Dynamic multimedia content stream delivery based on quality of service

• US 20060203976A1
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Skiba, David Joseph, Erhart, George William, Matula, Valentine C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,847,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2227 Quality of service monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for intelligently delivering components of a multimedia content stream (e.g., audio component, video component, etc.) to a telecommunications terminal based on the quality of service (QoS) for transmissions received at the terminal. The illustrative embodiment is disclosed in the context of an interactive voice response system, but is applicable in a wide variety of other telecommunications systems and applications.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a first component and a second component of a multimedia stream to a telecommunications terminal when the quality of service for one or more signals received at said telecommunications terminal is above a threshold; and

otherwise, transmitting said first component but not said second component to said telecommunications terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting occurs during a call that involves said telecommunications terminal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first component is audio and said second component is video.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said first component is video and said second component is audio.

5. A method comprising:

transmitting a first component and a second component of a multimedia stream to a telecommunications terminal; and

when the quality of service for one or more signals received at said telecommunications terminal falls below a threshold, suspending the transmission of said first component while continuing to transmit said second component.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising resuming the transmission of said first component when the quality of service for said one or more signals rises back above said threshold.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the transmitting and suspending occurs during a call that involves said telecommunications terminal.

8. A method comprising initiating the transmission of exactly one of a first component and a second component of a multimedia stream to a telecommunications terminal during a call that involves said telecommunications terminal, wherein which of said first component and said second component is transmitted is based on the quality of service for one or more signals received at said telecommunications terminal.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said call also involves an interactive voice response system, and wherein the initiation of the transmission is effected by said interactive voice response system.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said first component is audio and said second component is video.

11. A method comprising:

transmitting a first component of a multimedia stream to a telecommunications terminal during a call that involves said telecommunications terminal; and

when the quality of service for one or more signals received at said telecommunications terminal falls below a threshold,

(i) suspending the transmission of said first component, and

(ii) transmitting a second component of said multimedia stream to said telecommunications terminal.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the transmission of said first component requires greater utilization of a resource than the transmission of said second component.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

when the quality of service for said one or more signals rises back above said threshold,

(i) suspending the transmission of said second component, and

(ii) resuming the transmission of said first component.

14. A method comprising:

receiving a first component and a second component of a multimedia stream at a telecommunications terminal;

transmitting a first message from said telecommunications terminal when the quality of service for one or more signals received at said telecommunications terminal falls below a threshold; and

receiving, in response to said first message, said first component but not said second component at said telecommunications terminal.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

transmitting a second message from said telecommunications terminal when the quality of service for said one or more signals rises back above said threshold; and

receiving, in response to said second message, both said first component and said second component at said telecommunications terminal.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the receiving and the transmitting occur during a call that involves said telecommunications terminal.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein one of said first component and said second component is audio, and wherein the other one of said first component and said second component is video.

18. A method comprising:

receiving a first component of a multimedia stream at a telecommunications terminal during a call that involves said telecommunications terminal;

transmitting a first message from said telecommunications terminal when the quality of service for one or more signals received at said telecommunications terminal falls below a threshold; and

receiving, in response to said first message, a second component of said multimedia stream at said telecommunications terminal in lieu of said first component.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the transmission of said first component requires greater utilization of a resource than the transmission of said second component.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

transmitting a second message from said telecommunications terminal when the quality of service for said one or more signals rises back above said threshold; and

receiving, in response to said second message, said first component at said telecommunications terminal in lieu of said second component.