Method and system for media adaption

• US 7,720,986 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2007
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• 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 G., Li, Zhi
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US11/844,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-225, 709/217, 709/203, 709/231, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/231
• 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 operating in an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) provider network, comprising:

receiving a media request for a target device, the target device being at least one of a set-top box (STB), a television monitor, a mobile phone, a portable media player, or a personal digital assistant (PDA);

receiving signaling information from the target device and a media server;

identifying at least one attribute of the target device and the media server using the signaling information;

evaluating the at least one attribute of the target device and the media server against a service level objective to select a selected media format, the service level objective including consideration of the target device and available bandwidth over the IPTV provider network; and

providing media in the selected media format over the IPTV provider network to the target device,

wherein the media comprises video content, and

wherein the evaluating of the signaling information further comprises;

accessing the media of a source media format from a plurality of available formats of the media for use as the selected media format, such that the video content is adapted by selecting a media format that enables a particular type of the target device to receive the video content over the IPTV provider network within a predetermined period of time at presentation quality on the particular type of target device being used.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the media request comprises:

receiving a notification of authentication of the target device by a provider server; and

receiving the media request for the target device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the signaling information comprises:

initiating an exchange of signaling information between the target device and the media server; and

receiving the signaling information exchanged between the target device and the media server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating of the signaling information further comprises:

accessing the media of a source media format from a media server; and

transcoding the media from the source media format to the selected media format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating of the signaling information further 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.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user information includes at least one of:

an ordering history of a user, a viewing history of the user, a user preference of the media format, or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the media further includes at least one of text data, document data, image data, or voice data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute from the target device includes at least one of:

an existing media resolution presentable by the target device;

a feature of the target device, a decoding capability of the target device, one or more available resources of the target device, a cost of delivery of the media from a media server to the target device, a time of delivery of the media from the media server 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 combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute from the media server includes at least one of:

available bandwidth on the provider network from the media server, a packet impairment characteristic of a media delivery path over the provider network, or combinations thereof.

10. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more processors perform the following operations:

receive signaling information from a target device and a media server, the target device being at least one of a set-top box (STB), a television monitor, a mobile phone, a portable media player, or a personal digital assistant (PDA);

receive a media request from the target device;

identify at least one attribute of the target device and the media server using the signaling information;

evaluate the at least one attribute of the target device and the media server against a service level objective to select a selected media format, the service level objective including consideration of the target device and available bandwidth over an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) provider network; and

provide the media in the selected media format over the IPTV provider network to the target device,

wherein the media comprises video content, and

wherein the evaluating of the signaling information further comprises;

accessing the media of a source media format from a plurality of available formats of the media for use as the selected media format, such that the video content is adapted by selecting a media format that enables a particular type of the target device to receive the video content over the IPTV provider network within a predetermined period of time at presentation quality on the particular type of target device being used.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more instructions to receive the signaling information include:

monitor the signaling information between the target device and the media server.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more instructions to receive the signaling information include:

receive the signaling information between the target device and the media server from a monitoring device.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more instructions to evaluate the signaling information include:

access user information related to the media format from a provider server; and

evaluate 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.

14. A system comprising:

a request receiver module to receive a media request for a target device, the target device being at least one of a set-top box (STB), a television monitor, a mobile phone, a portable media player, or a personal digital assistant (PDA);

a memory storing

a signal receiver module to receive signaling information from the target device and a media server;

an attribute identification module to identify at least one attribute of the target device and the media server using the signaling information;

an evaluation module to evaluate the at least one attribute of the target device and the media server against a service level objective to select a selected media format, the service level objective including consideration of the target device and available bandwidth over an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) provider network; and

a provider module to provide the media in the selected media format over the IPTV provider network to the target device,

wherein the media comprises video content, and

wherein the evaluating by the evaluation module of the signaling information further comprises;

accessing the media of a source media format from a plurality of available formats of the media for use as the selected media format, such that the video content is adapted by selecting a media format that enables a particular type of the target device to receive the video content over the IPTV provider network within a predetermined period of time at presentation quality on the particular type of target device being used.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

an authentication module to receive a notification of authentication of the target device by a provider server.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a media access module to accessing the media from the media server.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

an information access module to access user information related to the media format from a provider server.