Methods, systems, and devices for bandwidth conservation

• US 20060222015A1
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Small, Eric E., Bedingfield, James C. Sr., Kafka, Henry J., Baeza, Daniel M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,335,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/477
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for conserving bandwidth. If a presence of a multimedia device is detected, then a stream of data is delivered to the multimedia device. If the presence of the multimedia device is not detected, then the stream of data is degraded to conserve bandwidth.

Claims

1. A method to conserve bandwidth, comprising the steps of:

if a presence of a multimedia device is detected, then delivering a stream of data to the multimedia device; and

if the presence of the multimedia device is not detected, then degrading the stream of data to conserve bandwidth.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein a video portion of the stream of data is degraded, and an audio portion of the stream of data is not degraded.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein a video portion and an audio portion of the stream of data are degraded.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein a video portion of the stream of data is degraded, and an audio portion of the stream of data is discarded.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein a video portion of the stream of data is discarded, and only an audio portion of the stream of data is transmitted.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising detecting the presence of the multimedia device by measuring power consumption of the multimedia device.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising detecting the presence of the multimedia device using an impedance measurement in a video output signal delivered to the multimedia device.

8. A device, comprising:

a processor communicating with means for detecting presence of a multimedia device;

the processor commanding delivery of a stream of data to the multimedia device, and if the presence of the multimedia device is not detected, then the processor degrades the stream of data to conserve bandwidth.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the processor degrades a video portion of the stream of data, and an audio portion of the stream of data is not degraded.

10. A device according to claim 8, wherein the processor degrades a video portion and an audio portion of the stream of data.

11. A device according to claim 8, wherein the processor degrades a video portion of the stream of data, and an audio portion of the stream of data is discarded.

12. A device according to claim 8, wherein the processor degrades the stream of data by discarding a video portion, and only an audio portion of the stream of data is transmitted.

13. A device according to claim 8, wherein the means for detecting presence of the multimedia device measures power consumption of the multimedia device.

14. A device according to claim 8, wherein the means for detecting presence of the multimedia device measures impedance of a video output signal delivered to the multimedia device.

15. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

a presence detection application stored on the computer-readable medium, the presence detection application comprising computer code for performing the steps;

if a presence of a multimedia device is detected, then delivering a stream of data to the multimedia device; and

if the presence of the multimedia device is not detected, then degrading the stream of data to conserve bandwidth.

16. A computer program product according to claim 15, wherein a video portion of the stream of data is degraded, and an audio portion of the stream of data is not degraded.

17. A computer program product according to claim 15, wherein a video portion and an audio portion of the stream of data are degraded.

18. A computer program product according to claim 15, wherein a video portion of the stream of data is degraded, and an audio portion of the stream of data is discarded.

19. A computer program product according to claim 15, wherein a video portion of the stream of data is discarded, and only an audio portion of the stream of data is communicated.

20. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising computer code for performing at least one of the steps

i) detecting the presence of the multimedia device by measuring power consumption of the multimedia device, and

ii) detecting the presence of the multimedia device using impedance measurement in a video output signal delivered to the multimedia device.