Methods, systems, and products for conserving bandwidth

• US 20070294717A1
• Filed: 02/07/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weaver, Timothy H., Hill, Peter N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,432,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/25
• 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 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2625 for delaying content or additional data distribution, e.g. because of an extended sport event
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for conserving bandwidth. A notification is received from a customer'"'"'s device that indicates media will be recorded/saved to memory. The available bandwidth is compared to required bandwidth to deliver the media to the customer'"'"'s device. When the required bandwidth exceeds the available bandwidth, then delivery of the media is deferred to a period of lesser demand.

Claims

1. A method to conserve bandwidth, comprising:

receiving a notification from a customer'"'"'s device that indicates media will be recorded;

comparing available bandwidth to required bandwidth to deliver the media to the customer'"'"'s device; and

when the required bandwidth exceeds the available bandwidth, then deferring delivery of the media to a period of lesser demand.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising comparing a scheduled time of recording to periods of bandwidth demand.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein when the scheduled time of recording coincides with a period of high bandwidth demand, then deferring delivery of the media to the period of lesser demand.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the media for later retrieval and delivery.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising prompting the customer'"'"'s device to reschedule recording of the media to the period of lesser demand.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising adding an entry to a schedule to deliver the media at a later time.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising i) selecting a time or date of deferred delivery and ii) sending an instruction to the customer'"'"'s device to alter the customer'"'"'s recording schedule to record the media at the time or date selected by a provider.

8. A system for conserving bandwidth, comprising:

a processor communicating with memory, the memory storing processor-executable instructions for receiving a notification from a customer'"'"'s device that indicates media will be recorded;

comparing available bandwidth to required bandwidth to deliver the media to the customer'"'"'s device; and

when the required bandwidth exceeds the available bandwidth, then deferring delivery of the media to a period of lesser demand.

9. The system according to claim 8, the memory further storing instructions for comparing a scheduled time of recording to periods of bandwidth demand.

10. The system according to claim 9, the memory further storing instructions for when the scheduled time of recording coincides with a period of high bandwidth demand, then deferring delivery of the media to the period of lesser demand.

11. The system according to claim 8, the memory further storing instructions for storing the media for later retrieval and delivery.

12. The system according to claim 8, the memory further storing instructions for prompting the customer'"'"'s device to reschedule recording of the media to the period of lesser demand.

13. The system according to claim 8, the memory further storing instructions for adding an entry to a schedule to deliver the media at a later time.

14. The system according to claim 8, the memory further storing instructions for i) selecting a time or date of deferred delivery and ii) sending an instruction to the customer'"'"'s device to alter the customer'"'"'s recording schedule to record the media at the time or date selected by a provider.

15. A computer program product storing processor-executable instructions for:

receiving a notification from a customer'"'"'s device that indicates media will be recorded;

comparing available bandwidth to required bandwidth to deliver the media to the customer'"'"'s device; and

when the required bandwidth exceeds the available bandwidth, then deferring delivery of the media to a period of lesser demand.

16. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for comparing a scheduled time of recording to periods of bandwidth demand.

17. A computer program product according to claim 16, further comprising instructions for when the scheduled time of recording coincides with a period of high bandwidth demand, then deferring delivery of the media to the period of lesser demand.

18. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for prompting the customer'"'"'s device to reschedule recording of the media to the period of lesser demand.

19. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for adding an entry to a schedule to deliver the media at a later time.

20. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for i) selecting a time or date of deferred delivery and ii) sending an instruction to the customer'"'"'s device to alter the customer'"'"'s recording schedule to record the media at the time or date selected by a provider.