Content-based handover method and system

• US 7,948,949 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• 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: Bowen, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, IV, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Toan D
• Application Number:
  US11/927,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20090109921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/286, 370/331, 370/332, 370/333, 455/414.1, 455/436, 455/452.1, 455/500, 382/165, 709/227, 725 9- 21, 725/62, 725/132, 725/133, 725/140, 725/141, 725/152, 725/153
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters

Abstract

A handover of a wireless communication device is performed between a first wireless band and a second wireless band when a detected feature occurs within a content stream being communicated with the wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

processing at least a portion of a content stream to detect a specific feature within the content stream;

detecting the specific feature within the content stream, wherein the content stream comprises video content; and

performing a handover of a wireless communication device between a first wireless band and a second wireless band when a detected feature occurs within a content stream being communicated with the wireless communication device and when a detected number of consecutive black frames in the video content is greater than or equal to a threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first wireless band is a licensed wireless band and wherein the second wireless band is an unlicensed wireless band.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the licensed wireless band comprises a cellular telephone network band.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the unlicensed wireless band comprises a WiFi band.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the handover is from the licensed wireless band to the unlicensed wireless band.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the handover is from the unlicensed wireless band to the licensed wireless band.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the detected feature is detected while a portion of the content stream is being communicated with the wireless communication device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the handover is performed between the first wireless band and the second wireless band when a detected scene transition occurs in the video content.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the content stream comprises audio content, and wherein the handover is performed between the first wireless band and the second wireless band when a period of silence in the audio content is greater than or equal to a threshold value.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the content stream comprises gaming packets, and wherein the handover is performed between the first wireless band and the second wireless band when a quiescent period indicated by the gaming packets is greater than or equal to a threshold value.

11. A system comprising:

a processor for processing at least a portion of a content stream to detect a specific feature within the content stream;

a detector for detecting the specific feature within the content stream, wherein the content stream comprises video content; and

a handover component to perform a handover of a wireless communication device between a first wireless band and a second wireless band when a detected feature occurs within a content stream being communicated with the wireless communication device and when a detected number of consecutive black frames in the video content is greater than or equal to a threshold.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the first wireless band is a licensed wireless band and wherein the second wireless band is an unlicensed wireless band.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the licensed wireless band comprises a cellular telephone network band.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the unlicensed wireless band comprises a Wi-Fi band.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the handover is from the licensed wireless band to the unlicensed wireless band.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the handover is from the unlicensed wireless band to the licensed wireless band.

17. The system of claim 11 further comprising a content feature detector to detect the detected feature while a portion of the content stream is being communicated with the wireless communication device.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the handover is performed between the first wireless band and the second wireless band when a detected scene transition occurs in the video content.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the content stream comprises audio content, and wherein the handover is performed between the first wireless band and the second wireless band when a period of silence in the audio content is greater than or equal to a threshold value.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the content stream comprises gaming packets, and wherein the handover is performed between the first wireless band and the second wireless band when a quiescent period indicated by the gaming packets is greater than or equal to a threshold value.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program to cause a computer system to process at least a portion of a content stream to detect a specific feature within the content stream, detect the specific feature within the content stream, and perform a handover wireless communication device between a first wireless band and a second wireless band when a detected feature occurs within a content stream being communicated with the wireless communication device and when a detected number of consecutive black frames in video content is greater than or equal to a threshold, wherein the content stream comprises the video content.