SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CACHE-BASED CONTENT DELIVERY

• US 20150089014A1
• Filed: 09/23/2014
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2013
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: FreeWheel Media Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visible World Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: NIEMEIJER, Gerrit
• Granted Patent: US 11,870,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for cache-based management of non-linear content delivery are generally described. In some embodiments, content to be presented using consumer devices may be cached at a cache device of the consumer device. A cache policy server may transmit cache messages instruction the consumer devices which content to cache, which cache device to store the content, where to locate the content, and how much of the content to cache. When it is time to play the content at the consumer device, the content may be played back from the cache.

Claims

1. A cache-based content delivery system, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium in operable communication with the processor, wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive content targeting information for targeting content to a plurality of consumer devices, each of the plurality of consumer devices being operably coupled to at least one cache element,

generate at least one cache instruction for each of the plurality of consumer devices based on the content targeting information, the at least one cache instruction comprising at least one content identifier and at least one cache duration, and

transmit the at least one cache instruction to each of the plurality of consumer devices to instruct each of the plurality of consumer devices to cache a portion of the content associated with the at least one content identifier in the at least one cache element, the portion being specified by the at least one cache portion.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the content comprises addressable content.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one cache instruction is generated by a cache policy server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the consumer device comprises at least one of the following consumer premises equipment:

a switch, a router, a computing device, a television, a digital video recorder, a mobile computing device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to transmit a cache clear instruction to the plurality of consumer devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the content targeting information is received responsive to a content request being transmitted to an addressable content server.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the content request is transmitted responsive to at least one of a schedule and an expiration of a predetermined time period.

8. A consumer device configured to cache content, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium in operable communication with the processor, wherein at least a portion of the non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium is configured as a cache, the computer-readable storage medium containing one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive at least one cache instruction comprising at least one content identifier and at least one cache portion,

transmit a content request for a portion of content specified by the at least one content identifier and the at least one cache portion,

receive the portion of content, and

store the portion of content in the cache.

9. The consumer device of claim 8, wherein the content comprises addressable content.

10. The consumer device of claim 8, wherein the at least one cache instruction is generated by a cache policy server.

11. The consumer device of claim 8, wherein the consumer device comprises at least one of the following consumer premises equipment:

a switch, a router, a computing device, a television, a digital video recorder, a mobile computing device.

12. The consumer device of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to clear the cache responsive to receiving a cache clear instruction.

13. The consumer device of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to transmit a status message to a cache policy server.

14. The consumer device of claim 13, wherein the status message comprises a capacity of the cache.

15. The consumer device of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to transmit an addressable content request to an addressable content server responsive to detecting an addressable break.

16. The consumer device of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to transmit a content download request to a content delivery network to obtain the portion of content.

17. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code configured to manage a cache-based content delivery system, the computer-readable program code comprising:

computer-readable program code configured to receive content targeting information for targeting content to a plurality of consumer devices, each of the plurality of consumer devices being operably coupled to at least one cache element;

computer-readable program code configured to generate at least one cache instruction for each of the plurality of consumer devices based on the content targeting information, the at least one cache instruction comprising at least one content identifier and at least one cache duration; and

computer-readable program code configured to transmit the at least one cache instruction to each of the plurality of consumer devices to instruct each of the plurality of consumer devices to cache a portion of the content associated with the at least one content identifier in the at least one cache element, the portion being specified by the at least one cache portion.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising computer-readable program code configured to transmit a cache clear instruction to the plurality of consumer devices.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the content targeting information is received responsive to a content request being transmitted to an addressable content server.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the content request is transmitted responsive to at least one of a schedule and an expiration of a predetermined time period.