Management of Delivery of Multimedia Components

• US 20140280869A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Werner, Anthony, Mao, Weidong, Kotay, Sree
• Granted Patent: US 9,948,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/4621 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 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media may be configured for establishing at least one session for delivery of multimedia. In an aspect, a first transmission of data fragments of a first component and a second transmission of data fragments of a second component may be transmitted and synchronized for presentation. If an inactivity event is detected the session may be maintained while reducing bandwidth consumption.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing at least one session for delivery of a first component and a second component of a multimedia content item;

receiving, during the at least one session, a first transmission of data fragments of the first component and a second transmission of data fragments of the second component;

synchronizing the first transmission of data fragments and the second transmission of data fragments;

presenting the synchronized data fragments for rendering of the multimedia content item;

identifying an inactivity event subsequent to the rendering; and

subsequent to the identifying of the inactivity event, maintaining the at least one session in an active state and requesting that delivery of the first transmission of data fragments be stopped.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating an activity timer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising resetting the activity timer in response to detecting a change in volume level, user presence, or user movement.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifying of the inactivity event is in response to determining that the activity timer has expired.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, subsequent to expiration of the activity timer, resetting the activity timer to monitor for an activity event during a predetermined amount of time.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting the activity event prior to the predetermined amount of time elapsing; and

communicating a resumption request for requesting resumption of delivery of the first stream of data fragments.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising causing termination of the at least one session subsequent to the predetermined amount of time elapsing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying of the inactivity event comprises detecting that a first graphical user interface presenting the first component is at least partially obscured by a second graphical user interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying of the inactivity event comprises detecting that a device configured for presenting the first component has been turned off.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising forwarding the data fragments of the first component to a first device and the data fragments of the second component to a second device.

11. A method comprising:

establishing at least one session for delivery of a first component and a second component of a multimedia content item;

receiving, via the at least one session, a first transmission of data fragments of the first component and a second transmission of data fragments of the second component;

synchronizing the first transmission of data fragments and the second transmission of data fragments;

identifying an inactivity event; and

subsequent to the identifying of the inactivity event, maintaining the at least one session in an active state and requesting delivery of a lower bandwidth version of the first component.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying of the inactivity event comprises:

initiating an activity timer;

monitoring for an activity event subsequent to initiating of the activity timer; and

determining that the activity timer has expired without detecting the activity event.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

subsequent to expiration of the activity timer, resetting the activity timer to monitor for an activity event during a predetermined amount of time;

detecting the activity event prior to the predetermined amount of time elapsing; and

communicating a resumption request for requesting resumption of delivery of the first transmission of data fragments.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying of the inactivity event comprises detecting that a first graphical user interface presenting the first component is at least partially obscured by a second graphical user interface.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying of the inactivity event comprises detecting that a device configured for presenting the first component has been turned off.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the requested lower bandwidth version comprises fragments of the data components.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus at least to perform:

establishing at least one session for delivery of a first component and a second component of a multimedia content item;

receiving, via the at least one session, a first transmission of data fragments of the first component and a second transmission of data fragments of the second component;

synchronizing the first transmission of data fragments and the second transmission of data fragments;

presenting the synchronized data fragments for rendering of the multimedia content item;

identifying an inactivity event subsequent to the rendering; and

subsequent to the identifying of the inactivity event, maintaining the at least one session in an active state and requesting that delivery of the first transmission of data fragments be stopped.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the identifying of the inactivity event comprises:

initiating an activity timer;

monitoring for an activity event subsequent to initiating of the activity timer; and

determining that the activity timer has expired without detecting the activity event.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to perform:

subsequent to expiration of the activity timer, resetting the activity timer to monitor for an activity event during a predetermined amount of time;

detecting the activity event prior to the predetermined amount of time elapsing; and

communicating a resumption request for requesting resumption of delivery of the first transmission of data fragments.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the identifying of the inactivity event comprises detecting that a device configured for presenting the first component has been turned off.