Method and apparatus for content distribution over a network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10594754-B2
Application number	US-201916292570-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2019
Priority date	Oct 31, 2013
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

A method that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example performing, by a wireless communication device comprising a processor, wireless telephony communications via a first wireless interface, transmitting information associated with media-related activities to a server, receiving from the server a media recommendation that is generated according to the information associated with media-related activities, initiating communications with a network via a second wireless interface, downloading a media content item of the media recommendation from a content provider via the second wireless interface, and presenting the media content item at a display. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, responsive to being executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving information associated with a media-related activity of a mobile communication device indicating a user interest in a first media content item of a first media recommendation;
generating a second media recommendation comprising a plurality of media content items selected according to the information associated with the media-related activity indicating the user interest in the first media content item, demographic information associated with a user profile, and a capability of the mobile communication device;
transmitting the second media recommendation to the mobile communication device;
transmitting, via a connection to a network having an available digital bandwidth, a first pre-fetch media content item of media content items included in the second media recommendation, the first pre-fetch media content item having a priority; and
responsive to a determination of a change in the available digital bandwidth:
stopping the transmitting of the first pre-fetch media content item; and
transmitting, via the connection to the network a second pre-fetch media content item of media content items included in the second media recommendation, the second pre-fetch media content item having a lower priority.

2. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the media-related activity comprises consumption of media content.

3. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the media-related activity comprises accessing a site providing access to media content.

4. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the media-related activity comprises loading a mobile application that enables access to media content.

5. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the media-related activity comprises subscribing to a service providing access to media content.

6. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise accessing social media preference information of a social network associated with a user of the mobile communication device, wherein the second media recommendation is further generated according to the social media preference information.

7. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise accessing popularity information for the plurality of media contents items based on transactions with a network by a plurality of communication devices, wherein the second media recommendation is further generated according to popularity information.

8. A method, comprising:
transmitting, by a processing system comprising a processor of a server, a first media recommendation comprising a first plurality of media content items to a communication device;
receiving, by the server, information from the communication device indicating a user interest in a first media content item of the first plurality of media content items;
generating, by the processing system, a second media recommendation comprising a second plurality of media content items selected according to the information indicating the user interest in the first media content item, demographic information associated with a user profile, and a capability of the communication device;
transmitting, by the processing system, the second media recommendation to the communication device;
transmitting, by the processing system and via a connection to a network having an available digital bandwidth, a first pre-fetch media content item of media content items included in the second media recommendation, the first pre-fetch media content item having a first priority; and
responsive to a determination of a change in the available digital bandwidth exceeding a threshold:
stopping the transmitting of the first pre-fetch media content item; and
transmitting, by the processing system and via the connection to the network a second pre-fetch media content item of media content items included in the second media recommendation, the second pre-fetch media content item having a second priority lower than the first priority.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the receiving of the information indicating the user interest comprises receiving information indicating access to a site that provides access to media content.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the receiving of the information indicating the user interest comprises receiving information indicating subscription to a service that provides access to media content.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the receiving of the information indicating the user interest comprises receiving information indicating social media preference information that is accessed from a social network associated with a user of the communication device.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
ranking, by the processing system, the second plurality of media content items included in the second media recommendation according to a priority to generate a ranked list comprising the first priority and the second priority.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the transmitting of the first pre-fetch media content item having the first priority further comprises transmitting a highest priority media content item included in the ranked list that can be completely prefetched by the communication device within the available digital bandwidth associated with the connection to a network.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining, by the processing system, that the change in the available digital bandwidth associated with the connection to the network exceeds the threshold
wherein the transmitting of the second pre-fetch media content item of the ranked list for which the available digital bandwidth associated with the connection to the network is sufficient to complete a transmission of the second pre-fetch media content item.

15. A server, comprising:
a processing system including a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
receiving information from a communication device indicating a user interest in a first media content item of a first plurality of media content items;
generating, by the server, a media recommendation comprising a second plurality of media content items selected according to the information indicating the user interest in the first media content item, demographic information associated with a user profile, and a capability of the communication device;

transmitting, by the server, the media recommendation to the communication device;
transmitting, via a connection to a network having an available digital bandwidth, a first pre-fetch media content item of media content items included in the media recommendation, the first pre-fetch media content item having a first rank; and
responsive to a determination of a change in the available digital bandwidth:
stopping the transmitting of the first pre-fetch media content item; and
transmitting, via the connection to the network a second pre-fetch media content item of media content items included in the media recommendation, the second pre-fetch media content item having a second rank lower than the first rank.

16. The server of claim 15 , wherein the information comprises a log of media conte

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Ramakrishnan Kadangode
• Hu Yifan
• Bell Robert
• Pang Jeffrey
• Erman Jeffrey

Classifications

• H04N21/4331

  Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback · CPC title

• H04L67/306

  User profiles · CPC title

• H04N21/41407

  embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop (constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57) · CPC title

• H04L65/1069

  Session establishment or de-establishment · CPC title

• G06Q30/0631

  Recommending goods or services · CPC title