System and method for dynamic bandwidth allocation

• US 9,015,777 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2013
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howarter, Jamie C., Lesher, Charles M., Ceballos, Douglas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US13/847,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20130227626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 725/109, 725/14, 725/81, 725/130, 725/142, 709/231, 709/229, 455/3.06, 455/452.2, 713/340
• US Class Current: 725/81
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• 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 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/414 Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• 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 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6156 specially adapted to the upstream path of the transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A system and method for conserving bandwidth for a data connection. A television is detected to have been turned off. Recording information is requested from a digital video record. A content stream to the digital video recorder and the television is terminated in response to receiving the recording information and determining the DVR is inactive.

Claims

1. A method for conserving bandwidth for a data connection, the method comprising:

detecting one of a plurality of televisions in communication with a set-top box has been turned off;

terminating a content stream to the set-top box corresponding to the television that has been turned off to increase available bandwidth to a network in response detecting that the television has been turned off, wherein the content stream is one of a plurality of content streams to the plurality of televisions; and

reallocating at least some of the increased available bandwidth to one or more other of the plurality of content streams to provide better performance for an active television or digital video recorder (DVR).

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

reenabling the content stream to the set-top box by sending an add stream request in response to determining a program is set to record at a current time.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the set-top box is shut down to conserve power in response to the television being turned off, and wherein reenabling includes reactivating the set-top box.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises:

receiving a power down message from the television that has been turned off, wherein each of the plurality of televisions communicates a heartbeat signal indicating the activity status is active or inactive, and wherein the set-top box terminates a content stream for each of the plurality of televisions in response to determining the corresponding plurality of televisions are inactive.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein terminating further comprises:

entering a standby mode for the set-top box until a next scheduled recording time or until the television is turned on by a user, in response to the plurality of televisions being in an inactive status and the DVR being unused.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the set-top box reactivates one or more of the plurality of content streams according to a set of recording information.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the recording information specifies a recording date, a recording time, a recording duration, and channel, and wherein the recording information specifies the recoding information for all currently scheduled recordings for each of the plurality of televisions.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content stream is sent through a wireless connection directly communicated between each of the plurality of televisions and the set-top box.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the wireless connection between the plurality of televisions and the set-top box occurs through a WiFi connection or a Bluetooth connection.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein terminating a content stream comprises:

sending a drop stream request to an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) content server to terminate the content stream.

11. A television set-top box for preserving bandwidth, the set-top box comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive content streams from a service provider and format the content streams for display by a plurality of televisions;

a DVR configured to record programs from the content streams for playback by any of the plurality of televisions as specified by a user;

an interface application configured to request recording information from the DVR, wherein;

the interface application sends a message to terminate a content stream within the content streams to one of the plurality of televisions to increase available bandwidth to a network in response to receiving an indicator the television has been turned off;

the interface application manages bandwidth for each of the plurality of televisions according to the recording information and an activity status associated with each of the plurality of televisions; and

the interface application reallocates the increased available bandwidth to one or more other of the plurality of content streams to provide better performance for one or more other of the plurality of televisions or the DVR; and

a power control operable to initiate a passive mode of the set-top box in response to inactivity of the DVR and the plurality of televisions.

12. The set-top box according to claim 11, wherein the interface application reestablishes the content stream and activates the DVR to record a program from an inactive state based on the recording information.

13. The set-top box according to claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of televisions directly communicates a heartbeat signal to the set-top box indicating the activity status is active or inactive and, wherein the set-top box terminates the content streams for each of the plurality of televisions in response to inactivity of the DVR for each of the plurality of televisions and the inactive status for each of the plurality of televisions.

14. The set-top box according to claim 13, wherein the recording information specifies the recording information for all currently scheduled recordings, and wherein the recording information specifies a recording date, a recording time, a recording duration, and channel for each of the currently scheduled recordings.

15. The set-top box according to claim 14, wherein the power control receives a message from each of the plurality of televisions or a current indicator through the wireless connection indicating one of the plurality of televisions is being powered down.

16. A television set-top box for preserving bandwidth, the set-top box comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions; and

a memory for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are configured to;

detect one of a plurality of televisions in communication with a set-top box has been turned off;

terminate a content stream to the set-top box corresponding to the television that has been turned off to increase available bandwidth to a network in response detecting that the television has been turned off, wherein the content stream is one of a plurality of content streams to the plurality of televisions; and

reallocate at least some of the increased available bandwidth to one or more other of the plurality of content streams to provide better performance for an active television or digital video recorder (DVR).

17. The IPTV set-top box according to claim 16, wherein the set of instructions further reactivates the set-top box and a corresponding DVR, reenables the content stream to the DVR and records a program, in response to determining the program is set to record at the current time.

18. The set-top box according to claim 16, wherein the set of instructions further prevents the content stream from terminating in response to determining a DVR is active or will be active within a threshold time period.

19. The set-top box according to claim 16, wherein the set-top box communicates the content streams directly with each of the plurality of televisions, and wherein the content streams are terminated only if the plurality of televisions are inactive and the DVR is inactive.

20. The set-top box according to claim 19, wherein each of the content streams is terminated separately when the associated one of the plurality of televisions is deactivated and the DVR is not utilizing each of the associated content streams.

21. The set-top box according to claim 16, wherein the set of instructions reactivates the set-top box and the DVR based on a time stamp from the recording information.