System and associated terminal, method and computer program product for uploading content

Abstract

A system for uploading content includes a sender capable of sending an upload request, where the upload request comprises a request to upload content from the sender to a recipient. The system also includes a network entity, such as the recipient, capable of operating an upload agent. The upload agent, in turn, is capable of receiving the upload request, and thereafter determining an upload schedule relating to the time and/or manner of uploading the content. The sender can then be capable of uploading the content to the recipient in accordance with the upload schedule. The network entity can be further capable of recovering an upload session that has encountered an interruption.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 initiating transmission of an upload request for content via a network to a recipient;   receiving, from the recipient, an upload instruction that comprises information for separating the content into a plurality of portions;   initiating uploading of the content to the recipient based on the upload instruction;   receiving, after an interruption in the uploading, a resume message comprising information relating to successfully received ones of the plurality of portions; and   initiating resumption of the uploading based on the resume message.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the content comprises a plurality of data packets, and the method further comprises:
 initiating uploading of one or more information packets with the plurality of data packets;   determining a last uploaded data packet in response to the interruption; and   determining a last uploaded information packet in response to the interruption,   wherein the determination of a last one of the uploaded data packet is based, at least in part, on the last uploaded information packet.   
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 initiating a monitoring of an amount, an accuracy, or a combination thereof of the uploaded content based, at least in part, on uploaded information packets,   wherein the determination of the last uploaded data packet is based, at least in part, on the monitoring.   
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more information packets include information relating to a number of data packets in a block of the plurality of the data packets the recipient is expected to receive before a subsequent information packet, information relating to a number of data packets in a block of the plurality of the data packets the recipient should have received after a previous information packet, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more information packets include information uniquely identifying data packets before, after, or a combination thereof of the one or more information packets, and the method further comprises:
 appending information to one or more data packets of the plurality of data packets,   wherein the appended information includes one or more identifiers that identify placement of respective data packets in relation to other data packets.   
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 re-establishing, after the interruption, communication with the recipient; and   generating a request for size of the received ones of the plurality of portions.   
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that the interruption is caused by the network or the recipient; and   receiving information on a current state of the network or the recipient,   wherein the uploading of the content is based on the information of the current state of the network or the recipient.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,   the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,
 initiate transmission of an upload request for content via a network to a recipient; 
 receive, from the recipient, an upload instruction that comprises information for separating the content into a plurality of portions; 
 initiate uploading of the content to the recipient based on the upload instruction; 
 receive, after an interruption in the uploading, a resume message comprising information relating to successfully received ones of the plurality of portions; and 
 initiate resumption of the uploading based on the resume message. 
   
     
     
         9 . An apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the content comprises a plurality of data packets, and the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 initiate uploading of one or more information packets with the plurality of data packets;   determine a last uploaded data packet in response to the interruption; and   determine a last uploaded information packet in response to the interruption,   wherein the determination of a last one of the uploaded data packet is based, at least in part, on the last uploaded information packet.   
     
     
         10 . An apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 initiate a monitoring of an amount, an accuracy, or a combination thereof of the uploaded content based, at least in part, on uploaded information packets,   wherein the determination of the last uploaded data packet is based, at least in part, on the monitoring.   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more information packets include information relating to a number of data packets in a block of the plurality of the data packets the recipient is expected to receive before a subsequent information packet, information relating to a number of data packets in a block of the plurality of the data packets the recipient should have received after a previous information packet, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more information packets include information uniquely identifying data packets before, after, or a combination thereof of the one or more information packets, and the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 append of information to one or more data packets of the plurality of data packets,   wherein the appended information includes one or more identifiers that identify placement of respective data packets in relation to other data packets.   
     
     
         13 . An apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the uploading of the content is in accordance with a hypertext transfer protocol. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is part of a mobile terminal and is further caused, at least in part, to:
 determine that the interruption is caused by the network or the recipient; and   receive information on a current state of the network or the recipient,   wherein the uploading of the content is based on the information of the current state of the network or the recipient.   
     
