METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FILE DISTRIBUTION

• US 20100235878A1
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Inventors: Lau, Lai Yong, Sim, Wong Hoo, LIM, Seh Eing
• Application Number:
  US12/403,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235878A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23116 involving data replication, e.g. over plural servers synchronization of replicated data G06F11/1658; error detection or correction by means of data replication G06F11/2053; replication in distributed file systems G06F16/10; replication in distributed file systems G06F16/27; replication or mirroring of data in data networks H04L67/1095
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2351 involving encryption of additional data arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82

Abstract

A method and system for file distribution, the system comprising: a first data storage device for distributing a content file by seeding the content file for downloading by another data storage device; a second data storage device configured for distributing the content file; a third data storage device configured for distributing the content file; and a data file comprising at least one data entry, a data entry in the data file being associated with the content file, the first data storage device being configured for pushing the data file to the second data storage device, the second data storage device being configured for initiating downloading of the content file if the data entry associated with the content file is present in the pushed data file and the content file is not stored at the second data storage device, and sharing downloaded data of the content file with the third data storage device by simultaneously uploading downloaded data of the content file to the third data storage device while downloading the content file from the first data storage device.

Claims

1. A system for file distribution, the system comprising:

a first data storage device for distributing a content file by seeding the content file for downloading by another data storage device;

a second data storage device configured for distributing the content file;

a third data storage device configured for distributing the content file; and

a data file comprising at least one data entry, a data entry in the data file being associated with the content file,

the first data storage device being configured for pushing the data file to the second data storage device,

the second data storage device being configured for

initiating downloading of the content file if the data entry associated with the content file is present in the pushed data file and the content file is not stored at the second data storage device, and

sharing downloaded data of the content file with the third data storage device by simultaneously uploading downloaded data of the content file to the third data storage device while downloading the content file from the first data storage device.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, the system further comprising:

a user device connectable to the second data storage device for accessing the downloaded content file at the second data storage,

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second data storage device is configured to upload the downloaded content file to the user device.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second data storage device is configured to stream the downloaded content file for displaying or sound production at the user device.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second data storage device is configured to seed the downloaded content file for downloading by another data storage device.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, the system further comprising:

a licence key server comprising one or more licence keys for unlocking accessibility to the content of the content file, wherein the second data storage device allows the user to access the content file via the user device if a licence key associated with the content file is present at the second data storage device.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein in the absence of the licence key at the second data storage device, the second data storage device begins downloading of the licence key from the licence key server if a user account of the user comprise sufficient credits or has acquired allowance to download the licence key.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the at least one data entry comprising:

metadata about the content of a content file and the related tracker information.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second data storage device is configured to remove from the second data storage device a content file that has no associated data entry in the pushed data file.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein downloaded data of the content file is distributed over the second data storage device, the third data storage device, and one or more separate data storage device using a RAID 5 type algorithm.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distribution of the content file from the first data storage device to the second data storage device and the third data storage device is based on Bittorrent protocol.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second data storage device and the third data storage device are parts of a single device.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data file further comprising filtering data indicating files to be deleted from the second data storage or held back from downloading to the second data storage.

14. A method for file distribution, the method comprising:

distributing a content file by seeding the content file at a first data storage device for downloading by another data storage device;

pushing a data file comprising at least one data entry from the first data storage device to a second data storage device, a data entry in the data file being associated with a content file;

initiating downloading of the content file to the second data storage device if the data entry associated with the content file is present in the pushed data file and the content file is not stored at the second data storage device;

downloading the content file to the second data storage device; and

sharing downloaded data of the content file at the second data storage device with a third data storage device by simultaneously uploading downloaded data of the content file from the second data storage device to the third data storage device while downloading the content file from the first data storage device.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, the method further comprising:

providing a user with access to the downloaded content file via a user device connected to the second data storage device.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein providing the user with access to the downloaded content file via the user device connected to the second data storage device comprises:

downloading the downloaded content file to the user device to enable the user to access the content file via the user device.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein providing the user with access to the downloaded content file via the user device connected to the second data storage device comprises:

streaming the downloaded content file to the user device for displaying or sound production at the user device.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, the method further comprising:

seeding the downloaded content file at the second data storage device for downloading by another data storage device.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, the method further comprising:

unlocking user accessibility to licensed content of the content file if a licence key associated with the licensed content is stored at the second data storage device.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, the method further comprising:

downloading the licence key from a licence key server to the second data storage device if the licence key is not stored at the second data storage device and when a credit value associated with a user account of the user is at a predetermined value.

21. The method as claimed in claim 14, the method further comprising:

removing from the second data storage device a content file that has no associated data entry in the pushed data file.

22. The method as claimed in claim 14, the method further comprising:

distributing downloaded data of the content file over the second data storage device, the third data storage device, and one or more other data storage device, using a RAID 5 type algorithm.

23. The method as claimed in claim 14, the method further comprising:

utilising Bittorrent protocol in the steps of distributing the content file by seeding the content file at a first data storage device for downloading by another data storage device, downloading the content file to the second data storage device, and sharing downloaded data of the content file at the second data storage device with a third data storage device by simultaneously uploading downloaded data of the content file from the second data storage device to the third data storage device while downloading the content file from the first data storage device.

24. A data storage device for file distribution, the data storage device comprising:

a data storage medium for storing a content file that is distributed;

a network interface for receiving a data file comprising at least one data entry pushed from a first data storage device distributing the content file by seeding the content file for downloading by the data storage device, a data entry in the data file being associated with the content file; and

a processing unit for initiating the downloading of the content file through the network interface to the data storage medium if the data entry associated with the content file is present in the pushed data file and the content file is not stored in the data storage medium,

wherein the processing unit is configured to share downloaded data of the content file in the data storage medium with a second data storage device by simultaneously uploading the downloaded data of the content file to the second data storage device while downloading the content file from the first data storage device, and

the downloaded content file stored in the data storage medium is accessible by a user via a user device connectable to the data storage device

wherein the processing unit is further configured to distribute the downloaded content file by pushing to another data storage device a second data file comprising indication that the data storage device or yet another data storage device is a tracker or seeder for the content file.