Methods, systems, and devices for bandwidth conservation

• US 8,104,054 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weaver, Timothy H., Whited, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, JASON K
• Application Number:
  US11/298,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20070133603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• Field of Search: 725 1-153, 463/40
• US Class Current: 725/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for conserving bandwidth. A user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption is monitored and compared to a threshold value. When the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption equals or exceeds the threshold value, then behavior is incentivized that reduces the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption.

Claims

1. A method to conserve bandwidth, comprising:

monitoring by a presence detection application on a user device a user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption of a communication network;

wherein the presence detection application on the user device is configured to determine a presence of a user;

receiving by the presence detection application a historical pattern describing a top of an hour user inputs, the top of the hour user inputs corresponding to channel surfing on a television;

determining, by the presence detection application, that user inputs are to be received based on the historical pattern describing the top of the hour user inputs corresponding to channel surfing on the television;

wherein the presence detection application is configured to decide to ignore the historical pattern describing the top of the hour user inputs corresponding to channel surfing on the television when the user is consuming a movie that does not transition to advertisements, in which deciding to ignore the historical pattern describing the top of the hour user inputs corresponding to channel surfing on the television causes the presence detection application to refrain from indicating that the user is absent and to maintain the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising prompting the user to forego a high definition stream of data and to instead receive a standard definition stream of data, which reduces the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising prompting the user to retrieve locally stored content, which reduces the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption;

wherein the presence detection application is configured to determine when the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption exceeds a threshold value.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising when user inputs corresponding to channel surfing are expected to a user interface, but no user inputs corresponding to channel surfing are received during transition to an advertisement, predicting that no user is present and conserving bandwidth by reducing the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for content;

retrieving a known bitrate for delivering the content to the user;

summing the known bitrate with the user'"'"'s current bandwidth consumption to result in a sum;

comparing the sum to a threshold value; and

when the sum exceeds the threshold value, prompting the user to reduce the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising comparing by the presence detection application the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption to a threshold value;

and

when the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption exceeds the threshold value, incentivizing by the presence detection application behavior that reduces the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption;

wherein incentivizing behavior comprises;

retrieving locally stored content to reduce the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption;

receiving a reduced resolution stream of data; and

processing the locally stored content and the reduced resolution stream of data such that a first window presents the locally stored content and a second window presents the reduced resolution stream of data.

7. A user device, comprising:

a processor of the user device receiving inputs via a user interface;

a memory comprising a program, the processor coupled to the memory to execute the program;

the processor monitoring a user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption;

the processor receiving a historical pattern describing a top of an hour user inputs, the top of the hour user inputs corresponding to channel surfing on a television;

the processor determining that user inputs are to be received based on the historical pattern describing the top of the hour user inputs corresponding to channel surfing on the television;

the processor deciding to ignore the historical pattern describing the top of the hour user inputs corresponding to channel surfing on the television when the user is consuming a movie that does not transition to advertisements, in which deciding to ignore the historical pattern describing the top of the hour user inputs corresponding to channel surfing on the television causes the processor to refrain from indicating that the user is absent and to maintain the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the processor prompts the user to forego a high definition stream of data and to instead receive a standard definition stream of data, which reduces the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption.

9. A device according to claim 7, wherein the processor prompts the user to retrieve locally stored content, which reduces the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption.

10. A device according to claim 7, wherein the processor restricts the user'"'"'s access to content, which reduces the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption.

11. A device according to claim 7, wherein when user inputs are expected to the user interface corresponding to channel surfing on the television, but no user inputs corresponding to channel surfing on the television are received during transition to an advertisement, the processor predicts that no user is present and conserves bandwidth, which reduces the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption.

12. A device according to claim 7, wherein the processor:

receives a request for content;

retrieves a known bitrate for delivering the content to the user;

sums the known bitrate with the user'"'"'s current bandwidth consumption to result in a sum;

compares the sum to the threshold value; and

when the sum exceeds the threshold value, prompts the user to reduce bandwidth consumption.

13. A device according to claim 7, wherein the processor:

retrieves locally stored content to reduce the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption;

processes a reduced resolution stream of data; and

processes the locally stored content and the reduced resolution stream of data such that a first window presents the locally stored content and a second window presents the reduced resolution stream of data.

14. A computer program product, tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product including instructions for causing a user device to execute a method for conserving bandwidth, comprising:

monitoring a user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption of a communication network;

wherein a presence detection application on the user device is configured to determine a presence of a user;

receiving a historical pattern describing a top of an hour user inputs, the top of the hour user inputs corresponding to channel surfing on a television; and

determining that user inputs are to be received based on the historical pattern describing the top of the hour user inputs corresponding to channel surfing on the television;

wherein the presence detection application is configured to decide to ignore the historical pattern describing the top of the hour user inputs corresponding to channel surfing on the television when the user is consuming a movie that does not transition to advertisements in which deciding to ignore the historical pattern describing the top of the hour user inputs corresponding to channel surfing on the television causes the presence detection application to refrain from indicating that the user is absent and to maintain the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption.

15. A computer program product according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for prompting the user to forego a high definition stream of data and to instead receive a standard definition stream of data, which reduces the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption.

16. A computer program product according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for:

prompting the user to retrieve locally stored content, which reduces the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption; and

restricting the user'"'"'s access to content, which reduces the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption.

17. A computer program product according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for when user inputs corresponding to channel surfing on the television are expected to a user interface, but no user inputs corresponding to channel surfing on the television are received during transition to an advertisement, predicting that no user is present and conserving bandwidth, which reduces the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption.

18. A computer program product according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a request for content;

retrieving a known bitrate for delivering the content to the user;

summing the known bitrate with the user'"'"'s current bandwidth consumption resulting in a sum;

comparing the sum to the threshold value; and

when the sum exceeds the threshold value, prompting the user to reduce the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption.

19. A computer program product according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for:

retrieving locally stored content to reduce the user'"'"'s bandwidth consumption;

receiving a reduced resolution stream of data; and

processing the locally stored content and the reduced resolution stream of data such that a first window presents the locally stored content and a second window presents the reduced resolution stream of data.