Method and System for Redirecting an Electronic Content Request to an Alternate Content Transport Mechanism or Storage Site

Abstract

A method includes receiving content from a provider, storing the content at a location of a local cache, and transmitting a request for the content from a user device to a transport proxy server. The method also includes receiving an indicator from the transport proxy server, and accessing the content from the location of the local cache.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, using a user device of an end-user site, content from a content provider;   storing the content at a location of a local cache of the end-user site;   transmitting a request for the content from the user device to a transport proxy server remote to the end-user site responsive to user input representing a request to review the content, the request comprising a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with a website providing the content;   receiving an indicator from the transport proxy server at the user device responsive to transmitting the request, the indicator representative of the location of the local cache; and   accessing, using the user device, the content from the location of the local cache based on the indicator to present the content to a user at the end-user site.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 receiving the content from the content provider comprises receiving the content from the content provider via a first transport mechanism;   transmitting the request for the content to the transport proxy server comprises transmitting the request to the transport proxy server via a second transport mechanism; and   receiving the indicator from the transport proxy server comprises receiving the indicator from the transport proxy server via the second transport mechanism.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first transport mechanism comprises one of a satellite-based media broadcast mechanism or a cable-based media broadcast mechanism and the second transport mechanism comprises an Internet-based mechanism. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the end-user site and the transport proxy server are connected via a cable network. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 receiving the content from the content provider comprises receiving the content from the content provider via a transport mechanism;   transmitting the request for the content to the transport proxy server comprises transmitting the request to the transport proxy server via the transport mechanism; and   receiving the indicator from the transport proxy server comprises receiving the indicator from the transport proxy server via the transport mechanism.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content comprises at least one of audio content or video content. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing, at the transport proxy server, a plurality of uniform resource locators (URLs), wherein each URL of the plurality of URLs is associated with a corresponding website of a plurality of websites providing the content; and   transmitting the indicator from the transport proxy server to the user device in response to determining a match between the URL of the request and a URL of the plurality of URLs stored at the transport proxy server.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the user device comprises one of a personal computer, a set top box, a personal digital assistant, or a television.   
   
   
       9 . A system comprising:
 an end-user site comprising:   a user device to:
 receive content from a content provider; 
 store the content at a location of a local cache of the end-user site; 
 transmit a request for the content to a transport proxy server remote to the end-user site responsive to user input representing a request to review the content, the request comprising a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with a website providing the content; 
 receive an indicator from the transport proxy server responsive to transmitting the request, the indicator representative of the location of the local cache; and 
 access the content from the location of the local cache based on the indicator to present the content to a user at the end-user site. 
   
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the user device receives the content from the content provider via a first transport mechanism;   the user device transmits the request for the content to the transport proxy server via a second transport mechanism; and   the user device receives the indicator from the transport proxy server via the second transport mechanism.   
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first transport mechanism comprises one of a satellite-based media broadcast mechanism or a cable-based media broadcast mechanism and the second transport mechanism comprises an Internet-based mechanism. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the end-user site and the transport proxy server are connected via a cable network. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the user device receives the content from the content provider, transmits the request to the transport proxy server, and receives the indicator from the transport proxy server via a same transport mechanism.   
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the end-user site and the transport proxy server are connected via one of a digital subscriber line or a cable network. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 the transport proxy server, wherein the transport proxy server is to:   store a plurality of uniform resource locators (URLs), wherein each URL of the plurality of URLs is associated with a corresponding website of a plurality of websites providing the content; and   transmit the indicator from the transport proxy server to the user device in response to determining a match between the URL of the request and a URL of the plurality of URLs stored at the transport proxy server.   
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 the content provider, wherein the content provider is to:   publish the content at the plurality of websites prior to providing the plurality of URLs to the transport proxy server.   
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the user device comprises one of a personal computer, a set top box, a personal digital assistant, or a television.   
   
   
       18 . A system comprising:
 an end-user site; and   a transport proxy server remote to the end-user site, the transport proxy server to:   store a plurality of uniform resource locators (URLs) associated with content stored at the end-user site and published at a plurality of websites, each URL of the plurality of URLs associated with a corresponding website of the plurality of websites; and   redirect the end-user site to a location of a content cache of the end-user site for content requested by the end-user site in response to determining a URL associated with the content requested by the end-user site matches a URL of the plurality of URLs.   
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the end-user site receives the content from a content provider via a first transport mechanism; and   the transport proxy server and the end-user site communicate via a second transport mechanism.   
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the first transport mechanism comprises one of a satellite-based media broadcast mechanism or a cable-based media broadcast mechanism and the second transport mechanism comprises an Internet-based mechanism.