SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DELIVERY OF DATA FILES USING SERVICE PROVIDER NETWORKS

• US 20100161387A1
• Filed: 03/02/2010
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Opanga Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mediacast Incorporated
• Inventors: Harrang, Jeffrey P., Gibbons, David, Moinzadeh, Kamyar
• Granted Patent: US 8,671,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0038 Blind format detection for detection of modulation format H04L27/0012
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1671 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/19 at layers above the network layer network arrangements for networked applications for scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate

Abstract

An adaptive file delivery system and method transmits a data file, such as an audio-video file, over a network or collection of networks in segments, each segment transmitted during a different time period. In one embodiment, data files are transmitted on behalf of a third party using one or more service provider networks. In an exemplary embodiment, the third party contracts with the sending system to transmit the data files using the service provider networks to transmit data files to customers of the respective service provider networks. The data file is transmitted as a plurality of segments and transmitted in such a way so as to prevent congestion in the respective service provider networks.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

making an offering to a third party to send a file to customers of a service provider network, the third party including a member other than the customers and other than the operator of the service provider network, the third party unable to send the file to the customers without severely impacting network traffic on the service provider network;

sending the file to the customers of the service provider network at the request of the third party without severely impacting network traffic of the service provider network; and

accepting payment from the third party for sending the file to the customers of the service provider network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the file to the customers of the service provider network comprises sending the file at a transfer rate that is dependent on a traffic load profile of service provider network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the file to the customers of a plurality of service provider networks at the request of the third party without severely impacting network traffic of any of the plurality of service provider networks.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the file to the customers of the plurality of service provider networks comprises sending the file to each of the plurality of service provider networks at a transfer rate that is dependent on a traffic load profile of the respective service provider network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a file from a group of files for sending to at least a selected one of the customers of the service provider network based on a profile associated with a receiving system of the selected customer.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating a profile associated with the receiving system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein generating the profile comprises pre-populating data fields.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein generating the profile comprises updating the profile based on requested file ordering patterns.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein generating the profile comprises generating the profile based on user surveys.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein generating the profile comprises generating the profile based on user data selected from a group of user data comprising user identity, data records of entertainment content description, date of play, buying habits, and frequency of playing delivered files.

11. A method comprising:

sending a third party file, made up of a plurality of file segments, from a sending system to a service provider network;

sending the plurality of file segments from the service provider network to a receiving system that is a customer of the service provider network;

determining an actual transfer rate at which a selected one of the plurality of file segments was sent from the sending system to the receiving system via the service provider network; and

determining a wait period based in part on the actual transfer rate determined for the selected file segment transmission;

wherein sending the plurality of file segments by the sending system comprises sending file segments by a plurality of transmissions spaced out in time with the determined wait period occurring after the transmission of each of the plurality of file segments to thereby avoid congestion in the service provider network.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the determined wait period increases if there is traffic congestion in the service provider network.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending the plurality of file segments from the service provider network to a plurality of receiving systems that are each customers of the service provider network.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the determined wait period increases if there is traffic congestion in the service provider network.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the receiving system is coupled to the service provider network via a local area network and wherein sending the plurality of file segments from the service provider network to the receiving system comprises sending the plurality of file segments from the service provider network to the local area network and from the local area network to the receiving system.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting the third party file from a group of files for sending to the receiving system of the customer based on a profile associated with the receiving system of the customer.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising generating the profile based on user data selected from a group of user data comprising user identity, data records of entertainment content description, date of play, buying habits, and frequency of playing delivered files.

18. A method comprising:

sending a third party file, made up of a plurality of file segments, from a sending system to a plurality of service provider networks;

sending the plurality of file segments from each of the plurality of service provider networks to a receiving system that is a customer of the respective service provider network;

determining actual transfer rates at which a selected one of the plurality of file segments was sent from the sending system to each of the receiving systems via the respective service provider networks; and

determining wait periods based in part on the actual transfer rates determined for the selected file segment transmission;

wherein sending the plurality of file segments by the sending system comprises sending file segments by a plurality of transmissions spaced out in time with the determined wait periods occurring after the transmission of each of the plurality of file segments to thereby avoid congestion in the respective service provider networks.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the determined wait period for transmission of the plurality of file segments to a particular one of the plurality of network service providers increases in response to traffic congestion in the particular service provider network.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the determined wait period for transmission of the plurality of file segments to a particular one of the plurality of network service providers is dependent on a traffic load profile for the particular service provider network.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising selecting the third party file from a group of files for sending to the receiving system of the customer based on a profile associated with the receiving system of the customer.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising generating the profile based on user data selected from a group of user data comprising user identity, data records of entertainment content description, date of play, buying habits, and frequency of playing delivered files.

