Method and apparatus for content distribution over a network

• US 10,594,754 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2019
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramakrishnan, Kadangode, Hu, Yifan, Bell, Robert, Pang, Jeffrey, Erman, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Gee, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US16/292,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20190199769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 : for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 : End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A method that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example performing, by a wireless communication device comprising a processor, wireless telephony communications via a first wireless interface, transmitting information associated with media-related activities to a server, receiving from the server a media recommendation that is generated according to the information associated with media-related activities, initiating communications with a network via a second wireless interface, downloading a media content item of the media recommendation from a content provider via the second wireless interface, and presenting the media content item at a display. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, responsive to being executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving information associated with a media-related activity of a mobile communication device indicating a user interest in a first media content item of a first media recommendation;

generating a second media recommendation comprising a plurality of media content items selected according to the information associated with the media-related activity indicating the user interest in the first media content item, demographic information associated with a user profile, and a capability of the mobile communication device;

transmitting the second media recommendation to the mobile communication device;

transmitting, via a connection to a network having an available digital bandwidth, a first pre-fetch media content item of media content items included in the second media recommendation, the first pre-fetch media content item having a priority; and

responsive to a determination of a change in the available digital bandwidth;

stopping the transmitting of the first pre-fetch media content item; and

transmitting, via the connection to the network a second pre-fetch media content item of media content items included in the second media recommendation, the second pre-fetch media content item having a lower priority.

2. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the media-related activity comprises consumption of media content.

3. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the media-related activity comprises accessing a site providing access to media content.

4. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the media-related activity comprises loading a mobile application that enables access to media content.

5. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the media-related activity comprises subscribing to a service providing access to media content.

6. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise accessing social media preference information of a social network associated with a user of the mobile communication device, wherein the second media recommendation is further generated according to the social media preference information.

7. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise accessing popularity information for the plurality of media contents items based on transactions with a network by a plurality of communication devices, wherein the second media recommendation is further generated according to popularity information.

8. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a processing system comprising a processor of a server, a first media recommendation comprising a first plurality of media content items to a communication device;

receiving, by the server, information from the communication device indicating a user interest in a first media content item of the first plurality of media content items;

generating, by the processing system, a second media recommendation comprising a second plurality of media content items selected according to the information indicating the user interest in the first media content item, demographic information associated with a user profile, and a capability of the communication device;

transmitting, by the processing system, the second media recommendation to the communication device;

transmitting, by the processing system and via a connection to a network having an available digital bandwidth, a first pre-fetch media content item of media content items included in the second media recommendation, the first pre-fetch media content item having a first priority; and

responsive to a determination of a change in the available digital bandwidth exceeding a threshold;

stopping the transmitting of the first pre-fetch media content item; and

transmitting, by the processing system and via the connection to the network a second pre-fetch media content item of media content items included in the second media recommendation, the second pre-fetch media content item having a second priority lower than the first priority.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving of the information indicating the user interest comprises receiving information indicating access to a site that provides access to media content.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving of the information indicating the user interest comprises receiving information indicating subscription to a service that provides access to media content.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving of the information indicating the user interest comprises receiving information indicating social media preference information that is accessed from a social network associated with a user of the communication device.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

ranking, by the processing system, the second plurality of media content items included in the second media recommendation according to a priority to generate a ranked list comprising the first priority and the second priority.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the transmitting of the first pre-fetch media content item having the first priority further comprises transmitting a highest priority media content item included in the ranked list that can be completely prefetched by the communication device within the available digital bandwidth associated with the connection to a network.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining, by the processing system, that the change in the available digital bandwidth associated with the connection to the network exceeds the threshold

wherein the transmitting of the second pre-fetch media content item of the ranked list for which the available digital bandwidth associated with the connection to the network is sufficient to complete a transmission of the second pre-fetch media content item.

15. A server, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising;

receiving information from a communication device indicating a user interest in a first media content item of a first plurality of media content items;

generating, by the server, a media recommendation comprising a second plurality of media content items selected according to the information indicating the user interest in the first media content item, demographic information associated with a user profile, and a capability of the communication device;

transmitting, by the server, the media recommendation to the communication device;

transmitting, via a connection to a network having an available digital bandwidth, a first pre-fetch media content item of media content items included in the media recommendation, the first pre-fetch media content item having a first rank; and

responsive to a determination of a change in the available digital bandwidth;

stopping the transmitting of the first pre-fetch media content item; and

transmitting, via the connection to the network a second pre-fetch media content item of media content items included in the media recommendation, the second pre-fetch media content item having a second rank lower than the first rank.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the information comprises a log of media content captured by a camera of the communication device, a microphone of the communication device, or a combination thereof.

17. The server of claim 15, wherein the information comprises a log of media content loaded onto the communication device via a USB port.

18. The server of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

ranking the second plurality of media content items included in the media recommendation according to a priority to generate a ranked list comprising the first rank and the second rank.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the

transmitting of the first pre-fetch media content item having the first rank further comprises transmitting a highest priority media content item included in the ranked list that can be completely prefetched by the communication device within the available digital bandwidth associated with the connection to a network.

20. The server of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the change in the available digital bandwidth associated with the connection to the network exceeds a threshold,

wherein the transmitting flail of the second pre-fetch media content item of the ranked list for which the available digital bandwidth associated with the connection to the network is sufficient to complete a transmission of the second pre-fetch media content item.