DYNAMIC ADAPTATION OF DISPLAYED VIDEO QUALITY BASED ON VIEWERS' CONTEXT

• US 20130125155A1
• Filed: 02/16/2011
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Bhagavathy, Sitaram, Gomila, Cristina
• Application Number:
  US13/811,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20130125155A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/102 characterised by the element, parameter or selection affected or controlled by the adaptive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/162 User input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/17 the unit being an image region, e.g. an object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/33 in the spatial domain
• 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 21/24 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests monitoring of server performance or load G06F11/34; arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection

Abstract

A Context-Aware Content-Presentation system includes a viewer context feedback for determining the viewer context relative to a display device. A content receiving device controls at least one parameter of video content streamed to the display device from a streaming server in accordance with the viewer context. In this way, when the viewer context allows for lower quality video content, the content receiving device can signal the streaming server to reduce the quality of the video content, thereby saving bandwidth.

Claims

1. A method for varying video quality in accordance with viewer context relative to a display device, comprising the steps of:

establishing the viewer'"'"'s context relative to the display device; and

controlling at least one parameter of video content provided to the display device in accordance with the established viewer context to vary the video quality.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one parameter includes video content bit rate.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one parameter includes video content bit resolution.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein both bit rate and resolution of the video content are controlled in accordance with the established viewer context.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the viewer context includes at least one of:

viewer distance, viewer look-at position, nature of viewer movement, viewing angle, and viewer identification.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the viewer context includes the viewer distance from the display device and wherein bit rate and resolution of the video contend are reduced upon an increase in viewer distance from the display.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the viewer context includes the viewer distance from the display device and wherein bit rate and resolution of the video contend are increased upon a reduction in viewer distance from the display.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the viewer context includes viewer viewing angle relative to the display device and wherein bit rate and resolution of the video contend are reduced upon an increase in viewing angle.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the viewer context includes viewer viewing angle relative to the display device and wherein bit rate and resolution of the video contend are increased reduced upon an decrease in viewing angle

9. A method for varying video quality in accordance with viewer look-at position, comprising the step of selectively performing at least one of rendering or streaming regions within the video content corresponding to the viewer look-at position with higher quality compared to regions which do not correspond to the viewer look-at position.

12. An apparatus for varying video quality in accordance with viewer context relative to a display device, comprising the steps of:

means for establishing the viewer'"'"'s context relative to the display device; and

means for controlling at least one parameter of video content provided to the display device in accordance with the established viewer context to vary the video quality.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the means for controlling at least one parameter of the video quality comprises a set-top box.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the viewer context includes at least one of:

viewer distance, viewer look-at position, nature of viewer movement, viewing angle, and viewer identification.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the viewer context includes the viewer distance from the display device and the means for controlling the at least one parameter reduces bit rate and resolution of the video contend upon an increase in viewer distance from the display.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the viewer context includes the viewer distance from the display device and the means for controlling the at least one parameter increases bit rate and resolution of the video contend upon a decrease in viewer distance from the display.

17. Apparatus for varying video quality, comprising:

means for establishing a region of interest looked at by a viewer on a display device; and

means for selectively performing at least one of rendering or streaming the region of interest within the video content corresponding looked at by the viewer with higher quality compared to regions not looked at by the viewer.