Methods and systems for providing bandwidth adjustment

• US 8,514,980 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2012
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• 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: Kuhtz, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Burd, Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US13/585,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20120314763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 375/334, 375/316, 375/322
• US Class Current: 375/334
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/32 Arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations, e.g. malfunction or breakdown of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• 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 21/2402 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 21/25891 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 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• 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 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44029 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing bandwidth adjustment. The disclosed systems and methods may include receiving an input signal having at least one attribute and an input bandwidth. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods may include producing a first adjusted signal. The first adjusted signal may comprise the input signal with a first adjusted bandwidth. The first adjusted bandwidth may comprise the input bandwidth adjusted based on the at least one attribute and at least one first preference. In addition, the disclosed systems and methods may include providing the first adjusted signal to a first end use device.

Claims

1. A method for providing bandwidth adjustment, the method comprising:

receiving over a network a single input data stream providing media content, the input data stream having an attribute and pre-encoded to define a first stream having a first bit rate and a second stream having a second bit rate;

determining the attribute by cross referencing data accompanying the input data stream with an electronic programming guide, the attribute being a bandwidth adjustment attribute determined by decoding information included in the electronic programming guide to describe the media content provided by the input data stream;

producing a first adjusted data stream by pruning the input data stream to obtain the first bit rate based on the attribute, the pre-encoded first bit rate and a first preference;

producing a second adjusted data stream by pruning the input data stream to obtain the second bit rate based on the attribute and the pre-encoded second bit rate, the second adjusted data stream corresponding to the same input data stream and the same media content, but with a second adjusted bandwidth, the second adjusted bandwidth different from a first adjusted bandwidth of the first adjusted data stream;

providing the first adjusted data stream to a first device; and

providing the second adjusted data stream to a second device while the first adjusted data stream is being provided to the first device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting the input data stream from a content server based upon a request from the first device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second adjusted bandwidth corresponds to the input bandwidth adjusted based on the attribute and a second preference.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute comprises a content type associated with the input data stream, a person associated with the input data stream, a content producer associated with the input data stream, how long the media content lasts, a size of a frame associated with the input data stream and a number of frames per second sent in the input data stream.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first preference comprises a bandwidth capability of the first device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the input data stream comprises a video stream.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a television set top box.

8. A system for providing bandwidth adjustment, the system comprising:

a memory to maintain a database; and

a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor operates to;

receive over a network a single input data stream providing media content, the input data stream having an attribute and pre-encoded to define a first stream having a first bit rate and a second stream having a second bit rate;

allocate a first bandwidth priority to a first device relative to a second device, the first bandwidth priority determined based on a first user preference;

produce a first adjusted data stream, the first adjusted data stream corresponding to the input data stream with a first adjusted bandwidth, the first adjusted bandwidth being achieved by pruning the input data stream to obtain the first bit rate, based on the attribute, the pre-encoded first bit rate, the first bandwidth priority, and the first user preference; and

provide the first adjusted data stream to the first device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor operates to request the input data stream from a content server based upon a request from the first device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor operates to:

produce a second adjusted data stream, the second adjusted data stream corresponding to the same input data stream and the same media content, but with a second adjusted bandwidth, the second adjusted bandwidth corresponding to the input bandwidth being achieved by pruning the input data stream to obtain the second bit rate based on the attribute, the pre-encoded second bit rate, a second bandwidth priority allocated to the second device and a second preference; and

provide the second adjusted data stream to the second device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the attribute comprises a content type associated with the input data stream, a person associated with the input data stream, a content producer associated with the input data stream, how long the media content lasts, a size of a frame associated with the input data stream, and a number of frames per second sent in the input data stream.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the first user preference further comprises a bandwidth capability of the first device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the input data stream comprises a video stream.

14. A tangible computer-readable medium, excluding propagating signals, which stores computer-readable instructions which when executed cause a machine to perform a method for providing bandwidth adjustment, the method executed by the instructions comprising:

determining an attribute of a single input data stream received over a network pre-encoded to define a first stream having a first bit rate and a second stream having a second bit rate by cross referencing data accompanying the input data stream with an electronic programming guide, the attribute being a bandwidth adjustment attribute determined by decoding information included in the electronic programming guide to describe media content provided by the input data stream;

allocating a first bandwidth priority to a first device relative to a second device, the first bandwidth priority determined based on a first user preference;

producing a first adjusted data stream by pruning the input data stream to obtain the first bit rate based on the attribute, the pre-encoded first bit rate, the first bandwidth priority, and the first user preference;

producing a second adjusted data stream by pruning the input data stream to obtain the second bit rate based on the attribute and the pre-encoded second bit rate, the second adjusted data stream corresponding to the same input data stream and the same media content, but with a second adjusted bandwidth, the second adjusted bandwidth being different from a first adjusted bandwidth of the first adjusted data stream;

providing the first adjusted data stream to the first device; and

providing the second adjusted data stream to the second device while the first adjusted data stream is being provided to the first device.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising requesting the input data stream from a content server based upon a request from the first device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the second adjusted bandwidth corresponds to the input bandwidth adjusted based on the attribute, a second bandwidth priority allocated to the second device and a second preference.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the attribute comprises a content type associated with the input data stream, a person associated with the input data stream, a content producer associated with the input data stream, how long the media content lasts, a size of a frame associated with the input data stream, or a number of frames per second being sent in the input data stream.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first user preference comprises a bandwidth capability of the first device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the input data stream comprises a video stream.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first device comprises a television set top box.