Personalized content delivery using peer-to-peer precaching

Abstract

A method and apparatus for peer-to-peer video precaching is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises building a user profile, periodically checking for new content of objects in the user profile, maintaining a data base of available objects and location of said objects, and determining the download location of an object requested by a user.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 (a) identifying, by a controller intermediary to a plurality of client devices and one or more content servers, a plurality of content stored on the one or more content servers;   (b) determining, by the controller, that a content of the plurality of content corresponds to a resource identified by a profile of each subscriber of a plurality of subscribers; and   (c) transmitting, by the controller, a message to the plurality of client devices corresponding to each subscriber to initiate a download of the content from a location identified by the message   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (a) further comprises crawling, by the controller, content of a content server of the one or more content servers to identify the content. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (a) further comprises receiving, by the controller, a report of a content server of the one or more content servers to identify the content. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (a) further comprises receiving, by the controller, a report on content of the one or more content servers from a server appliance that is configured to crawl the one or more content servers. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the client device comprise an end node of a local network and having a browser operated by the subscriber. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (b) further comprises receiving, by the controller, the profile of each subscriber from a client device of each subscriber. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (b) further comprises receiving, by the controller, the profile of each subscriber from a client appliance in communication with the plurality of client devices. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (b) further comprises querying a database of profiles to determine the plurality of subscribers having profiles corresponding to the content. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (c) further comprising transmitting, by the controller, the message in accordance with a download schedule determined by the controller based on network information. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the network information comprises one or more of the following: network topology, bandwidth, delay, congestion and utilization. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 a controller device intermediary to a plurality of client devices and one or more content servers, the controller device configured to:   identify a plurality of content stored on the one or more content servers;   determine that a content of the plurality of content corresponds to a resource identified by a profile of each subscriber of a plurality of subscribers; and   transmit a message to the plurality of client devices corresponding to each subscriber to initiate a download of the content from a location identified by the message.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller device is further configured to crawl content of a content server of the one or more content servers to identify the content. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller device is further configured to receive a report of a content server of the one or more content servers to identify the content. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller device is further configured to receive a report on content of the one or more content servers from a server appliance that is configured to crawl the one or more content servers. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the client device comprise an end node of a local network and having a browser operated by the subscriber. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller device is further configured to receive the profile of each subscriber from a client device of each subscriber. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller device is further configured to receive the profile of each subscriber from a client appliance in communication with the plurality of client devices. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller device is further configured to query a database of profiles to determine the plurality of subscribers having profiles corresponding to the content. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller device is further configured to transmit the message in accordance with a download schedule determined by the controller based on network information. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the network information comprises one or more of the following: network topology, bandwidth, delay, congestion and utilization.