Communications methods and apparatus

1. A method of operating a communications device to communicate information, the method comprising:

monitoring to detect receipt of a first identifier via a first network interface corresponding to a first network, said first identifier corresponding to first information that is available via the first network, said first information indicating a source of first time varying data and a description of the first time varying data; and

monitoring to detect receipt, via a second network interface, of a second identifier corresponding to the first time varying data available via the second network;

determining if the first identifier received on the first interface;

determining if the second identifier corresponding to the first identifier received on the second interface;

making a decision whether or not to retransmit the second identifier based on said determination as to whether the first and second identifiers were received on the corresponding first and second interfaces; and

retransmitting the second identifier in response to making a decision to retransmit the second identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first identifier is any one of a plurality of identifiers corresponding to the second identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein making a decision whether or not to retransmit the second identifier includes deciding not to retransmit the second identifier when the first and second identifiers were not received on the corresponding first and second interfaces.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving with said second identifier i) first distance information indicating distance from a provider of said first time varying data, said first distance information is one of a number of hops to the source of said first time varying data or a number of hops to a device including a valid copy of said first time varying data; ii) maximum propagation information indicating a number of hops said second identifier is to be propagated from the source of said first time varying data and iii) information indicating at least two methods for accessing said first time varying data, a first method being an Internet access method and a second method being a device to device method.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a hop distance to a source of said first time varying data;

determining a maximum number of hops from the source the second identifier is to be transmitted; and

wherein making a decision whether or not to retransmit the second identifier further includes:

incrementing the number of hops from the source;

making a decision not to retransmit the second identifier when the incremented number of hops from the source exceeds the maximum number of hops from the source the second identifier is to be transmitted; and

making a decision to retransmit the second identifier when i) the incremented number of hops from the source is equal to or less than the maximum number of hops from the source the second identifier is to be transmitted, ii) the first identifier was received on the first network interface, and iii) the second identifier corresponding to the first identifier has been received on the second network interface.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

making a decision whether or not to retransmit the first identifier on the first interface based on whether or not the second identifier corresponding to the first identifier was received on the second interface.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein making a decision whether or not to retransmit the first identifier on the first interface based on whether or not the second identifier corresponding to the first identifier was received on the second interface includes:

deciding to retransmit the first identifier on the first interface when the second identifier corresponding to the first identifier has been received on the second interface and the decision of whether or not to retransmit the second identifier was a decision to retransmit the second identifier.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

making a decision to retrieve said first time varying data via a device to device connection to a device storing said first time varying data or via an Internet connection to a server storing said first time varying data based on whether or not the second identifier was received on the second interface.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said step of making a decision to retrieve said first time varying data via a device to device connection to a device storing said first time varying data or via an Internet connection includes:

deciding to access said first time varying data via a device to device connection when said second identifier was received via the second interface and deciding to access said first time varying data via the Internet connection when the second identifier was not received on the second interface.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining a shortest hop distance to the first time varying data; and

using a device to device communications path corresponding to the determined shortest hop distance when it is decided that the first time varying data is to be accessed via the device to device connection.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving a request for said first time varying data from a requesting device via the second interface;

determining if a locally stored cached copy of the first time varying data is available; and

transmitting via the second interface the first time varying data when it is determined that a locally stored cached copy of the first time varying data is available.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving a request for said first time varying data from a requesting device via the second interface;

determining if a locally stored cached copy of the first time varying data available;

transmitting via the second interface a request for the first time varying to another device when it is determined that a locally stored cached copy of the first time varying data is not available;

receiving the first time varying data from said another device via the second interface; and

transmitting via the second interface the first time varying data to the requesting device after receiving the first time varying data via the second interface from said another device.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving a request for said first time varying data from a server accessible via the Internet; and

responding to the server with the first time varying data when said first time varying data is available from memory.

14. A communications device comprising:

a first network interface corresponding to a first network;

a second network interface corresponding to a second network; and

a processor configured to:

monitor to detect receipt of a first identifier via the first network interface corresponding to the first network, said first identifier corresponding to first information that is available via the first network, said first information indicating a source of first time varying data and a description of the first time varying data;

monitor to detect receipt, via the second network interface, of a second identifier corresponding to the first time varying data available via the second network;

determine was the first identifier received on the first interface;

determine was the second identifier corresponding to the first identifier was received on the second interface;

make a decision whether or not to retransmit the second identifier based on said determination as to whether the first and second identifiers were received on the corresponding first and second interfaces; and

control the communications device to retransmit the second identifier in response to making a decision to retransmit the second identifier.

15. The communications device of claim 14 , wherein said processor is configured to decide not to retransmit the second identifier when the first and second identifiers were not received on the corresponding first and second interfaces, as part of being configured to make a decision whether or not to retransmit the second identifier.

16. The communications device of claim 14 , wherein said processor is further configured to:

receive with said second identifier; i) first distance information indicating distance from a provider of said first time varying data, said first distance information is one of a number of hops to the source of said time varying data or a number of hops to a device including a valid copy of said first time varying data; ii) maximum propagation information indicating a number of hops said second identifier is to be propagated from the source of said first time varying data; and iii) information indicating at least two methods for accessing said first time varying data, a first method being an Internet access method and a second method being a device to device method.

17. The communications device of claim 14 , wherein said processor is further configured to:

determine a hop distance to a source of said first time varying data;

determine a maximum number of hops from the source the second identifier is to be transmitted;

increment the number of hops from the source;

make a decision not to retransmit the second identifier when the incremented number of hops from the source exceeds the maximum number of hops from the source the second identifier is to be transmitted; and

make a decision to retransmit the second identifier when i) the incremented number of hops from the source is equal to or less than the maximum number of hops from the source the second identifier is to be transmitted, ii) the first identifier was received on the first network interface, and iii) the second identifier corresponding to the first identifier has been received on the second network interface.

18. The communications device of claim 17 , wherein said processor is further configured to:

make a decision whether or not to retransmit the first identifier on the first interface based on whether or not the second identifier corresponding to the first identifier was received on the second interface.

19. The communications device of claim 18 , wherein said processor is further configured to:

decide to retransmit the first identifier on the first interface when the second identifier corresponding to the first identifier has been received on the second interface and the decision of whether or not to retransmit the second identifier was a decision to retransmit the second identifier, as part of being configured to make a decision whether or not to retransmit the first identifier on the first interface based on whether or not the second identifier corresponding to the first identifier was received on the second interface.

20. The communications device of claim 14 , wherein said processor is further configured to:

determine whether or not the second identifier was received on the second interface; and

make a decision to retrieve said first time varying data via a device to device connection to a device storing said first time varying data or via an Internet connection to a server storing said first time varying data based on whether or not the second identifier was received on the second interface.