System and method for optimizing subscriber programming preferences
AssigneeAT&T Corp.
InventorGuy A. Story
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system is provided for receiving sets of program requests from a plurality of subscriber locations and delivering programs that match or closely match the selected programming preferences or content requests. A processor at a cable headend registers the selected programming preferences for a given programming period and applies optimization techniques in an effort to have the communications equipment multicast each preference, rather than pointcast, in order to reduce the operating costs of the service provider.
Claims14
A method of providing programs to a plurality of subscriber locations, said method comprising:
- receiving a plurality of sets of content requests originating from said subscriber locations, at least some of said sets of content requests including a plurality of programs preferred to be received at the associated subscriber location within a specified time period;
- identifying sets of satisfying programs for a given time period from said received content requests, each set of satisfying programs being associated with one of said subscriber locations;
- and
- delivering said identified sets of satisfying programs to associated ones of said subscriber locations by multicasting at least some of said satisfying programs within the sets to multiple subscriber locations.
A system of providing programs having a series of discrete expressive works from a cable headend to a plurality of subscriber locations, said system comprising:
- means for receiving a plurality of sets of content requests, each set of content requests originating from one of said subscriber locations and at least some including a plurality of discrete expressive works preferred to be received at the associated subscriber location;
- means for determining any selected constraints from said received content requests wherein said selected constraints include type of programming, sequencing, and start- or end-time constraints for each series of discrete expressive works;
- means for identifying sets of satisfying programs for a given time period from said received content requests, each set of satisfying programs being associated with one of said subscriber locations;
- and
- means for delivering to each subscriber location an associated set of satisfying programs by multicasting at least some of said satisfying programs within the sets to multiple subscriber locations.
A method of providing programs to a plurality of subscriber locations comprising:
- receiving program requests from said subscriber locations;
- determining optimum satisfying programs to be delivered to associated subscriber locations responsive to said program requests, wherein said satisfying programs are optimized based on a first criterion function that measures closeness of candidate deliverable programs to said program requests, and a second criterion function relating to service provider cost;
- and
- delivering said satisfying programs to associated ones of said subscriber locations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.