Dynamic multimedia content change based on sector loading

• US 8,291,107 B1
• Filed: 06/08/2009
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Upadhyay, Piyush, Subramanyan, Badri, Davis, John, Karanam, Raghava Nidraghatta
• Primary Examiner(s): Divecha, Kamal
• Application Number:
  US12/480,180
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709224-225, 709231-235
• US Class Current: 709/234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and systems using a Media Channel Descriptor (MCD) file to manage media streams in a coverage area of a wireless access network. For example, an exemplary method involves (a) receiving a request for a media stream in the first format (that was specified by the MCD file), wherein the request is received from an access terminal that is operating in a coverage area of a wireless access network; (b) in response to the request, initiating a media stream in the first format, to the access terminal; (c) making a determination as to whether or not, with the media steam in the first format, traffic in the coverage area has reached a threshold level; and (d) in response to the determination that the traffic in the coverage area has reached the threshold level, modifying the MCD file to indicate a second format for new media streams.

Claims

1. A method for using a Media Channel Descriptor (MCD) file to manage available media content, wherein the MCD file comprises an indication of a format in which new media streams are available, and wherein the MCD file initially indicates a first format for new media streams, the method comprising:

receiving one or more requests for a media stream, wherein each request for a media stream is received from an access terminal that is operating in a sector of a wireless access network;

storing a record of each request for a media stream in a traffic database, wherein the record comprises an indication that a media stream is open or is about to be opened in the sector in which the requesting access terminal is operating; and

upon receipt of each request for a media stream;

making a determination as to whether or not, with initiation of the requested media steam to the access terminal, traffic in the sector in which the requesting access terminal is operating has reached a threshold level, wherein making the determination as to whether or not the traffic in the sector has reached the threshold level comprises;

(a) after storing each record, querying the traffic database to determine a number of open media streams in the sector in which the requesting access terminal is operating and (b) making a determination as to whether or not a number of open media streams in the sector is greater than or equal to a threshold number of media streams;

if the determination is that the traffic has reached the threshold level, modifying the MCD file to indicate a second format for new media streams and to not indicate the first format for new media streams; and

if the determination is that the traffic has not reached the threshold level, refraining from modifying the MCD file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving sector-identification data from each requesting access terminal, wherein the sector-identification data identifies the sector in which the requesting access terminal is operating; and

using the sector-identification data as a basis for making the determination as to whether or not, with the initiation of the requested media steam to the access terminal, traffic in the sector in which the requesting access terminal is operating has reached a threshold level.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sector-identification data is received from the access terminal as part of or in association with the request for media content.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the determination is that the number of open media streams in the sector in which the requesting access terminal is operating is greater than or equal to the threshold number, then modifying the MCD file to indicate the second format for new media streams.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after modifying the MCD file to indicate the second format for new media streams:

if the determination is that the number of open media streams in the sector in which the requesting access terminal is operating is less than the threshold number, then modifying the MCD file to indicate the first format for new media streams.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after modifying the MCD file to indicate the second format, determining whether one or more media streams have closed; and

if any media streams have been closed, updating the traffic database to reflect that the media streams are no longer open.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, after updating the traffic database to reflect that the media streams are no longer open:

making a determination as to whether or not a number of open media streams in the sector in which the requesting access terminal is operating is greater than or equal to a threshold number of media streams;

if the MCD file indicates the first format for new data streams, and the determination is that the number of open media streams in the sector in which the requesting access terminal is operating is greater than or equal to the threshold number, then modifying the MCD file to indicate the second format for new data streams; and

if the MCD file indicates the second format for new data streams, and the determination is that the number of open media streams in the sector in which the requesting access terminal is operating is less than the threshold number, then modifying the MCD file to indicate the first format for new data streams.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising after modifying the MCD file to indicate the second format, continuing existing media streams in a respective formats in which the existing media streams were initiated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first format comprises an audiovisual format.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second format comprises an audiovisual format of lesser quality than the first format.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second format comprises an audio format.

12. A system configured to use a Media Channel Descriptor (MCD) file to manage available media content, wherein the MCD file indicates a format in which new media streams are available, and wherein the MCD file initially indicates a first format for new media streams, the system comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive one or more requests for a media stream, wherein each request for a media stream is received from an access terminal that is operating in a sector of a wireless access network;

a processor; and

program logic stored in data storage and executable by the processor to;

store a record of each request for a media stream in a traffic database, wherein the record comprises an indication that a media stream is open or is about to be opened in the sector in which the requesting access terminal is operating;

upon receipt of each request for a media stream;

(a) after storing each record, query the traffic database to determine a number of open media streams in the sector in which the requesting access terminal is operating;

(b) make a determination as to whether or not, with initiation of the requested media steam to the access terminal, traffic in the sector in which the requesting access terminal is operating has reached a threshold level, wherein the determination as to whether or not the traffic in the sector has reached the threshold level comprises a determination as to whether or not a number of open media streams in the sector is greater than or equal to a threshold number of media streams;

(c) if the determination is that the traffic has reached the threshold level, then modify the MCD file to indicate a second format for new media streams and to not indicate the first format for new media streams; and

(d) if the determination is that the traffic has not reached the threshold level, then refrain from modifying the MCD file.

13. The system of claim 12:

wherein the communication interface is further configured to receive sector-identification data from each requesting access terminal, wherein the sector-identification data identifies the sector in which the requesting access terminal is operating; and

wherein the program logic stored in the data storage is further executable to use the sector-identification data as a basis for the determination as to whether or not, with the initiation of the requested media steam to the access terminal, traffic in the sector in which the requesting access terminal is operating has reached the threshold level.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the sector-identification data is received from the access terminal as part of or in association with the request for media content.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a traffic database for maintaining records of open media streams in each of one or more sectors of the wireless access network.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the system takes the form of a gateway that provides access to media content stored on a content server.