Patent ID: 7945689
Filing Date: 2011-05-17
Classification: H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for delivering a content file to a client over a packet-switched network, comprising: determining a suitable throughput required to deliver the content file to the client; determining a throughput available in a peer-to-peer network for delivering the content file to the client, wherein the peer-to-peer network allows users to share content files directly with other users; comparing the required throughput to the available throughput; supplementing the available throughput with additional throughput if the available throughput is less than the required throughput, wherein the additional throughput is provided by a content delivery network that employs a client-server protocol, wherein said content delivery network is configured such that a central server sends an entire content file to each client that requests the content file, and wherein clients do not communicate with each other over the content delivery network; and delivering the content to the client over the packet-switched network using the available throughput of the peer-to-peer network and additional throughput provided by the content delivery network.