METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ALTERING BANDWIDTH CONSUMPTION

• US 20140297883A1
• Filed: 09/25/2013
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Polisetty, Chandra Mouli, Mani, Deepti, Putchala, Deviprasad, Krishna, Arvind Subramanian, Srinivasan, Chandrasekar, Pandey, Umesh, Minder, Lorenz C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,110,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• 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 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities

Abstract

A method for altering bandwidth consumption when receiving content in a user device includes determining a first user device status where the first user device status indicates whether content, which is being accessed by a content-rendering application, is viewable on a display of the user device, based on the first user device status, selecting one of a plurality of available alternative content segments, and receiving the selected content segment.

Claims

1. A method for altering bandwidth consumption when receiving content in a user device, comprising:

determining a first user device status where the first user device status indicates whether content, which is being accessed by a content-rendering application, is viewable on a display of the user device;

based on the first user device status, selecting one of a plurality of available alternative content segments; and

receiving the selected content segment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a first user device status comprises determining whether a tab, which is associated with the content-rendering application, is selected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a first user device status comprises determining whether a window, which is associated with the content-rendering application and configured to display content, is visible.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a first user device status comprises determining whether a window, which is associated with the content-rendering application and configured to display content, is minimized.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a first user device status comprises determining whether a first window, which is associated with the content-rendering application and configured to display content, is at least partially covered by a second window.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

switching from requesting and rendering one or more content segments having a first content quality to requesting and rendering one or more content segments having a different second content quality.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein switching from requesting and rendering one or more content segments having a first content quality to requesting and rendering one or more content segments having a different second content quality comprises:

requesting a first content segment having the first content quality;

receiving the first content segment;

rendering at least a portion of the received first content segment;

determining a second user device status;

based on the second user device status, selecting a second content segment having the second content quality;

requesting the second content segment;

receiving the second content segment; and

rendering at least a portion of the received second content segment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a first user device status comprises analyzing a proximity parameter of the user device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a first user device status comprises determining whether a display of the user device is covered.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether a display of the user device is covered comprises using a light sensor to sense ambient light to determine whether a display of the user device is covered.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether a display of the user device is covered comprises using a photocell to sense ambient light to determine whether a display of the user device is covered.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether a display of the user device is covered comprises using a camera to determine whether a display of the user device is covered.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the user device is a pair of glasses having a display;

and

wherein analyzing a proximity parameter of the user device comprises determining whether the glasses are being worn.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is a pair of glasses having a display;

and

wherein determining a first user device status comprises determining whether the glasses are closed.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is a pair of glasses having a display;

and

wherein determining a user device status comprises determining whether the glasses are folded.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is a pair of glasses having a display;

and

wherein determining a first user device status comprises determining whether the user is viewing the display of the glasses.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining whether the user is viewing a live-action scene, where the user viewing a live-action scene indicates that the user is not viewing the display.

18. An apparatus for altering bandwidth consumption when receiving content in a user device, comprising:

a device status determination element configured to determine a first user device status where the first user device status indicates whether content, which is being accessed by a content-rendering application, is viewable on a display of the user device;

streaming content logic for selecting and receiving one of a plurality of available alternative content segments based on the first user device status; and

the content rendering application for rendering the selected content segment.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the device status determination element comprises logic for determining whether a tab, which is associated with the content-rendering application, is selected.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the device status determination element comprises logic for determining whether a window, which is associated with the content-rendering application and configured to display content, is visible.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the device status determination element comprises logic for determining whether a window, which is associated with the content-rendering application and configured to display content, is minimized.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the device status determination element comprises logic for determining whether a first window, which is associated with the content-rendering application and configured to display content, is at least partially covered by a second window.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

the user device switching from requesting and rendering one or more content segments having a first content quality to requesting and rendering one or more content segments having a different second content quality.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the user device requesting and rendering one or more content segments having a first content quality to requesting and rendering one or more content segments having a different second content quality comprises:

the streaming content logic requesting a first content segment having the first content quality;

the streaming content logic receiving the first content segment;

the content-rendering application rendering at least a portion of the received first content segment;

the device status determination element determining a second user device status;

the streaming content logic selecting a second content segment having the second content quality based on the second user device status;

the streaming content logic requesting the second content segment;

the streaming content logic receiving the second content segment; and

the content-rendering application rendering at least a portion of the received second content segment.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the logic for determining a first user device status comprises logic for analyzing a proximity parameter of the user device.

26. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the device status determination element determining a first user device status comprises logic for determining whether a display of the user device is covered.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the logic for determining whether a display of the user device is covered comprises using a light sensor to sense ambient light to determine whether a display of the user device is covered.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the logic for determining whether a display of the user device is covered comprises using a photocell to sense ambient light to determine whether a display of the user device is covered.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the logic for determining whether a display of the user device is covered comprises using a camera to determine whether a display of the user device is covered.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the user device is a pair of glasses having a display;

and

wherein the logic for analyzing a proximity parameter of the user device comprises logic for determining whether the glasses are being worn.

31. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the user device is a pair of glasses having a display;

and

wherein the device status determination element comprises logic for determining whether the glasses are closed.

32. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the user device is a pair of glasses having a display;

and

wherein the device status determination element comprises logic for determining whether the glasses are folded.

33. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the user device is a pair of glasses having a display;

and

wherein the device status determination element comprises logic for determining whether the user is viewing the display of the glasses.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising logic for determining whether the user is viewing a live-action scene, where the user viewing a live-action scene indicates that the user is not viewing the display.

35. A user device comprising:

means for determining a first user device status where the first user device status indicates whether content, which is being accessed by a content-rendering application, is viewable on a display of the user device;

means for, based on the first user device status, selecting one of a plurality of available alternative content segments; and

means for receiving the selected content segment.

36. The user device of claim 35, wherein the means for determining a first user device status comprises means for determining whether a tab, which is associated with the content-rendering application, is selected.

37. The user device of claim 35, wherein the means for determining a first user device status comprises means for determining whether a window, which is associated with the content-rendering application and configured to display content, is visible.

38. The user device of claim 35, wherein the means for determining a first user device status comprises means for determining whether a window, which is associated with the content-rendering application and configured to display content, is minimized.

39. The user device of claim 35, wherein the means for determining a first user device status comprises means for determining whether a first window, which is associated with the content-rendering application and configured to display content, is at least partially covered by a second window.

40. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including processor-executable instructions for performing a method for altering bandwidth consumption when receiving content in a user device, the method comprising:

determining a first user device status where the first user device status indicates whether content, which is being accessed by a content-rendering application, is viewable on a display of the user device;

based on the first user device status, selecting one of a plurality of available alternative content segments; and

receiving the selected content segment.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein determining a first user device status comprises determining whether a tab, which is associated with the content-rendering application, is selected.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein determining a first user device status comprises determining whether a window, which is associated with the content-rendering application and configured to display content, is visible.

43. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein determining a first user device status comprises determining whether a window, which is associated with the content-rendering application and configured to display content, is minimized.

44. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein determining a first user device status comprises determining whether a first window, which is associated with the content-rendering application and configured to display content, is at least partially covered by a second window.

45. A method for altering bandwidth consumption when receiving content in a user device, comprising:

determining a first user device status where the first user device status indicates whether there is a display externally connected to the user device that is larger than an internal display of the user device;

based on the first user device status, selecting one of a plurality of available alternative content segments; and

receiving the selected content segment.

46. A method for altering bandwidth consumption when receiving content in a user device, comprising:

determining a first user device status where the first user device status indicates a size of a window that is associated with a content-rendering application that is accessing the content;

based on the first user device status, selecting one of a plurality of available alternative content segments; and

receiving the selected content segment.