Systems and methods of differentiated requests for network access

• US 8,776,160 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tech 5 SAS
• Original Assignee: Guy Atkinson Iii Meador, William C. Versteeg
• Inventors: VerSteeg, William C., Schlarb, John M., Meador, Guy Atkinson III
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lin, Jason K
• Application Number:
  US11/829,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20090031342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,538 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Methods and systems of handling channel changes in a digital home communication terminal are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises: receiving a request for access to a downstream network connected to the DHCT; determining a source of the request for access; and setting at least one parameter to a value based on the determined source; and performing a channel change using the at least one parameter having the set value An exemplary system comprises: a channel acquisition component, memory, and a processor. The processor is programmed by code, stored in memory, to: receive a channel change request; determine whether the channel change request is user-initiated; and instruct the channel acquisition component to perform a channel change using at least one parameter. The parameter has a value that is based on the determination.

Claims

1. A method of handling requests for access to a downstream network connected to a digital home communication terminal (DHCT), the method comprising:

receiving a request at the DHCT for access to a downstream network connected to the DHCT;

determining whether the request for access is a user request;

creating, in response to the request for access not being the user request, a request id for the request for access, the request id comprising a fastmode flag and a delay flag, wherein creating the request id comprises setting;

the fastmode flag to false, and wherein the fastmode flag controls whether fast channel change is utilized;

in response to the request of access not being the user request, determining whether the request for access is a DVR request;

setting, in response to the request for access being the DVR request, the delay flag in the request id to random, wherein the delay flag controls the amount of delay between the request to channel acquisition and the actual channel change; and

performing a channel change based on the request id;

wherein performing the channel change, in response to the request for access being the DVR request, further comprising;

determining a first resolution based on an available amount of DVR memory storage space,

determining a second resolution based on an available bandwidth,

determining a desired resolution to be a minimum of the first resolution and the second resolution,

determining a requested resolution based on a requested channel'"'"'s resolution, wherein determining the requested resolution comprises comparing the desired resolution to the request channel'"'"'s resolution, and

attempting to find an analogous channel when the desired resolution is different than the requested resolution, wherein attempting to find an analogous channel comprises selecting an appropriate server from multiple servers, the appropriate server being configured to deliver the desired resolution.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the request for access involves background data collection; and

setting a network access priority to a first value based on the result of determining whether the request for access involves background data collection.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

setting the network access priority to low when the request for access involves background data collection.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

setting the network access priority to intermediate when the request for access does not involve background data collection.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the request for access involves background data collection; and

setting a network access priority to a first value, the first value based on the result of determining whether the request for access involves background data collection, and on the source of the request for access.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

setting the network access priority to intermediate when the request for access does not involve background data collection and the source of the request is a navigator component.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

setting the network access priority to intermediate when the request for access does not involve background data collection and the source of the request is other than a navigator component.

18. The method of claim 5, wherein the background collection includes activities that do not require immediate display of requested data to a user.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the channel change further comprises controlling a delay time between receiving the request at the DHCT for access to the downstream network and performing the channel change.

20. The method of claim 2, when the request for access involves background data collection, further comprising:

setting a priority flag to the lowest;

determining a reason for the background services as one of;

an user and not the user, and

when the reason for the background services is not the user;

setting the delay flag to random long.

8. A digital home communication terminal (DHCT) comprising:

memory having stored thereon program code; and

a processor that is programmed by at least the program code to enable the DHCT to;

receive a request for access to a downstream network connected to the DHCT;

determine whether the request for access is a user request;

create, in response to the request for access not being the user request, a request id for the request for access, the request id comprising a fastmode flag and a delay flag, wherein creating the request id comprises setting the fastmode flag to false, and wherein the fastmode flag controls whether fast channel change is utilized,

in response to the request of access not being the user request,

determine, whether the request is a DVR request;

set, in response to the request for access being the DVR request, the delay flag in the request id to random, wherein the delay flag controls the amount of delay between the request to channel acquisition and the actual channel change, and

perform a channel change based on the request id;

wherein performing the channel change, in response to the request for access being the DVR request, comprises;

determine a first resolution based on an available amount of DVR memory storage space,

determine a second resolution based on an available bandwidth,

determine a desired resolution to be a minimum of the first resolution and the second resolution,

determine a requested resolution based on a requested channel'"'"'s resolution, wherein determining the requested resolution comprises comparing the desired resolution to the request channel'"'"'s resolution, and

attempt to find an analogous channel when the desired resolution is different than the requested resolution, wherein attempting to find an analogous channel comprises selecting an appropriate server from multiple servers, the appropriate server being configured to deliver the desired resolution.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further programmed to enable the DHCT to:

determine whether the request for access involves background data collection; and

set a network access priority to a first value based on the result of determining whether the request for access involves background data collection.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further programmed to enable the DHCT to:

set the network access priority to low when the request for access involves background data collection.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further programmed to enable the DHCT to:

set the network access priority to intermediate when the request for access does not involve background data collection.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further programmed to enable the DHCT to:

determine whether the request for access involves background data collection; and

set a network access priority to a first value, the first value based on the result of determining whether the request for access involves background data collection, and on the source of the request for access.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further programmed to enable the DHCT to:

set the network access priority to intermediate when the request for access does not involve background data collection and the source of the request is a navigator component.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further programmed to enable the DHCT to:

set the network access priority to intermediate when the request for access does not involve background data collection and the source of the request is other than a navigator component.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions that when executed causing a processor to:

receive a request for access to a downstream network connected to the DHCT;

determine, whether the request for access is a user request;

create, in response to the request for access not being the user request, a request id for the request for access, the request id comprising a fastmode flag and a delay flag, wherein creating the request id comprises setting the fastmode flag to false, and wherein the fastmode flag controls whether fast channel change is utilized,

in response to the request of access not being the user request, determine, whether a source of the request as is a DVR request;

set, in response to the source for request being the DVR request, the delay flag in the request id to random, wherein the delay flag controls the amount of delay between the request to channel acquisition and the actual channel change; and

perform a channel change based on the request id;

wherein performing the channel change, in response to the request for access being the DVR request, comprises;

determining a first resolution based on an available amount of DVR memory storage space,

determining a second resolution based on an available bandwidth,

determining a desired resolution to be a minimum of the first resolution and the second resolution,

determining a requested resolution based on a requested channel'"'"'s resolution, wherein determining the requested resolution comprises comparing the desired resolution to the request channel'"'"'s resolution, and

attempting to find an analogous channel when the desired resolution is different than the requested resolution, wherein attempting to find an analogous channel comprises selecting an appropriate server from multiple servers, the appropriate server being configured to deliver the desired resolution.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

determine whether the request for access involves background data collection; and

set a network access priority to a first value based on the result of determining whether the request for access involves background data collection.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

determine whether the request for access involves background data collection; and

set a network access priority to a first value, the first value based on the result of determining whether the request for access involves background data collection, and on the source of the request for access.