Systems and methods for determining portions of media assets for immediate retrieval by multiple devices
Systems and methods are disclosed for determining portions of media assets for cooperative reception by multiple devices. The disclosed techniques herein include identifying cooperating devices that are able to communicate with a selected device for relaying portions of a media asset. For example, a group of people each travelling together in a vehicle may wish to view a media asset by cooperatively using their network resources of their smartphones to relay portions of the media asset for viewing. Network service data for each of the plurality of cooperating devices is then received. Based on the network service data, a determination is made for each cooperating device regarding reception of a respective portion of the media asset to each cooperating device. Instructions to receive and relay the respective portions of the media asset are transmitted to each cooperating device.
1. A method comprising:
identifying a plurality of cooperating devices, wherein the cooperating devices are located in a common area in proximity of each other;
allocating, based at least in part on network conditions relating to network service failure or traffic congestion in the common area, a respective portion, from a plurality of respective portions, of a media asset to each of the cooperating devices;
identifying, based at least in part on the network conditions in the common area, a primary device from the cooperating devices; and
causing each of the cooperating devices to receive a different respective portion, from the plurality of respective portions, of the media asset, wherein the different respective portions are apportioned to the cooperating devices based on their quality of service, and to relay the respective portion of the media asset to the primary device.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the primary device is not capable of receiving the respective portion of the media asset; and
in response to determining that the primary device is not capable of receiving the respective portion of the media asset:
selecting another device, from the plurality of cooperating devices, as the primary device.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that a second cooperating device, from the plurality of cooperating devices, has better signal strength than the primary device; and
in response to determining that the second cooperating device, from the plurality of cooperating devices, has better signal strength than the primary device:
switching duties assigned to the primary device to the second cooperating device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the common area is based on a common route travelled together by the cooperating devices.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the network conditions relate to the network service failure along the common route, and in response to the network service failure along the common route, circumventing the network service failure by selecting a route with network coverage.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the network service failure is caused due to a buffer underrun or a reception disruption.
7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
receiving data activity information;
determining whether the data activity information is indicative of the traffic congestion; and
in response to detecting such traffic congestion:
interfacing with a navigational application of a device, from the plurality of cooperating devices; and
providing an alternative route to avoid the traffic congestion.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining whether the data activity information is indicative of the traffic congestion is based on determining a density of devices in a location of the traffic congestion.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the alternative route is provided by a network optimizer.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending a request to each device in the common area to accept or reject being part of a cooperating device network; and
in response to receiving an acceptance from the device, adding the device to the cooperating device network.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein, identifying a plurality of cooperating devices that are in proximity of each other further comprises, determining whether the cooperating devices are within a range of a secondary communication network.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein, the secondary communication network is selected from a group consisting of Bluetooth communications, Near Field Communication, service provider proprietary networks, and ad-hoc wireless connection.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein, receiving the different respective portion, from the plurality of respective portions, of the media asset by the cooperating devices further comprises:
determining the quality of service of each device of the cooperating devices in real time and
transmitting the different respective portion of the media asset to each device of the cooperating devices based on its quality of service.
14. A system comprising:
control circuitry configured to:
identify a plurality of cooperating devices, wherein the cooperating devices are located in a common area in proximity of each other;
allocate, based at least in part on network conditions relating to network service failure or traffic congestion in the common area, a respective portion, from a plurality of respective portions, of a media asset to each of the cooperating devices;
identify, based at least in part on the network conditions in the common area, a primary device from the cooperating devices; and
cause each of the cooperating devices to receive a different respective portion, from the plurality of respective portions, of the media asset, wherein the different respective portions are apportioned to the cooperating devices based on their quality of service, and to relay the respective portion of the media asset to the primary device.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the common area is based on a common route travelled together by the cooperating devices.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the network conditions relate to the network service failure along the common route, and in response to the network service failure along the common route, the control circuitry configured to circumventing the network service failure by selecting a route with network coverage.
17. The system of claim 15 , further comprising, the control circuitry configured to:
receive data activity information;
determine whether the data activity information is indicative of the traffic congestion; and
in response to detecting such traffic congestion, the control circuitry configured to:
interface with a navigational application of a device, from the plurality of cooperating devices; and
provide an alternative route to avoid the traffic congestion.
18. The system of claim 14 , further comprising, the control circuitry configured to:
send a request to each device in the common area to accept or reject being part of a cooperating device network; and
in response to receiving an acceptance from the device, add the device to the cooperating device network.
19. The system of claim 14 , further comprising, the control circuitry configured to:
determine that the primary device is not capable of receiving the respective portion of the media asset; and
in response to determining that the primary device is not capable of receiving the respective portion of the media asset, the control circuitry configured to:
select another device, from the plurality of cooperating devices, as the primary device.
20. The system of claim 14 , further comprising, the control circuitry configured to:
determine that a second cooperating device, from the plurality of cooperating devices, has better signal strength than the primary device; and
in response to determining that the second cooperating device, from the plurality of cooperating devices, has better signal strength than the primary device:
switch duties assigned to the primary device to the second cooperating device.