PERSONAL BROADCAST AND CONTENT DELIVERY ENGINE

20100125672

12/273128

November 18, 2008

A communication system that enables a specified end-user device to obtain a media file corresponding to a delayed-play entry of a content-definition table prior to the scheduled play time. To deliver the media file to the end user, a service provider requests and receives the corresponding content from a content provider, generates the media file based on the received content, and temporarily stores the media file in a storage unit associated with the service provider. The service provider then breaks the media file into a plurality of data frames and transmits them to the end-user device during an appropriate delivery-opportunity window for storage in local storage unit (e.g., a hard drive) associated with the end-user device. At the play time, the service provider transmits to the end-user device a media-activation packet to initiate rendering thereat a copy of the media file assembled from the data frames stored in the local storage unit.

Mobin, Dil Afroz (Orefield, PA, US); Mobin, Mohammad S. (Orefield, PA, US); Sheets, Gregory W. (Breinigsville, PA, US)

AGERE SYSTEMS INC. (Allentown, PA, US)

1. At a content-delivery service provider, a method of distributing content, comprising: maintaining a content-definition table having a delayed-play entry that specifies (i) a play time and (ii) a first target device; determining presence of a first delivery-opportunity window; and during the first delivery-opportunity window, transmitting a media file corresponding to the delayed-play entry over a first network to the first target device for storage in a first local storage unit associated with the first target device to enable the first target device to render the media file at the play time specified in the content-definition table.

2. The method of claim 1, the step of transmitting over the first network is completed prior to the play time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the media file corresponding to the delayed-play entry using a corresponding content provider.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of obtaining comprises downloading the media file from a website of the corresponding content provider.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of obtaining comprises: receiving a live-broadcast signal from a TV studio associated with the corresponding content provider; and generating the media file based on the live-broadcast signal.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of obtaining comprises storing the media file in a storage unit associated with the service provider.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, during a second delivery-opportunity window, transmitting the media file, over a second network, to a second target device for storage in a second local storage unit associated with the second target device, wherein the step of transmitting over the second network is completed prior to the play time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first delivery-opportunity window at least partially overlaps in time with the second delivery-opportunity window.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising: at the play time, transmitting a first media-activation packet to initiate playing at the first target device a copy of the media file stored in the first local storage unit; and if no acknowledgement of user's presence is received from the first target device, transmitting a second media-activation packet to initiate playing at the second target device a copy of the media file stored in the second local storage unit.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the play time, transmitting a first media-activation packet to initiate rendering at the first target device a copy of the media file stored in the first local storage unit.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network is a wireless network.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a first threshold value, wherein the determining step comprises comparing a traffic load in the first network with the first threshold value.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising selecting a second threshold value, wherein the determining step comprises comparing a rate of dropped calls in the first network with the second threshold value.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the media file into a plurality of data frames, wherein: the step of transmitting comprises transmitting the resulting data frames over the first network to the first target device for storage in the first local storage unit; and the transmitted data frames enable the first target device to reconstruct the media file and have its copy stored in the first local storage unit.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising temporarily storing at least some of the resulting data frames in a storage unit associated with the service provider.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a user interface to enable a user to fill out the content-definition table.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein, in addition to the delayed-play entry, the personal-channel definition table comprises at least one of (i) a live-program-broadcast entry and (ii) an on-demand-program entry.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising: sorting service subscribers into at least two categories; assigning different priority levels to traffic corresponding to different categories of service subscribers; routing traffic corresponding to a first priority level via the first network; and routing traffic corresponding to a second priority level via a second network having a different throughput capacity than the first network.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the delayed-play entry comprises: a content field specifying a source from which content corresponding to the media file is to be obtained; a play-time field specifying the play time, wherein the play time is later than a time at which the content corresponding to the media file is available at the source; and a target field specifying the first target device and optionally one or more additional target devices.

20. A content-delivery service provider, comprising: means for maintaining a content-definition table having a delayed-play entry that specifies (i) a play time and (ii) a first target device; means for determining presence of a first delivery-opportunity window; and means for transmitting a media file corresponding to the delayed-play entry over a first network to the first target device during the first delivery-opportunity window for storage in a first local storage unit associated with the first target device to enable the first target device to render the media file at the play time specified in the content-definition table.

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edspap.20100125672