Presence detection in a bandwidth management system

• US 7,975,283 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James Carlton Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl; Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): RABOVIANSKI, JIVKA A
• Application Number:
  US11/300,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20060225106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,029 Days
• Field of Search: 725/95
• US Class Current: 725/95
• 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 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed for conserving bandwith. If a presence of at least one individual is detected, then a stream of data is delivered to the multimedia device. If the presence of at least one individual is not detected, then the stream of data is degraded to conserve bandwidth.

Claims

1. A method to conserve bandwidth, comprising:

receiving information indicating whether a presence of an individual is detected;

if the presence of the individual is detected, then delivering a stream of data to a multimedia device;

if the presence of the individual is not detected, then degrading the stream of data to a degraded stream of data and delivering the degraded stream of data to the multimedia device to conserve bandwidth, the multimedia device being powered on;

wherein the degraded stream of data comprises a discarded audio portion of the stream of data and a discarded video portion of the stream of data;

prior to delivering the degraded stream of data, displaying a first message which asks the individual to indicate its presence to prevent delivering the degraded stream of data;

when delivering the degraded stream of data, displaying a second message to the individual indicating;

that the degraded stream of data is being presented and that that the degraded stream of data will be automatically restored when the presence of the individual is detected; and

when delivering the degraded stream of data, displaying a third message to the individual indicating select a restore button displayed on the multimedia device to change from the degraded stream of data to the stream of data.

2. The method of according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the presence of the individual by monitoring a state of a multimedia device to determine power consumption

wherein the first message is displayed before receiving information indicating whether the presence of the individual is detected.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the degraded stream of data comprises a degraded video portion of the stream of data.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the degraded stream of data comprises a full resolution data portion of the stream.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving information includes receiving a signal sent from an emitter device to a detector device to determine the presence of the individual proximate to the multimedia device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the emitter device is coupled with a selection from the group of a token, a smart card, an infrared device, a pressure-sensing device, and a device capable of generating the signal when proximate to the multimedia device.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

detecting the presence of individual using an eye sensory detection system to detect an eye movement of the individual which indicates the presence proximate to the multimedia device.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the degraded stream of data and a notification message for display to a user of the multimedia device, the notification message providing an alert that the stream of data has been degraded.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

presenting a restoration prompt to the multimedia device such that selection of the restoration prompt fully restores the degraded stream of data.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting the presence of the multimedia device by measuring current, voltage, resistance, electromagnetic field, or frequency of the multimedia device.

11. A device, comprising:

a processor communicating with means for detecting presence of an individual proximate to a multimedia device;

the processor commanding delivery of a stream of data to the multimedia device;

if the presence of the individual is not detected, then the processor degrading the stream of data to a degraded stream of data and delivering the degraded stream of data to the multimedia device to conserve bandwidth, the multimedia device being powered on;

wherein the degraded stream of data comprises a discarded audio portion of the stream of data and a discarded video portion of the stream of data;

prior to delivering the degraded stream of data, the processor displaying a first message which asks the individual to indicate its presence to prevent delivering the degraded stream of data;

when delivering the degraded stream of data, the processor displaying a second message to the individual indicating;

that the degraded stream of data is being presented and that that the degraded stream of data will be automatically restored when the presence of the individual is detected; and

when delivering the degraded stream of data, displaying a third message to the individual indicating select a restore button displayed on the multimedia device to change from the degraded stream of data to the stream of data.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the degraded stream of data comprises a degraded video portion of the stream of data.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein the degraded stream of data comprises a degraded video portion of the stream of data.

14. The device according to claim 11, wherein the degraded stream of data comprises a full resolution data portion of the stream of data.

15. The device according to claim 11, wherein the degraded stream of data comprises a degraded data portion of the stream of data.

16. The device according to claim 11, the means for detecting presence of the individual proximate to a multimedia device comprising:

an emitter device and a detector device, the emitter device and the detector device communicating a signal to determine the presence of the individual proximate to the multimedia device, wherein the emitter device comprises a token, a smart card, an infrared device, a pressure-sensing device, and a device capable of generating the signal when proximate to the multimedia device;

a motion sensory system to detect the presence of the individual proximate to the multimedia device;

an eye sensory detection system to detect an eye movement of the individual proximate to the multimedia device to detect presence;

a heat sensory detection system to detect the presence of the individual proximate to the multimedia device; and

an entry/exit detection system to detect the presence of the individual proximate to the multimedia device.

17. A computer program product, tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program product including instructions for causing a computer having a processor to execute a method for conserving bandwidth based on presence detection, comprising:

if a presence of an individual proximate to a multimedia device is detected, delivering a stream of data to the multimedia device;

if the presence of the individual is not detected, degrading the stream of data to a degraded stream of data and delivering the degraded stream of data to the multimedia device to conserve bandwidth, the multimedia device being powered on;

wherein the degraded stream of data comprises a discarded audio portion of the stream of data and a discarded video portion of the stream of data;

prior to delivering the degraded stream of data, displaying a first message which asks the individual to indicate its presence to prevent delivering the degraded stream of data;

when delivering the degraded stream of data, displaying a second message to the individual indicating;

that the degraded stream of data is being presented and that that the degraded stream of data will be automatically restored when the presence of the individual is detected; and

when delivering the degraded stream of data, displaying a third message to the individual indicating select a restore button displayed on the multimedia device to change from the degraded stream of data to the stream of data.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the degraded stream of data comprises a degraded video portion of the stream of data.

19. The computer program product according to claim 17, further comprising instructions for performing the following:

presenting the degraded stream of data and a notification message to the multimedia device, the notification message providing an alert that the stream of data has been degraded.

20. The computer program product according to claim 17, further comprising instructions for performing the following:

presenting a restoration prompt to the multimedia device such that selection of the restoration prompt fully restores the degraded stream of data.