Personalized Multicast Content

A method for a personal content provider system to provide personalized content to user devices, wherein the personal content provider system comprises a network interface configured for:

• receiving requests from user devices, and
• sending personalized content in response to the requests,
• and wherein the method comprises:
• receiving a request from a user device,
• checking whether the request is from a user device storing a personalized content token;
• and
• sending the personalized content only to the user device if the request is from a user device storing a personalized content token.

A method for a subscriber management system to control insertion, by user devices, of personalized content into multicast content,

• wherein each user device comprises a network interface configured to send a request for the personalized content only if the user device stores a token,
• and wherein the method comprises:
• receiving first data indicative of an available bandwidth on a communication channel between a personalized content provider apparatus and a plurality of user devices,
• receiving second data indicative of an average size of a personalized content item,
• determining, by comparing the first data and the second data, a maximum number of user devices that can receive personalized content items, and
• storing personalized content tokens at a number of user devices not exceeding the determined maximum number of user devices.

A user device configured to control insertion of personalized content into multicast content, wherein the user device comprises:

• a network interface configured to:
• receive multicast content from a multicast content provider system,
• send a request for personalized content to a personalized content provider system, and
• receive personalized content from a personalized content provider system in response to the request,
• a processor configured to insert the personalized content into the multicast content;
• and
• a token storage configured to store a personalized content token,
• wherein the processor is further configured to:
• check whether the token storage stores a personalized content token, and
• cause the network interface to send the request only if the token register stores the personalized content token.

A subscriber management system for controlling providing personalized multicast content to a plurality of user devices, wherein each user device comprises:

• a network interface configured to:
• receive multicast content from the multicast content provider system,
• send a request for personalized content to a personalized content provider system, and
• receive personalized content from a personalized content provider system in response to the request,
• a processor configured to insert the personalized content into the multicast content, and
• a token storage configured to store a personalized content token, the processor further being configured to:
• check whether the token storage stores a personalized content token, and
• cause the network interface to send the request only if the token register stores the personalized content token,
• and wherein the subscriber management system comprises:
• an input interface configured for receiving first data indicative of an available bandwidth on a communication channel between a personalized content provider and a plurality of user devices, and for receiving second data indicative of an average size of a personalized content item,
• a processor configured for determining, by comparing the first data and the second data, a maximum number of user devices that can receive personalized content items;
• and
• an output interface configured for sending personalized content tokens to a number of user devices not exceeding the determined maximum number of user devices.