Delivery of feedback information to scheduling service to determine optimum broadcast times based upon client platform tuner contention

• US 7,703,118 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Hudspeth, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Salce; Jason P
• Application Number:
  US09/952,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20030051239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,141 Days
• Field of Search: 725/9, 725/14, 725/16, 725/46, 725/50, 725/93, 725/97, 725/116, 725/146
• US Class Current: 725/93
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

Delivery of feedback information to a scheduling service to determine optimum broadcast times based upon client platform tuner contention is described. A usage pattern of an electronic media device is recorded. The usage pattern is communicated to a scheduling server. Media content is received during a time period selected by the scheduling server based upon the usage pattern.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

recording a usage pattern of an electronic media device, wherein the usage pattern includes a pattern of user interaction with the electronic media device;

communicating the usage pattern to a scheduling server, the usage pattern includes a first user interaction with the electronic media device, if a duration between first user interaction and an immediately subsequent user interaction is less than a predetermined period of time;

receiving an identification of one future time period for receiving television program broadcast media content comprising actual television programs by datacasting during a time period when receiver resources are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content, the time period calculated by the scheduling server based on a likelihood of inactivity of the electronic media device according to the usage pattern; and

receiving the programs by datacasting during the time period and when receiver resources of the media device are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content, wherein the television program broadcast media content includes a plurality of television programs to be displayed during a plurality of different time periods, wherein each different time period is different than every other different time period and is different than the time period of the datacasting.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the programs for use by the electronic media device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the television program broadcast media content is the plurality of television programs, is datacast only to the receiver, and is received from the datacast during a single, continuous period of time that is different from viewing times for all of the television programs.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each different time period is different from each other different time period and is different from the single, continuous period of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording is comprised of recording at least one of the group consisting of:

day of use;

time of use; and

elapsed time of use.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern of user interaction comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

turning the electronic media device on or off;

adjusting a volume of the electronic media device; and

recording data with the electronic media device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic media device is selected from the group consisting of:

a television (TV);

an audio receiver; and

a digital processing system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising purging the usage pattern that has been recorded after the usage pattern has been communicated to the scheduling server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the time period is calculated by the scheduling server to exceed a pre-defined likelihood that the electronic media device is not being used to view real-time broadcast media content.

10. A method of claim 1, further comprising removing the immediately previous interaction from the usage pattern if the duration of time between the interaction and the immediately previous interaction exceeds a pre-defined duration.

11. A method of claim 1, wherein the pattern of user interaction comprises adjusting a channel or frequency of the electronic media device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the time period for receiving the programs by datacasting is a time period when a tuner is not regularly being used to view broadcast media content based on the likelihood of inactivity.

13. A method comprising:

receiving a usage pattern of a selected electronic media device, wherein the usage pattern includes a pattern of user interaction with the selected electronic media device;

calculating, based on a likelihood of inactivity of the selected electronic media device according to the usage pattern, a time period for the selected media device for datacasting television program broadcast media content comprising actual television programs, the datacasting during a time period when receiver resources are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content, the usage pattern includes a first user interaction with the selected electronic media device, if a duration between first user interaction and an immediately subsequent user interaction is less than a predetermined period of time; and

using the time period to identify one future time period for datacasting the television program broadcast media content to the selected media device, wherein the television program broadcast media content includes a plurality of television programs to be displayed during a plurality of different time periods, wherein each different time period is different than every other different time period, is different than when receiver resources of the media device are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content, and is different than the time period for datacasting.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising datacasting the media content during the time period.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the time period has a pre-defined likelihood of a receiving device communicatively coupled to the electronic media device being able to receive the media content.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the electronic media device is selected from the group consisting of:

a television (TV);

an audio receiver; and

a digital processing system.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing the usage pattern.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the time period is calculated to exceed a pre-defined likelihood that the electronic media device is not being used to view real-time broadcast media content.

19. A method comprising:

recording a usage pattern of an electronic media device, wherein the usage pattern includes a pattern of user interaction with the electronic media device;

calculating, based on a likelihood of inactivity of the electronic media device according to the usage pattern, a time period for datacasting television program broadcast media content comprising actual television programs, the datacasting during a time period when receiver resources are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content, the usage pattern includes a first user interaction with the electronic media device, if a duration between first user interaction and an immediately subsequent user interaction is less than a predetermined period of time;

using the time period to identify one future time period for datacasting the television program broadcast media content; and

receiving the television program broadcast media content by datacasting during the time period included in the schedule and when receiver resources of the media device are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content, wherein the television program broadcast media content includes a plurality of television programs to be displayed during a plurality of different time periods, wherein each different time period is different than every other different time period and is different than the time period of the datacasting.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising datacasting the media content during the time period.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing the usage pattern.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing the media content for use by the electronic media device.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the time period is calculated to exceed a pre-defined likelihood that the electronic media device is not being used to view real-time broadcast media content.

