Methods, systems, and devices for bandwidth conservation

• US 9,166,898 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (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:
  US14/193,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20140181850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 725/95, 725/46, 725/9, 725/14, 725/29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Aspects of bandwidth conservation include accumulating, in a memory device, inputs received over time and identifying a historical pattern from the inputs. The historical pattern includes a channel change operation when data streamed over a network and received is a commercial. Aspects also include determining whether a next input is expected for currently streamed data. The determining is in response to the historical pattern and whether the currently streamed data is commercial-free content. Aspects further include predicting that the user is not present at an electronic device 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 at the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

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

identifying a historical pattern from the inputs, the historical pattern including a channel change operation when data streamed over a network and received by the electronic device is a commercial;

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

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

predicting that the user is present at the electronic device 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 at the electronic device.

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

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

4. The method of 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 device 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 device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the conserving bandwidth comprises reducing resolution of a video portion of the currently streamed data to the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the conserving bandwidth comprises implementing a preference received from the user that is configured to conserve the bandwidth.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the conserving bandwidth, with respect to the currently streamed data, in response to predicting that the user is not present at the electronic device 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.

8. A device, comprising:

a memory device 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 in the memory device, the inputs received over time from a user via the user interface;

identifying a historical pattern from the inputs, the historical pattern including a channel change operation when data streamed over a network and received by the device is a commercial;

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

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

predicting that the user is present at the device 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 at the device.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the historical pattern is identified using modal information reflecting a current mode of operation of the device, wherein modes of operation include broadband mode, broadcast mode, and auxiliary mode, and the inputs comprising switching between the broadband mode, the broadcast mode, and the auxiliary mode.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the inputs include the channel change operation, a cursor movement, and a volume command.

11. The device of claim 8, 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 device 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 device.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the conserving bandwidth comprises reducing resolution of a video portion of the currently streamed data to the device.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the conserving bandwidth comprises implementing a preference received from the user that is configured to conserve the bandwidth.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the conserving bandwidth, with respect to the currently streamed data, in response to predicting that the user is not present at the device 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.

15. 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 a memory device, inputs received over time from a user via a user interface of an electronic device;

identifying a historical pattern from the inputs, the historical pattern including a channel change operation when data streamed over a network and received by the electronic device is a commercial;

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

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

predicting that the user is present at the electronic device 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 at the electronic device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the historical pattern is identified using modal information reflecting a current mode of operation of the electronic device, wherein modes of operation include broadband mode, broadcast mode, and auxiliary mode, and the inputs comprising switching between the broadband mode, the broadcast mode, and the auxiliary mode.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the inputs include the channel change operation, a cursor movement, and a volume command.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, 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 device 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 device.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the conserving bandwidth comprises reducing resolution of a video portion of the currently streamed data to the electronic device.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the conserving bandwidth, with respect to the currently streamed data, in response to predicting that the user is not present at the electronic device 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.