Content Engine for Mobile Communications Systems

Abstract

An exemplary content engine includes a content gateway configured to analyze and route content requests to a content server. The content server can be a cache server or a mobile content server. The cache server can be configured to receive and store cacheable web content from a controller that is configured to receive the cacheable web content from at least one cacheable web content provider, such as a web server, and route the content to the cache server. The mobile content server can be configured to receive, from the controller, and store the digital media content. The controller can be further configured to receive the digital media content from at least one external content server and route the content to the mobile content server. The content gateway can be further configured to receive non-cacheable web content from at least one non-cacheable web content provider.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11 / 752,199, filed May 22, 2007, the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present invention relates generally to content provisioning. More particularly, the present invention relates to content provisioning via an intra-network content engine in a wireless communications network.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The recent deployment of 3G networks has made a wide array of content types available to wireless subscribers. Multimedia content, such as music, games, and movies, and content rich websites and web applications, create an abundance of network traffic between a content provider residing outside of the wireless operator's network and the core and access subsystems of the network. The interfaces used for communication between the external content providers and the operator's network are inefficient and incapable of providing end-t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The patent describes an intra-network content engine that can handle content requests from multiple mobile devices. The engine includes a content gateway that analyzes and routes content requests to either a cache server or a mobile content server. The cache server stores cacheable web content, while the mobile content server stores digital media content. The controller can receive non-cacheable web content from an external content server and route it to the mobile content server. The engine allows for efficient content provisioning and reduces latency in delivering requested content to mobile devices."

Problems solved by technology

The interfaces used for communication between the external content providers and the operator's network are inefficient and incapable of providing end-to-end quality of service (QoS) for content requests.

This places an inordinate amount of traffic load on the network systems.

Moreover, the need to send and resend the same content for multiple subscribers places additional strain on network resources.

In addition, external content providers target general users and cannot properly consider and adapt content to a format conducive to mobile devices in general, let alone a format configured specifically for a particular mobile device.

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