Using groups of user accounts to deliver content to electronic devices using local caching servers

• US 9,736,262 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Yanagihara, Kazuhisa, Thorpe, Jason R., Vaughan, Gregory B., Gentil, Lionel, Jewell, Darrin B., Redner, Jordan L., Burns, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US14/290,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20140280683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 709201, 709202, 709203, 709212, 709227, 709229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The described embodiments electronically deliver content (e.g., digitally-encoded files) to an electronic device using groups of accounts. In the described embodiments, a content provider obtains a public address of the electronic device and at least one account identifier for the electronic device from a request for the content received from the electronic device. Next, the content provider uses the public address to identify a local caching server (LCS) on a local area network (LAN) to which the electronic device is connected and uses the account identifier to determine that an account associated with the LCS is associated with a group of accounts with which an account for the electronic device is also associated. The content provider then provides a local address of the LCS to the electronic device, which uses the local address to obtain the content from the LCS via the LAN without accessing a content delivery network outside the LAN.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a content provider, performing operations for;

based on a request for content received from an electronic device, acquiring a first account identifier for a first account associated with the electronic device and a second account identifier for a second account associated with a local caching server;

based on the first account identifier, determining that the first account is part of a particular account group that includes the first account identifier, wherein the particular account group includes identifiers for devices that are on a same local area network (LAN);

based on the second account identifier, determining that the second account is part of the particular account group that includes the second account identifier;

wherein the second account associated with the local caching server is on the same LAN as the electronic device, the local caching server storing a cached copy the content, wherein the first account of the electronic device and the second account of the local caching server are both in the particular account group on the same LAN; and

providing a device identifier for the local caching server to the electronic device, the device identifier configured to enable the electronic device to obtain the content from the local caching server on the LAN without accessing a content delivery network (CDN) outside the LAN.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, based on the first account identifier, that the first account is part of the particular account group that includes the second account comprises:

sending, to a registration server, a request configured to cause the registration server to perform operations for;

using the first account identifier for the first account and at least one identifier for the second account or for the local caching server to check a record of account groups to determine if the first account and the second account are both included in at least one same account group;

determining that that the first account is part of an account group that includes the second account when both the account identifier for the first account and at least one identifier for the second account or for the local caching server are included in at least one same account group; and

returning a result that comprises the device identifier for the local caching server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the record comprises a list of one or more account groups, each account group including one or more accounts that were included in the account group during corresponding group update processes.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the request additionally comprises a public address of the electronic device and wherein the request is further configured to cause the registration server to perform operations for using the public address and a global server list to identify the local caching server as being on the LAN.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein using the public address and the global server list to identify the local caching server as being coupled to the LAN comprises:

acquiring identifiers for two or more available local caching servers that are on the LAN of the electronic device from the global server list based on the public address;

computing a selection value based on at least one of the content or information about the two or more available local caching servers; and

identifying the local caching server from among the two or more available local caching servers based at least in part on the selection value.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing information about the CDN to the electronic device, wherein the information about the CDN is used by the electronic device to obtain the content from the CDN if the electronic device is unable to obtain the content from the local caching server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device identifier comprises at least one of:

a local address on the LAN for the local caching server;

or

a device ID for the local caching server.

8. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device, performing operations for;

sending a request for content to a content provider;

receiving a response from the content provider that includes a device identifier for a local caching server that is on a same local area network (LAN) as the electronic device, the device identifier having been selected by determining, based on a first account identifier for a first account associated with the electronic device and/or the request, that the first account is part of a particular account group that includes a second account identifier of a second account associated with the local caching server, wherein the particular account group includes identifiers for devices that are on the same LAN, wherein the local caching server stores a cached copy of the content, wherein the first account of the electronic device and the second account of the local caching server are both in the particular account group on the same LAN; and

obtaining the content from the local caching server on the LAN without accessing a content delivery network (CDN) outside the LAN.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the request additionally comprises a public address of the electronic device and wherein the identifier for the local caching server is selected at least in part by using the public address and a global server list to identify the local caching server as being on the LAN.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving information about the CDN in the response from the content provider, wherein the information about the CDN is used by the electronic device to obtain the content from the CDN if the electronic device is unable to obtain the content from the local caching server.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the device identifier comprises at least one of:

a local address on the LAN for the local caching server;

or

a device ID for the local caching server.

