System and Method for Quality of Experience Aware Media Search and Recommendation with Unified Portal

• US 20130275419A1
• Filed: 04/12/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Li, Hongbing, Yu, Hong Heather, Chen, Yue
• Granted Patent: US 9,514,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/30867 with filtering and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• 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 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

A network element comprising a processor configured to receive a plurality of search responses from a plurality of media content service providers associated with a search request triggered by the search request, and rank the search responses based on maximizing an end user'"'"'s quality of experience (QoE). Included is a network element comprising a processor configured to receive a plurality of media content from a plurality of media content service providers, store the plurality of media content for a plurality of end users, receive a media content search request from a user terminal, rank the media content based upon maximizing the user terminal'"'"'s QoE. Also included is a method comprising requesting media content from a plurality of media content service providers on behalf of a user terminal, receiving data associated with the media content from the plurality of media content service providers and aggregating the media content data.

Claims

1. A network element (NE) comprising:

a plurality of ports; and

a processor coupled to the ports and configured to;

receive a plurality of search responses from a plurality of media content service providers, wherein the search responses identify available media associated with a search request;

filter the search responses to remove search responses that are incompatible with an end user'"'"'s quality of experience (QoE); and

rank the filtered search responses based on enhancing the end user'"'"'s QoE.

2. The NE of claim 1, wherein the QoE is based on at least one QoE factor, and wherein the QoE factor comprises an end user terminal capability.

3. The NE of claim 2, wherein the QoE factor further comprises an end user available network bandwidth.

4. The NE of claim 3, wherein the QoE factor further comprises a requested media monetization method.

5. The NE of claim 4, wherein the QoE factor further comprises a search request key word matching, a requested media popularity among a plurality of prior end users, a requested media genre.

6. The NE of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

assign a QoE ranking value to each QoE factor;

calculate a total QoE value for each filtered search response, wherein the total QoE value is based upon the QoE ranking values associated with the filtered search response; and

derive a ranked search response list, wherein the ranked search response list comprises the filtered search responses arranged in a descending order from a filtered search response with the highest total QoE value to a filtered search response with the lowest total QoE value.

7. The NE of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the search request from a terminal device associated with the end user.

8. The NE of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to distribute a plurality of search requests to the media content service providers based on the terminal device search request.

9. The NE of claim 8, wherein the search request is distributed to media content service providers provisioned by the end user.

10. The NE of claim 9, further comprising a memory coupled to the processor, and wherein the memory stores a user profile associated with the end user.

11. The NE of claim 10, wherein the user profile indicates the provisioned media content service providers.

12. A network element (NE) comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

receive a plurality of media content from a plurality of media content service providers;

store the plurality of media content in the memory;

receive a media content search request from an end user; and

rank the media content in response to the media content search request based upon enhancing the end user'"'"'s quality of experience (QoE).

13. The NE of claim 12, wherein the QoE is determined based on a search request key word matching, a requested media popularity among a plurality of prior end users, a requested media genre, an end user terminal capability, an end user available bandwidth, a requested media monetization method, or combinations thereof.

14. The NE of claim 12, wherein the processor is further forward the ranked media content to an end user.

15. The NE of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

match the stored media content to the end user based upon the end user'"'"'s QoE and stream the matched media content to the user terminal.

16. The NE of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a request to temporarily increase network bandwidth associated with the user terminal to accommodate transmission of the media content to the end user.

17. A method comprising:

requesting media content from a plurality of media content service providers on behalf of an end user;

receiving a search response and data associated with the media content from each media content service provider, wherein the search response identifies media content associated with the request; and

accumulating the search responses and media content data.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the data associated with the media content comprises a media resolution, a media bit rate, a monetization method associated with the media content, a media genre, a media title, a media popularity, or combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

filtering the search responses to remove search responses that are incompatible with an end user quality of experience (QoE), a terminal capability, an available network bandwidth, or a combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising ranking the search responses based on an end user QoE to create a ranked order of search responses.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising aggregating the search responses to create a list of search responses, wherein the list of search responses comprises an order, and wherein the order is based upon the ranking of the search responses.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising forwarding the list of search responses to the end user.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising matching a media content service provider to the end user based upon on an end user QoE.