Methods, systems, and devices for bandwidth conservation

• US 9,894,011 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2015
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weaver, Timothy H., Whited, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUONG, ALAN H
• Application Number:
  US14/886,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20160043964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 725 14, 725 95, 709226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/80 Actions related to the user profile or the type of traffic
• 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 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Aspects of bandwidth conservation include monitoring, via a processor over a period of time, program state information for content streamed to an electronic device, and accumulating, in a memory device via the processor, inputs received over the period of time from a user of the electronic device. Each of the inputs is correlated to the program state information based on a location in the content at which the corresponding input occurred. Aspects further include identifying patterns of user behavior based on collective correlations between the inputs and the program state information, determining from the patterns a presence or absence of the user at the electronic device with respect to currently streamed content when no inputs are received by the user, and performing a bandwidth control operation with respect to the currently streamed content based on the determined presence or absence of the user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring, via a processor over a period of time, program state information for content streamed to an electronic device;

accumulating, in a memory device via the processor, inputs received over the period of time from a user of the electronic device, each of the inputs correlated to the program state information based on a location in the content at which the corresponding input occurred;

identifying patterns of user behavior based on collective correlations between the inputs and the program state information;

determining, from the patterns, a presence or absence of the user at the electronic device with respect to currently streamed content, the determining comprising identifying a first pattern of user behavior in which no input is received from the user, and the location in the content indicates the currently streamed content is commercial-free content, and determining from the first pattern of user behavior that a next input from the user is not expected for a duration of the commercial-free content; and

performing a bandwidth control operation with respect to the currently streamed content based on the determining, wherein upon determining the user is not present at the electronic device, the bandwidth control operation includes reducing a current allocation of bandwidth to the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein upon determining the user is present at the electronic device, the bandwidth control operation includes maintaining a current allocation of bandwidth to the electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein upon determining the user is not present at the electronic device, transmitting a prompt to the electronic device notifying the user that a bandwidth reduction operation will be implemented for the electronic device unless an input is received from the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location in the content indicates an advertisement insertion slot.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location in the content is a time indicator reflecting a point in time ranging from a program beginning to a program ending.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, over the period of time, program control information for each program of the content streamed to the electronic device, wherein each of the inputs is correlated to the program control information, the program control information including a channel of the program, a title of the program, and a duration of the program; and

identifying patterns of user behavior based on collective correlations between the inputs and the program control information;

wherein the patterns of user behavior based on collective correlations between the inputs and the program control information are used to further determine the presence or absence of the user at the electronic device.

7. A device, comprising:

a memory comprising computer-executable instructions; and

a processor executing the computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

monitoring, over a period of time, program state information for content streamed to an electronic device;

accumulating, in the memory, inputs received over the period of time from a user of the electronic device, each of the inputs correlated to the program state information based on a location in the content at which the corresponding input occurred;

identifying patterns of user behavior based on collective correlations between the inputs and the program state information;

determining, from the patterns, a presence or absence of the user at the electronic device with respect to currently streamed content, the determining comprising identifying a first pattern of user behavior in which no input is received from the user, and the location in the content indicates the currently streamed content is commercial-free content, and determining from the first pattern of user behavior that a next input from the user is not expected for a duration of the commercial-free content; and

performing a bandwidth control operation with respect to the currently streamed content based on the determining, wherein upon determining the user is not present at the electronic device, the bandwidth control operation includes reducing a current allocation of bandwidth to the electronic device.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein upon determining the user is present at the electronic device, the bandwidth control operation includes maintaining a current allocation of bandwidth to the electronic device.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein upon determining the user is not present at the electronic device, transmitting a prompt to the electronic device notifying the user that a bandwidth reduction operation will be implemented for the electronic device unless an input is received from the user.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the location in the content indicates an advertisement insertion slot.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the location in the content is a time indicator reflecting a point in time ranging from a program beginning to a program ending.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the operations further include:

monitoring, over the period of time, program control information for each program of the content streamed to the electronic device, wherein each of the inputs is correlated to the program control information, the program control information including a channel of the program, a title of the program, and a duration of the program; and

identifying patterns of user behavior based on collective correlations between the inputs and the program control information;

wherein the patterns of user behavior based on collective correlations between the inputs and the program control information are used to further determine the presence or absence of the user at the electronic device.

13. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

monitoring, over a period of time, program state information for content streamed to an electronic device;

accumulating, in a memory device, inputs received over the period of time from a user of the electronic device, each of the inputs correlated to the program state information based on a location in the content at which the corresponding input occurred;

identifying patterns of user behavior based on collective correlations between the inputs and the program state information;

determining, from the patterns, a presence or absence of the user at the electronic device with respect to currently streamed content, the determining comprising identifying a first pattern of user behavior in which no input is received from the user, and the location in the content indicates the currently streamed content is commercial-free content, and determining from the first pattern of user behavior that a next input from the user is not expected for a duration of the commercial-free content; and

performing a bandwidth control operation with respect to the currently streamed content based on the determining, wherein upon determining the user is not present at the electronic device, the bandwidth control operation includes reducing a current allocation of bandwidth to the electronic device.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein upon determining the user is present at the electronic device, the bandwidth control operation includes maintaining a current allocation of bandwidth to the electronic device.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein upon determining the user is not present at the electronic device, transmitting a prompt to the electronic device notifying the user that a bandwidth reduction operation will be implemented for the electronic device unless an input is received from the user.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the location in the content indicates one of an advertisement insertion slot and a time indicator reflecting a point in time ranging from a program beginning to a program ending.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the operations further include:

monitoring, over the period of time, program control information for each program of the content streamed to the electronic device, wherein each of the inputs is correlated to the program control information, the program control information including a channel of the program, a title of the program, and a duration of the program; and

identifying patterns of user behavior based on collective correlations between the inputs and the program control information;

wherein the patterns of user behavior based on collective correlations between the inputs and the program control information are used to further determine the presence or absence of the user at the electronic device.