US 7,610,607 B1 · Chaincast method and system for broadcasting information to multiple systems within the internet

Abstract

A method and system for performing chaincast communication to multiple communication systems within a system of coupled electronic devices. In one implementation the electronic devices can be computer systems and the system of coupled electronic devices includes the Internet. The present invention provides a system wherein a broadcast source communicates broadcast information (e.g., encoded audio radio content, encoded audio/video television content, program instructions, etc.) to a first group of electronic devices. The first group of electronic devices can be instructed by a transmission scheduler to then communicate (e.g., forward) the broadcast information to other electronic devices which devices can also be instructed to communicate to more devices, etc., thereby reducing the bandwidth requirements of the communication channel between the broadcast source and the first group of electronic devices. Slight communication delays may be encountered by the transmission forwarding, but these delays can typically be tolerated in broadcast transmissions (e.g., radio content, television content, seminars, etc.). The transmission scheduler, coupled to the Internet, is used to track and manage which devices are forwarding broadcast information to which other devices. The transmission scheduler is able to re-route communications when one or more devices terminates or to provide better communication load sharing across the system. The communication is “chaircast” because the forwarding from one device to another, to another, etc., creates a logical communication “chain” from the broadcast server to the receiving devices.

Claims44

Dependent claims

A method of communicating broadcast information, said method comprising:

receiving at a first user device a list comprising a plurality of different content selections;
sending from said first user device a content selection whose delivery is requested at a present time to a transmission scheduler;
after said content selection is sent from said first user device and in response to instructions from said transmission scheduler, creating a first communication link between said first user device and a second user device that is receiving and rendering to a second user broadcast information representing said content selection, wherein said first user device is downstream from said second user device;
receiving at said first user device said broadcast information from said second user device via said first communication link to render to a first user;
receiving at a third user device said list comprising said plurality of different content selections;
sending from said third user device a second content selection whose delivery is requested at a present time to said transmission scheduler;
while receiving said broadcast information at said first user device and in response to instructions from said transmission scheduler, creating a second communication link between said third user device and said first user device which is receiving said broadcast information representing said second content selection, wherein said third user device is downstream from said first user device;
and
retransmitting from said first user device said broadcast information to said third user device to render to a third user via said second communication link.

6 more elements

A method of broadcasting information over a network of electronic devices, said method comprising:

receiving at a first electronic device a list comprising a plurality of different content selections;
sending from said first electronic device a content selection whose delivery is requested at a present time to a transmission scheduler;
after said content selection is sent from said first electronic device and in response to instructions from said transmission scheduler, creating a first communication link between said first electronic device and a second electronic device of a group of electronic devices that are receiving and rendering broadcast information representing said content selection, wherein said first electronic device is downstream from said second electronic device;
receiving at said first electronic device said broadcast information to render from said second electronic device via said first communication link;
receiving at a third electronic device said list comprising said plurality of different content selections;
sending from said third electronic device a second content selection whose delivery is requested at a present time to said transmission scheduler;
while receiving said broadcast information at said first electronic device and in response to instructions from said transmission scheduler, creating a second communication link between said third electronic device and said first electronic device which is receiving said broadcast information representing said second content selection, wherein said third electronic device is downstream from said first electronic device;
and
retransmitting from said first electronic device said broadcast information to said third electronic device to render via said second communication link.

6 more elements

A method of communicating broadcast information, said method comprising:

receiving at a first user device a list comprising a plurality of different content selections;
sending from said first user device a content selection whose delivery is requested at a present time to a transmission scheduler;
after said content selection is sent from said first user device and in response to instructions from said transmission scheduler, creating a first communication link between said first user device and a first broadcast source which is transmitting broadcast information representing said content selection, wherein said first user device is downstream from said first broadcast source;
receiving at said first user device said broadcast information from said first broadcast source via said first communication link to render to a first user;
if said first broadcast source becomes unavailable and in response to instructions from said transmission scheduler, creating a second communication link between said first user device and a second broadcast source which is transmitting said broadcast information, wherein said first user device is downstream from said second broadcast source;
receiving at said first user device said broadcast information from said second broadcast source via said second communication link;
receiving at a second user device said list comprising said plurality of different content selections;
sending from said second user device a second content selection whose delivery is requested at a present time to said transmission scheduler;
while receiving said broadcast information at said first user device and in response to instructions from said transmission scheduler, creating a third communication link between said second user device and said first user device which is receiving said broadcast information representing said second content selection, wherein said second user device is downstream from said first user device;
and
retransmitting from said first user device said broadcast information to said second user device to render to a second user via said third communication link.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Chaincast method and system for broadcasting information to multiple systems within the internet

Life of this patent

Chaincast method and system for broadcasting information to multiple systems within the internet

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims44