Caching using multicast radio transmissions

1. A method of providing data via radio transmissions, the method comprising:

identifying a first content item as being of potential interest to multiple remote radio terminals;

in response to the identification of the first content item, causing a first portion of the first content item to be transmitted to a first plurality of remote radio terminals and a second plurality of remote radio terminals via a first multicast radio transmission, wherein the first transmission identifies the first portion of the first content as data which may be cached by the first plurality of remote radio terminals, wherein the second plurality of remote radio terminals are not included in the first plurality of remote radio terminals;

receiving a request from one of the first plurality of remote radio terminals to obtain a first manifest file for a streaming media item;

obtaining the first manifest file, wherein the first manifest file specifies a first plurality of streams for the streaming media item;

selecting a first stream included in the first plurality of streams based on a resolution of the first stream being a first predetermined resolution;

including the selected first stream in a modified manifest file;

selecting a second stream included in the first plurality of streams based on a resolution of the second stream being a second predetermined resolution that is different than the first predetermined resolution;

including the selected second stream in the modified manifest file; and

responding to the request to obtain the first manifest file with the modified manifest file, in which the modified manifest file specifies the first stream and the second stream, but not all of the first plurality of streams;

wherein the first content item is identified based on the first content item being included in the selected first stream ; and

wherein the first transmission includes information indicating the first content item is associated with a first source which causes the second plurality of remote radio terminals to selectively not cache the first portion of the first content item received via the first transmission due to the second plurality of remote radio terminals not having been used to access content items from the first source.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a first request for the first content item from a first radio terminal; and

receiving a second request for the first content item from a second radio terminal;

wherein the first content item is identified based on the first request and the second request.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the first content item and the causing the first portion of the first content item to be transmitted are performed prior to any of the first plurality of remote radio terminals receiving a request for the first content item.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first transmission is transmitted by a communication satellite and each of the first plurality of remote radio terminals includes a satellite communication receiver adapted to receive the first transmission from the communication satellite.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first transmission is transmitted by a cellular communications base station and each of the first plurality of remote radio terminals includes a transceiver adapted to receive the first transmission from the base station.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first transmission identifies the first portion of the first content as data which may be cached by the second plurality of remote radio terminals.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving cache usage information from a first remote radio terminal, the cache usage information indicating use of a second content item from a cache storage unit included in the first remote radio terminal, wherein the first content item is identified based on the cache usage information.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at a first remote radio terminal included in the first plurality of remote terminals, the first transmission;

in response to the receiving of the first transmission, storing the first portion of the first content item in a cache included in the first remote radio terminal;

receiving, at the first remote radio terminal, a request for the first content item; and

providing the first portion of the first content item from the cache in response to the request.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

identifying, at the first remote radio terminal, one or more missing portions of the first content item not successfully received via multicast transmissions;

receiving, from the first remote radio terminal, information identifying the missing portions; and

causing the missing portions to be transmitted to the first remote radio terminal via one or more multicast radio transmissions.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining the first manifest file from a content server;

selecting a third stream included in the first plurality of streams based on bitrates and/or resolutions previously requested from the content server; and

including the selected third stream in the modified manifest file.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

selecting a third stream included in the first plurality of streams based on the third stream having the highest bitrate of the first plurality of streams; and

including the selected third stream in the modified manifest file.

12. A data communication system comprising a cache server including one or more processors configured to:

identify a first content item as being of potential interest to multiple remote radio terminals;

in response to the identification of the first content item, cause a first portion of the first content item to be transmitted to a first plurality of remote radio terminals and a second plurality of remote radio terminals via a first multicast radio transmission, wherein the first transmission identified the first portion of the first content as data which may be cached by the first plurality of remote radio terminals, wherein the second plurality of remote radio terminals are not included in the first plurality of remote radio terminals;

receive a request from one of the first plurality of remote radio terminals to obtain a first manifest file for a streaming media item;

obtain the first manifest file, wherein the first manifest file specifies a first plurality of streams for the streaming media item;

select a first stream included in the first plurality of streams based on a resolution of the first stream being a first predetermined resolution;

include the selected first stream in a modified manifest file;

select a second stream included in the first plurality of streams based on a resolution of the second stream being a second predetermined resolution that is different than the first predetermined resolution;

include the selected second stream in the modified manifest file; and

respond to the request to obtain the first manifest file with the modified manifest file, in which the modified manifest file specifies the first stream and the second stream, but not all of the first plurality of streams;

wherein the first transmission includes information indicating the first content item is associated with a first source which causes the second plurality of remote radio terminals to selectively not cache the first portion of the first content item received via the first transmission due to the second plurality of remote radio terminals not having been used to access content items from the first source.

13. The data communication system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive a first request for the first content item from a first radio terminal; and

receive a second request for the first content item from a second radio terminal;

wherein the first content item is identified based on the first request and the second request.

14. The data communication system of claim 12 , wherein the identifying the first content item and the causing the first portion of the first content item to be transmitted are performed prior to any of the first plurality of remote radio terminals receiving a request for the first content item.

15. The data communication system of claim 12 , wherein the first transmission is transmitted by a communication satellite and each of the first plurality of remote radio terminals includes a satellite communication receiver adapted to receive the first transmission from the communication satellite.

16. The data communication system of claim 12 , wherein the first transmission is transmitted by a cellular communications base station and each of the first plurality of remote radio terminals includes a transceiver adapted to receive the first transmission from the base station.

17. The data communication system of claim 12 , wherein the first transmission identifies the first portion of the first content as data which may be cached by the second plurality of remote radio terminals.

18. The data communication system of claim 12 , further comprising:

a remote radio terminal comprising:

a radio receiver adapted to receive the first transmission,

a cache storage unit, and

one or more processors adapted to:

in response to receiving the first transmission, store the first portion of the first content item in the cache storage unit,

receive a request for the first content item, and

provide the first portion of the first content item from the cache storage unit in response to the request.

19. The data communication system of claim 12 , further comprising:

a remote radio terminal comprising:

a radio transceiver adapted to receive the first transmission,

a cache storage unit, and

one or more processors adapted to:

receive a portion of a second content item via a second multicast radio transmission received by the radio transceiver,

in response to receiving the portion of the second content item, store the portion of the second content item in the cache storage unit,

receive a first request for the second content item,

provide the portion of the second content item from the cache storage unit in response to the first request,

transmit via the radio transceiver, based on the first request for the second content item, cache usage information indicating use of the second content item from the cache storage unit,

in response to receiving the first transmission, store the first portion of the first content item in the cache storage unit,

receive a second request for the first content item, and

provide the first portion of the first content item from the cache storage unit in response to the second request,

wherein the one or more processors included in the cache server are further configured to:

receive the cache usage information transmitted by the remote radio terminal, and

identify the first content item based on the cache usage information indicating use of the second content item from the cache storage unit.

20. The data communication system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to identify the first content item based on one of the streams included in the modified manifest file.