Interaction modalities for multimedia delivery and presentation

• US 7,310,811 B1
• Filed: 07/10/1998
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Basso, Andrea, Haskell, Barin Geoffry, Ostermann, Joern, Haratsch, Erich
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, KIEU OANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/113,747
• Time in Patent Office: 3,448 Days
• Field of Search: 725/86, 725/109, 725/110, 725/131, 709/231, 709/232, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6371 directed to network
• 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 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6379 directed to encoder , e.g. for requesting a lower encoding rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and apparatus for displaying received data, analyze the quality of the displayed data formulating a media-parameter suggestion for the encoder to alter the characteristics of data to be sent to the receiver, and sending from the receiver, the formulated suggestion.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium storing instructions adapted to be executed on a processor to:

(a) display, at a receiver, received data;

(b) analyze, by the receiver, parameters associated with the quality of the displayed data;

(c) formulate, by the receiver and based on the analysis in step (b), a media-parameter suggestion for an encoder to alter the characteristics of data to be sent to the receiver; and

(d) send, from the receiver, the formulated suggestion.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing instructions adapted to be executed on a processor to:

(e) receive, at the receiver, a user preference to be used in the analysis in step (b).

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the instruction (a) to display data includes instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to display, at the receiver, audiovisual data.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the instruction (b) to analyze parameters associated with the quality of the displayed data includes instructions adapted to be run on the processor to analyze, at the receiver, the system load.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the instruction (b) to analyze parameters associated with the quality of the displayed data includes instructions adapted to be run on the processor to:

(i) analyze, at the receiver, component load, wherein a component is chosen from the set comprising a central-processing unit, a graphics card, and a texture-mapping engine.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the instruction (c) to formulate a media-parameter suggestion includes instructions adapted to be run on the processor to formulate media-parameter suggestions that include:

(i) send timing information identifying the point in time where the data was collected; and

(ii) send timing information identifying the point in time when the suggested action should be honored.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the instruction (c) to formulate a media-parameter suggestion includes instructions adapted to be run on the processor to formulate media-parameter suggestions to:

(i) alter the frame rate.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the instruction (c) to formulate a media-parameter suggestion includes instructions adapted to be run on the processor to formulate media-parameter suggestions to:

(i) alter the color depth.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the instruction (c) to formulate a media-parameter suggestion includes instructions adapted to be run on the processor to formulate media-parameter suggestions to:

(i) alter the window size.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the instruction (c) to formulate a media-parameter suggestion includes instructions adapted to be run on the processor to formulate media-parameter suggestions to

(i) alter audio channel characteristics.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the instructions (c) to formulate a media-parameter suggestion includes instructions adapted to be run on the processor to formulate media-parameter suggestions to:

(i) alter the graphics hardware load.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the instructions (c) to formulate a media-parameter suggestion includes instructions adapted to be run on the processor to formulate media-parameter suggestions to:

(i) alter the CPU load.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the instruction (c) to formulate a media-parameter suggestion includes instructions adapted to be run on the processor to formulate media-parameter suggestions that include:

(i) altering the RAM amount available.

14. A method of transmitting data from a sender to a receiver across a network comprising:

(a) displaying, at the receiver, received data;

(b) analyzing, by the receiver, parameters associated with the quality of the displayed data;

(c) formulating, by the receiver and based on the analysis in step (b), a media-parameter suggestion for an encoder to alter the characteristics of data to be sent to the receiver; and

(d) sending, from the receiver, the formulated suggestion to alter the quality of the received data.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

(e) receiving, at the receiver, a user preference to be used in the analysis in step (b).

