System and method for increasing data transmission rates through a content distribution network with customized aggregations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016127244-A1
Application number	US-201514927145-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 29, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for increasing data transmission rates through a content distribution network by generating a customized aggregation comprising data packets selected to maximize a data acceptance rate are disclosed herein. The system can include a memory including a content library database having a plurality of data packets and a user profile database. The system can further include a server that can: receive aggregation information identifying a set of delivery data packets and a set of assessment data packets; receive data packet data from the content library database; identify a recipient cohort; determine a recipient cohort lapsed time; generate an estimate of data packet transfer time for the aggregation; generate an updated aggregation based on the recipient cohort lapsed time and the estimate of data packet transfer time; and provide the updated aggregation to the user devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for increasing data transmission rates through a content distribution network by generating a customized aggregation comprising data packets selected to maximize a data acceptance rate, the system comprising:
a memory comprising:
a content library database comprising a plurality of data packets, wherein the plurality of data packets comprise a plurality of delivery data packets and a plurality of assessment data packets; and
a user profile database, wherein the user profile database includes information identifying a cohort of users, and wherein the user profile database includes information identifying plurality of at least one attribute of each of the users in the cohort of users;
a server configured to:
receive aggregation information identifying a set of delivery data packets and a set of assessment data packets;
receive data packet data from the content library database;
identify a recipient cohort, wherein the recipient cohort comprises the group of users designated to receive the aggregation via a plurality of user devices;
determine a recipient cohort lapsed time, wherein the recipient cohort lapsed time characterizes the amount of time for acceptance of a plurality of previous aggregations by the recipient cohort;
generate an estimate of data packet transfer time for the aggregation,
wherein the data packet transfer time is the amount of time between the sending of a first data packet in the aggregation and receiving a final response from a user device;
generate an updated aggregation based on the recipient cohort lapsed time and the estimate of data packet transfer time; and
provide the updated aggregation to the user devices.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the data packet data comprises data packet user data and data packet metadata.

3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of user devices connected to the server via a communication network.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the amount of time for the acceptance of a plurality of previous aggregations by the recipient cohort is determined by a timer triggered and stopped by electrical data-carrying signals exchanged between the server and one of the user devices.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the timer is located in the server, and wherein the exchanged signals comprise a first signal sent by the server to the user device containing the first data packet in the aggregation and a second signal sent by the user device to the server containing the final response to the aggregation.

6 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of user devices, wherein each of the user devices comprises a timer, and wherein the exchanged signals triggering and stopping the timer in one of the user devices comprises a first signal received by the user device from the server, wherein the first signal triggers the timer, and wherein the first signal contains the first data packet in the aggregation, and a second signal sent by the user device to the server, wherein the second signal stops the timer, and wherein the second signal contains the final response to the aggregation.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of user devices is configured to send a time signal indicative of lapsed time measured by the timer.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the time signal is sent when the timer is stopped.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the time signal is periodically sent after the timer has been triggered and before the timer has been stopped.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the server is further configured to:
generate a modeled aggregation outcome, wherein the aggregation outcome comprises a prediction of a change in a skill level for the recipient cohort; retrieve a target parameter identifying a desired change to the user skill level for the recipient cohort; generate a modeled aggregation contribution, wherein the aggregation contribution indicates the degree to which the aggregation contributes to reaching the target parameter affected by the estimate of data packet transfer time; generate a modeled alternative contribution, wherein the alternative contribution indicates the degree to which an alternative aggregation contributes to reaching the target parameter affected by an estimate of data packet transfer time for the alternative contribution; and determine the difference between the modeled aggregation contribution and the modeled alternative contribution; wherein the updated aggregation based on the recipient cohort lapsed time and the estimate of data packet transfer time is generated when the alternative contribution is greater than the modeled aggregation contribution.

11 . A method for increasing data transmission rates through a content distribution network by generating a customized aggregation comprising data packets selected to maximize a data acceptance rate, the method comprising:
receiving at a server aggregation information identifying a set of delivery data packets and a set of assessment data packets from a content library database comprising a plurality of delivery data packets and a plurality of assessment data packets; receiving at the server data packet data from the content library database; retrieving at the server data from a user profile database identifying a recipient cohort, wherein the recipient cohort comprises the group of users designated to receive the aggregation via a plurality of user devices; determining with the server a recipient cohort lapsed time from data received from the user profile database, wherein the recipient cohort lapsed time characterizes the amount of time for acceptance of a plurality of previous aggregations by the recipient cohort; generating with the server an estimate of data packet transfer time for the aggregation, wherein the data packet transfer time is the amount of time between the sending of a first data packet in the aggregation and receiving a final response from a user device; generating with the server an updated aggregation based on the recipient cohort lapsed time and the estimate of data packet transfer time; and providing with the server the updated aggregation to the user devices.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the data packet data comprises data packet user data and data packet metadata.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the amount of time for the acceptance of a plurality of previous aggregations by the recipient cohort is determined by a timer triggered and stopped by electrical data-carrying signals exchanged between the server and one of the user devices.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the timer is located in the server, and wherein the exchanged signals comprise a first signal sent by the server to the user device containing the first data packet in the aggregation and a second signal sent by the user device to the server containing the final response to the aggregation.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving a time signal from the user device indicative of lapsed time measured by the timer located on the user device.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the exchanged signals triggering and stopping the timer in the user device comprises a first signal received by the user device from the server, wherein the first signal triggers the timer, and wherein the first signal contains the first data packet in the aggregation, and a second signal sent by the user device to the server, wherein the second signal stops the timer, and wherein the second signal contains the final response to

Assignees

• Pearson Education Inc

Inventors

• González Brenes José Pablo
• Goldin Ilya
• Larusson Johann A
• Behrens John
• Mctavish Thomas

Classifications

• H04L67/02

  based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] · CPC title

• H04L47/41

  by acting on aggregated flows or links · CPC title

• H04L69/28

  Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols · CPC title

• H04L67/10 Primary

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• H04L67/125

  involving control of end-device applications over a network · CPC title