Regulating the quality of a broadcast
First Claim
1. In a system where a broadcast is provided across a medium having a fixed bandwidth to individual home entertainment systems, a method for optimizing the use of the available bandwidth by dynamically restructuring the broadcasting of channels of the medium based on feedback from at least some of the home entertainment systems, the method comprising the steps for:
- generating user behavior information at a first home entertainment system that indicates that the first home entertainment system is tuned to a channel broadcast across the medium;
combining the user behavior information from the first home entertainment system with user behavior information from other home entertainment systems that corresponds to the channel; and
dynamically restructuring a broadcast of the channel based on the combined user behavior information so as to optimize the use of the available bandwidth.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for utilizing a back channel as a feedback system to regulate the quality of broadcast. A signal source transmits a signal corresponding to the broadcast to one or more home entertainment systems. The displaying, recording or utilization of the broadcast is tracked at the individual home entertainment systems. The tracked information is transmitted in either real time or on a deferred basis from home entertainment systems as feedback across a back channel. The quality of the broadcast is regulated and/or optimized as a result of the feedback. As such, the broadcast can be dynamically restructured by modifying the bandwidth of the broadcast, by changing the modulation of the broadcast, by changing the encoding scheme of the broadcast, by varying parameters of the encoding scheme of the broadcast, by redistributing satellite channels to take full advantage of transponders available in a satellite television system, etc. The feedback also informs the operators and broadcasters as to when a disruption can be made on the broadcast so that the effect of the disruption is minimized.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. In a system where a broadcast is provided across a medium having a fixed bandwidth to individual home entertainment systems, a method for optimizing the use of the available bandwidth by dynamically restructuring the broadcasting of channels of the medium based on feedback from at least some of the home entertainment systems, the method comprising the steps for:
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generating user behavior information at a first home entertainment system that indicates that the first home entertainment system is tuned to a channel broadcast across the medium;
combining the user behavior information from the first home entertainment system with user behavior information from other home entertainment systems that corresponds to the channel; and
dynamically restructuring a broadcast of the channel based on the combined user behavior information so as to optimize the use of the available bandwidth. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30)
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18. In a system where a broadcast is provided across a medium having a fixed bandwidth and is received by one or more individual home entertainment systems, a method for restructuring the broadcast based on feedback transmitted from the one or more home entertainment systems across one or more potentially unreliable back channels to a clearinghouse system, the method comprising the acts of:
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receiving at the clearinghouse system user behavior information across a first communication link from a first home entertainment system, wherein the user behavior information indicates that the first home entertainment system tuned to a channel broadcast across the medium;
receiving at the clearinghouse system other user behavior information across other communication links from other home entertainment systems, wherein the other user behavior information indicates that the other home entertainment systems tuned to the channel broadcast across the medium;
combining at the clearinghouse system the user behavior information from the first home entertainment system with the other user behavior information from the other home entertainment systems; and
automatically restructuring a broadcast of the channel based on the combined user behavior information.
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24. In a system where a broadcast is provided from a signal source across a medium having a fixed bandwidth and is received by one or more individual home entertainment systems, a method for optimizing the bandwidth by restructuring the broadcasting of one or more channels within the broadcast based on feedback transmitted from the one or more home entertainment systems to the signal source across one or more back channels, the method comprising the acts of:
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transmitting a broadcast from a signal source to one or more home entertainment systems;
receiving at the signal source user behavior information across a first back channel from a first home entertainment system, wherein the user behavior information indicates that the first home entertainment system tuned to a channel of the broadcast, and wherein the first home entertainment system is one of the one or more home entertainment systems;
receiving at the signal source other user behavior information across other back channels from other home entertainment systems, wherein the other user behavior information indicates that the other home entertainment systems tuned to the channel of the video service, and wherein the other home entertainment systems are of the one or more home entertainment systems;
combining the user behavior information from the first home entertainment system with the other user behavior information from the other home entertainment systems; and
automatically restructuring a broadcast of the channel based on the combined user behavior information.
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27. A computer program product for implementing a method for restructuring a broadcast based on feedback, wherein the broadcast originates from a signal source and is receivable by one or more of a plurality of home entertainment systems, the computer program product comprising:
a computer readable medium carrying computer program code means utilized to implement the method, wherein the computer program code means comprises executable code for implementing the acts of;
receiving at a clearinghouse system user behavior information across a first communication link from a first home entertainment system, wherein the user behavior information indicates that the first home entertainment system tuned to a channel of the broadcast;
receiving at the clearinghouse system other user behavior information across other communication links from other home entertainment systems, wherein the other user behavior information indicates that the other home entertainment systems tuned to the channel of the broadcast;
combining the user behavior information from the first home entertainment system with the other user behavior information from the other home entertainment systems; and
automatically restructuring a broadcast of the channel based on the combined user behavior information.
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31. In a system that provides a broadcast across a medium having a fixed bandwidth to individual home entertainment system, a method for improving the broadcast based at least in part by feedback received from one or more of the home entertainment systems, the method comprising the acts of:
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receiving a broadcast at a local signal source, wherein the broadcast is sent from a central signal source;
transmitting the broadcast to one or ore home entertainment systems;
receiving at the local signal source user behavior information format least one of the one or more home entertainment systems, wherein the user behavior information is received across a back channel; and
transmitting a dynamically restructured broadcast to the one or more home entertainment systems, wherein the restructured broadcast is based at least in part by the user behavior information received. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification