Promotion packaging transmission groups

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to routing promotion content files to groups of end node devices having the same or similar device attributes, such as data storage capacity, called transmission groups. Specifically, a promotion is assembled into one or more data packages, with a package being created for each different transmission group. Promotions may be aggregated, with multiple promotions being placed in each package. The packages may include information such as promotion identification, start time, end time, duration, port number, multicast or broadcast address to facilitate bulk data routing via broadcast or multicast. The packages are then used to generate and deliver promotion schedules to each device of a transmission group and to schedule bulk data transmissions to the respective transmission groups via separate broadcast or multicast for each package.

1 . A method of packaging promotions for transmission over a multimedia network, comprising: 
 associating a promotion group with at least one promotion, the promotion group comprising viewers associated with promotion;    identifying end node devices associated with the promotion group;    subdividing the end node devices of the promotion group into a plurality of transmission groups, each of the transmission groups comprising a plurality of end node devices with at least one common physical attribute; and    creating a package for each of the transmission groups, each package adapted to accommodate the common physical attributes of the specific transmission group to which it relates.    
     
     
         2 . The method of packaging promotions of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 sending packages to at least one transmission group via a broadcast or multicast transmission.    
     
     
         3 . The method of packaging promotions of  claim 1 , wherein the common physical attribute comprises device data storage capacity.  
     
     
         4 . The method of packaging promotions of  claim 3 , wherein each package specifies a maximum package size, the maximum package size of each package being less than or equal to a device data storage capacity of a corresponding transmission group.  
     
     
         5 . The method of packaging promotions of  claim 4 , additionally comprising: 
 adding promotions to a package unless the maximum package size is reached;    creating a new package when the maximum package size for the package is reached; and    adding the remaining promotions from the set of promotions to the new package.    
     
     
         6 . The method of packaging promotions of  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 deassociating the promotion group from the set of promotions; and    removing the set of promotions from each package such that a size of the package is reduced.    
     
     
         7 . The method of packaging promotions of  claim 3 , wherein the device data storage capacity is an expected amount or percentage of available device storage for caching promotions.  
     
     
         8 . The method of packaging promotions of  claim 3 , wherein the device data storage capacity is an expected amount or percentage of dedicated device storage for caching promotions.  
     
     
         9 . The method of packaging promotions of  claim 1 , wherein the common physical attribute comprises device processor speed.  
     
     
         10 . The method of packaging promotions of  claim 3 , wherein the common physical attribute is data communication rate.  
     
     
         11 . The method of packaging promotions of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of end node devices are set top boxes capable of activating promotions in a television environment.  
     
     
         12 . The method of packaging promotions of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 sending packages to transmission groups via separate broadcast or multicast transmissions directed to the transmission groups.    
     
     
         13 . A system for packaging promotions for transmission groups, comprising: 
 a promotion manager server;    a promotion storage device for storing a plurality of promotions;    the promotion manager server defining a promotion group which is to receive a promotion, the promotion group comprising end node devices targeted to receive a promotion; 
 subdividing the end node devices of the promotion group into transmission groups, each of the transmission groups comprising a plurality of end node devices having at least one common physical attribute;  
 creating a package for each of the transmission groups, each package adapted to accommodate the common physical attribute of the transmission group to which it relates.  
   
     
     
         14 . The system for packaging promotions of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a bulk data server for sending packages comprising a plurality of end node devices having at least one common physical attribute via separate broadcast or multicast transmissions directed to the transmission groups.