Methods and systems for providing bandwidth adjustment

• US 20060222110A1
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kuhtz, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,259,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/334
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/32 Arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations, e.g. malfunction or breakdown of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44029 for generating different versions
• 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing bandwidth adjustment. The disclosed systems and methods may include receiving an input signal having at least one attribute and an input bandwidth. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods may include producing a first adjusted signal. The first adjusted signal may comprise the input signal with a first adjusted bandwidth. The first adjusted bandwidth may comprise the input bandwidth adjusted based on the at least one attribute and at least one first preference. In addition, the disclosed systems and methods may include providing the first adjusted signal to a first end use device.

Claims

1. A method for providing bandwidth adjustment, the method comprising:

receiving an input signal having at least one attribute and an input bandwidth;

producing a first adjusted signal, the first adjusted signal comprising the input signal with a first adjusted bandwidth, the first adjusted bandwidth comprising the input bandwidth adjusted based on the at least one attribute and at least one first preference; and

providing the first adjusted signal to a first end use device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting the input signal from a content server based upon a request from the first end use device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

producing a second adjusted signal, the second adjusted signal comprising the input signal with a second adjusted bandwidth, the second adjusted bandwidth comprising the input bandwidth adjusted based on the at least one attribute and at least one second preference; and

providing the second adjusted signal to a second end use device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute comprises one of the following:

content type associated with the input signal, a person associated with the input signal, content producer associated with the input signal, and how long the content lasts, how large are the frames associated with the input signal, and how many frames per second are being sent in the input signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first preference comprises one of the following:

a bandwidth preference associated with a user'"'"'s desire and a band width preference associated with the capabilities of the first end use device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signal comprises at least one of the following:

a video stream and an audio stream.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first end use device comprises one of the following:

a digital video recorder, television set top box, a personal computer, and a portable handheld device.

8. A system for providing bandwidth adjustment, the system comprising:

a memory storage for maintaining a database; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

receive an input signal having at least one attribute and an input bandwidth;

produce a first adjusted signal, the first adjusted signal comprising the input signal with a first adjusted bandwidth, the first adjusted bandwidth comprising the input bandwidth adjusted based on the at least one attribute and at least one first preference; and

provide the first adjusted signal to a first end use device.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising the processing unit being operative to request the input signal from a content server based upon a request from the first end use device.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising the processing unit being operative to:

produce a second adjusted signal, the second adjusted signal comprising the input signal with a second adjusted bandwidth, the second adjusted bandwidth comprising the input bandwidth adjusted based on the at least one attribute and at least one second preference; and

provide the second adjusted signal to a second end use device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one attribute comprises one of the following:

content type associated with the input signal, a person associated with the input signal, content producer associated with the input signal, and how long the content lasts, how large are the frames associated with the input signal, and how many frames per second are being sent in the input signal.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one first preference comprises one of the following:

a bandwidth preference associated with a user'"'"'s desire and a band width preference associated with the capabilities of the first end use device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the input signal comprises at least one of the following:

a video stream and an audio stream.

14. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing bandwidth adjustment, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

receiving an input signal having at least one attribute and an input bandwidth;

producing a first adjusted signal, the first adjusted signal comprising the input signal with a first adjusted bandwidth, the first adjusted bandwidth comprising the input bandwidth adjusted based on the at least one attribute and at least one first preference; and

providing the first adjusted signal to a first end use device.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising requesting the input signal from a content server based upon a request from the first end use device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

producing a second adjusted signal, the second adjusted signal comprising the input signal with a second adjusted bandwidth, the second adjusted bandwidth comprising the input bandwidth adjusted based on the at least one attribute and at least one second preference; and

providing the second adjusted signal to a second end use device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the at least one attribute comprises one of the following:

content type associated with the input signal, a person associated with the input signal, content producer associated with the input signal, and how long the content lasts, how large are the frames associated with the input signal, and how many frames per second are being sent in the input signal.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the at least one first preference comprises one of the following:

a bandwidth preference associated with a user'"'"'s desire and a band width preference associated with the capabilities of the first end use device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the input signal comprises at least one of the following:

a video stream and an audio stream.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first end use device comprises one of the following:

a digital video recorder, television set top box, a personal computer, and a portable handheld device.