Content delivery systems that use blockchain to manage content

Abstract

A content delivery network uses blockchain to manage content. In various implementations, the content delivery network may specify access rights to content in a blockchain network and allow a content access device to access content when the blockchain network is unavailable using a local copy of the blockchain and reconciling upon reconnection. In some implementations, the content delivery network may track storage of available content in a blockchain and use the blockchain to provide different copies of requested items when the different copies can be provided faster, more efficiently, at a lower cost, and so on. In yet other implementations, the content delivery network may record changes to properties of content in a blockchain and evaluate received disputes by using the blockchain to determine whether a change to the properties of the content occurred prior to the dispute.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic device, comprising:
 a non-transitory storage medium that stores instructions; and   a processor that executes the instructions to:
 obtain from a blockchain network a local copy of a blockchain that specifies access rights to content in a content delivery network; 
 receive a request to access a locally stored item of content while the blockchain network is unavailable; 
 determine whether to allow the access using the local copy of the blockchain; and 
 reconcile the local copy of the blockchain to the blockchain upon reconnection to the blockchain network. 
   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the access was allowed using the local copy of the blockchain; and   the processor reconciles the local copy of the blockchain to the blockchain by determining that no changes were made to the blockchain prior to the reconnection that impact allowance of the access.   
     
     
         3 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the access was allowed using the local copy of the blockchain; and   the processor reconciles the local copy of the blockchain to the blockchain by:
 determining that changes were made to the blockchain prior to the reconnection that impact allowance of the access; and 
 taking an action to remedy unauthorized access. 
   
     
     
         4 . The electronic device of  claim 3 , wherein the action includes billing an account for the access. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic device of  claim 3 , wherein the action includes denying subsequent access requests until access rights are updated to reflect the allowance of the access. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic device of  claim 3 , wherein the action includes denying access to another locally stored item of content until access rights are updated to reflect the allowance of the access. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor reconciles the local copy of the blockchain to the blockchain by updating the blockchain for a right requested to allow the access using the local copy. 
     
     
         8 . An electronic device, comprising:
 a non-transitory storage medium that stores instructions; and   a processor that executes the instructions to:
 track storage of content available via a content delivery network in a blockchain; 
 receive a request for an item of content; 
 use the blockchain to determine that a different copy of the item of content can be provided; 
 determine to provide the different copy of the item of content; and 
 provide the different copy of the item of content to satisfy the request. 
   
     
     
         9 . The electronic device of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the item of content is associated with a first accessory content;   the different copy of the item of content is associated with a second accessory content; and   the processor provides the first accessory content with the different copy of the item of content.   
     
     
         10 . The electronic device of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the item of content is associated with a first accessory content;   the different copy of the item of content is associated with a second accessory content; and   the processor provides the second accessory content with the different copy of the item of content.   
     
     
         11 . The electronic device of  claim 8 , wherein the processor determines to provide the different copy of the item of content because the processor determines that the different copy of the item of content can be provided faster than the item of content. 
     
     
         12 . The electronic device of  claim 8 , wherein the processor determines to provide the different copy of the item of content because first content delivery network resources that would be used to provide the item of content are more burdened than second content delivery network resources that are used to provide the different copy of the item of content. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic device of  claim 8 , wherein the processor determines to provide the different copy of the item of content because the different copy of the item of content is associated with a lower cost than the item of content. 
     
     
         14 . The electronic device of  claim 8 , wherein the processor determines to provide the different copy of the item of content in response to user input. 
     
     
         15 . An electronic device, comprising:
 a non-transitory storage medium that stores instructions; and   a processor that executes the instructions to:
 record changes to properties of content in a content delivery system in a blockchain; 
 receive a dispute related to access of the content in the content delivery system; and 
 evaluate the dispute by using the blockchain to determine whether a change to the properties of the content occurred prior to the dispute. 
   
     
     
         16 . The electronic device of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the dispute relates to a price charged for an item of content; and   the change to the properties of the content is a price change for the item of content.   
     
     
         17 . The electronic device of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the price was charged for the item of content at a first time;   the price change occurred at a second time; and   the processor evaluates the dispute by using the blockchain to determine whether the second time is prior to the first time.   
     
     
         18 . The electronic device of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the dispute relates to whether an item of content was accessed; and   the change to the properties of the content is an access status for the item of content.   
     
     
         19 . The electronic device of  claim 18 , wherein the access status indicates that the item of content:
 was accessed;   was partially accessed;   was fully accessed;   was not accessed; or   could not be accessed.   
     
     
         20 . The electronic device of  claim 15 , wherein the processor is operative to resolve the dispute based on whether or not the change to the properties of the content occurred prior to the dispute.