System and method for effectively transmitting content items to electronic devices

Abstract

A system and method for effectively transmitting content items to electronic devices includes a content server that is configured to access and store various types of content information. A recommendation engine of the content server analyzes network statistics and client profiles to identify appropriate content items for device users of the electronic devices. A transmitter receives the targeted content items from the content server, and responsively provides the content items to the electronic devices by broadcasting the content items over a unidirectional telecommunications link.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A content server for supporting a content distribution in an electronic network comprising one or more computers associated with a user, said content server comprising:
 at least one processor operable to:
 determine usage of said one or more computers; 
 analyze network statistics associated with said one or more computers based on said determined usage; 
 select a content based on said analyzed network statistics; and 
 transmit said selected content to an electronic device associated with said user, through a unidirectional telecommunication link. 
   
     
     
         2 . The content server of  claim 1 , wherein said content comprises one or more of: news data, traffic data, weather data, image data, audio/video data, program guide data, software data, and/or Internet website data. 
     
     
         3 . The content server of  claim 1 , wherein said network statistics comprise Internet browsing statistics. 
     
     
         4 . The content server of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one processor is operable to select said content based on a client profile associated with said electronic device. 
     
     
         5 . The content server of  claim 4 , wherein said at least one processor is operable to automatically create said client profile based on said analyzed network statistics. 
     
     
         6 . The content server of  claim 4 , wherein said client profile is manually created by said user. 
     
     
         7 . The content server of  claim 4 , wherein said client profile comprises demographic information corresponding to said user. 
     
     
         8 . The content server of  claim 7 , wherein said demographic information comprises one or more of: a user age, a user gender, a user location, a user ethnicity, a user marital status, user family information, a user annual income bracket, user occupation, user hobbies, user interests, and/or a user political affiliation. 
     
     
         9 . The content server of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one processor is operable to select said content from a plurality of content items stored in a content database. 
     
     
         10 . The content server of  claim 9 , wherein said content database stores a client profile associated with said electronic device. 
     
     
         11 . A method for supporting a content distribution in an electronic network comprising one or more computers associated with a user, said method comprising:
 determining usage of said one or more computers;   analyzing network statistics associated with said one or more computers based on said determined usage;   selecting a content based on said analyzed network statistics and a client profile; and   transmitting said selected content to an electronic device associated with said user, through a unidirectional telecommunication link.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said content and said client profile are stored in a content database. 
     
     
         13 . An electronic device for supporting a content reception in an electronic network comprising one or more computers associated with a user, said electronic device comprising:
 at least one processor operable to:
 receive a content from a content server through a unidirectional telecommunication link, wherein said content server selects said content based on usage of said one or more computers and wherein said electronic device is associated with said user. 
   
     
     
         14 . The electronic device of  claim 13 , wherein said electronic device is a portable wireless device. 
     
     
         15 . The electronic device of  claim 13 , wherein said at least one processor is operable to receive said content from said content server through a transmitter. 
     
     
         16 . The electronic device of  claim 15 , wherein said transmitter is a radio-frequency television broadcasting transmitter 
     
     
         17 . The electronic device of  claim 15 , wherein said at least one processor is operable to receive said content through said unidirectional telecommunication link between said transmitter and said electronic device. 
     
     
         18 . The electronic device of  claim 13 , wherein said electronic device is implemented without a wireless transmission capability. 
     
     
         19 . The electronic device of  claim 13 , wherein said at least one processor is operable to determine whether to accept said received content based upon content acceptance criteria. 
     
     
         20 . The electronic device of  claim 19 , wherein said content acceptance criteria are manually programmed as a user preference by said user. 
     
     
         21 . The electronic device of  claim 13 , wherein said at least one processor is operable to locally store said received content and determine whether said locally-stored content is obsolete. 
     
     
         22 . The electronic device of  claim 21 , wherein said at least one processor is operable to periodically delete said obsolete locally-stored content. 
     
     
         23 . The electronic device of  claim 13 , wherein said at least one processor is operable to present an information window interface to said user for cataloguing and navigating said received content. 
     
     
         24 . The electronic device of  claim 13 , wherein said at least one processor is operable to indicate to said user that requested functionalities are unavailable. 
     
     
         25 . The electronic device of  claim 24 , wherein said at least one processor is operable to offer said user one or more alternative functionalities when said requested functionalities are unavailable.