System and method for delivering media based on viewer behavior

• US 9,769,512 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2012
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yu, Jian, Chen, David, Patel, Vipul, Gould, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, TUNG THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/671,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20140130073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 725 14
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing

Abstract

Methods, systems and devices are provided for communicating multimedia content over a service provider network. A network server may receive an audio-video stream from a content provider server, relaying the audio-video stream to a receiver device via the service provider network, receive an operating mode notification identifying a user behavior from the receiver device, and ceasing the relaying of the audio-video stream to the receiver device based on the user behavior. The network server may also alter the audio-video stream based on the received operating mode notification and send the altered audio-video stream to the receiver device via the service provider network.

Claims

1. A method of communicating multimedia content over a service provider network, the method comprising:

receiving, in a network server processor, an audio-video stream from a content provider server, wherein a resource load is associated with the audio-video stream;

relaying the audio-video stream to a receiver device via the service provider network;

receiving, in the network server processor, an operating mode notification from the receiver device, the received operating mode notification identifying a receiver device operating mode of presenting at least a portion of the audio-video stream based on a user behavior that is automatically detected by the receiver device;

extracting, in the network server processor, one of an audio content portion of the audio-video stream or a video content portion of the audio-video stream based on the received operating mode notification;

enhancing to a higher definition, in the network server processor, one of the audio content portion or the video content portion that is not extracted, such that a resource load associated with the non-extracted enhanced audio content portion or video content portion is lower than the resource load associated with the received audio-video stream; and

sending the enhanced audio-video stream without the extracted audio content portion or video content portion to the receiver device via the service provider network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting one of an audio content portion of the audio-video stream and a video content portion of the audio-video stream based on the received operating mode notification comprises transforming the audio-video stream into an audio-only stream or a video-only stream, respectively.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting one of an audio content portion of the audio-video stream and a video content portion of the audio-video stream based on the received operating mode notification comprises generating an audio stream based on the audio-video stream.

4. A method of communicating multimedia content over a service provider network, the method comprising:

receiving, in a receiver device, an audio-video stream from a network server, wherein a resource load is associated with the audio-video stream;

detecting a user behavior in a device processor of the receiver device;

selecting an operating mode of presenting at least a portion of the audio-video stream in the device processor based on the detected user behavior;

generating an operating mode notification in the device processor based on the selected operating mode;

sending the generated operating mode notification to the network server processor via the service provider network; and

receiving an audio-video stream from which one of an audio content portion of the audio-video stream or a video content portion of the audio-video stream has been extracted from the network server in response to sending the generated operating mode notification;

enhancing to a higher definition, in the receiver device, one of the audio content portion or the video content portion that is not extracted, such that a resource load associated with the non-extracted enhanced audio content portion or video content portion is lower than the resource load associated with the received audio-video stream.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein detecting the user behavior comprises detecting that a user is not actively viewing content rendered on an electronic display of the receiver device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting that the user is not actively viewing content rendered on the electronic display of the receiver device comprises activating a camera of the receiver device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting that the user is not actively viewing content rendered on the electronic display of the receiver device comprises determining whether the user has scrolled off a video player portion of a web browser.

8. A communication system, comprising:

a receiver device comprising a receiver configured to receive data via a service provider network, a memory, and a device processor coupled to the receiver and the memory; and

a server comprising communication circuitry configured to transmit data via the service provider network, and a server processor coupled to the communication circuitry,

wherein the server processor is configured with server-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving an audio-video stream from a content provider server, wherein a resource load is associated with the audio-video stream;

relaying the audio-video stream to the receiver device via the service provider network;

receiving an operating mode notification from the receiver device, the received operating mode notification identifying a receiver device operating mode of presenting at least a portion of the audio-video stream based on a user behavior that is automatically detected by the receiver device;

extracting one of an audio content portion of the audio-video stream or a video content portion of the audio-video stream based on the received operating mode notification;

enhancing to a higher definition one of the audio content portion or the video content portion that is not extracted, such that a resource load associated with the non-extracted enhanced audio content portion or video content portion is lower than the resource load associated with the received audio-video stream; and

sending the enhanced audio-video stream without the extracted audio content portion or video content portion to the receiver device via the service provider network, and

wherein the device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

detecting the user behavior;

selecting an operating mode based on the detected user behavior;

generating the operating mode notification based on the selected operating mode; and

sending the generated operating mode notification to the server processor via the service provider network.

9. The communication system of claim 8, wherein the server processor is configured with server-executable instructions to perform operations such that extracting one of an audio content portion of the audio-video stream and a video content portion of the audio-video stream based on the received operating mode notification comprises transforming the audio-video stream into an audio-only stream or a video-only stream, respectively.

