Adjusting Network Bandwidth Based on an Analysis of a User's Cognitive State

• US 20180041448A1
• Filed: 08/04/2016
• Published: 02/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J., Fox, Jeremy R., Jones, Andrew R., McConnell, Kevin C., Moore, JR., John E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,764,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/80 Actions related to the user profile or the type of traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/821 Prioritising resource allocation or reservation requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

Adjusting network bandwidth is provided. An indication that a client device corresponding to a user is using a level of bandwidth of a network that the computer and client device are connected to is received. An indication via a set of biometric sensors communicatively coupled to the client device that the user is experiencing an increased stress level also is received. The level of bandwidth allocated to the client device of the user is increased based on the received indication that the user is experiencing the increased stress level.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for adjusting network bandwidth, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a computer, an indication that a client device corresponding to a user is using a level of bandwidth of a network that the computer and client device are connected to;

receiving, by the computer, an indication via a set of biometric sensors communicatively coupled to the client device that the user is experiencing an increased stress level; and

increasing, by the computer, the level of bandwidth allocated to the client device of the user based on the received indication that the user is experiencing the increased stress level.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the computer, an indication that the client device corresponding to the user is logged in to the network;

responsive to the computer receiving the indication that the client device is logged in to the network, requesting, by the computer, information regarding the set of biometric sensors communicatively coupled to the client device of the user that the computer is authorized to access; and

receiving, by the computer, the information from the client device regarding the set of biometric sensors that the computer is authorized to access.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 further comprising:

accessing, by the computer, the set of biometric sensors to retrieve biometric data corresponding to the user of the client device; and

determining, by the computer, a current cognitive state of the user based on analyzing the biometric data retrieved from the set of biometric sensors communicatively coupled to the client device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 further comprising:

comparing, by the computer, the current cognitive state of the user with a pre-defined cognitive state threshold level; and

determining, by the computer, whether the current cognitive state of the user is below the pre-defined cognitive state threshold level.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 further comprising:

responsive to the computer determining that the current cognitive state of the user is below the pre-defined cognitive state threshold level, determining, by the computer, whether available bandwidth exists in the network to allocate to the client device of the user; and

responsive to the computer determining that available bandwidth does exist in the network to allocate to the client device of the user, increasing, by the computer, a current level of bandwidth of the network allocated to the client device of the user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

responsive to the computer determining that available bandwidth does not exist in the network to allocate to the client device of the user, determining, by the computer, whether bandwidth can be taken from another client device connected to the network; and

responsive to the computer determining that bandwidth can be taken from another client device connected to the network, reallocating, by the computer, a portion of the bandwidth utilized by the other client device to the client device of the user to increase the current level of bandwidth to the client device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining, by the computer, whether a cognitive state of the user increased above the pre-defined cognitive state threshold level based on the increased current level of bandwidth; and

responsive to the computer determining that the cognitive state of the user did increase above the pre-defined cognitive state threshold level based on the increased current level of bandwidth, sending, by the computer, a notification to the user of the client device indicating that the increased current level of bandwidth will be reduced if needed by one or more other client devices connected to the network based on determined cognitive states of users of the one or more other client devices.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, by the computer, a current level of bandwidth of the network that is allocated to the client device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computer considers a type of network traffic transmitted by the client device corresponding to the user when adjusting the level of bandwidth allocated to the client device.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of biometric sensors communicatively coupled to the client device of the user is included in wearables located on a body of the user.

11. A computer system for adjusting network bandwidth, the computer system comprising:

a bus system;

a storage device connected to the bus system, wherein the storage device stores program instructions; and

a processor connected to the bus system, wherein the processor executes the program instructions to;

receive an indication that a client device corresponding to a user is using a level of bandwidth of a network that the computer system and client device are connected to;

receive an indication via a set of biometric sensors communicatively coupled to the client device that the user is experiencing an increased stress level; and

increase the level of bandwidth allocated to the client device of the user based on the received indication that the user is experiencing the increased stress level.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the processor further executes the program instructions to:

receive an indication that the client device corresponding to the user is logged in to the network;

request information regarding the set of biometric sensors communicatively coupled to the client device of the user that the computer system is authorized to access in response to receiving the indication that the client device is logged in to the network; and

receive the information from the client device regarding the set of biometric sensors that the computer system is authorized to access.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the processor further executes the program instructions to:

access the set of biometric sensors to retrieve biometric data corresponding to the user of the client device; and

determine a current cognitive state of the user based on analyzing the biometric data retrieved from the set of biometric sensors communicatively coupled to the client device.

14. A computer program product for adjusting network bandwidth, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by the computer, an indication that a client device corresponding to a user is using a level of bandwidth of a network that the computer and client device are connected to;

receiving, by the computer, an indication via a set of biometric sensors communicatively coupled to the client device that the user is experiencing an increased stress level; and

increasing, by the computer, the level of bandwidth allocated to the client device of the user based on the received indication that the user is experiencing the increased stress level.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving, by the computer, an indication that the client device corresponding to the user is logged in to the network;

responsive to the computer receiving the indication that the client device is logged in to the network, requesting, by the computer, information regarding the set of biometric sensors communicatively coupled to the client device of the user that the computer is authorized to access; and

receiving, by the computer, the information from the client device regarding the set of biometric sensors that the computer is authorized to access.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

accessing, by the computer, the set of biometric sensors to retrieve biometric data corresponding to the user of the client device; and

determining, by the computer, a current cognitive state of the user based on analyzing the biometric data retrieved from the set of biometric sensors communicatively coupled to the client device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising:

comparing, by the computer, the current cognitive state of the user with a pre-defined cognitive state threshold level; and

determining, by the computer, whether the current cognitive state of the user is below the pre-defined cognitive state threshold level.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

responsive to the computer determining that the current cognitive state of the user is below the pre-defined cognitive state threshold level, determining, by the computer, whether available bandwidth exists in the network to allocate to the client device of the user; and

responsive to the computer determining that available bandwidth does exist in the network to allocate to the client device of the user, increasing, by the computer, a current level of bandwidth of the network allocated to the client device of the user.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising:

responsive to the computer determining that available bandwidth does not exist in the network to allocate to the client device of the user, determining, by the computer, whether bandwidth can be taken from another client device connected to the network; and

responsive to the computer determining that bandwidth can be taken from another client device connected to the network, reallocating, by the computer, a portion of the bandwidth utilized by the other client device to the client device of the user to increase the current level of bandwidth to the client device.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

determining, by the computer, whether a cognitive state of the user increased above the pre-defined cognitive state threshold level based on the increased current level of bandwidth; and

responsive to the computer determining that the cognitive state of the user did increase above the pre-defined cognitive state threshold level based on the increased current level of bandwidth, sending, by the computer, a notification to the user of the client device indicating that the increased current level of bandwidth will be reduced if needed by one or more other client devices connected to the network based on determined cognitive states of users of the one or more other client devices.