System and method for accessing digital content using a location-independent name

• US 9,280,546 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Silberstein, Rebecca Lynn Braynard, Garcia-Luna-Aceves, Jose J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Julian
• Application Number:
  US13/665,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20140122737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 725 80-104, 709217-219, 709/231
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio

Abstract

A content-presenting system present digital content for a local user, and facilitates sharing a presentation state for digital content with remote devices. During operation, the system can detect a presentation-controlling event, which alters the presentation of the digital content at the content-presenting device. In response to detecting the presentation-controlling event, the system generates content-control information for the digital content. This content-control information can include a location-independent structured name associated with the digital content, and includes a presentation state for the digital content.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

presenting, by a content-presenting device, digital content for a local user;

detecting a presentation-controlling event, which alters the presentation of the digital content at the content-presenting device;

generating content-control information for the digital content, wherein the content-control information includes a location-independent structured name associated with the digital content, a user-provided command to pause or stop presentation of the digital content, and a presentation state resulting from executing the user-provided command for the digital content; and

responsive to receiving an interest whose location-independent structured name is associated with the digital content, returning over a content-centric network the generated content-control information including the user-provided command to pause or stop presentation of the digital content to satisfy the interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the presentation-controlling event involves one or more of:

detecting that the local user has paused the presentation of the digital content;

detecting that the local user has stopped the presentation of the digital content;

determining that the local user has left a proximity of the content-presenting device;

determining that the user has initiated a presentation of a different piece of digital content at the content-presenting device; and

determining that the user has initiated a presentation of a different piece of digital content at a different content-presenting device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the content-control information involves:

determining one or more content attributes associated with the digital content;

determining one or more presentation conditions for a remote content-presenting device;

generating a presentation policy for the digital content based on the content attributes and the presentation conditions, wherein the presentation policy indicates one or more conditions for presenting the digital content at a target content-presenting device;

generating the content-control information to include the presentation policy and

generating a location-independent structured name for the content-control information based on the content attributes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the presentation policy includes one or more conditions associated with the content attributes and the presentation conditions.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the content attributes include one or more of:

a file name;

a file type;

a presentation state;

a media format;

a content category;

a content rating;

a file-creation date; and

a content-publication date.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the presentation conditions include one or more of:

a user identifier;

a group identifier;

a time range;

a date range;

a location;

a presentation-device identifier; and

a user-interface capability.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

presenting, by a content-presenting device, digital content for a local user;

detecting a presentation-controlling event, which alters the presentation of the digital content at the content-presenting device;

generating content-control information for the digital content, wherein the content-control information includes a location-independent structured name associated with the digital content, a user-provided command to pause or stop presentation of the digital content, and a presentation state resulting from executing the user-provided command for the digital content; and

responsive to receiving an interest whose location-independent structured name is associated with the digital content, returning over a content-centric network the generated content-control information including the user-provided command to pause or stop presentation of the digital content to satisfy the interest.

8. The storage medium of claim 7, wherein detecting the presentation-controlling event involves one or more of:

detecting that the local user has paused the presentation of the digital content;

detecting that the local user has stopped the presentation of the digital content;

determining that the local user has left a proximity of the content-presenting device;

determining that the user has initiated a presentation of a different piece of digital content at the content-presenting device; and

determining that the user has initiated a presentation of a different piece of digital content at a different content-presenting device.

9. The storage medium of claim 7, wherein generating the content-control information involves:

determining one or more content attributes associated with the digital content;

determining one or more conditions for a remote content-presenting device;

generating a presentation policy for the digital content based on the determined content attributes and the determined conditions;

generating the content-control information to include the presentation policy and generating a location-independent structured name for the content-control information based on the content attributes.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining, by a content-presenting device, that a local user desires to experience digital content;

obtaining content-control information for a piece of digital content, wherein the content-control information includes a location-independent structured name associated with the piece of digital content, a user-provided command to pause or stop presentation of the piece of digital content, and a presentation state resulting from executing the user-provided command for the piece of digital content, and wherein obtaining the content-control information involves;

generating one or more interests for content-control information, wherein a respective interest indicates a location-independent structured name associated with one or more pieces of digital content associated with the local user;

disseminating the one or more interests via a content-centric network; and

responsive to disseminating the one or more interests, obtaining over the content-centric network one or more content-control information objects, wherein a respective content-control information object indicates at least a location-independent structured name for a corresponding piece of digital content, a user-provided command to pause or stop presentation of the corresponding piece of digital content, and a presentation state resulting from executing the user-provided command for the corresponding piece of digital content;

