Patent ID: 7167921

Claim:
A method for efficiently exploiting an upstream channel bandwidth of full-duplex connection between user terminal and data network, said method comprising: providing a coordination center to monitor data files downloaded by user terminals over said data network and maintain a register of the locations and file identifier of each of the downloaded data files amongst said user terminals; receiving by the coordination center from a first user terminal a request for a data file; determining by the coordination center whether a location of the requested data file is registered in the register, and if registered, determining a second user terminal corresponding to the registered location of the requested data file; sending an instruction from the coordination center to the second user terminal to send the requested data file to the first user terminal through the upstream channel bandwidth of the second user terminal receiving said requested data file on said first user terminal; causing said received data file to be re-transmitted through said upstream channel bandwidth from said first user terminal to a first group of one or more other user terminals; and causing said received data file to be re-transmitted through said upstream channel bandwidth from said first group of user terminals to a further group of one or more other user terminals, and repeating this step for all said user terminals requesting the same said data file.