Peer-to-peer video on demand techniques

摘要

Techniques for delivering video-on-demand content via peer-to-peer connections are provided. A video-on-demand distribution service maintains associations of viewer devices that have specific video-on-demand content. As new viewer devices, which lack the specific video-on-demand content, make requests for the specific video-on-demand content from the video-on-demand distribution system, the video-on-demand distribution system identifies a peer-to-peer viewer device from which the specific video-on-demand content may be acquired via a peer-to-peer transaction. Video-on-demand content sources are identified by comparing distances between the geographical location of the requestor device and geographical locations of devices of the plurality of viewer devices to a distance threshold. A first portion of a first item of video on demand content is obtained from source viewer device and a second portion of the first item of video on demand content is obtained from the video distribution system. Other embodiments are disclosed.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
distributing, by a processing system including a processor, a first item of video on demand content to equipment of a viewer of a plurality of viewers for storage on the equipment of the viewer without providing a viewer notification, wherein the distributing of the first item of video on demand content is not based on a requestor device requesting the video on demand content; generating, by the processing system, an index of equipment of the plurality of viewers comprising indicia of geographical locations of the equipment of the plurality of viewers and indicia of a plurality of video on demand content items stored thereon; receiving, by the processing system, a request for the first item of video on demand content from the requestor device, wherein the first item of video on demand content comprises personalized video content; identifying, by the processing system, a geographical location of the requestor device; searching, by the processing system, the index of the equipment of the plurality of viewers to identify the equipment of the viewer storing the first item of video on demand content and determining when the equipment of the viewer storing the first item of video on demand content is within a proximity to the geographical location of the requestor device, by comparing distances between the geographical location of the requestor device and geographical locations of the equipment of the viewer storing the first item of video on demand content against a predetermined distance threshold; providing, by the processing system, an access key to the requestor device, wherein access by the requestor device to a first portion of the first item of video on demand content stored by the equipment of the viewer is based on a presentation of the access key by the requestor device; instructing, by the processing system, the requestor device to obtain the first portion of the first item of video on demand content from the equipment of the viewer storing the first item of video on demand content in response to determining when the equipment of the viewer storing the first item of video on demand content is within the proximity to the geographical location of the requestor device and responsive to the presentation of the access key by the requestor device; instructing, by the processing system, the requestor device to obtain a second portion of the first item of video on demand content from the processing system; and instructing, by the processing system, the equipment of the viewer to remove the first item of video on demand content from storage in response to policy evaluation.