System and method for quality of experience aware media search and recommendation with unified portal

• US 9,514,229 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2013
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Li, Hongbing, Chen, Yue, Yu, Hong Heather
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU N
• Application Number:
  US13/862,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20130275419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

A network element comprising a processor configured to receive a plurality of search responses from a plurality of media content service providers associated with a search request triggered by the search request, and rank the search responses based on maximizing an end user'"'"'s quality of experience (QoE). Included is a network element comprising a processor configured to receive a plurality of media content from a plurality of media content service providers, store the plurality of media content for a plurality of end users, receive a media content search request from a user terminal, rank the media content based upon maximizing the user terminal'"'"'s QoE. Also included is a method comprising requesting media content from a plurality of media content service providers on behalf of a user terminal, receiving data associated with the media content from the plurality of media content service providers and aggregating the media content data.

Claims

1. A network element (NE) in a telecommunications operator network, the NE comprising:

a plurality of ports configured to communicate data between an end user terminal and a plurality of media content service providers, each positioned outside of the telecommunications operator network; and

a processor coupled to the plurality of ports and configured to;

receive, via the plurality of ports, a single terminal search request and a requested media monetization method from the end user terminal requesting media content;

distribute, via the plurality of ports, the single terminal search request to the plurality of media content service providers based on the single terminal search request in order to search for the requested media content at the plurality of media content service providers;

receive, via the plurality of ports, a plurality of search responses from the plurality of media content service providers, wherein each search response identifies media available to a responding media content service provider and relevant to the single terminal search request;

filter the plurality of search responses from the plurality of media content service providers to remove search responses that are incompatible with a quality of experience (QoE) of an end user;

rank the filtered of the plurality of search responses based on enhancing the QoE of the end user and the requested media monetization method;

assign a QoE ranking value to each QoE factor;

calculate a total QoE value for each filtered search response, wherein the total QoE value is based upon the QoE ranking value associated with the each filtered search response; and

derive a ranked search response list, wherein the ranked search response list comprises the filtered of the plurality of search responses arranged in a descending order from a highest of the total QoE values to a lowest of the total QoE values.

2. The NE of claim 1, wherein the QoE of the end user is based on at least one QoE factor, and wherein the each least one QoE factor comprises an end user terminal capability.

3. The NE of claim 2, wherein the each least one QoE factor further comprises an end user available network bandwidth.

4. The NE of claim 3, wherein the requested media monetization method is selected from subscription-based, pay-per-use, free with ads, and free without ads.

5. The NE of claim 4, wherein the each least one QoE factor further comprises at least one of a search request key word matching, a requested media popularity among a plurality of prior end users, and a requested media genre.

6. The NE of claim 1, wherein the requested media content search are distributed to the plurality of media content service providers that are provisioned by the end user.

7. The NE of claim 6, further comprising a memory coupled to the processor, and wherein the memory stores a user profile associated with the end user.

8. The NE of claim 7, wherein the user profile indicates the provisioned the plurality of media content service providers.

9. A method implemented in a network element (NE) positioned in a telecommunications operator network, the method comprising:

a plurality of ports configured to communicate data between an end user terminal and a plurality of media content service providers; and

receiving a single terminal search request and a request media monetization method from the end user terminal, the single terminal search request requesting media content;

distributing the single terminal search request to the plurality of media content service providers in order to search for the requested media content at the plurality of media content service providers, wherein the plurality of media content service providers are each positioned outside of the telecommunications operator network;

receiving a search response and data associated with the requested media content from each media content service provider, wherein each search response identifies media content relevant to the single terminal search request and stored outside of the telecommunications operator network;

filter a search responses from the plurality of media content service providers to remove search responses that are incompatible with a quality of experience (QoE) of an end user; and

rank the filtered of the search responses based on enhancing the QoE of the end user and the requested media monetization method;

assign a QoE ranking value to each QoE factor;

calculate a total QoE value for each filtered search response, wherein the total QoE value is based upon the QoE ranking value associated with the each filtered search response; and

derive a ranked search response list, wherein the ranked search response list comprises the filtered of the search responses arranged in a descending order from a highest of the total QoE values to a lowest of the total QoE values.

accumulating the search responses and media content data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the data associated with the requested media content comprises a media resolution, a media bit rate, a monetization method associated with the media content, a media genre, a media title, a media popularity, or combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the filtering of the search responses to remove search responses that are incompatible with an end user quality of experience (QoE), a terminal capability, an available network bandwidth, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the ranking of the search responses based on an end user QoE to create a ranked order of search responses.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising aggregating the search responses to create a list of search responses, wherein the list of search responses comprises an order, and wherein the order is based upon the ranking of the search responses.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising forwarding the list of search responses to the end user terminal.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising matching one of the plurality of media content service providers to the end user terminal based upon on the end user quality of experience (QoE).