METHODS AND APPARATUS TO DELIVER MEDIA CONTENT ACROSS FOREIGN NETWORKS

• US 20100115605A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• 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: Beattie, James Gordon, Griesmer, Stephen J., Mallya, Arvind R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,401,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/745 Reaction in network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/785 among multiple network domains, e.g. multilateral agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to deliver media content across foreign networks are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a request from a subscriber of a media provider, the media provider associated with a native network and identifying a foreign network associated with a current location of the subscriber. The example method also includes identifying at least one quality of service (QoS) parameter associated with the foreign network, comparing the at least one foreign network QoS parameter with a first threshold value, and at least one of prohibiting a service delivered by the media provider when the at least one foreign network QoS parameter fails to meet the first threshold value, or enabling the service when the at least one foreign network QoS parameter meets the first threshold value.

Claims

1. A method to deliver media services, comprising:

receiving a request from a subscriber of a media provider, the media provider associated with a native network;

identifying a foreign network associated with a current location of the subscriber;

identifying at least one quality of service (QoS) parameter associated with the foreign network;

comparing the at least one foreign network QoS parameter with a first threshold value; and

at least one of prohibiting a service delivered by the media provider when the at least one foreign network QoS parameter fails to meet the first threshold value, or enabling the service when the at least one foreign network QoS parameter meets the first threshold value.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein identifying the foreign network further comprises receiving an originating Internet protocol (IP) address from the subscriber, the original IP address associated with the foreign network.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein the originating IP address is associated with a router of the foreign network.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one QoS parameter associated with the foreign network further comprises querying a foreign network data source comprising data indicative of at least one of a foreign network latency value, a foreign network download speed, or a foreign network upload speed.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the at least one QoS parameter is indicative of an average QoS parameter value.

7. A method as defined in claim 5, further comprising a time-of-day value associated with the at least one QoS parameter.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one QoS parameter associated with the foreign network further comprises initiating at least one of a trace route or a ping on at least one of an Internet protocol address or a uniform resource locator associated with the foreign network.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first threshold value is established by the media provider as a minimum acceptable QoS.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, further comprising a second threshold value established by the media provider to invoke the service at a reduced quality.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein the reduced quality is at least one of a reduced frames-per-second value or a reduced bits-per-second value.

14. A method as defined in claim 11, further comprising a second threshold value established by the media provider to invoke the service at an optimum quality that is buffered by a subscriber device.

16. A method as defined in claim 11, further comprising retrieving a customer profile to determine whether to fully enable the service or partially enable the service.

17. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein partially enabling the service further comprises adjusting the service to minimize latency.

18. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein partially enabling the service further comprises adjusting the service to buffer data associated with the service at a device of the subscriber.

19. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising establishing a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel between the subscriber and the media provider when the at least one foreign network QoS parameter meets the first threshold value, the VPN tunnel to conceal protocol type identification by the foreign network.

2. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

20. A method to deliver media services, comprising:

receiving a request from a subscriber for media services from a media provider;

identifying an ownership status of a network associated with the request for media services; and

establishing a virtual private network tunnel between the subscriber and the media provider when the ownership status of the network is indicative of a foreign network.

21. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the received request comprises an originating Internet protocol (IP) address.

22. A method as defined in claim 21, further comprising initiating at least one geolocation of the IP address to identify at least one of the ownership status of the network or a location associated with the received request.

23. A method as defined in claim 20, further comprising disabling the media services from the media provider to the subscriber when the network associated with the request for media services is associated with a quality of service (QoS) parameter less than a threshold QoS parameter.

24. A method as defined in claim 23, wherein the QoS parameter includes at least one of a latency value, an upload speed value, or a download speed value.

25. A method as defined in claim 20, further comprising partially enabling the media services from the media provider to the subscriber when the network associated with the request for media services is associated with a quality of service parameter greater than a threshold QoS parameter.

26. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein partially enabling the media services further comprises adjusting at least one of the media services to perform at a reduced resolution to improve a latency parameter.

27. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein partially enabling the media services further comprises adjusting the at least one of the media services to perform at a reduced frames-per-second value to improve a latency parameter.

28. A method as defined in claim 20, further comprising:

identifying at least one quality of service deficiency in the network; and

buffering the media services from the media provider in a subscriber device to maintain a quality value of the media services.

29. An apparatus to deliver a media service, comprising:

a services request manager to receive a media service request from a subscriber, the services request manager to identify whether the subscriber request originates from a foreign network;

a foreign network quality manager to identify a quality of service (QoS) of the foreign network; and

a virtual private network (VPN) manager to establish a VPN tunnel between the subscriber and a media service provider when the foreign network QoS exceeds a QoS threshold value.

30. An apparatus as defined in claim 29, further comprising a service delivery manager to adjust a quality of the media service to at least one of maintain or improve a latency parameter of the foreign network.

31. An apparatus as defined in claim 30, wherein the service delivery manager reduces at least one of a resolution of the media service, reduces a frames-per-second value of the media service, or reduces a bits-per-second value of the media service.

32. An apparatus as defined in claim 29, further comprising a customer profile manager to identify whether the media service is delivered with an optimized latency value or an optimized quality value.

33. An apparatus as defined in claim 32, further comprising a service delivery manager to reduce at least one quality value of the media service to improve the latency value.

34. An apparatus as defined in claim 32, further comprising a service delivery manager to invoke a buffer or a subscriber device to deliver the optimized quality value of the media service.

35. A method to deliver media services, comprising:

receiving a request from a subscriber of a media provider;

identifying a foreign network associated with an origination node of the request, the foreign network prohibiting at least one type of network protocol; and

establishing a virtual private network tunnel between the subscriber and the media provider to conceal the at least one type of network protocol.

36-51. -51. (canceled)