Methods and apparatus for content delivery notification and management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11057655-B2
Application number	US-201615050212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2016
Priority date	Feb 14, 2007
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for handling situations where requested services require more network capacity than presently available, and notifying network users of an delay in providing such services. In one embodiment, the invention comprises apparatus and methods for the detection of capacity (e.g., bandwidth) shortage, determination of a delayed delivery mode and schedule for the delivery of the requested content, and notification of the availability of the content to the user via, e.g., on-screen display, e-mail, text message, or other mode. The user can also specify their own notification preferences and delivery time. Requests for and delivery of the content may be performed from/to different locations as well. Network server apparatus, consumer premises equipment (CPE), and a software architecture adapted to implement the foregoing functionality, are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computerized method of providing contextually relevant secondary digitally rendered content to at least one user of a content delivery network, the computerized method comprising:
receiving data representative of a request for delivery of digitally rendered content from a computerized client device associated with the at least one user, the digitally rendered content comprising data indicative of at least one context associated therewith;
based at least in part on the received data representative of the request, determining that insufficient capacity exists within the content delivery network to service the request;
generating a message to the computerized client device indicating that delivery of the requested digitally rendered content will be delayed;
causing selection of at least one secondary digitally rendered content element bearing a prescribed contextual relationship to the requested digitally rendered content, the prescribed contextual relationship based at least in part on the data indicative of the at least one context; and
causing delivery of the selected at least one secondary digitally rendered content element to the computerized client device during at least a portion of the delay, the causing of the delivery of the selected at least one secondary digitally rendered content element to the computerized client device during at least the portion of the delay comprising utilizing a switched digital channel for the delivery, the utilizing of the switched digital channel comprising:
(i) switching the at least one secondary digitally rendered content element into a network switching apparatus; and
(ii) causing the computerized client device to tune to the switched digital channel;

wherein the length of the delay is determined based at least in part on at least one subscriber level respectively associated with the at least one user.

2. The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving of the data representative of the request for the delivery of the digitally rendered content comprises receiving the data indicative of the at least one context, the data indicative of the at least one context comprising metadata associated with the requested digitally rendered content.

3. The computerized method of claim 2 , further comprising evaluating the metadata to identify a genre associated with the requested digitally rendered content.

4. The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein the secondary digitally rendered content element comprises an advertising element comprising at least one graphical or audible element shown or played when the message is presented; and the computerized method further comprises:
charging or billing an advertiser of the at least one secondary content element per-view.

5. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising causing delivery of alternate digitally rendered content during at least the portion of the delay, and wherein: (i) the respective alternate digitally rendered content relates to the respective requested digitally rendered content via a context, (ii) the context is determined at least in part via metadata associated with the requested digitally rendered content, and (iii) the metadata comprises at least one of: a size, a name, a type, and/or a format of the requested digitally rendered content.

6. The computerized method of claim 5 , wherein the causing the delivery of the alternate digitally rendered content comprises causing delivery of an advertising element, the advertisement element relating to a product or object associated with the requested digitally rendered content.

7. Computer readable apparatus comprising a non-transitory storage medium, the non-transitory medium comprising at least one computer program having a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions configured to, when executed on a processing apparatus of a computerized device, cause the computerized device to:
receive data representative of a request for delivery of digitally rendered content, the request originating from a computerized client device in communication with a content distribution network;
evaluate, via utilization of at least one computer program, at least one parameter related to available content delivery bandwidth of the content distribution network;
based at least on the evaluation indicating that the available content delivery bandwidth is limited to a value less than that needed to service the request, cause delay, for a period of time, of the servicing of the request for the digitally rendered content, the period of time based at least on data associated with a user account of the content distribution network;
based on metadata associated with digitally rendered content, select secondary digitally rendered content for delivery to the computerized client device;
cause the delivery of the secondary digitally rendered content to the computerized client device during at least a portion of the period of time, the causing of the delivery of the secondary digitally rendered content to the computerized client device during at least the portion of the period of time comprising utilization of a switched digital channel for the delivery, the utilization of the switched digital channel comprising:
(i) a switching of the secondary digitally rendered content into a network switching apparatus; and
(ii) causation of the computerized client device to tune to the switched digital channel.

8. The computer readable apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the period of time is further based on one or more variables, the one or more variables comprising at least a then-current rate of consumption of the available content delivery bandwidth; and
wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed on the processing apparatus:
based at least in part on the delay:
(i) cause storage of at least a part of the digitally rendered content in a network storage location;
(ii) generate data representative of a notification message indicating at least the delaying; and
(iii) transmit the data representative of the notification message to the computerized client device via the content distribution network.

9. The computer readable apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the secondary digitally rendered content comprises at least one graphical or audible element shown or played based on a notification message that indicates at least the delay, being rendered.

10. The computer readable apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the selection of the secondary digitally rendered content comprises utilization of the metadata to select content relating contextually to a genre or theme of the digitally rendered content.

11. The computer readable apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed on the processing apparatus:
cause storage of the requested digitally rendered content within a prescribed time period from one of (i) a time of the request was sent from the computerized client device, or (ii) a time the request was received by the computerized device.

12. A computerized network apparatus for delivery of digitally rendered content in a content distribution network, the computerized network apparatus comprising:
processor apparatus;
one or more data interfaces in data communication with the processor apparatus; and
computer readable apparatus comprising a non-transitory storage medium, the non-transitory medium comprising at least one computer program having a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions configured to, when executed by the processing apparatus, cause the computerized network apparatus to:
based at least on received data represe

Assignees

• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Brooks Paul D
• Rieger Remi

Classifications

• H04L47/70

  Admission control; Resource allocation · CPC title

• H04N21/2385 Primary

  Channel allocation (H04N21/266 takes precedence); Bandwidth allocation (H04N21/24 takes precedence {; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16}) · CPC title

• H04N21/2402 Primary

  Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available (traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876) · CPC title

• H04L67/62

  Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests · CPC title

• H04N21/47202

  for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand · CPC title