초록 ▼

A network system includes a content provider connected to local service providers via an interactive distribution network, such as the Internet. The local service providers facilitate delivery of the content from the content provider to multiple subscribers. The local service providers schedule deli

A network system includes a content provider connected to local service providers via an interactive distribution network, such as the Internet. The local service providers facilitate delivery of the content from the content provider to multiple subscribers. The local service providers schedule delivery of frequently requested content from the content provider prior to a peak time when the subscribers are likely to request the content. The content is downloaded from the content provider during the off-peak hours and cached at the local service providers for serving to the subscribers during the ensuing peak time. In this manner, the frequently requested content is already present at the local service providers and ready to be served to the subscribers before they actually request it. When the content is finally requested, the data is streamed continuously in real-time for just-in-time rendering at the subscriber computer. Another aspect of this invention involves supplementing content delivery over the Internet with delivery of content over a secondary network, such as a broadcast satellite network. The supplemental broadcast link offers additional bandwidth at a fraction of the cost that would be incurred if the local service provider installed additional Internet connections, such as T1 or T3 connections.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a network system having a content provider which provides content over a network through local service providers to multiple content rendering units, the network

The invention claimed is: 1. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a network system having a content provider which provides content over a network through local service providers to multiple content rendering units, the network system being directed to: identify a peak time when a plurality of the content rendering units are likely to request the content supplied by the content provider; send at least some of the content from the content provider to a local service provider prior to the peak time; store the content received from the content provider at the local service provider for use during the peak time; estimate a time-to-live tag for the content received from the content provider at the local service provider to indicate when the content is expected to be updated; and derive the time-to-live tag based upon a time since the content was last updated. 2. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the network system to send at least some of the content from the content provider to the local service provider prior to the peak time without being requested by the content rendering units. 3. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the network system to send streaming audio or video data from the content provider to the local service provider prior to the peak time. 4. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the network system to request the content at a local service provider based on results of identifying the peak time. 5. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the network system to monitor usage patterns of the content and schedule early sending of the content at a time prior to the peak time based on the usage patterns. 6. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the network system to serve the content from the local service providers to requesting content rendering units during the peak lime. 7. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the network system to designate the peak time in terms of discrete time slots as covering an ending portion of at least one lime slot and a beginning portion of at least one subsequent time slot, and send the content that is likely to be requested in the subsequent time slot prior to the peak time. 8. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the network system to customize a set of prioritized content according to requests made by the content rendering units, and selectively send the set of prioritized content to the local service provider prior to the peak time. 9. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions tat, when executed, direct a local service provider in a network system having a content provider which provides content over a network though the local service provider to multiple content rendering units, the local service provider being directed to: monitor usage patterns to detect highly requested content; identify from the usage patterns a peak time when a plurality of the content rendering units are likely to request the content; schedule delivery of the highly requested content at a scheduled lime prior to the peak time; receive the highly requested content from the content provider at the scheduled time prior to the peak time; store the highly requested content received from the content provider for use during the peak time; estimate a time-to-live tag for the highly requested content received from the content provider to indicate when the highly requested content is expected to be updated; and derive the time-to-live tag based upon a time since the highly requested content was last updated. 10. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 9, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the local service provider to monitor the usage patterns to detect highly requested streaming audio or video data. 11. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 9, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the local service provider to modify target specifications, which are used by the local service provider to reference the content stored at the content provider, to instead reference the content stored at the local service provider. 12. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 9, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the local service provider to serve the stored content to requesting content rendering units during the peak lime. 13. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a network system having a content provider which provides content through a local service provider to multiple content rendering units, the content being provided from the content provider to the local service provider over a first network, the network system being directed to: distribute supplemental content from the content provider to the local service provider over a second network; choose selected portions of the supplemental content to be stored at the local service provider based upon usage patterns exhibited by the content rendering units; store the selected portions of the supplemental content received from the content provider in a cache at the local service provider for use in serving the content rendering units; estimate a time-to-live tag for the supplemental content received from the content provider at the local service provider to indicate when the supplemental content is expected to be updated; and derive the time-to-live tag based upon a time since the supplemental content was last updated. 14. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 13, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the network system to distribute the supplemental content as streaming audio or video data from the content providers to the local service provider over the second network. 15. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 13, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the network system to broadcast the supplemental content via the second network which is a satellite network. 16. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 13, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the network system to serve the distributed content from the local service provider to requesting content rendering units. 17. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a network system having a content provider which provides content though a local service provider to multiple content rendering units, the content being provided from the content provider to the local service provider over a first network, the network system being directed to: identify a peak time when a plurality of the content rendering units are likely to request the content stored at the content provider; distribute supplemental content from the content provider to the local service provider over a second network prior to the peak time; store selected portions of the supplemental content received from the content provider in a cache at the local service provider for use in serving the content rendering units; estimate a time-to-live tag for the supplemental content received from the content provider at the local service provider to indicate when the supplemental content is expected to be updated; and derive the time-to-live tag based upon a time since the supplemental content was last updated. 18. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a network system having a content provider which provides content through a local service provider to multiple content rendering units, the content being provided from the content provider to the local service provider over a first network, the network system being directed to: distribute supplemental content from the content provider to the local service provider over a second network; store selected portions of the supplemental content received from the content provider in a cache at the local service provider for use in serving the content rendering units; estimate a time-to-live tag for the supplemental content received from the content provider at the local service provider to indicate when the supplemental content is expected to be updated; and derive the time-to-live tag based upon a lime since the supplemental content was last updated.