Pull based, intelligent caching system and method for delivering data over a network

In a network system having a content provider which provides content over a network through a local service provider to multiple content rendering units, a method for operating a local service provider comprising the following steps:

• monitoring usage patterns to detect highly requested content;
• identifying from the usage patterns a peak time when a plurality of the content rendering units are likely to request the content;
• scheduling delivery of the highly requested content at a scheduled time prior to the peak time;
• receiving the highly requested content from the content provider at the scheduled time prior to the peak time;
• and
• storing the highly requested content received from the content provider for use during the peak time.

A method for operating a network system having a content provider which provides content through a local service provider to multiple content rendering units, the content being provided from the content provider to the local service provider over a first network, the method comprising the following steps:

• distributing supplemental content from the content provider to the local service provider over a second network;
• choosing selected portions of the supplemental content to be stored at the local service provider based upon usage patterns exhibited by the content rendering units;
• and
• storing the selected portions of the supplemental content received from the content provider in a cache at the local service provider for use in serving the content rendering units.

A method for operating a network system having a content provider which provides content through a local service provider to multiple content rendering units, the content being provided from the content provider to the local service provider over a first network, the method comprising the following steps:

• identifying a peak time when a plurality of the content rendering units are likely to request the content stored at the content provider;
• distributing supplemental content from the content provider to the local service provider over a second network prior to the peak time;
• and
• storing selected portions of the supplemental content received from the content provider in a cache at the local service provider for use in serving the content rendering units.

A method for operating a network system having a content provider which provides content through a local service provider to multiple content rendering units, the content being provided from the content provider to the local service provider over a first network, the method comprising the following steps:

• distributing supplemental content from the content provider to the local service provider over a second network;
• storing selected portions of the supplemental content received from the content provider in a cache at the local service provider for use in serving the content rendering units;
• and
• assigning a time-to-live tag to the supplemental content to indicate when the content is expected to be updated.

A method for operating a network system having a content provider which provides content through a local service provider to multiple content rendering units, the content being provided from the content provider to the local service provider over a first network, the method comprising the following steps:

• distributing supplemental content from the content provider to the local service provider over a second network;
• storing selected portions of the supplemental content received from the content provider in a cache at the local service provider for use in serving the content rendering units;
• and
• estimating, at the local service provider, a time-to-live tag for the supplemental content received from the content provider to indicate when the supplemental content is expected to be updated.

A system for providing content to user content rendering units, comprising:

• a content provider having storage for storing the content;
• at least one local service provider to facilitate access to the content stored at the content provider on behalf of the content rendering units;
• a distribution network interconnecting the program provider and the local service provider;
• and
• the local service provider being configured to request certain content from the content provider prior to a peak time when multiple content rendering units are likely to request the content and to cache the content received from the content provider for serving to requesting content rendering units during the ensuing peak time.

A system for providing content to user content rendering units, comprising:

• a content provider having storage for storing the content;
• at least one local service provider to facilitate access to the content stored at the content provider on behalf of the content rendering units, the local service provider using target specifications to request the content stored at the content provider;
• an interactive network interconnecting the content provider and the local service provider;
• a broadcast network;
• the content provider being configured to broadcast at least some of the content over a broadcast network to the local service provider;
• the local service provider being configured to cache the broadcasted content for serving to requesting content rendering units;
• and
• the local service provider being further configured to modify the target specifications to reference the broadcasted content cached at the local service provider instead of referencing that same content at the content provider.

A system for providing content to user content rendering units, comprising:

• a content provider having storage for storing the content;
• at least one local service provider to facilitate access to the content stored at the content provider on behalf of the content rendering units;
• an interactive network interconnecting the content provider and the local service provider;
• a broadcast network;
• the content provider being configured to broadcast at least some of the content over the broadcast network to the local service provider, the content provider assigning a time-to-live tag to the broadcasted content to indicate when the content is expected to be update;
• and
• the local service provider being configured to cache the broadcasted content for serving to requesting content rendering units.

A system for providing content to user content rendering units, comprising:

• a content provider having storage for storing the content;
• at least one local service provider to facilitate access to the content stored at the content provider on behalf of the content rendering units;
• an interactive network interconnecting the content provider and the local service provider;
• a broadcast network;
• the content provider being configured to broadcast at least some of the content over the broadcast network to the local service provider;
• and
• the local service provider being configured to cache the broadcasted content for serving to requesting content rendering units, the local service provider estimating a time-to-live tag for the broadcasted content to indicate when the broadcasted content is expected to be updated.

A system for providing content to user content rendering units, comprising:

• a content provider having storage for storing the content;
• at least one local service provider to facilitate access to the content stored at the content provider on behalf of the content rendering units;
• and
• the local service provider being configured to request certain content from the content provider prior to a peak time when multiple content rendering units are likely to request the content and to cache the content received from the content provider for serving to requesting content rendering units during the ensuing peak time.

A system for providing content to user content rendering units, comprising:

• a content provider having storage for storing the content;
• at least one local service provider to facilitate access to the content stored at the content provider on behalf of the content rendering units, the local service provider using target specifications to request the content stored at the content provider;
• the content provider being configured to broadcast at least some of the content to the local service provider;
• the local service provider being configured to cache the broadcasted content for serving to requesting content rendering units;
• and
• the local service provider being further configured to modify the target specifications to reference the broadcasted content cached at the local service provider instead of referencing that same content at the content provider.

A system for providing content to user content rendering units, comprising:

• a content provider having storage for storing the content;
• at least one local service provider to facilitate access to the content stored at the content provider on behalf of the content rendering units;
• the content provider being configured to broadcast at least some of the content to the local service provider, the content provider assigning a time-to-live tag to the broadcasted content to indicate when the content is expected to be updated;
• and
• the local service provider being configured to cache the broadcasted content for serving to requesting content rendering units.

A system for providing content to user content rendering units, comprising:

• a content provider having storage for storing the content;
• at least one local service provider to facilitate access to the content stored at the content provider on behalf of the content rendering units;
• the content provider being configured to broadcast at least some of the content to the local service provider;
• and
• the local service provider being configured to cache the broadcasted content for serving to requesting content rendering units, the local service provider estimating a time-to-live tag for the broadcasted content to indicate when the broadcasted content is expected to be updated.