BANDWIDTH CONSERVATION

• US 20110219411A1
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, Matthew C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,015,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• 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 21/4621 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A request to establish a switched digital video session with high-definition content is received from a subscriber of a video content network offering a switched digital video service. A determination is made that the subscriber only has capability of viewing standard definition content. Responsive to the request and the determination, the subscriber, in the session, is provided a signal with a standard definition version of the requested high-definition content. An exemplary switched digital video control apparatus and an exemplary system are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a subscriber of a video content network offering a switched digital video service, a request to establish a switched digital video session with high-definition content;

determining that said subscriber only has capability of viewing standard definition content; and

responsive to said request and said determination, providing to said subscriber, in said session, a signal with a standard definition version of said requested high-definition content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step comprises, responsive to said request, accessing a database of billing information, said database of billing information indicating that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

prompting a party to indicate that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content; and

storing, in said database of billing information, an indication that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said indication that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content comprises a code

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step comprises receiving, in said request, an indication that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising storing, in a set-top terminal of said subscriber, data indicating that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said data indicating that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content relates to an output resolution of said set-top terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said video content network is of a kind interconnecting a head end with a plurality of set-top terminals, at least some of said set-top terminals having high-definition capability, some of said set-top terminals having said high-definition capability being coupled to television sets having said high-definition capability, others of said set-top terminals having said high-definition capability being coupled to television sets having only standard-definition capability.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said high-definition content comprises a high-definition program channel also offered in said standard definition version.

10. A switched digital video control apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to said memory, and operative to;

receive, from a subscriber of a video content network offering a switched digital video service, a request to establish a switched digital video session with high-definition content;

determine that said subscriber only has capability of viewing standard definition content; and

responsive to said request and said determination, facilitate providing to said subscriber, in said session, a signal with a standard definition version of said requested high-definition content.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said at least one processor is operable to determine by, responsive to said request, accessing a database of billing information, said database of billing information indicating that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said indication that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content comprises a code.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said at least one processor is operable to determine by receiving, in said request, an indication that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said indication that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content is based on data, stored in a set-top terminal of said subscriber, indicating that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said high-definition content comprises a high-definition program channel also offered in said standard definition version.

16. A system comprising:

a video content network offering a switched digital video service;

a service group coupled to said video content network and having a plurality of terminals; and

a switched digital video control apparatus coupled to said video content network, said session resource manager apparatus in turn comprising;

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to said memory, and operative to;

receive, from a subscriber of said video content network, in said service group, a request to establish a switched digital video session with high-definition content;

determine that said subscriber only has capability of viewing standard definition content; and

responsive to said request and said determination, facilitate providing to said subscriber, in said session, a signal with a standard definition version of said requested high-definition content.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a database of billing information, wherein said at least one processor is operative to determine by, responsive to said request, accessing said database of billing information, said database of billing information indicating that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said at least one processor is operative to determine by receiving, in said request, an indication that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content, said indication being based on data stored in a given one of said terminals associated with said subscriber.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein at least some of said terminals have high-definition capability, some of said terminals having said high-definition capability being coupled to television sets having said high-definition capability, others of said terminals having said high-definition capability being coupled to television sets having only standard-definition capability.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said high-definition content comprises a high-definition program channel also offered in said standard definition version.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, from a subscriber of a video content network offering a switched digital video service, a request to establish a switched digital video session with high-definition content;

means for determining that said subscriber only has capability of viewing standard definition content; and

means, responsive to said request and said determination, for facilitating providing to said subscriber, in said session, a signal with a standard definition version of said requested high-definition content.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said means for determining comprise means, responsive to said request, for accessing a database of billing information, said database of billing information indicating that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said means for determining comprise means for receiving, in said request, an indication that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content.

24. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer readable recordable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, said computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code configured to receive, from a subscriber of a video content network offering a switched digital video service, a request to establish a switched digital video session with high-definition content;

computer readable program code configured to determine that said subscriber only has capability of viewing standard definition content; and

computer readable program code configured to, responsive to said request and said determination, facilitate to said subscriber, in said session, a signal with a standard definition version of said requested high-definition content.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein said computer readable program code configured to determine comprises computer readable program code configured to, responsive to said request, access a database of billing information, said database of billing information indicating that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content.

26. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein said computer readable program code configured to determine comprises computer readable program code configured to receive, in said request, an indication that said subscriber only has said capability of viewing said standard definition content.