     
         15 . An apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 re-establish, after the interruption, communication with the recipient; and   generate a request for size of the received ones of the plurality of portions.   
     
     
         16 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the upload instruction includes at least one instruction defining processing the content, and wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 process the content such that the apparatus is capable of uploading the processed content.   
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to  claim 16 , the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 transcode and truncate at least a portion of the content such that the apparatus uploads the at least one of the transcoded and truncated portion of the content.   
     
     
         18 . An apparatus according to  claim 16 , the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 break up the upload content into the plurality of portions such that the apparatus is capable of uploading the plurality of portions.   
     
     
         19 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the upload instruction includes at least one instruction based upon the content and at least one network over which the content is uploaded, and wherein the apparatus uploads the content based upon the content and the at least one network. 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 receive a trigger to transmit the upload request such that the apparatus transmits the upload request in response to the trigger independent of interaction from a user of the apparatus.   
     
     
         21 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the content comprises a plurality of data packets, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 send an upload descriptor prior to uploading the content, wherein a network entity associated with the uploading is configured to recover the content based upon the upload descriptor such that the recipient receives the plurality of data packets.   
     
     
         22 . An apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the network entity recovers the content by determining at least one remaining data packet to be uploaded to the recipient to thereby complete uploading of the plurality of data packets of the content, and thereafter instructing the apparatus to send the at least one remaining data packet such that the apparatus uploads the at least one remaining data packet such that the recipient receives all of the content. 
     
     
         23 . A method comprising:
 receiving an upload request for content via a network from a sender;   generating, in response to the upload request, an upload instruction that comprises information for separating the content into a plurality of portions;   receiving at least part of one of the plurality of portions of the content from the sender based on the upload instruction;   generating, after an interruption in the receiving of the at least part of the one of the plurality of portions, a resume message comprising information relating to successfully received ones of the plurality of portions; and   initiating transmission of the resume message to continue the receiving of the at least part of the one of the plurality of portions based on the resume message.   
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 23 , wherein the content comprises a plurality of data packets, and the method further comprises:
 receiving of one or more information packets with the plurality of data packets;   in response to the interruption, determining a last uploaded data packet and a last uploaded information packet,   wherein the determination of a last one of the uploaded data packet is based, at least in part, on the last uploaded information packet; and   initiating a monitoring of an amount, an accuracy, or a combination thereof of the uploaded content based, at least in part, on uploaded information packets,   wherein the determination of the last uploaded data packet is based, at least in part, on the monitoring.   
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 23 , further comprising:
 determining that the interruption is caused by the network or the sender; and   receiving information on a current state of the network or the sender,   wherein the receiving of the at least part of the one of the plurality of portions of the content is based on the information of the current state of the network or the sender.   
     
     
         26 . A system comprising:
 a recipient configured to receive an upload request for content via a network from a sender,   wherein the recipient is further configured to:
 generate, in response to the upload request, an upload instruction that comprises information for separating the content into a plurality of portions; 
 receive at least part of one of the plurality of portions of the content from the sender based on the upload instruction; 
 generate, after an interruption in the receiving of the at least part of the one of the plurality of portions, a resume message comprising information relating to successfully received ones of the plurality of portions; and 
 initiate transmission of the resume message to continue the uploading based on the resume message. 
   
     
     
         27 . A system according to  claim 26 , wherein the content comprises a plurality of data packets, and the recipient is further configured to:
 upload of one or more information packets with the plurality of data packets;   in response to the interruption, determining a last uploaded data packet and a last uploaded information packet,   wherein the determination of a last one of the uploaded data packet is based, at least in part, on the last uploaded information packet; and   initiate a monitoring of an amount, an accuracy, or a combination thereof of the uploaded content based, at least in part, on uploaded information packets,   wherein the determination of the last uploaded data packet is based, at least in part, on the monitoring.   
     
     
         28 . A system according to  claim 26 , wherein the interruption is caused by the network or the sender, the recipient being further configured to receive information on a current state of the network or the sender, and wherein the receiving of the at least part of the one of the plurality of portions of the content is based on the information of the current state of the network or the sender.