Methods, systems, and devices for bandwidth conservation

• US 8,701,148 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2005
• 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: Weaver, Timothy H., Whited, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUONG, ALAN H
• Application Number:
  US11/298,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,049 Days
• Field of Search: 725/34, 725/95
• US Class Current: 725/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/80 Actions related to the user profile or the type of traffic
• 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 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for conserving bandwidth. Inputs to a user interface are accumulated and compared to a historical pattern of inputs. When inputs are accumulated, the method predicts that a user is present. When inputs are expected, but no inputs are received, then the method predicts that no user is present. Actions are them implemented to and conserve bandwidth.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

accumulating in memory inputs received over time via a user interface of an electronic device;

determining a historical pattern from the inputs, the historical pattern comprising behavioral patterns of a user of the electronic device with respect to the inputs;

determining whether a next input to the user interface is expected for currently streamed data over a network to the electronic device, the determining in response to the inputs received over time, the historical pattern, and whether the currently streamed data is commercial-free content indicating that the next input is not expected for a duration of the commercial-free content;

predicting that the user is not present if the next input to the user interface is expected and is not received;

predicting that the user is present and the next input is not expected if the currently streamed data is the commercial-free content; and

conserving bandwidth, with respect to the currently streamed data, in response to predicting that the user is not present.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conserving bandwidth comprises:

sending a message that ceases delivery of the currently streamed data to the electronic device;

retrieving content locally stored in the memory in response to the message that ceases delivery of the currently streamed data; and

replacing the currently streamed data with the content locally stored in the memory.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conserving bandwidth comprises sending a message that reduces resolution of a video portion of the currently streamed data to the electronic device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conserving bandwidth comprises retrieving a preference of the user configured to conserve the bandwidth.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the historical pattern describes an expected activity occurring after a transition in content.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conserving bandwidth, with respect to currently streamed data, in response to predicting that the user is not present further comprises:

applying a tag to the currently streamed data at a point in which a resolution of the currently streamed data is reduced; and

upon determining the next input is received at the user interface after the resolution is reduced, resuming, using the tag, full resolution of the currently streamed data to the electronic device from the point in which the resolution of the currently streamed data was reduced.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the inputs include a channel change, a cursor movement, and a volume command.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a current state of the electronic device, the current state including a description of content transmitted to the electronic device;

wherein the historical pattern is determined by logging the current state of the electronic device over time.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the historical pattern is determined using modal information reflecting a current mode of operation of the electronic device, the mode of operation including broadband mode, broadcast mode, and auxiliary mode, the inputs comprising switching between the broadband mode, the broadcast mode, and the auxiliary mode.

7. A device, comprising:

a memory comprising computer-executable instructions;

a user interface; and

a processor executing the computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

accumulating inputs, received over time via the user interface, in the memory;

determining a historical pattern from the inputs, the historical pattern comprising behavioral patterns of a user of the device with respect to the inputs;

determining whether a next input to the user interface is expected for currently streamed data over a network to the device, the determining in response to the inputs received over time, the historical pattern, and whether the currently streamed data is commercial-free content indicating that the next input is not expected for a duration of the commercial-free content;

predicting that the user is not present if the next input to the user interface is expected and the next input is not received;

predicting that the user is present and the next input is not expected if the currently streamed data is the commercial-free content; and

conserving bandwidth, with respect to the currently streamed data, in response to predicting that the user is not present.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the conserving bandwidth comprises:

sending a message that ceases delivery of the currently streamed data to the device;

retrieving content locally stored in the memory in response to the message that ceases delivery of the currently streamed data; and

replacing the currently streamed data with the content locally stored in the memory.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the conserving bandwidth comprises sending a message that reduces resolution of a video portion of the currently streamed data to the device.

10. The device according to claim 7, wherein the conserving bandwidth comprises retrieving a preference of the user configured to conserve the bandwidth.

11. The device according to claim 7, wherein the historical pattern describes an expected activity occurring after a transition in content.

12. The device according to claim 7, wherein the conserving bandwidth, with respect to currently streamed data, in response to predicting that the user is not present further comprises:

applying a tag to the currently streamed data at a point in which a resolution of the currently streamed data is reduced; and

upon determining the next input is received at the user interface after the resolution is reduced, resuming, using the tag, full resolution of the currently streamed data to the device from the point in which the resolution of the currently streamed data was reduced.

13. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

accumulating in memory inputs received over time via a user interface of an electronic device;

determining a historical pattern from the inputs, the historical pattern comprising behavioral patterns of a user of the electronic device with respect to the inputs;

determining whether a next input to the user interface is expected for currently streamed data over a network to the electronic device, the determining in response to the inputs received over time, the historical pattern, and whether the currently streamed data is commercial-free content indicating that the next input is not expected for a duration of the commercial-free content;

predicting that the user is not present if the next input to the user interface is expected and the next input is not received;

predicting that the user is present and the next input is not expected if the currently streamed data is the commercial-free content; and

conserving bandwidth, with respect to the currently streamed data, in response to predicting that the user is not present.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the conserving bandwidth comprises:

sending a message that ceases delivery of the currently streamed data to the electronic device;

retrieving content locally stored in the memory in response to the message that ceases delivery of the currently streamed data; and

replacing the currently streamed data with the content locally stored in the memory.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the conserving bandwidth comprises sending a message that reduces resolution of a video portion of the currently streamed data to the electronic device.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the conserving bandwidth comprises retrieving a preference of the user for conserving the bandwidth.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the historical pattern describes an expected activity occurring after a transition in content.