10. The communication system of claim 8, wherein the server processor is configured with server-executable instructions such that extracting one of an audio content portion of the audio-video stream and a video content portion of the audio-video stream based on the received operating mode notification comprises generating an audio stream based on the audio-video stream.

11. The communication system of claim 8, wherein the device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that detecting the user behavior comprises detecting that a user is not actively viewing content rendered on an electronic display of the receiver device.

12. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that detecting that the user is not actively viewing content rendered on the electronic display of the receiver device comprises activating a camera of the receiver device.

13. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that detecting that the user is not actively viewing content rendered on the electronic display of the receiver device comprises determining whether the user has scrolled off a video player portion of a web browser.

14. A server, comprising:

a server processor configured with server-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving an audio-video stream from a content provider server, wherein a resource load is associated with the audio-video stream;

relaying the audio-video stream to a receiver device via a service provider network;

receiving an operating mode notification from the receiver device, the received operating mode notification identifying a receiver device operating mode of presenting at least a portion of the audio-video stream based on a user behavior that is automatically detected by the receiver device;

extracting, in the network server processor, one of an audio content portion of the audio-video stream or a video content portion of the audio-video stream based on the received operating mode notification;

enhancing to a higher definition, in the network server processor, one of the audio content portion or the video content portion that is not extracted, such that a resource load associated with the non-extracted enhanced audio content portion or video content portion is lower than the resource load associated with the received audio-video stream; and

sending the enhanced audio-video stream without the extracted audio content portion or video content portion to the receiver device via the service provider network.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein the server processor is configured with server-executable instructions to perform operations such that extracting one of an audio content portion of the audio-video stream and a video content portion of the audio-video stream based on the received operating mode notification comprises transforming the audio-video stream into an audio-only stream or a video-only stream, respectively.

16. The server of claim 14, wherein the server processor is configured with server-executable instructions such that extracting one of an audio content portion of the audio-video stream and a video content portion of the audio-video stream based on the received operating mode notification comprises generating an audio stream based on the audio-video stream.

17. The server of claim 14, wherein the server processor is configured with server-executable instructions such that receiving the operating mode notification from the receiver device comprises receiving a notification that includes information indicating that a user is not actively viewing content rendered on an electronic display of the receiver device.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the server processor is configured with server-executable instructions such that receiving the notification that includes information indicating that the user is not actively viewing content rendered on the electronic display of the receiver device comprises receiving information collected in the receiver device in response to the receiver device activating a camera.

19. The server of claim 17, wherein the server processor is configured with server-executable instructions such that receiving the notification that includes information indicating that the user is not actively viewing content rendered on the electronic display of the receiver device comprises receiving information collected on the receiver device in response to the receiver device determining that the user has scrolled off a video player portion of a web browser.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a server processor to perform operations for communicating multimedia content over a service provider network, the operations comprising:

receiving an audio-video stream from a content provider server, wherein at resource load is associated with the audio-video stream;

relaying the audio-video stream to a receiver device via the service provider network;

receiving an operating mode notification from the receiver device, the received operating mode notification identifying a receiver device operating mode of presenting at least, a portion of the audio-video stream based on a user behavior that is automatically detected by the receiver device;

extracting, in the network server processor, one of an audio content portion of the audio-video stream or a video content portion of the audio-video stream based on the received operating mode notification;

enhancing to a higher definition, in the network server processor, one of the, audio content portion or the video content portion that is not extracted, such that a resource load associated with the non-extracted enhanced audio content portion or video content portion is lower than the resource load associated with the received audio-video stream; and

sending the enhanced audio-video stream without the extracted audio content portion or video content portion to the receiver device via the service provider network.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations such that extracting one of an audio content portion of the audio-video stream and a video content portion of the audio-video stream based on the received operating mode notification comprises transforming the audio-video stream into an audio-only stream or a video-only stream, respectively.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations such that extracting one of an audio content portion of the audio-video stream and a video content portion of the audio-video stream based on the received operating mode notification comprises generating an audio stream based on the audio-video stream.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations such that receiving the operating mode notification from the receiver device comprises receiving a notification that includes information indicating that a user is not actively viewing content rendered on an electronic display of the receiver device.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations such that receiving the notification that includes information indicating that the user is not actively viewing content rendered on the electronic display of the receiver device comprises receiving information collected in the receiver device in response to the receiver device activating a camera.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations such that receiving the notification that includes information indicating that the user is not actively viewing content rendered on the electronic display of the receiver device comprises receiving information collected on the receiver device in response to the receiver device determining that the user has scrolled off a video player portion of a web browser.