Method and system for allocating resources in a gateway device

• US 10,200,213 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mathews, Robin M., Derovanessian, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Nowlin, Eric
• Application Number:
  US14/871,628
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate

Abstract

A system includes a gateway device receiving satellite or cable content, storing the satellite or cable content in a memory, receiving broadband content from a broadband source, and storing the broadband content in the memory. The user device communicates a listing request to the gateway device. The gateway device forms a list comprising broadband content stored in the memory and satellite or cable content stored in the memory in response to the listing request and communicates the list to the user device through a network including the gateway device and the user device. The user device generates a selection signal corresponding to a first content from the list and communicating the selection signal to the gateway device through the network. The gateway device determines a network condition, allocates gateway resources in response to the network condition and communicates the first content therethrough after allocating.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving satellite content or cable content at a gateway device from a satellite source or cable source;

storing the satellite content or cable content in a memory of the gateway device;

receiving broadband content at the gateway device from a broadband source;

storing the broadband content in the memory of the gateway device;

receiving a listing request at the gateway device;

forming a list comprising broadband content stored in the memory and satellite content or cable content stored in the memory in response to the listing request;

communicating the list to a user device in a local area network, said local area network including the gateway device and the user device;

generating a selection signal at the user device corresponding to a first content from the list, said first content having a type of content associated therewith;

communicating the selection signal from the user device to the gateway device through the local area network;

determining a future local area network condition based on a forecasted amount of use of the local area network based on actions scheduled to be performed;

allocating gateway resources at the gateway device in response to the future local area network condition;

conditioning communication by allocating bandwidth based on the type of content of the first content; and

communicating the first content after allocating and conditioning.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein allocating gateway resources based on the future network condition comprises conditioning content for delivery through the local area network.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein conditioning comprises shaping a plurality of content streams, at least one content stream comprising the first content.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein conditioning comprises conditioning based on a user device type of the user device.

5. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein conditioning comprises conditioning based on a content type of the first content and based on a user device type of the user device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein allocating gateway resources comprises allocating a bandwidth of a local area network.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining the future network condition comprises determining current bandwidth use.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein forming the list comprises forming the list comprising broadcast content.

9. A system comprising:

a gateway device receiving satellite content or cable content, storing the satellite content or cable content in a memory, receiving broadband content from a broadband source, storing the broadband content in the memory of the gateway device;

a user device communicating a listing request to the gateway device;

said gateway device forming a list comprising broadband content stored in the memory and satellite content or cable content stored in the memory in response to the listing request and communicating the list to the user device through a local area network, said local area network including the gateway device and the user device;

said user device generating a selection signal corresponding to a first content from the list, wherein said first content has a type of content associated therewith, and communicating the selection signal to the gateway device through the local area network;

said gateway device determining a future local area network condition based on a forecasted amount of use of the local area network based on actions scheduled to be performed, allocating gateway resources in response to the future local area network condition;

conditioning communication by allocating bandwidth based on the type of content of the first content and

communicating the first content therethrough after allocating and conditioning.

10. The system as recited in claim 9 wherein the gateway device allocates gateway resources by conditioning content for delivery through the local area network.

11. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein the gateway device shapes a plurality of content streams, at least one content stream comprising the first content.

12. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein the gateway device conditions content based on a content type of the first content.

13. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein the gateway device conditions content based on a user device type of the user device.

14. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein the gateway device conditions content based on a content type of the first content and based on a user device type of the user device.

15. The system as recited in claim 9 wherein the gateway device allocates gateway resources by allocating a bandwidth of a local area network.

16. The system as recited in claim 9 wherein the future network condition comprises future bandwidth use.

17. The system as recited in claim 9 wherein the future network condition comprises current bandwidth use.

18. The system as recited in claim 9 wherein the list comprises broadcast content.