System for object retransmission without a continuous network connection in a digital media distributor system

• US 7,818,765 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hsiao, Eric, Lee, Peter S., Vollinger, Warren R., Sandoval, Cris, Ching, Jennie
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley; Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): VAN HANDEL, MICHAEL P
• Application Number:
  US12/330,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 725/22, 725/32, 725/35, 725/36
• US Class Current: 725/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and computer readable medium for object retransmission in an asynchronous environment without a continuous network connection in a digital media distributor (DMD) system. The system and computer readable medium include receiving objects in a receiver from a central site, generating a response document in the receiver, and sending the response document asynchronously to the central site. The received response documents are then utilized in the central site to determine which object to retransmit to the receiver. In another aspect of the present invention, the central site manages the inventory of objects in the receiver by instructing the receiver to delete objects not needed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for object retransmission without a continuous network connection in a digital media distributor system, the program instructions comprising:

transmitting a plurality of objects from a central site to each of a plurality of receivers in a zone, none of the plurality of receivers in the zone maintaining a continuous network connection to the central site, wherein the plurality of objects comprises a plurality of asset files and a plurality of system support files, the plurality of asset files comprising a plurality of media files and the plurality of system support files comprising an upcoming playlist, and further wherein each of the plurality of receivers contacts the central site at regularly scheduled call back times, the time period between successive call back times being a receiver time window for the respective receiver;

receiving a response document at the central site from each of the plurality of receivers in the zone, the response document having been asynchronously transmitted from the respective receiver to the central site;

wherein each response document comprises a Missing Asset List and a Delivered File Log, each Missing Asset List comprising one or more asset files included in the upcoming playlist and missing from an inventory of asset files at the respective receiver, and each Delivered File Log comprising one or more of the plurality of objects received by the respective receiver and a received time for each of the one or more received objects, wherein each received time is within the receiver time window for the respective receiver;

determining which of the plurality of objects to retransmit to each of the plurality of receivers in the zone based upon the response documents received from the plurality of receivers in the zone;

wherein the determining comprises analyzing the Missing Asset List received from each of the plurality of receivers, and compiling a list of all asset files missing from the plurality of receivers in the zone, and wherein the determining further comprises calculating a zone time window, the zone time window being a period of time beginning when a prior zone time window ended and ending when a first receiver in the zone contacts the central site, analyzing the Delivered File Log received from each of the plurality of receivers, compiling a list of all objects received within the zone time window by the plurality of receivers in the zone, comparing the list of all received objects to a list of objects transmitted from the central site to each of the plurality of receivers in the zone within the zone time window, compiling a list of all objects missing from the plurality of receivers in the zone, and comparing the list of all missing objects to the list of all missing asset files to determine which of the missing objects to retransmit to each of the plurality of receivers in the zone; and

retransmitting the determined objects to each of the plurality of receivers in the zone.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining which of the plurality of objects to retransmit further comprises:

comparing the Delivered File Log received from each of the plurality of receivers to a list of objects transmitted from the central site to each of the plurality of receivers in the zone within the respective receiver time window;

compiling, for each of the plurality of receivers, a list of all objects missing from the respective receiver; and

comparing the list of all missing objects for each of the plurality of receivers to the list of all missing asset files for the plurality of receivers in the zone and to the list of all missing objects for the plurality of receivers in the zone to determine which of the missing objects for the respective receiver to retransmit to the respective receiver.

3. A system for object retransmission without a continuous network connection in a digital media distributor system, the system comprising:

means for transmitting a plurality of objects from a central site to each of a plurality of receivers in a zone, none of the plurality of receivers in the zone maintaining a continuous network connection to the central site, wherein the plurality of objects comprises a plurality of asset files and a plurality of system support files, the plurality of asset files comprising a plurality of media files and the plurality of system support files comprising an upcoming playlist, and further wherein each of the plurality of receivers contacts the central site at regularly scheduled call back times, the time period between successive call back times being a receiver time window for the respective receiver;

means for receiving a response document at the central site from each of the plurality of receivers in the zone, the response document having been asynchronously transmitted from the respective receiver to the central site;

wherein each response document comprises a Missing Asset List and a Delivered File Log, each Missing Asset List comprising one or more asset files included in the upcoming playlist and missing from an inventory of asset files at the respective receiver, and each Delivered File Log comprising one or more of the plurality of objects received by the respective receiver and a received time for each of the one or more received objects, wherein each received time is within the receiver time window for the respective receiver;

means for determining which of the plurality of objects to retransmit to each of the plurality of receivers in the zone based upon the response documents received from the plurality of receivers in the zone;

wherein the determining comprises analyzing the Missing Asset List received from each of the plurality of receivers, and compiling a list of all asset files missing from the plurality of receivers in the zone, and wherein the determining further comprises calculating a zone time window, the zone time window being a period of time beginning when a prior zone time window ended and ending when a first receiver in the zone contacts the central site, analyzing the Delivered File Log received from each of the plurality of receivers, compiling a list of all objects received within the zone time window by the plurality of receivers in the zone, comparing the list of all received objects to a list of objects transmitted from the central site to each of the plurality of receivers in the zone within the zone time window, compiling a list of all objects missing from the plurality of receivers in the zone, and comparing the list of all missing objects to the list of all missing asset files to determine which of the missing objects to retransmit to each of the plurality of receivers in the zone; and

means for retransmitting the determined objects to each of the plurality of receivers in the zone.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the means for determining which of the plurality of objects to retransmit further comprises:

means for comparing the Delivered File Log received from each of the plurality of receivers to a list of objects transmitted from the central site to each of the plurality of receivers in the zone within the respective receiver time window;

means for compiling, for each of the plurality of receivers, a list of all objects missing from the respective receiver; and

means for comparing the list of all missing objects for each of the plurality of receivers to the list of all missing asset files for the plurality of receivers in the zone and to the list of all missing objects for the plurality of receivers in the zone to determine which of the missing objects for the respective receiver to retransmit to the respective receiver.