Bandwidth modulation system and method

• US 9,380,267 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2015
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Leske, Matthew J., Lachappelle, Serge
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US14/701,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20150237305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/14.04, 348/14.05, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 370/468, 379/88.13, 700/94, 709/204, 709/227, 709/231, 709/235
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A method and computing system for monitoring an AV synchronous communication session of a user. The AV synchronous communication session includes an audio channel and a video channel. A performance characteristic is determined for the audio channel. The performance characteristic is compared to a defined audio performance threshold. If the performance characteristic does not meet the defined audio performance threshold, the video channel is adjusted to reduce the bandwidth requirements of the video channel.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

monitoring an audio video communication session effectuated with a device, wherein the audio video communication session includes an audio channel and a video channel;

determining that the device is capable of effectuating a telephone call on a public switched telephone network;

determining a performance characteristic for the audio channel;

comparing the performance characteristic to a defined audio performance threshold; and

based on the comparison, transferring the audio channel of the audio video communication session to the public switched telephone network if the performance characteristic does not meet the defined audio performance threshold, wherein transferring the audio channel comprises initiating a voice call with a telephone number associated with the device via the public switched telephone network.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the device is capable comprises determining that the device is a cellular telephone.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the video channel in a manner that reduces bandwidth requirements.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein adjusting the video channel comprises at least one of:

reducing frame rate of the video channel or reducing resolution of the video channel.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein adjusting the video channel comprises eliminating the video channel.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the performance characteristic comprises determining a packet loss metric.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the performance characteristic comprises determining at least one of a jitter metric or a latency metric.

8. A system comprising a network interface and a non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions that when operated upon by a machine cause the machine to:

monitor an audio video communication session effectuated with a device via the network interface, wherein the audio video communication session includes an audio channel and a video channel;

determine that the device is capable of completing a telephone call on a public switched telephone network;

determine a performance characteristic for the audio channel, wherein the performance characteristic comprises one or more of;

packet loss, jitter, or latency;

compare the performance characteristic to a defined audio performance threshold; and

based on the comparison, transfer the audio channel of the audio video communication session to the public switched telephone network if the performance characteristic does not meet the defined audio performance threshold, wherein transferring the audio channel comprises initiating a voice call with a telephone number associated with the device via the public switched telephone network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to adjust the video channel in a manner that reduces video bandwidth requirements.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions to adjust the video channel further comprise instructions to reduce resolution of the video channel.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions to adjust the video channel further comprise instructions to reduce frame rate of the video channel.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions to adjust the video channel further comprise instructions to reduce bandwidth of the video channel to zero.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the performance characteristic comprises jitter.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the performance characteristic comprises packet loss.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program that is executable by at least one processor, the computer program including instructions that cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

monitor an audio video communication session provided by a device, wherein the audio video communication session includes an audio channel and a video channel;

determine that the device is capable of making a telephone call on a public switched telephone network;

determine a performance characteristic for the audio channel;

compare the performance characteristic to a defined audio performance threshold; and

based on the comparison, transfer the audio channel of the audio video communication session to the public switched telephone network if the performance characteristic does not meet the defined audio performance threshold, wherein transferring the audio channel comprises initiating a voice call with a telephone number associated with the device via the public switched telephone network.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to adjust the video channel so as to reduce bandwidth requirements of the video channel.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to adjust the video channel so as to reduce resolution of the video channel.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to adjust the video channel so as to reduce frame rate of the video channel.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions to transfer the audio channel comprise instructions to:

receive contact from the device; and

in response to the received contact, establish a public-switched telephone network connection with the device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the performance characteristic comprises at least one of:

packet loss, jitter, or latency.