24. An apparatus comprising:

a client device communicatively coupled to an electronic media device to record a usage pattern of the electronic media device by a user and to communicate the usage pattern to a scheduling server, wherein the usage pattern includes a pattern of user interaction with the electronic media device; and

the scheduling server communicatively coupled to the client device to receive the usage pattern from the client device, and to calculate based on a likelihood of inactivity of the electronic media device according to the usage pattern a time period for datacasting television program broadcast media content comprising actual television programs, the datacasting during a time period when receiver resources are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content, and to use the time period to identify one future time period for datacasting the television program broadcast media content, the usage pattern includes a first user interaction with the electronic media device, if a duration between first user interaction and an immediately subsequent user interaction is less than a predetermined period of time, wherein the television program broadcast media content includes a plurality of television programs to be displayed during a plurality of different time periods, wherein each different time period is different than every other different time period, is different than when receiver resources of the media device are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content, and is different than the time period for the datacasting.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a media broadcast device communicatively coupled to the scheduling server to datacast the media content to the client device during the time period.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the media broadcast device is a component of the scheduling server.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a media storage device communicatively coupled to the client device to store the media content that has been datacasted for usage by the electronic media device.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the media storage device is a component of the client device.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the electronic media device is selected from the group consisting of:

a television (TV);

an audio receiver; and

a digital processing system.

30. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a backchannel to facilitate communication between the client device and the scheduling server.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the backchannel is implemented by at least one of the group consisting of:

an analog modem;

a digital modem; and

a DOCSIS cable modem.

32. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the time period has a pre-defined likelihood of the client device being able to receive the media content.

33. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the client device is a set-top box.

34. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the time period is calculated by the scheduling server to exceed a pre-defined likelihood that the electronic media device is not being used to view real-time broadcast media content.

35. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, which if executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

recording a usage pattern of an electronic media device, wherein the usage pattern includes a pattern of user interaction with the electronic media device;

communicating the usage pattern to a scheduling server, the usage pattern includes a first user interaction with the electronic media device, if a duration between first user interaction and an immediately subsequent user interaction is less than a predetermined period of time;

receiving an identification of one future time period for receiving television program broadcast media content comprising actual television programs by datacasting during a time period when receiver resources are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content, the time period calculated by the scheduling server based on a likelihood of inactivity of the electronic media device according to the usage pattern; and

receiving the programs by datacasting during the time period and when receiver resources of the media device are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content, wherein the television program broadcast media content includes a plurality of television programs to be displayed during a plurality of different time periods, wherein each different time period is different than every other different time period and is different than the time period of the datacasting.

36. The machine-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the method further comprises storing the programs to be used by the electronic media device.

37. The machine-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the method further comprises purging the usage pattern that has been recorded after the usage pattern has been communicated to the scheduling server.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the time period is calculated by the scheduling server to exceed a pre-defined likelihood that the electronic media device is not being used to view real-time broadcast media content.

39. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, which if executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

receiving a usage pattern of a selected electronic media device, wherein the usage pattern includes a first user interaction with the selected electronic media device, if a duration between first user interaction and an immediately subsequent user interaction is less than a predetermined period of time;

calculating, based on a likelihood of inactivity of the selected electronic media device according to the usage pattern, a time period for the selected media device for datacasting television program broadcast media content comprising actual television programs, the datacasting during a time period when receiver resources are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content; and

using the time period to identify one future time period for datacasting the television program broadcast media content to the selected media device, wherein the television program broadcast media content includes a plurality of television programs to be displayed during a plurality of different time periods, wherein each different time period is different than every other different time period, and is different than when receiver resources of the media device are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content, and is different than the time period for datacasting.

40. The machine-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the method further comprises datacasting the media content during the time period.

41. The machine-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the method further comprises storing the usage pattern.

42. The machine-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the time period is calculated to exceed a pre-defined likelihood that the electronic media device is not being used to view real-time broadcast media content.

43. A system comprising:

a processing unit;

a memory coupled to the processing unit through a bus; and

a process executed from the memory by the processing unit to;

record a usage pattern of an electronic media device, wherein the usage pattern includes a pattern of user interaction with the electronic media device;

communicate the usage pattern to a scheduling server, the usage pattern includes a first user interaction with the electronic media device, if a duration between first user interaction and an immediately subsequent user interaction is less than a predetermined period of time;

receive an identification of one future time period for receiving television program broadcast media content comprising actual television programs by datacasting during a time period when receiver resources are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content, the time period calculated by the scheduling server based on a likelihood of inactivity of the electronic media device according to the usage pattern; and

receive the programs by datacasting during the time period and when receiver resources of the media device are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content, wherein the television program broadcast media content includes a plurality of television programs to be displayed during a plurality of different time periods, wherein each different time period is different than every other different time period and is different than the time period of the datacasting.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the electronic media device is selected from the group consisting of:

a television (TV);

an audio receiver; and

a digital processing system.

45. The system of claim 43, further comprising a backchannel interface to facilitate communication between the electronic media device and the scheduling server over a backchannel.

46. The system of claim 43, wherein the time period is calculated by the scheduling server to exceed a pre-defined likelihood that the electronic media device is not being used to view real-time broadcast media content.

47. A method comprising:

receiving a usage pattern of a selected electronic media device, wherein the usage pattern includes a first user interaction with the selected electronic media device, if a duration between first user interaction and an immediately subsequent user interaction is less than a predetermined period of time;

predicting a time period of inactivity of the selected electronic media device based on the usage pattern and when receiver resources of the media device are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content; and

calculating, based on the predicted time period of inactivity of the selected electronic device, a time period for the selected media device for datacasting television program broadcast media content comprising actual television programs, the datacasting during a time period when receiver resources are unutilized by real time use by the user to view broadcast media content; and

using the time period to datacast the television program broadcast media content to the selected media device, wherein the television program broadcast media content includes a plurality of television programs to be displayed during a plurality of different time periods, wherein each different time period is different than every other different time period and is different than the time period for datacasting.