REMOTE LATENCY ADJUSTMENT

• US 20140269755A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Veiga, Anthony Manuel
• Granted Patent: US 9,565,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/429
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9005 using dynamic buffer space allocation

Abstract

A method and system may allow for adjusting network latency experienced by a user. A first computing device may send a request to adjust the latency experienced by a terminal associated with a user. The request may be received at a second computing device which may identify a buffer size for to the terminal associated with the user. A new buffer size may be determined and adjusted for the identified buffer based on the received request.

Claims

1. A method comprising,

receiving a communication that comprises a connection preference and identification information for a terminal;

identifying a buffer for the terminal based on the identification information, wherein the buffer is configured to store data to be sent to the terminal or data received from the terminal;

determining a buffer size for the identified buffer at least partially based on the received connection preference; and

adjusting a size of the identified buffer based on the determined buffer size.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal has a current latency mode from a plurality of latency modes and the connection preference comprises a change in latency mode for the terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein,

when the connection preference requests a reduction in latency, determining a buffer size further comprises determining a reduction in buffer size for the identified buffer, and

when the connection preference requests an increase in latency, determining a buffer size further comprises determining an increase in buffer size for the identified buffer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of latency modes for the terminal has a predetermined buffer size.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the received identification information further identifies one or more channels for the terminal and wherein identifying the buffer further comprises identifying a buffer for the one or more channels based on the identification information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determined buffer size is at least partially based on a service associated with the one or more channels.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined buffer size is at least partially based on subscription information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal further comprises a modem.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified buffer is part of a termination system.

10. A method comprising,

presenting connection preference information to a user;

receiving, from the user, connection preference information;

retrieving identification information for a terminal associated with the user; and

preparing a request that comprises the connection preference information and the identification information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a current latency mode from a plurality of latency modes is associated with the terminal and the received connection preference comprises a change in latency mode for the terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein presenting connection preference information further comprises presenting the current latency mode associated with the terminal.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring the computing device for an application with a preferred connection preference;

detecting an application with a preferred connection preference; and

presenting the connection preference information based on the detecting.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting an application with a preferred connection preference further comprises one of detecting that an application with a preferred connection preference has launched or detecting that an application with a preferred connection preference is running.

15. The method of claim 10, where the terminal further comprises a modem.

16. A method comprising,

receiving a first communication that comprises a first connection preference and first identification information for a first terminal;

receiving a second communication that comprises a second connection preference and second identification information for a second terminal;

identifying a first buffer for the first terminal based on the first identification information, wherein the first buffer is configured to store data to be sent to the first terminal or data received from the first terminal;

determining a first buffer size for the first buffer at least partially based on the received first connection preference; and

adjusting a size of the first buffer based on the determined first buffer size;

identifying a second buffer for the second terminal based on the second identification information, wherein the second buffer is configured to store data to be sent to the second terminal or data received from the second terminal;

determining a second buffer size for the second buffer at least partially based on the received second connection preference; and

adjusting a size of the second buffer based on the determined second buffer size.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first terminal has a current latency mode from a plurality of latency modes and the first connection preference comprises a change in latency mode for the first terminal and the second terminal has a current latency mode from a plurality of latency modes and the second connection preference comprises a change in latency mode for the second terminal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein,

the first connection preference requests a reduction in latency and the determined first buffer size comprises a reduction in buffer size for the first buffer, and

the second connection preference requests an increase in latency and the determined second buffer size comprises an increase in buffer size for the second buffer.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of latency modes for the terminal has a predetermined buffer size.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the first received identification information further identifies one or more channels for the terminal and wherein identifying the first buffer further comprises identifying the first buffer for the one or more channels based on the first identification information.