Offline content distribution networks

• US 9,730,033 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PCCW Vuclip (Singapore) Pte Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Vuclip (Singapore) Pte. Ltd
• Inventors: Jakatdar, Nickhil, Prakash, Arun, Reza, Areef, Shen, Bo
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US15/187,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20160295379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 709217, 709224, 709231, 709219, 709223, 709225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• 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: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for the secure distribution of media content to devices having minimal or no Internet connectivity. Computing devices referred to herein as “local servers” are strategically deployed at various locations, such as stores and other public locations. Packages of media contents are stored on the local servers, and may be updated using various online and/or offline data transfer techniques. Portable devices may directly connect to the local servers via various types of proximity-based connections, such as by wireless local area networks, by wired connections over Universal Serial Bus cables, or by sharing of removable media such as Secure Digital cards. The local servers may copy their media contents to authorized devices when such connections are established. The contents on a device may be automatically be updated the next time the device connects to one of the local servers, so as to include newly selected and/or available content.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a central media server configured to send copies of media content items from the central media server over a wide area network to certain media playback devices of a plurality of mobile devices;

at least one local media server, separate from the central media server, configured to;

store copies of at least a subset of the media content items;

establish local connections with particular mobile devices of the plurality of mobile devices;

responsive to requests for particular content items of the media content items, transmit copies of the particular content items to the particular mobile devices over the local connections;

upon establishment of a first local connection with a first mobile device of the particular mobile devices, request that the first mobile device transfer a first content item, of the media content items, which is stored at the first mobile device, to the local media server;

store a first copy of the first content item at the local media server when received from the first mobile device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second local media server, separate from the central media server, configured to transfer a copy of the first media content item to the first mobile device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the local media server is further configured to send at least partial rights information to a second mobile device, of the particular mobile devices, that receives the first content item from the local media server, the second mobile device configured to utilize the rights information to determine whether the second mobile device is permitted to play the first content item.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the local media server is further configured to:

direct a given mobile device to an installer file for content access application software responsive to the given mobile device establishing an initial connection to the local media server, the content access application including first instructions that, when executed by the first mobile device, cause the first mobile device to transfer the first copy of the first content item to the local media server responsive to the first content item being requested, the content access application further including second instructions that, when executed by a second mobile device, cause the second mobile device to request the first content item from the local media server.

5. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of:

detecting a first local connection between a local content server and a first mobile device;

requesting transfer of a first copy of a particular content item from the first mobile device to the local content server;

responsive to the requesting, receiving the first copy of the particular content item at the local content server from the first mobile device over the local connection;

storing the first copy of the particular content item at the local content server;

detecting a second local connection between the local content server and a second mobile device;

transferring a second copy of the particular content item from the local content server to the second mobile device over the second local connection.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

comparing inventory data identifying one or more content items stored on the first mobile device to a local inventory of content stored at the local content server;

determining, based on the comparing, that the one or more content items include at least one item not stored at the local content server;

requesting transfer of the first copy responsive to the determining.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the first mobile device is configured to automatically send the inventory data to the local content server responsive to establishment of the first local connection.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the first mobile device is configured to automatically transfer the first copy of the particular content item responsive to the requesting, without requesting permission from a user of the first mobile device.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

sending a copy of a first content item to the first mobile device over the first local connection, the local content server waiting to request the particular content item until completion of sending the copy of the first content item.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of, responsive to receiving the particular content item over the first local connection, performing one or more of:

sending a first content item to the first mobile device, sending rights data for the first content item to the first mobile device, or updating account data for a user of the first mobile device.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

receiving, at a digital rights management server, requests to unlock access for the second mobile device to the particular content item;

sending, from the digital rights management server, rights information for the second mobile device to unlock access to the particular content item, the second mobile device configured to utilize the rights information to determine whether the second mobile device is permitted to play the particular content item.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

sending, from the local content server to the second mobile device, a partial decryption key;

generating, at the second mobile device, based on the partial decryption key and the rights information, a decryption key for decrypting the particular content item.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the local content server is a first local content server, and the first mobile device received the particular content item from a second local content server that is not connected to the first local content server.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

directing a given mobile device to an installer file for content access application software responsive to the given mobile device establishing an initial connection to the local content server, the given mobile device including at least one or the first mobile device and the second mobile device, the content access application software including first instructions that, when executed by the first mobile device, cause the first mobile device to transfer the first copy of the particular content item to the local content server responsive to the requesting, the content access application software further including second instructions that, when executed by the second mobile device, cause the second mobile device to request the particular content item from the local content server.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein each of the first local connection and the second local connection is one of an 802.11 wireless-based connection, Bluetooth connection, or Universal Serial Bus connection.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

responsive to detecting the second local connection, sending inventory data to the second mobile device indicating that the particular content item is available for download by the second mobile device.

17. A method comprising:

detecting a first local connection between a local content server and a first mobile device;

requesting transfer of a first copy of a particular content item from the first mobile device to the local content server;

responsive to the requesting, receiving the first copy of the particular content item at the local content server from the first mobile device over the local connection;

storing the first copy of the particular content item at the local content server;

detecting a second local connection between the local content server and a second mobile device;

transferring a second copy of the particular content item from the local content server to the second mobile device over the second local connection.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, at a digital rights management server, requests to unlock access for the second mobile device to the particular content item;

sending, from the digital rights management server, rights information for the second mobile device to unlock access to the particular content item, the second mobile device configured to utilize the rights information to determine whether the second mobile device is permitted to play the particular content item.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the particular content item over the first local connection, performing one or more of;

sending a first content item to the first mobile device, sending rights data for the first content item to the first mobile device, or updating account data for a user of the first mobile device.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

directing a given mobile device to an installer file for content access application software responsive to the given mobile device establishing an initial connection to the local content server, the given mobile device including at least one or the first mobile device and the second mobile device, the content access application software including first instructions that, when executed by the first mobile device, cause the first mobile device to transfer the first copy of the particular content item to the local content server responsive to the requesting, the content access application software further including second instructions that, when executed by the second mobile device, cause the second mobile device to request the particular content item from the local content server.