Content delivery prioritization in managed wireless distribution networks

• US 9,384,335 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hunt, Brandon T., Burba, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Gergiso, Techane
• Application Number:
  US14/275,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20150324556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1044 Group management mechanisms management of multicast group membership H04L12/185; reconfiguring of node membership in a computing system to eliminate errors G06F11/1425
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

A managed wireless distribution network includes multiple devices that communicate with one another via multiple wireless networks (e.g., multiple Wi-Fi networks). Each device in the managed wireless distribution network can host at least one wireless network and/or join at least one wireless network. Content in the managed wireless distribution network is protected so that the content cannot be consumed unless permission to consume the content is obtained. Devices can host portions of protected content regardless of whether they can consume the protected content, and can obtain portions of protected content via the wireless networks of the managed wireless distribution network without having to access a content service over the Internet.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

one or more network interface cards;

a content store configured to maintain portions of protected content that is consumable by a user of the device only if the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content, the device being one of multiple devices in a managed wireless distribution network allowing the portions of protected content to be transferred among the multiple devices in the managed wireless distribution network via wireless networks hosted by the multiple devices regardless of whether the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content; and

a managed wireless distribution network system configured to configure each of the one or more network interface cards of the device to communicate with the Internet, to host a wireless network that is being joined by other devices of the multiple devices, or to join a wireless network hosted by another of the multiple devices.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, the managed wireless distribution network system being further configured to configure a first of the one or more network interface cards to communicate with the Internet, a second of the one or more network interface cards to host the wireless network that is being joined by other devices of the multiple devices, and a third of the one or more network interface cards to join the wireless network hosted by another of the multiple devices.

3. The device as recited in claim 1, the managed wireless distribution network system being further configured to:

receive, from a network management service, an indication of a route in the managed wireless distribution network; and

configure one of the one or more network interface cards to join a particular wireless network hosted by a particular one of the multiple devices based on the route.

4. The device as recited in claim 1, the managed wireless distribution network system being further configured to:

receive, from a network management service, an indication of a route in the managed wireless distribution network; and

configure one of the one or more network interface cards to host a particular wireless network based on the route.

5. The device as recited in claim 1, the managed wireless distribution network system being further configured to:

receive, from a network management service, an indication for the device to disconnect from a first wireless network and join a second wireless network; and

configure one of the one or more network interface cards to disconnect from the first wireless network and join the second wireless network.

6. The device as recited in claim 1, the managed wireless distribution network system being further configured to:

receive, from a network management service, an indication for the device to obtain a portion of protected content via a first wireless network;

configure one of the one or more network interface cards to disconnect from a second wireless network and join the first wireless network;

obtain the portion of protected content via the first wireless network; and

configure the one of the one or more network interface cards to disconnect from the first wireless network and join the second wireless network after the portion of protected content has been obtained.

7. The device as recited in claim 6, the indication for the device to obtain the portion of protected content via the first wireless network being received from a network management service in response to a determination by the network management service that obtaining the portion of protected content via the first wireless network is expected to have an improved experience when obtaining the portion of protected content.

8. A method comprising:

identifying portions of protected content hosted by multiple devices in a managed wireless distribution network, the managed wireless distribution network allowing portions of protected content to be transferred among the multiple devices via multiple wireless networks hosted by various ones of the multiple devices, each of the multiple devices being configured to maintain portions of protected content that is consumable by a user of the device only if the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content;

creating, based on one or more priorities, a route for a portion of protected content through the managed wireless distribution network; and

providing, to one or more of the multiple devices, an indication of the route.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, the one or more priorities comprising a priority of a user requesting to consume the portion of protected content.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, the one or more priorities comprising a priority of the portion of protected content.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, the priority of the portion of protected content being based on a fulfill-by time associated with the protected content relative to fulfill-by times associated with other portions of the protected content as well as fulfill-by times associated with portions of other protected content.

12. The method as recited in claim 8, the one or more priorities being one or more dynamic priorities that changes over time.

13. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising receiving from one of the multiple devices an indication of an ability of the device to deliver the portion of protected content in a particular amount of time, and creating a new route for the portion of protected content through the managed wireless distribution network in response to the indication.

14. A method comprising:

identifying by a first device a second device that is managed by a same user as manages the first device, the first and second devices each being one of multiple devices in a managed wireless distribution network that allows portions of protected content to be transferred among the multiple devices via multiple wireless networks hosted by various ones of the multiple devices, each device being configured to store portions of protected content that is consumable by a user of the device only if the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content;

obtaining, by the first device, a first one or more portions of protected content from one or more other devices via a first wireless network; and

obtaining, by the first device, a second one or more portions of the protected content from the second device, the second device having obtained the second one or more portions of the protected content from one or more other devices via a second wireless network.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, the protected content comprising a movie.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, the protected content comprising a video game.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, the first wireless network comprising a first Wi-Fi network, and the second wireless network comprising a second Wi-Fi network.

18. The method as recited in claim 14, the first and second devices being devices in a home of the user and communicating with one another via a third wireless network.

19. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising directing, by the first device, the second device to join the second wireless network and obtain the second one or more portions of the protected content from the one or more other devices via the second wireless network.

20. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising receiving, from a network management service, an indication of which portions of the protected content are the first one or more portions to be obtained by the first device.

21. A method in a device having one or more network interface cards, the method comprising:

storing portions of protected content that is consumable by a user of the device only if the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content, the device being one of multiple devices in a managed wireless distribution network allowing the portions of protected content to be transferred among the multiple devices in the managed wireless distribution network via wireless networks hosted by the multiple devices regardless of whether the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content; and

configuring, by a managed wireless distribution network system of the device, each of the one or more network interface cards of the device to communicate with the Internet, to host a wireless network that is being joined by other devices of the multiple devices, or to join a wireless network hosted by another of the multiple devices.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, from a network management service, an indication of a route in the managed wireless distribution network; and

configuring one of the one or more network interface cards to join a particular wireless network hosted by a particular one of the multiple devices based on the route.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, from a network management service, an indication of a route in the managed wireless distribution network; and

configuring one of the one or more network interface cards to host a particular wireless network based on the route.

24. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

identifying portions of protected content hosted by multiple devices in a managed wireless distribution network, the managed wireless distribution network allowing portions of protected content to be transferred among the multiple devices via multiple wireless networks hosted by various ones of the multiple devices, each of the multiple devices being configured to maintain portions of protected content that is consumable by a user of the device only if the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content;

creating, based on one or more priorities, a route for a portion of protected content through the managed wireless distribution network; and

providing, to one or more of the multiple devices, an indication of the route.

25. The device as recited in claim 24, the one or more priorities comprising a priority of the portion of protected content.

26. The device as recited in claim 24, the acts further comprising receiving from one of the multiple devices an indication of an ability of the device to deliver the portion of protected content in a particular amount of time, and creating a new route for the portion of protected content through the managed wireless distribution network in response to the indication.

27. A first device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

identifying, by the first device, a second device that is managed by a same user as manages the first device, the first and second devices each being one of multiple devices in a managed wireless distribution network that allows portions of protected content to be transferred among the multiple devices via multiple wireless networks hosted by various ones of the multiple devices, each device being configured to store portions of protected content that is consumable by a user of the device only if the user of the device has permission to consume the protected content;

obtaining, by the first device, a first one or more portions of protected content from one or more other devices via a first wireless network; and

obtaining, by the first device, a second one or more portions of the protected content from the second device, the second device having obtained the second one or more portions of the protected content from one or more other devices via a second wireless network.

28. The first device as recited in claim 27, the acts further comprising directing, by the first device, the second device to join the second wireless network and obtain the second one or more portions of the protected content from the one or more other devices via the second wireless network.

29. The first device as recited in claim 27, the acts further comprising receiving, from a network management service, an indication of which portions of the protected content are the first one or more portions to be obtained by the first device.