Apparatus and method for bandwidth allocation as a function of a sensed characteristic of a user

• US 10,382,820 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Roch, Evelyne
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fogg, Cynthia M
• Application Number:
  US15/088,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20170289622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 725 9- 12, 725 34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64738 Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for adjusting a bandwidth allocation for a traffic flow associated with a user as a function of a sensed characteristic of the user. A communication device has a sensor data receiver for receiving sensor data pertaining to a sensed characteristic of a user, and circuitry implementing an IRSCU (information representative of the sensed characteristic of the user) messenger configured for sending, to a network entity used for adjusting a bandwidth allocation for a traffic flow associated with the user, a message containing IRSCU. A network management entity, which receives the IRSCU, has circuitry implementing a bandwidth adjustor, which is configured for adjusting, based on the IRSCU, a bandwidth allocation for a traffic flow associated with the user. Accordingly, the bandwidth allocation for the traffic flow associated with the user is adjusted as a function of the sensed characteristic of the user.

Claims

1. A method for execution by a communication device, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data pertaining to a sensed characteristic of a user; and

sending, to a network management entity used for adjusting a bandwidth allocated to a logical link used for carrying a traffic flow associated with the user, a message containing IRSCU (information representative of the sensed characteristic of the user), wherein the user is categorized into a group of users associated with a plurality of traffic flows carried by the logical link, wherein adjusting the bandwidth comprises adjusting an aggregate bandwidth for the plurality of traffic flows, and wherein the network management entity is different from a source of the traffic flow associated with the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the message to the network management entity comprises sending the message to a database that is accessible by the network management entity.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the message such that the message comprises a header with information for use in routing the message to the network management entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving sensor data comprises receiving at least one of brainwave data of the user, user heartrate data, body temperature data of the user, respiratory rate data of the user, muscle tension data of the user, skin temperature data of the user, skin electrical conductivity data of the user, blood oximetry data of the user, or blood pressure data of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the IRSCU comprises at least some of the sensor data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a state of the user based on the sensor data;

wherein the IRSCU comprises an indication of the state of the user.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether there has been a change in the state of the user; and

if there has been a change in the state of the user, sending an update message containing the IRSCU.

8. A communication device comprising:

a network interface configured to communicate with a network;

a sensor data receiver for receiving sensor data pertaining to a sensed characteristic of a user; and

circuitry implementing an IRSCU (information representative of the sensed characteristic of the user) messenger configured for sending, from the network interface to a network management entity used for adjusting a bandwidth allocated to a logical link used for carrying a traffic flow associated with the user, a message containing IRSCU, wherein the user is categorized into a group of users associated with a plurality of traffic flows carried by the logical link, wherein adjusting the bandwidth comprises adjusting an aggregate bandwidth for the plurality of traffic flows, and wherein the network management entity is different from a source of the traffic flow associated with the user.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein:

the circuitry implementing the IRSCU messenger comprises a processor; and

the communication device further comprises a computer-readable medium having recorded thereon instructions that when executed by the processor configure the processor to implement the IRSCU messenger.

10. A method for execution by a network management entity, the method comprising:

receiving a message containing IRSCU (information representative of a sensed characteristic of a user);

adjusting, based on the IRSCU, a bandwidth allocated to a logical link used for carrying a traffic flow associated with the user, wherein the user is categorized into a group of users associated with a plurality of traffic flows carried by the logical link, wherein adjusting the bandwidth comprises adjusting an aggregate bandwidth for the plurality of traffic flows, and wherein the network management entity is different from a source of the traffic flow associated with the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the message comprises:

receiving the message from a communication device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the bandwidth comprises adjusting bandwidth for the communication device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the communication device is a first communication device of a plurality of communication devices for the user and the message containing the IRSCU is a first message containing the IRSCU;

the method further comprises receiving a second message containing the IRSCU from a second communication device of the plurality of communication devices; and

adjusting the bandwidth comprises adjusting bandwidth for the second communication device of the plurality of communication devices based on the first message and the second message.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein:

receiving the message comprises receiving the message from a database that is accessible by the network management entity; and

adjusting the bandwidth comprises adjusting bandwidth for at least one communication device of the user.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the IRSCU comprises sensor data of the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the sensor data comprises at least one of brainwave data of the user, user heartrate data, body temperature data of the user, respiratory rate data of the user, muscle tension data of the user, skin temperature data of the user, skin electrical conductivity data of the user, blood oximetry data of the user, or blood pressure data of the user.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the IRSCU comprises an indication of a state of the user.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein adjusting the bandwidth comprises:

increasing the bandwidth if the IRSCU is construed as suggesting that the user is frustrated or in distress; and

decreasing the bandwidth if the IRSCU is construed as suggesting that the user is asleep or not alert.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

maintaining user-specific information of the user;

wherein adjusting the bandwidth is further based on the user-specific information of the user.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein adjusting the bandwidth comprises:

determining a type of sensor from which the IRSCU is based; and

identifying, based on the type of sensor, a traffic flow of interest that is associated with the user; and

adjusting the bandwidth for carrying the traffic flow of interest.

21. A network management entity comprising:

an interface configured to receive a message containing IRSCU (information representative of a sensed characteristic of a user); and

circuitry implementing a bandwidth adjustor configured for adjusting, based on the IRSCU, a bandwidth allocated to a logical link used for carrying a traffic flow associated with the user,

wherein the user is categorized into a group of users associated with a plurality of traffic flows carried by the logical link, wherein adjusting the bandwidth comprises adjusting an aggregate bandwidth for the plurality of traffic flows, and wherein the network management entity is different from a source of the traffic flow associated with the user.

22. The network management entity of claim 21, wherein:

the circuitry implementing the bandwidth adjustor comprises a processor; and

the network management entity further comprises a computer-readable medium having recorded thereon instructions that when executed by the processor configure the processor to implement the bandwidth adjustor.

23. The network management entity of claim 21, wherein the network management entity is a TE (Traffic Engineering) controller.