content delivery network from the publisher origin server in response to the validation query signal;

in response to the validation response signal indicating that the first content does not exist by indicating the first content is not stored at the publisher origin server, deleting the first content from the content delivery network;

in response to the validation response indicating the expiration has changed, updating an expiration time of the first content in the content delivery network when the expiration has been changed and communicating the first content to the second client device from the content delivery network edge server; and

in response to the validation response signal indicating the content has changed, updating the first content with an updated first content file in the content delivery network when the first content has changed and the expiration time has not passed and communicating the first content to the second client device from the content delivery network edge server.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving a second request for the first content at a content delivery network edge server and communicating the first content to a second client device from the content delivery network origin server through the content delivery network edge server.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising displaying the first content at the client device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the request for the first content from the first client device comprises receiving the first request for the first content from a user receiving device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the request for the first content from the first client device comprises receiving the first request for the first content from a television receiving device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the request for the first content from the first client device comprises receiving the first request for the first content from a satellite television receiving device.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising obtaining content at a publisher, establishing an expiration of the content, converting content data to guide data, communicating the guide data to client devices comprising the first client device and generating the request for the first content based on the content data.

7. A content delivery network comprising:

a content delivery network origin server;

a content delivery network edge server electronically receiving a request for a first content from a first client device and communicating the request for the first content to the content delivery network origin server disposed in the content delivery network;

said content delivery network origin server electronically communicating a pull signal to a publisher origin server when the request for the first content is a first request, receiving the first content from the publisher origin server and storing the first content after receiving the first content;

said content delivery network origin server communicating the first content to the content delivery network edge server;

said content delivery network edge server electronically communicating the first content to the first client;

said content delivery network edge server receiving a second request for the first content from a second client device;

said content delivery network communicating a validation query signal to the publisher origin server in response to receiving a second request and receiving a validation response signal from the publisher origin server in response to the validation query signal, said validation response signal comprising an indication as to whether the first content exists at the publisher origin server by determining whether the first content is still stored in the publisher origin server, whether the first content has changed and whether the expiration of the first content has changed, said validation response signal different than and separate from the first content;

said content delivery network, deleting the first content when the first content has expired in response to the validation response signal indicating that the first content does not exist by indicating the first content is not stored at the publisher origin server;

said content delivery network updating an expiration time of the first content when the expiration has been changed and communicating the first content to the second client device from the content delivery network edge server in response to the validation response signal indicating the expiration has changed;

said content delivery network updating the first content with an updated first content file when first content has changed and the expiration time has not passed and communicating the first content to the second client device from the content delivery network edge server in response to the validation response signal indicating the content has changed.

9. A system comprising:

the publisher origin server disposed within a headend;

the content delivery network recited in claim 7; and

the first client device;

wherein the first client device comprises a user receiving device.

10. A system comprising:

the publisher origin server disposed within a headend;

the content delivery network recited in claim 7; and

the first client device;

wherein the first client device comprises a television receiving device.

11. A system comprising:

the publisher origin server disposed within a headend;

the content delivery network recited in claim 7; and

the first client device;

wherein the first client device comprises a satellite television receiving device.