Remote latency adjustment

• US 9,565,139 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Veiga, Anthony Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Steven H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Maglo, Emmanuel
• Application Number:
  US13/836,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20140269755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 370/429
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9005 using dynamic buffer space allocation

Abstract

A method and system may allow for adjusting network latency experienced by a user. A first computing device may send a request to adjust the latency experienced by a terminal associated with a user. The request may be received at a second computing device which may identify a buffer size for the terminal associated with the user. A new buffer size may be determined and adjusted for the identified buffer based on the received request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device associated with a plurality of buffers, a communication that comprises identification information for a user device, identification of one or more channels designated for the user device, and a connection preference associated with a change in latency mode for the user device, wherein the user device has a current latency mode of a plurality of latency modes;

identifying, based at least on the identification information for the user device and the identification of the one or more channels, a buffer of the plurality of buffers, wherein the buffer is associated with the identification information for the user device, wherein the buffer is configured to store data to be sent to the user device or data received from the user device;

determining a buffer size for the buffer at least partially based on the connection preference; and

adjusting a size of the buffer based on the determined buffer size.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein,

if the connection preference is associated with a reduction in latency, determining the buffer size further comprises determining a reduction in the buffer size for the buffer, and

if the connection preference is associated with an increase in latency, determining the buffer size further comprises determining an increase in the buffer size for the buffer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each latency mode of the plurality of latency modes has an associated predetermined buffer size.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device modulates signals over the one or more channels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device comprises a modem.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information comprises a media access control (MAC) address of the user device, and wherein the buffer is uniquely associated with the user device using the MAC address of the user device.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

selecting the determined buffer size from a plurality of predetermined buffer sizes, wherein the plurality of predetermined buffer sizes are made available based on a subscription package for the user device.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

setting the buffer size for the buffer to a default size after a predetermined period of time.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving a manual size from a user of the user device, wherein the connection preference comprises the manual size,

wherein adjusting the size of the buffer comprises adjusting the size of the buffer to the manual size received from the user.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

inspecting a packet received from the user device; and

determining, based on inspecting the packet, whether to increase latency for the user device or decrease latency for the user device,

if the latency for the user device is to be increased, increasing the buffer size, and

if the latency for the user device is to be decreased, decreasing the buffer size.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection preference is based on a type of application being used at the user device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device receives the communication from an access point.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein the buffer size for the buffer is based on a service designated to be used with the one or more channels and by the user device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein inspecting the packet comprises inspecting the packet using packet-type detection.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein inspecting the packet comprises inspecting the packet using packet-payload inspection.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, by a terminal, connection preference information associated with a change in latency mode for the terminal, wherein the terminal has a current latency mode of a plurality of latency modes;

preparing, by the terminal, a request that comprises the connection preference information, identification information of the terminal, and identification of one or more channels designated for the terminal; and

transmitting the request to a computing device associated with a plurality of buffers, wherein the request is configured to cause the computing device to identify one buffer of the plurality of buffers using the identification information of the terminal and the identification of the one or more channels, and to adjust a size of the one buffer of the plurality of buffers according to the connection preference information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the change in latency mode for the terminal comprises a change from the current latency mode to a different latency mode of the plurality of latency modes.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

monitoring the terminal for an application with a preferred connection preference; and

determining the application with the preferred connection preference.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the terminal is a modem.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the terminal is an access point.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the identification information comprises a media access control (MAC) address of the terminal, and wherein the one buffer is uniquely associated with the terminal using the MAC address of the terminal.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the application with the preferred connection preference further comprises one of determining that the application with the preferred connection preference has launched and determining that the application with the preferred connection preference is running.

23. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device associated with a plurality of buffers, a first communication that comprises a first connection preference for a first terminal, first identification information for the first terminal, and identification of one or more channels designated for the first terminal;

receiving a second communication that comprises a second connection preference for a second terminal, second identification information for the second terminal, and identification of one or more channels designated for the second terminal;

identifying, based on the first identification information and the identification of the one or more channels designated for the first terminal, a first buffer of the plurality of buffers, wherein the first buffer is associated with the first identification information for the first terminal, wherein the first buffer is configured to store data to be sent to the first terminal or data received from the first terminal;

determining a first buffer size for the first buffer at least partially based on the first connection preference for the first terminal;

adjusting a size of the first buffer based on the determined first buffer size;

identifying, based on the second identification information and the identification of the one or more channels designated for the second terminal, a second buffer of the plurality of buffers, wherein the second buffer is associated with the second identification information for the second terminal, wherein the second buffer is configured to store data to be sent to the second terminal or data received from the second terminal;

determining a second buffer size for the second buffer at least partially based on the second connection preference for the second terminal; and

adjusting a size of the second buffer based on the determined second buffer size.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first terminal is a modem.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first terminal is an access point.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the second terminal is a modem.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the second terminal is an access point.