DEPLOYMENT AND DISTRIBUTION MODEL FOR IMPROVED CONTENT DELIVERY

• US 20100057563A1
• Filed: 09/02/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jha, Sanjay K., Grob, Matthew S., Butler, Brian K., Achour, Baaziz, Rauber, Peter H., Carson, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,966,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.530
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• 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 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A deployment and distribution model improves content delivery with a business incentive for placement of kiosks with one or more wireless access points in public locations so that portable media players (PMPs) can receive media content (e.g., audio, video, text, haptic content, etc.). In addition, coordination between subscribing users of PMPs, vendors who provide kiosks, and a network central controller of a content distribution system allow for prepositioning of video content at the kiosks through economically desirable low data rate communication links from the network (e.g., dial-up modem, DSL, etc.); coordinated queuing of downloads (e.g., partial downloads) between kiosk to PMP, peer-to-peer (P2P) downloading between PMPs, and uploads from PMP to kiosk; billing/crediting to correspond with such participation in the distribution; and changing priority/selection of prepositioning of content at kiosks to reflect a clientele profile.

Claims

1. A method for wirelessly acquiring media content, comprising:

receiving media content selection from a user via a user interface;

receiving a first portion of the selected media content from a wireless access point, which had accessed the selected media content from local storage;

requesting and receiving a second portion of the selected media content from a wireless communication channel; and

reporting receipt of at least a portion of the selected media content to a network controller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the provider of the wireless communication channel is another subscribing portable device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the provider of the wireless communication channel is another vendor provided access point.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection is made from the user via the user interface when outside of communication coverage with the vendor provided access point and the wireless communication channel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying download progress to the user via the user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the stored media content for play by a display monitor.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the vendor provided access point for media content stored on the subscribing portable device; and

wirelessly uploading the requested media content for receiving a subscriber credit.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a beacon signal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying a coverage area indication based on the beacon signal.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a beacon signal.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a sleep cycle for power saving.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising entering the sleep cycle for radio communications in response to a determination of being outside of communication range with the vendor provided access point and the wireless communication channel.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting a beacon signal during a waking period of the sleep cycle.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising adjusting a period of the sleep cycle in response to sensing motion of the subscriber portable device.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising adjusting a period of sleep cycle in response to sensing a geographic location of the subscriber portable device relative to a known location of the vendor provided access point.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing media content between the subscriber portable device and a home kiosk.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving media content selection from a user via user interface integral to the subscriber portable device; and

playing the media content after being received and locally stored on the integral user interface.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a media content catalog comprising a plurality of available selections.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection comprising a category of media content.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection comprising a media content query.

21. At least one processor for wirelessly acquiring media content, comprising:

a first module for receiving media content selection from a user via user interface;

a second module for receiving and storing a first portion of the selected media content from local storage via a wireless access point;

a third module for requesting and receiving a second portion of the selected media content from a wireless communication channel; and

a fourth module for reporting receipt of at least a portion of the selected media content to a network controller.

22. A computer program product for wirelessly acquiring media content, comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium comprising,

a first set of instructions for causing a computer to receive media content selection from a user via user interface;

a second set of instructions for causing the computer to receive and store a first portion of the selected media content from local storage via a wireless access point;

a third set of instructions for causing the computer to request and receive a second portion of the selected media content from a wireless communication channel; and

a fourth set of instructions for causing the computer to report receipt of at least a portion of the selected media content to a network controller.

23. An apparatus for wirelessly acquiring media content, comprising:

means for receiving media content selection from a user via user interface;

means for receiving and storing a first portion of the selected media content from local storage via a wireless access point;

means for requesting and receiving a second portion of the selected media content from a wireless communication channel; and

means for reporting receipt of at least a portion of the selected media content to a network controller.

24. An apparatus for wirelessly acquiring media content, comprising:

a user interface for receiving media content selection from a user;

a communication module for receiving a first portion of the selected media content from a wireless access point, which access accesses the selected media content in local storage, and for requesting and receiving a second portion of the selected media content from a wireless communication channel; and

a content distribution controller for reporting receipt of at least a portion of the selected media content to a network controller via the communication module.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a motion sensor, the content distribution controller responding to the motion sensor to adjust a sleep cycle of the communication module.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a location module, the content distribution controller responding to the location module to adjust a sleep cycle of the communication module and to report location to the network controller.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the user interface comprises a graphical user interface integral to the subscriber portable device for selection of media content and play of received media content.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

a home kiosk for synchronizing media content with the portable device; and

a display monitor in communication with the home kiosk for playing the media content.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising the user interface for receiving a media content catalog comprising a plurality of available selections.

30. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising the user interface for receiving a selection comprising a category of media content.

31. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising the user interface for receiving a selection comprising a media content query.