23. A system for file distribution, comprising:

a data storage element configured to store a data file for a third party;

a network interface configured to communicate with a first network;

a second network owned by a service provider, the second network being communicatively coupled to the first network;

a receiving system coupled to the second network as a subscriber of the second network; and

a sending system communicatively coupled to the data storage element and configured to send the data file to the receiving system, the data file being transmitted from the sending system to the receiving system via the first and second networks, as a plurality of file segments whose transmissions are separated by a wait period to thereby avoid congestion in the second network.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the sending system is configured to send the file at a transfer rate that is dependent on a traffic load profile of second network.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the sending system is configured to determine an actual transfer rate to transfer a selected one of the plurality of file segments from the sending system to the receiving system via the first and second networks and to adjust the wait period based on the actual transfer rate.

26. The system of claim 23, further comprising a plurality of receiving systems coupled to the second network as subscribers of the second network, and the sending system is further configured to send the data file to each of the plurality of receiving systems, the data file being transmitted to each of the plurality of receiving systems, using the network interface, as a plurality of file segments whose transmissions are separated by a wait period to thereby avoid congestion in the second network.

27. The system of claim 23, further comprising

a third network owned by a service provider, the third network being communicatively coupled to the first network;

a receiving system coupled to the third network as a subscriber of the third network; and

wherein the sending system is further configured to send the data file to the receiving system of the second network via the first and second networks and to the receiving system of the third network via the first and third networks as a plurality of file segments whose transmissions are separated by wait periods to thereby avoid congestion in the second and third networks.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the sending system is configured to send the file to the receiving system of the second network at a transfer rate that is dependent on a traffic load profile of second network and is configured to send the file to the receiving system of the third network at a transfer rate that is dependent on a traffic load profile of third network.

29. The system of claim 23 wherein the sending system is further configured to:

determine an actual transfer rate to transfer a selected one of the plurality of file segments from the sending system to the receiving system of the second network via the first and second networks;

adjust the wait period to transfer the plurality of file segments from the sending system to the receiving system of the second network based on the actual transfer rate to transfer the selected one of the plurality of file segments from the sending system to the receiving system of the second network to thereby avoid congestion in the second network;

determine an actual transfer rate to transfer a selected one of the plurality of file segments from the sending system to the receiving system of the third network via the first and third networks; and

adjust the wait period transfer the plurality of file segments from the sending system to the receiving system of the third network based on the actual transfer rate to transfer the selected one of the plurality of file segments from the sending system to the receiving system of the third network to thereby avoid congestion in the third network.

30. The system of claim 23 wherein the data storage element comprises a plurality of data storage devices geographically separated from each other and connected by a network.

31. The system of claim 23 wherein the receiving system is further configured to:

determine an actual transfer rate to transfer a selected one of the plurality of file segments from the sending system to the receiving system of the second network via the first and second networks;

adjust the wait period to transfer the plurality of file segments from the sending system to the receiving system of the second network based on the actual transfer rate to transfer the selected one of the plurality of file segments from the sending system to the receiving system of the second network to thereby avoid congestion in the second network.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the receiving system is further configured to send a request to the sending system for an additional of the plurality of file segments upon expiration of the wait period.

33. The system of claim 23 wherein the data storage element is configured to store a plurality of data files and the sending system is further configured to select a data file from a plurality of stored data files for sending to the receiving system based on a profile associated with the receiving system.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the sending system is further configured to generate a profile associated with the receiving system.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein generating the profile comprises pre-populating data fields.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein generating the profile comprises updating the profile based on requested file ordering patterns.

37. The system of claim 34 wherein generating the profile comprises generating the profile based on user surveys.

38. The system of claim 34 wherein generating the profile comprises generating the profile based on user data selected from a group of user data comprising user identity, data records of entertainment content description, date of play, buying habits, and frequency of playing delivered files.