obtaining the digital content based on the location-independent structured name; and

presenting the digital content to the local user based on the presentation state.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining that the local user desires to experience digital content involves one or more of:

determining that the local user has entered a proximity of the content-presenting device;

determining that the local user has activated a content-presenting capability of the content-presenting device;

determining that the local user has terminated a presentation of digital content; and

determining that the local user has selected the piece of digital content for presentation.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein generating the interest involves:

determining content-selection criteria for digital content to present at the content-presenting device; and

generating a location-independent structured name for the interest based on the content-selection criteria.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein obtaining the content-control information further involves:

determining a presentation policy for a respective content-control information object, wherein the presentation policy indicates one or more conditions for presenting a piece of digital content associated with the respective content-control information object;

determining whether the presentation policy is satisfied at the content-presenting device; and

responsive to determining that the content-presenting device satisfies the presentation policy, configuring the piece of digital content to be available to the local user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the presentation policy includes one or more of the following conditions:

a user identifier;

a group identifier;

a content category;

a content rating;

a file type;

a media format;

a time range;

a date range;

a location;

a presentation-device identifier; and

a user-interface capability.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving content control information for one or more pieces of digital content to present to the user;

presenting to the local user a content listing that indicates the one or more pieces of digital content; and

responsive to receiving a selection for a piece of digital content, presenting the piece of digital content based on a presentation state from the content-control information.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein obtaining the digital content involves:

generating one or more interests for the digital content, wherein a respective interest indicates the location-independent structured name associated with the digital content;

disseminating the one or more interests via a content-centric network; and

responsive to disseminating the one or more interests, obtaining one or more pieces of digital content to present to the local user.

17. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory;

a presentation-triggering module to determine that a local user desires to experience digital content;

a content-identifying module to obtain and store in the memory content-control information for a piece of digital content, wherein the content-control information includes a location-independent structured name associated with the piece of digital content, a user-provided command to pause or stop presentation of the piece of digital content, and a presentation state resulting from executing the user-provided command for the piece of digital content, and wherein while obtaining the content-control information, the content-identifying module is further configured to;

generate one or more interests for content-control information, wherein a respective interest indicates a location-independent structured name associated with one or more pieces of digital content associated with the local user;

disseminate the one or more interests via a content-centric network; and

responsive to disseminating the one or more interests, obtaining over the content-centric network one or more content-control information objects, wherein a respective content-control information object indicates at least a location-independent structured name for a corresponding piece of digital content, a user-provided command to pause or stop presentation of the corresponding piece of digital content, and a presentation state resulting from executing the user-provided command for the corresponding piece of digital content;

a content-obtaining module to obtain and store in the memory the digital content based on the location-independent structured name; and

a content-presenting module to present the digital content stored in the memory to the local user based on the presentation state.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the presentation-triggering module determines that the local user desires to experience digital content in response to one or more of:

determining that the local user has entered a proximity of the content-presenting device;

determining that the local user has activated a content-presenting capability of the content-presenting device;

determining that the local user has terminated a presentation of digital content; and

determining that the local user has selected the piece of digital content for presentation.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein while generating the interest, the content-identifying module is further configured to:

determine content-selection criteria for digital content to present at the content-presenting device; and

generate a location-independent structured name for the interest based on the content-selection criteria.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein while obtaining the content-control information, the content-obtaining module is further configured to:

determine a presentation policy for a respective content-control information object, wherein the presentation policy indicates one or more conditions for presenting a piece of digital content associated with the respective content-control information object;

determine whether the presentation policy is satisfied at the content-presenting device; and

configure the piece of digital content to be available to the local user responsive to determining that the content-presenting device satisfies the presentation policy.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the content-presenting module is further configured to:

receive content-control information for one or more pieces of digital content to present to the user;

present to the local user a content listing that indicates the one or more pieces of digital content; and

responsive to receiving a selection for a piece of digital content, present the piece of digital content based on a presentation state from the content-control information.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein while obtaining the digital content, the content-obtaining module is further configured to:

generate one or more interests for the digital content, wherein a respective interest indicates the location-independent structured name associated with the digital content;

disseminate the one or more interests via a content-centric network; and

responsive to disseminating the one or more interests, obtain one or more pieces of digital content to present to the local user.