Peer-to-Peer Content Delivery for Satellite Set-Top Boxes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Satellite television systems face inefficiencies in delivering content, particularly when only a small number of users desire specific content, as it wastes valuable satellite resources and lacks secure authorization and storage methods, especially for reducing piracy.
Innovation Solution
A content delivery system that allows content or portions of content to be downloaded from various sources and stored in set-top boxes, with missing portions requested and received through a peer-to-peer network, using terrestrial and satellite networks for secure authorization and distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If satellite resources are used to deliver content to all users simultaneously, then content availability is improved, but resource efficiency deteriorates when only a small number of users desire specific content
Solution Approach 1:
Users who have already received content files act as content sources, automatically sharing missing portions with other users who request them. The system enables users to serve themselves and others without requiring continuous satellite broadcasting of the same content, thus improving resource efficiency while maintaining content availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates copies of content files across multiple user devices. Once content is delivered to one user via satellite, that user's device becomes a source for other users, eliminating the need for the satellite to continuously broadcast the same content to multiple users, thereby reducing satellite resource consumption.
2Adaptability or versatility
If broadcast systems deliver content to multiple users, then content access is improved, but security against piracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary authorization mechanism where permission tokens mediate between the content source and requesting users. These tokens are distributed through authorized channels (satellite or terrestrial network) and enable secure verification of user rights to receive and share content, preventing unauthorized copying and piracy while maintaining broad content access.
3Productivity
If satellite broadcasting is used for content delivery, then content distribution capability is improved, but cost-effectiveness deteriorates for content desired by small numbers of customers
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using satellite resources for complete content delivery to all potential users, the system uses satellite only for initial content delivery to authorized users or for delivering authorization tokens. The actual content distribution to additional users is handled partially through peer-to-peer sharing among users, reducing satellite resource consumption while maintaining distribution capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication system includes a first user device and a group of user devices. A peer-to-peer network is formed from the group of user devices and the first user device. A content request is communicated to the group of user devices through a terrestrial network. At least one of the group of user devices communicates the media content file corresponding to the content request to the first user device through the peer-to-peer network. The media content file communicated to the first user device from at least one of the group of user devices comprises a missing portion of the media content file.