Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Remote data accessing – Accessing a remote server
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-15
2004-06-01
Winder, Patrice (Department: 2155)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Remote data accessing
Accessing a remote server
C709S226000, C709S223000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06745237
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an improved communications system and in particular to a method and apparatus for transferring within the communications system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for managing a transfer of data from a source to a target in the communications system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the transmission of data within a communications system from a source to one or more targets or destinations, broadcasting is a form of addressing wherein the destination address specifies all destinations; all destinations indiscriminately receive the data whether or not the data is needed by the destination computer. Where data is not needed at a particular network-connected personal computer, the transmission of the data is an inefficient use of resources. This can be particularly disabling to a network that does not have sufficient bandwidth capacity for all of the data traffic. Broadcasting is less efficient in direct relation to the proportion of users in the community, receiving a broadcast, that do not need the broadcast data.
In contrast, unicasting is a form of addressing where the destination address specifies a single destination. Unicasting eliminates the unnecessary transmission of data to destinations that have no need for the data, but is still inefficient because the data will be replicated on the network for each individual destination. For example, when data is transmitted to 20 personal computers connected to a server, 20 transmissions of the data will be made, each with a different individual destination address.
Multicasting occurs when a source sends data to a closed group of destination computers. This form of addressing is particularly beneficial where the link between the source and the server has limited capacity or high cost because only one copy of the data that is intended for multiple recipients is transmitted from the source. Multicasting makes the most efficient use of an expensive link that has insufficient capacity of transmission to multiple destinations by reducing the number of transmissions across the critical link to one, rather than requiring that multiple transmissions be made for each destination address.
The Internet, an inter-network, is an example of a communications network in which multicasting may occur. Large amounts of information have been made available for all types of use on the Internet. Multimedia applications have become common place on the World Wide Web portion of the Internet. A multimedia application is an application that uses different forms of communication in a single application. For example, information may be displayed to a user of a multimedia application on a computer using voice, text, and video simultaneously. Videos and music also may be delivered via the Internet. Multimedia applications have brought many new users to the Internet. Additionally, the Internet is widely used for obtaining information on various topics of interest. Also, numerous commercial transactions occur using the Internet.
In addition to the Internet, other communications networks for transmitting data from a source to a target or destination includes, for example, satellite based communications networks, public switched telephone networks, and local area networks. In these different types of communications networks, multiple content providers have arisen to provide content consumers data in various types and forms. With multiple content providers, it is advantageous to have an improved method and apparatus for managing transfer of data within a communications system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for managing delivery of data, also referred to as “content”, by a data processing system in a communications system in which a number of content providers and content consumers are located within the communications system. The data processing system receives a request to accept delivery of a content at the data processing system, wherein the request originates from a requesting content provider. A determination is made as to when the content may be received from the requesting content provider and when the content may be transmitted to content consumers based on contents already scheduled to be delivered from the number of content providers. Delivery of the content from the requesting content provider is accepted based on a determination of when the content may be received and when the content may be transmitted.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for managing delivery of data in a communications system in which the communications system includes a network, content consumers connected to the network, and a data processing system connected to the network. The data processing system contains a storage device that stores content. A server in the data processing system sends a content to subscribers of the content, and a push broker, wherein the push broker manages delivery of contents by the server to the content consumers. A process is spawned by the push broker, wherein the process has a plurality of modes of operation including a first mode of operation in which the process monitors an interface to a content provider for initiation of transmission of a content from the content provider; a second mode of operation, responsive to detecting establishment of the communications link, in which the process determines whether the transmission is a valid transmission; and a third mode of operation, responsive to a valid transmission, in which the process directs the server to transmit the content to the content consumers.
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Garrity Martin Michael
Heneghan John Coyle
Howser James L.
Sinnreich Heinrick
Willis Edward D.
MCI Communications Corporation
Winder Patrice
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