METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MEDIA ADAPTION

• US 20160255385A1
• Filed: 05/10/2016
• Published: 09/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: SAVOOR, RAGHVENDRA, LI, ZHI
• Granted Patent: US 9,729,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• 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 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 : directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 : Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 : in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A method includes receiving a media request for a target device. The signaling information may be received from the target device and a media server. At least one attribute of the target device and the media server may be identified using the signaling information. At least one attribute of the target device and the media server may be evaluated against a service level objective to select a media format. The service level objective may include consideration of the target device and available bandwidth over a provider network. The media may be provided in the selected media format over the provider network to the target device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a mediation agent device comprising a processor and configured to receive signaling information exchanged between a target device and a media server, a media request from the target device, the target device being one of a plurality of target device types associated with the media server through the mediation agent device;

receiving, by the mediation agent device, the signaling information exchanged between the target device and the media server, wherein the signaling information comprises a media resolution used by the target device for presenting media content, and a packet impairment characteristic for delivering media content from the media server over a provider network;

identifying, by the mediation agent device, a first attribute of the target device according to the signaling information and a second attribute of the media server according to the signaling information, wherein the first attribute is a decoding capability of the target device;

evaluating, by the mediation agent device, the first attribute of the target device and the second attribute of the media server against a service level objective, wherein the service level objective includes presenting the media content at the target device within a predetermined time period at a presentation quality at the target device that conforms to the media resolution used by the target device;

selecting a media format for delivering media content to the target device according to the evaluation;

transcoding, by the mediation agent device, the media content from the media server into the media format; and

providing, by the mediation agent device, the media content in the media format over the provider network to the target device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the media request comprises receiving, by the mediation agent device, a notification of authentication of the target device by a provider server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the signaling information comprises initiating, by the mediation agent device, an exchange of the signaling information between the target device and the media server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating of the signaling information further comprises transcoding, by the mediation agent device, the media content to the media format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the target device comprises a set-top box.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating of the first attribute and the second attribute further comprises accessing, by the mediation agent device, user information related to the media format from a provider server;

and evaluating the user information and the signaling information from the target device and the media server against the service level objective to select the media format.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user information includes an ordering history based on user input and one of a viewing history, a user preference of the media format, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the media content comprises video content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attribute of the target device further comprise one of a feature of the target device, a decoding capability of the target device, an available resource of the target device, a cost of delivery of the media content to the target device, a time of delivery of the media content to the target device, a subscriber history of a user associated with the target device, available bandwidth on a provider network to the target device, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second attribute of the media server further comprises an available bandwidth on the provider network from the media server.

11. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

exchanging signaling information between a target device and a media server, the target device being one of a plurality of target device types associated with the media server, wherein the signaling information comprises a media resolution used by the target device for presenting media content and a packet impairment characteristic for delivering media content over a provider network;

receiving a media request from the target device;

identifying a first attribute of the target device and a second attribute of the media server according to the signaling information, wherein the first attribute is a decoding capability of the target device;

evaluating the first attribute of the target device and second attribute of the media server against a service level objective, wherein the service level objective includes a consideration of presenting the media over the provider network within a predetermined time period at a presentation quality at the target device that conforms to the media resolution used by the target device;

receiving a selected media format for delivering media content to the target device according to the evaluation;

presenting a request for the selected media format to the media server;

receiving transcoded media content in the media format from the media server, wherein the media server transcodes the media content into the selected media format as the transcoded media content; and

providing the transcoded media content in the selected media format to the target device.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise monitoring the signaling information between the target device and the media server.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the signaling information comprises receiving the signaling information from a monitoring device.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein evaluating the first attribute of the target device and the second attribute of the media server comprises accessing user information related to the media format from a provider server;

and evaluating the user information and the signaling information from the target device and the media server against the service level objective to select the media format.

15. A system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving a media request from a target device, the target device being one of a plurality of target device types;

exchanging signaling information between the target device and a media server, wherein the signaling information comprises a media resolution used by the target device for presenting media content, and a packet impairment characteristic for delivering media content from the media server over a provider network;

identifying a first attribute of the target device and a second attribute of the media server using the signaling information, wherein the first attribute is a decoding capability of the target device;

evaluating the first attribute of the target device and the second attribute of the media server against a service level objective, wherein the service level objective includes a consideration of receiving media content over the provider network within a predetermined time period at a presentation quality at the target device that conforms to the media resolution used by the target device;

selecting a media format for delivering media content to the target device according to the evaluation;

requesting the media content from the media server in the media format;

receiving transcoded media content in the media format from the media server over the provider network, wherein the media server transcodes the media content into the media format as the transcoded media content; and

providing the transcoded media content over the provider network to the target device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a notification of authentication of the target device by a provider server.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise transcoding the media content to the media format.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise accessing user information related to the media format from a provider server.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise initiating an exchange of the signaling information between the target device and the media server.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the predetermined time period is a guaranteed period of time.