32. A method for wirelessly distributing media content, comprising:

receiving media content selection from a user via user interface;

transmitting a first portion of the selected media content from local storage via a wireless access point to a subscriber portable device;

transmitting a second portion of the selected media content from a wireless communication channel; and

receiving a report of receipt of at least a portion of the selected media content to a network controller.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the provider of the wireless communication channel is another subscribing portable device.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the provider of the wireless communication channel is another vendor provided access point.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising transmitting the second portion of the selected media content from cellular telephone communication channel as a backhaul network in response to determining an overdue completion of the download of the selected media content.

36. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

transmitting a plurality of media content to a plurality of vendor access points via a low data rate public telephone switched network; and

updating a distribution of the catalog to reflect the transmission of the plurality of media content.

37. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

authenticating the selection of media content by the subscriber portable device;

receiving a location report for the subscriber portable device; and

prioritizing transmission of the media content to a vendor access point predicted to be in future communication with the subscriber portable device.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising crediting a subscriber portable device for wirelessly uploading the requested media content to a vendor access point.

39. The method of claim 32, further comprising transmitting a beacon for receipt by the subscriber portable device during a waking period of a sleep cycle.

40. The method of claim 32, further comprising graphically annotating possible selections of media content to reflect locally available selections.

41. The media of claim 32, further comprising tracking download progress of the selected media content at the network controller.

42. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving media content selection from a user via user interface via web portal;

authenticating a subscriber and the subscriber portable device; and

providing authorization for download and play of the selected media content.

43. The method of claim 32, further comprising combining advertising content with the media content.

44. The method of claim 32, further comprising digitally compressing the media content for a selected display quality and transmission rate.

45. The method of claim 32, further comprising initiating a billing transaction based upon the report of receipt of at least a portion of the media content.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising initiating a billing credit to an intermediary based upon delivery of at least a portion of the media content.

47. The method of claim 45, further comprising initiating a billing debit to an account for the subscriber portable device.

48. The method of claim 32, further comprising sending a media content catalog comprising a plurality of available selections.

49. The method of claim 32, further comprising receiving a selection comprising a category of media content.

50. The method of claim 32, further comprising receiving a selection comprising a media content query.

51. At least one processor for wirelessly distributing media content, comprising:

a first module for receiving media content selection from a user via user interface;

a second module for transmitting a first portion of the selected media content from local storage via a wireless access point to a subscriber portable device;

a third module for transmitting a second portion of the selected media content from a wireless communication channel; and

a fourth module for receiving a report of receipt of at least a portion of the selected media content to a network controller.

52. A computer program product for wirelessly distributing media content, comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium comprising,

a first set of instructions for causing a computer to receive media content selection from a user via user interface;

a second set of instructions for causing the computer to transmit a first portion of the selected media content from local storage via a wireless access point to a subscriber portable device;

a third set of instructions for causing the computer to transmit a second portion of the selected media content from a wireless communication channel; and

a fourth set of instructions for causing the computer to receive a report of receipt of at least a portion of the selected media content to a network controller.

53. An apparatus for wirelessly distributing media content, comprising:

means for receiving media content selection from a user via user interface;

means for transmitting a first portion of the selected media content from local storage via a wireless access point to a subscriber portable device;

means for transmitting a second portion of the selected media content from a wireless communication channel; and

means for receiving a report of receipt of at least a portion of the selected media content to a network controller.

54. An apparatus for wirelessly distributing media content, comprising:

a communication module for receiving media content selection from a user via user interface;

a vendor access point for transmitting a first portion of the selected media content from local storage to a subscriber portable device;

a wireless communication channel for transmitting a second portion of the selected media content; and

a billing module for receiving a report of receipt at least a portion of the selected media content to a network controller.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, further comprising:

monitoring download data by location; and

reprioritizing content transmission to the local storage of the vendor access point based on the monitored data.

56. The apparatus of claim 54, further comprising:

a plurality of antennas positioned for wireless coverage of at least a portion of a parking lot;

the local storage; and

a plurality of access points communicating wirelessly via the plurality of antennas to the subscriber portable device placed in a parked vehicle to transmit from the local storage.

57. The apparatus of claim 56 further comprising:

a plurality of antennas for wireless coverage of at least a portion of a pedestrian walkway;

the local storage; and

a plurality of access points communicating wirelessly via the plurality of antennas to the subscriber portable device carried along the pedestrian walkway.

58. The apparatus of claim 54, further comprising a billing component for performing a billing transaction initiated by the report of receipt of at least a portion of the media content.

59. The apparatus of claim 56, further comprising the billing component for performing a billing credit to an intermediary for delivery of at least a portion of the media content.

60. The apparatus of claim 54, further comprising the billing component performing a billing debit to an account for the subscriber portable device.

61. The apparatus of claim 54, further comprising communication model for sending a media content catalog comprising a plurality of available selections.

62. The apparatus of claim 54, further comprising the communication module for receiving a selection comprising a category of media content.

63. The apparatus of claim 54, further comprising the communication module for receiving a selection comprising a media content query.