Chaincast method and system for broadcasting information to multiple systems within the internet

Abstract

A method and system for performing chaincast communication to multiple communication systems within a system of coupled electronic devices. In one implementation the electronic devices can be computer systems and the system of coupled electronic devices includes the Internet. The present invention provides a system wherein a broadcast source communicates broadcast information (e.g., encoded audio radio content, encoded audio/video television content, program instructions, etc.) to a first group of electronic devices. The first group of electronic devices can be instructed by a transmission scheduler to then communicate (e.g., forward) the broadcast information to other electronic devices which devices can also be instructed to communicate to more devices, etc., thereby reducing the bandwidth requirements of the communication channel between the broadcast source and the first group of electronic devices.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 broadcasting data to a plurality of devices in a network;   responsive to a request for the data from a requesting device, randomly selecting and causing at least one of the plurality of devices to forward the data to the requesting device as the data is received at the at least one of the plurality of devices; and   responsive to the at least one of the plurality of devices malfunctioning, randomly selecting and causing another one of the plurality of devices to forward the data to the requesting device as the data is received at the another one of the plurality of devices.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the data comprises a radio program. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the data comprises a television program. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the data comprises a computer program. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 responsive to a second request for the data from a second requesting device, broadcasting the data to the second requesting device.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 responsive to a third request for the data from a third requesting device, randomly selecting and causing at least one of the plurality of devices and the first and second requesting devices to forward the data to the third requesting device as the data is received at the at least one of the plurality of devices and the first and second requesting devices.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 responsive to a fourth request for the data from a fourth requesting device, broadcasting the data to the fourth requesting device.   
     
     
         28 . A computer-readable storage device comprising computer-executable instructions stored therein, the computer-executable instructions comprising:
 instructions to broadcast data to a plurality of devices in a network;   instructions to randomly select and cause at least one of the plurality of devices to forward the data to a requesting device as the data is received at the at least one of the plurality of devices responsive to a request for the data from the requesting device; and   instructions to randomly select and cause another one of the plurality of devices to forward the data to the requesting device as the data is received at the another one of the plurality of devices responsive to the at least one of the plurality of devices malfunctioning.   
     
     
         29 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 28 , wherein the data comprises a radio program. 
     
     
         30 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 28 , wherein the data comprises a television program. 
     
     
         31 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 28 , wherein the data comprises a computer program. 
     
     
         32 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 28 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:
 instructions to broadcast the data to a second requesting device responsive to a second request for the data from the second requesting device.   
     
     
         33 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 32 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:
 instructions to randomly select and cause at least one of the plurality of devices and the first and second requesting devices to forward the data to a third requesting device as the data is received at the at least one of the plurality of devices and the first and second requesting devices responsive to a third request for the data from the third requesting device.   
     
     
         34 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 33 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:
 instructions to broadcast the data to a fourth requesting device responsive to a fourth request for the data from the fourth requesting device.   
     
     
         35 . An apparatus comprising:
 a memory including a plurality of instructions; and   a processor operable to execute the instructions to broadcast data to a plurality of devices in a network, wherein the processor is further operable to execute the instructions, responsive to a request for the data from a requesting device, to randomly select and cause at least one of the plurality of devices to forward the data to the requesting device as the data is received at the at least one of the plurality of devices, and wherein the processor is further operable to execute the instructions, responsive to the at least one of the plurality of devices malfunctioning, to randomly select and cause another one of the plurality of devices to forward the data to the requesting device as the data is received at the another one of the plurality of devices.   
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the data comprises a radio program. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the data comprises a television program. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the data comprises a computer program. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the processor is further operable to execute the instructions, responsive to a second request for the data from a second requesting device, to broadcast the data to the second requesting device. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 39 , wherein the processor is further operable to execute the instructions, responsive to a third request for the data from a third requesting device, to randomly select and cause at least one of the plurality of devices and the first and second requesting devices to forward the data to the third requesting device as the data is received at the at least one of the plurality of devices and the first and second requesting devices.