12. A content provider device, comprising:

a hardware processor; and

a networking subsystem;

wherein the hardware processor and the networking subsystem perform operations for;

acquiring, based on a request for content received from an electronic device, a first account identifier for a first account associated with the electronic device and a second account identifier for a second account associated with a local caching server;

determining, based on the first account identifier, that the first account is part of an particular account group that includes the first account identifier, wherein the particular account group includes identifiers for devices that are on a same local area network (LAN);

determining, based on the second account identifier, that the second account is part of the particular account group that includes the second account identifier;

wherein the second account associated with a local caching server is on the same LAN as the electronic device, the local caching server storing a cached copy the content, wherein the first account of the electronic device and the second account of the local caching server are both in the particular account group on the same LAN; and

providing a device identifier for the local caching server to the electronic device, the device identifier configured to enable the electronic device to obtain the content from the local caching server on the LAN without accessing a content delivery network (CDN) outside the LAN.

13. The content provider device of claim 12, wherein determining, based on the account identifier, that the first account is part of the account group that includes the second account comprises:

sending, to a registration server, a request configured to cause the registration server to perform operations for;

using the account identifier for the first account and at least one identifier for the second account or for the local caching server to check a record of account groups to determine if the first account and the second account are both included in at least one same account group;

determining that that the first account is part of an account group that includes the second account when both the account identifier for the first account and at least one identifier for the second account or for the local caching server are included in at least one same account group; and

returning a result that comprises the device identifier for the local caching server.

14. The content provider device of claim 13, wherein the record comprises a list of one or more account groups, each account group including one or more accounts that were included in the account group during corresponding group update processes.

15. The content provider device of claim 13, wherein the request additionally comprises a public address of the electronic device and wherein the request is further configured to cause the registration server to perform operations for using the public address and a global server list to identify the local caching server as being on the LAN.

16. The content provider device of claim 15, wherein using the public address and the global server list to identify the local caching server as being coupled to the LAN comprises:

acquiring identifiers for two or more available local caching servers that are on the LAN of the electronic device from the global server list based on the public address;

computing a selection value based on at least one of the content or information about the two or more available local caching servers; and

identifying the local caching server from among the two or more available local caching servers based at least in part on the selection value.

17. The content provider device of claim 12, further comprising:

providing information about the CDN to the electronic device, wherein the information about the CDN is used by the electronic device to obtain the content from the CDN if the electronic device is unable to obtain the content from the local caching server.

18. The content provider device of claim 12, wherein the device identifier comprises at least one of:

a local address on the LAN for the local caching server;

or

a device ID for the local caching server.

19. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor; and

a networking subsystem;

wherein the processor and the networking subsystem perform operations for;

sending a request for content to a content provider;

receiving a response from the content provider that includes a device identifier for a local caching server that is on a same local area network (LAN) as the electronic device, the device identifier having been selected by determining, based on a first account identifier for a first account associated with the electronic device and/or the request, that the first account is part of a particular group that includes a second account identifier of a second account associated with the local caching server, wherein the particular account group includes identifiers for devices that are on the same LAN, wherein the local caching server stores a cached copy of the content, wherein the first account of the electronic device and the second account of the local caching server are both in the particular account group on the same LAN; and

obtaining the content from the local caching server on the LAN without accessing a content delivery network (CDN) outside the LAN.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the request additionally comprises a public address of the electronic device and wherein the identifier for the local caching server is selected at least in part by using the public address and a global server list to identify the local caching server as being on the LAN.

21. The electronic device of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving information about the CDN in the response from the content provider, wherein the information about the CDN is used by the electronic device to obtain the content from the CDN if the electronic device is unable to obtain the content from the local caching server.

22. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the device identifier comprises at least one of:

a local address on the LAN for the local caching server;

or

a device ID for the local caching server.