Systems and methods for handling interruptions in receiving media content due to a change in wireless frequency channel

• US 9,794,308 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Bruhn, Christopher William, Jaramillo, Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Blair, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US14/641,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20160261657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback

Abstract

To address a service interruption while a procedure to change to a dynamic frequency selection (DFS) wireless frequency channel is being performed, a service interruption message is displayed to the user or some other action is taken while a wireless access point changes to the DFS wireless frequency channel. Another action to address the service interruption may be the media content client playing buffered media content stored in a buffer on the media content client to avoid an appearance to the user of an interruption in service. Also, in some embodiments, buffered video is received from the receiving device after the interruption in service has ended so that the media content client may resume playing, and the user may continue to view, the video program from the point where the user left off when the DFS change process and service interruption had started.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method in a receiving device, the method comprising:

sending, by at least one computer processor, media content data to at least one media content client via a wireless access point over a first wireless frequency channel;

receiving, by at least one computer processor, a request for the wireless access point to change to a second wireless frequency channel that is a dynamic frequency selection (DFS) wireless frequency channel;

in response to the request for the wireless access point to change to the DFS wireless frequency channel, sending, by at least one computer processor, an alert to the at least one media content client;

in response to the sending of the alert, receiving, by at least one computer processor, a confirmation from the at least one media content client that an action has been performed in response to the alert to address an interruption in service due to the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel; and

in response to receiving the confirmation that the action has been performed in response to the alert to address the interruption in service due to the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel, sending, by at least one computer processor, an authorization to the wireless access point to perform the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to the request for the wireless access point to change to the DFS wireless frequency channel and before the sending of the authorization, start recording media content data to send to the at least one media content client via the wireless access point;

after the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel has been completed by the wireless access point, sending, by at least one computer processor, the recorded media content data to the at least one media content client via the wireless access point over the DFS wireless frequency channel.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving, by at least one computer processor, an indication from the wireless access point that the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel has been completed before the sending of the media content data to the at least one media content client via the wireless access point over the DFS wireless frequency channel.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the action performed in response to the alert to address the interruption in service due to the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel is a communication of a message to at least one user of the at least one media content client regarding the interruption in service.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the message is indicative that a service interruption is temporary and service is will resume.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending, by at least one computer processor, buffered media content data to the at least one media content client prior to the interruption in service to play during the interruption in service to reduce an appearance of the interruption in service to a user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the action performed in response to the alert to address the interruption in service due to the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel is that of playing buffered media content data during the interruption in service to reduce an appearance of an interruption in service due to the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the media content data includes one or more of:

video data and audio data.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless access point is part of the receiving device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the media content client is a software client.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first wireless frequency channel is not a dynamic frequency selection (DFS) wireless frequency channel.

12. A wireless access point comprising:

at least one computer processor;

at least one wireless communications module coupled to the at least one computer processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one computer processor, wherein the memory has computer-executable instructions stored thereon, that when executed, cause the at least one processor to;

send, using the at least one wireless communications module, media content data from a receiving device to at least one media content client over a first wireless frequency channel;

determine to change to a second wireless frequency channel that is a dynamic frequency selection (DFS) wireless frequency channel;

send a request to the receiving device for authorization to change to the DFS wireless frequency channel;

in response to the sending the request to the receiving device for authorization to change to the DFS wireless frequency channel, receive an authorization from the receiving device to change to the DFS wireless frequency channel based on an action having been performed to address an interruption in service due to the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel;

in response to receiving the authorization from the receiving device to change to the DFS wireless frequency channel, perform a procedure to change to the DFS wireless frequency channel; and

after the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel has been completed, send, using the at least one wireless communications module, media content data to the at least one media content client over the DFS wireless frequency channel.

13. The wireless access point of claim 12 wherein the performance of the procedure to change to the DFS wireless frequency channel includes checking that the DFS wireless frequency channel is free of radar signals.

14. The wireless access point of claim 12 wherein determination to change to a second wireless frequency channel that is a DFS wireless frequency channel includes:

determining to change to another wireless frequency channel than the first wireless frequency channel to avoid interference;

determining whether there are other available wireless frequency channels to change to that are not DFS wireless frequency channels;

determining to change to the second wireless frequency channel that is a DFS wireless frequency channel based on a determination that there are no other available wireless frequency channels to change to that are not DFS wireless frequency channels.

15. The wireless access point of claim 12 wherein the first wireless frequency channel is not a dynamic frequency selection (DFS) wireless frequency channel.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one computer processor, cause at least one computer processor to:

receive media content data from a receiving device via a wireless access point over a first wireless frequency channel;

receive an alert from the receiving device regarding an interruption in service due to a change at the wireless access point from using the first wireless frequency channel to using a second wireless frequency channel that is a dynamic frequency selection (DFS) wireless frequency channel; and

in response to receiving the alert regarding the interruption in service due to the change from using the first wireless frequency channel to using the DFS wireless frequency channel, perform an action to address the interruption in service due to the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the performing the action to address the interruption in service due to the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel includes communication of a message to at least one user of the at least one media content client indicative that a service interruption is temporary and service is will resume.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the performing the action to address the interruption in service due to the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel includes playing buffered media content during the interruption in service to reduce an appearance of an interruption in service due to the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by at least one computer processor, further cause at least one computer processor to:

after the service interruption due to the change at the wireless access point from using the first wireless frequency channel to using the second wireless frequency channel that is a DFS wireless frequency channel has ended, resume playing, using buffered media content data, the media content data from a point at which the service interruption started.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by at least one computer processor, further cause at least one computer processor to:

after the service interruption due to the change at the wireless access point from using the first wireless frequency channel to using the second wireless frequency channel that is a DFS wireless frequency channel has ended, receive media content data from the receiving device via the wireless access point over the second wireless frequency channel that is a DFS wireless frequency channel; and

play the media content data received from the receiving device via the wireless access point over the second wireless frequency channel that is a DFS wireless frequency channel.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the performing the action to address the interruption in service due to the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel includes providing at least one user of the at least one media content client an option to stop the change to the DFS wireless frequency channel from occurring.