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the displayed data is audiovisual data.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said analyzing step (b) is based on system load.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said analyzing step (b) is based on component load, where a component is chosen from the set comprising central-processing unit, graphics, card and texture mapping engine.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the formulated suggestion includes:

(i) timing information identifying the point in time where the data was collected; and

(ii) timing information identifying the point in time when the suggested action should be honored.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the formulated suggestion includes a suggestion to:

(i) alter the frame rate.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the formulated suggestion includes a suggestion to:

(i) alter the color depth.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the formulated suggestion includes a suggestion to:

(i) alter the window size.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the formulated suggestion includes a suggestion to:

(i) alter audio channel characteristics.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the formulated suggestion includes a suggestion to:

(i) alter the graphics hardware load.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the formulated suggestion includes a suggestion to:

(i) alter the CPU load.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the formulated suggestion includes a suggestion to:

(i) alter the RAM amount available.

27. A method for transmitting data across a network comprising:

(a) transmitting data to a receiver;

(b) receiving from the receiver a suggestion to alter future transmitted data on the basis of a quality of data transmitted in (a), wherein the suggestion is generated by the receiver based on a receiver analysis of data quality at the receiver;

(c) selecting, based on the received suggestion, an action to alter the data; and

(d) altering the future transmitted data.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the data transmitted in step (a) includes audiovisual data.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the received suggestion includes:

(i) timing information identifying the point in time where the data was collected; and

(ii) timing information identifying the point in time when the suggested action should be honored.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the received suggestion includes:

(i) altering the frame rate.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the received suggestion includes:

(i) altering the color depth.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the received suggestion includes:

(i) altering the window size.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the received suggestion includes:

(i) altering the audio channel characteristics.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the received suggestion includes:

(i) altering the graphics hardware load.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein the received suggestion includes:

(i) altering the CPU load.

36. An apparatus for transmitting data from a sender to a receiver across a network comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) a port coupled to said processor; and

(c) a memory coupled to said processor and said port, storing instructions adapted to be run on said processor to;

i. display, at the receiver, received data;

ii. analyze, by the receiver, parameters associated with the quality of the displayed data;

iii. formulate, by the receiver and based on the analysis in (ii), a media-parameter suggestion for an encoder to alter the characteristics of data to be sent to the receiver; and

iv. send, from the receiver, the formulated suggestion to alter the quality of the received data.

37. The apparatus in claim 36, wherein the memory further stores instructions adapted to be run on said processor to:

(v) receive, at the receiver, a user preference to be used in the analysis in (ii).

38. The apparatus in claim 36, wherein the formulated suggestion includes timing information identifying when the data was collected, and timing information identifying when the suggested action should be honored.

39. The apparatus in claim 36, wherein the formulated suggestion includes a suggestion to later the frame rate.

40. The apparatus in claim 36, wherein the formulated suggestion includes a suggestion to later the color depth.

41. The apparatus in claim 36, wherein the formulated suggestion includes a suggestion to alter the window size.

42. The apparatus in claim 36, wherein the formulated suggestion includes a suggestion to alter the audio characteristics.

43. The apparatus in claim 36, wherein the formulated suggestion includes a suggestion to alter the hardware load.

44. The apparatus in claim 36, wherein the formulated suggestion includes a suggestion to alter the CPU load.

45. The apparatus in claim 36, wherein the formulated suggestion includes a suggestion to alter the RAM amount available.

46. An apparatus for transmitting data from a sender to a receiver to a receiver across a network comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) a port coupled to said processor; and

(c) a memory coupled to said processor and said port, storing instructions adapted to be run on said processor to;

(i) transmit data to a receiver;

(ii) receive, from the receiver, a suggestion to alter future transmitted data on the basis of a quality of data transmitted in (i), wherein the suggestion is generated by the receiver based on a receiver analysis of data quality at the receiver;

(iii) select, based on the received suggestion, an action to alter the future transmitted data; and

(iv) alter the transmitted data.

47. The apparatus in claim 46, wherein the received suggestion includes timing information identifying when the data was collected, and timing information identifying when the suggested action should be honored.

48. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the received suggestion includes altering the frame rate.

49. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the received suggestion includes altering the color depth.

50. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the received suggestion includes altering the window size.

51. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the received suggestion includes altering audio channel characteristics.

52. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the received suggestion includes altering the hardware load.

53. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the received suggestion includes altering the CPU load.