Content delivery coordinator apparatus and method

Abstract

Apparatus and method for managing and coordinating the delivery of information content in a manner that makes efficient use of the bandwidth of satellite based transponders being used to relay the information content to the mobile platforms. The apparatus makes use of a content management coordinator system having a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI interfaces with one or more mobile platform operators to allow each of the operators to define the criteria by which various types of information content to be supplied to the mobile platforms. The apparatus further includes a file spaced storage monitoring subsystem which allows the file storage space available on each mobile platform to be monitored, and files deleted therefrom if necessary, to ensure that newly requested information content can be stored by the mobile platform. Information content is coordinated and aggregated as needed to ensure that transponder bandwidth is used most effectively for delivering various types of information content to each mobile platform requesting the content within each coverage region being controlled by the apparatus.

1 . A system for managing the availability of information content to be supplied to at least one mobile platform operating within a predefined geographic coverage region, via a satellite communications link, the system comprising: 
 a content management coordinator system for providing said information content to said mobile platform;    an interface operably associated with said content management coordinator system and accessible via a wide area network connection with an operator of said mobile platform, and also with a user on said mobile platform via said satellite communications link;    said interface enabling said operator to define at least one of: 
 type of information content to be made available to said mobile platforms from said content management coordinator system; and  
 a time frame during which said information content is to be made available to said mobile platform from said content management coordinator system.  
   
   
   
       2 . The system of claim one, further comprising a delivery apparatus for interfacing with said content management system and delivering said information content to said mobile platform in accordance with selections made by said operator.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said interface further enables said operator to select one of three priorities for a delivery of said information content to said mobile platform, said three priorities comprising: 
 mandatory delivery of said information content to said mobile platform;    a best effort made to deliver said information content to said mobile platform; and    no priority given to delivering said information content to said mobile platform.    
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said content management coordinator system monitors an amount of information content supplied to said mobile platform and supplies commands to a server on said mobile platform to delete sub quantities of said information content previously delivered to said mobile platform, to manage storage of said information content on said server.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said interface enables said operator to select a specific type of said information content to be delivered to said mobile platform at predetermined time intervals.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said interface provides information to at least one of said operator and said user regarding a cost of providing a given type of said information content within a given time of day.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said interface monitors for the arrival of said mobile platform within said coverage region and automatically begins supplying said information content in accordance with a selection previously made by said operator.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said interface comprises a graphical user interface.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said interface enables communication with an individual located remotely from said system to enable said individual to pre-select information content to be made available to him/her on said mobile platform.  
   
   
       10 . A system for managing the availability and supplying of information content to a plurality of one mobile platforms operating within a predefined geographic coverage region, via a satellite communications link, the system comprising: 
 a content management coordinator system for providing said information content to said mobile platforms;    a graphical user interface operably associated with said content management coordinator system and accessible via a wide area network connection with an operator of said mobile platforms, and also with a user on each of said mobile platforms via said satellite communications link; and    said graphical user interface enabling at least one of said operator and at least one of said users to select a specific type of information content to be supplied to said mobile platforms from said content management coordinator system.    
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said graphical user interface enables at least one of said users and said operator to select a time frame during which said information content is to be made available to a give one of said mobile platforms from said content management coordinator system.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said graphical user interface further enables said operator to select one of three priorities for a delivery of said information content to each of said mobile platforms, said three priorities comprising: 
 mandatory delivery of said information content to said mobile platforms;    a best effort made to deliver said information content to said mobile platforms; and    no priority given to delivering said information content to said mobile platforms.    
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said content management coordinator system monitors an amount of information content supplied to a given one of said mobile platforms and supplies commands to a server on said given mobile platform to delete sub quantities of said information content previously delivered to said given mobile platform, to manage storage of said information content on said server of said given mobile platform.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said graphical user interface enables said operator to select a specific type of said information content to be delivered to said mobile platforms at predetermined time intervals.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said graphical user interface provides information to at least one of said operator and one of said users regarding a cost of providing a given type of said information content during a given time of day.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said graphical user interface monitors for the arrival of said mobile platform within said coverage region and automatically begins supplying said information content in accordance with a selection previously made by said operator.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said interface enables communication with an individual located remotely from said system to enable said individual to pre-select information content to be made available to him/her on said mobile platform.  
   
   
       18 . A system for managing the availability of information content to be supplied to at least one mobile platform operating within a predefined geographic coverage region, via a satellite communications link, the system comprising: 
 a content management coordinator system for providing said information content to said mobile platform;    a graphical user interface operably associated with said content management coordinator system and accessible via a wide area network connection with an operator of said mobile platform;    said graphical user interface providing said operator with selections for selecting at least one of the following: 
 a specific type of information content to be made available to said mobile platform from said content management coordinator system; and  
 a cost of providing said specific type of information content to said mobile platform for a given time of day.  
   
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein said graphical user interface further allows said operator to designate a time frame during which said information content is to be made available to said mobile platform from said content management coordinator system.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein said graphical user interface further allows said operator to designate if said specific type of information content is to be automatically supplied to said mobile platform as soon as said mobile platform enters said predefined geographic region.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein said content management coordinator system monitors availability of storage resources on a server on said mobile platform.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein said content management coordinator system further deletes previously stored information content from said server.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein a user on said graphical user interface is accessible by a user on said mobile platform to request delivery of a specific type of information content.  
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising a delivery mechanism for delivering said information content to said mobile platform.  
   
   
       25 . A method for managing a supply of information content to a mobile platform operating within a predefined geographic coverage region, via a satellite communications link, the method comprising: 
 providing a terrestrial based subsystem having access to a plurality of types of information content;    using a graphical user interface operably associated with said subsystem, and accessible via a wide area network connection with an operator of said mobile platform, to enable said operator to select at least one specific type of said information content to be made available to said mobile platform upon request by said mobile platform to said terrestrial based subsystem.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising using said graphical user interface to enable said operator to select a time of day that said specific type of said information content is to be made available to said mobile platform.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising using said graphical user interface to provide cost information to said operator pertaining to a cost of delivering a selected type of said information content at a given time of day.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising user said graphical user interface to enable said operator to define a priority level for delivering said selected type of said information content.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising using said terrestrial based subsystem to monitor storage capacity of a server on said mobile platform.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising using said terrestrial based subsystem to modify stored data content on said server as needed to ensure adequate storage space for content delivered to said mobile platform.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising providing access to said graphical user interface to a user on said mobile platform, and enabling said user to select a specific type of said information content.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising using said graphical interface to enable said terrestrial based subsystem to designate that a specified type of said information content is to be automatically delivered to said mobile platform when said mobile platform enters said predefined geographic coverage region.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising using said terrestrial based subsystem to automatically periodically supply a specific type of content specified by said operator as soon as said mobile platform enters said predefined geographic coverage region.