Systems and Methods of Differentiated Channel Change Behavior

• US 20090031392A1
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schlarb, John M., VerSteeg, William C., Meador, Guy Atkinson III
• Granted Patent: US 8,832,766 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/151
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Methods and systems of handling channel changes in a digital home communication terminal are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises: receiving a channel change request; determining whether the channel change request is user-initiated; setting at least one channel change parameter to a value based on the determination; and performing a channel change using the at least channel change parameter having the set value. An exemplary system comprises: a channel acquisition component, memory, and a processor. The processor is programmed by code, stored in memory, to: receive a channel change request; determine whether the channel change request is user-initiated; and instruct the channel acquisition component to perform a channel change using at least channel change parameter. The channel change parameter has a value that is based on the determination.

Claims

1. A method of handling channel changes in a digital home communication terminal (DHCT) comprising:

receiving a channel change request;

determining whether the channel change request is user-initiated;

setting at least one channel change parameter to a value based on the determination; and

performing a channel change using the at least channel change parameter having the set value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one channel change parameter comprises a fast channel change parameter and the setting further comprises:

setting the fast channel change parameter to true if the channel change is user-initiated and to false otherwise.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one channel change parameter comprises a plurality of channel change parameters and the setting further comprises:

setting a fast channel change parameter, of the plurality of channel change parameters, to true if the channel change is user-initiated; and

setting a delay parameter, of the plurality of channel change parameters, to specify no delay if the channel change is user-initiated.

4. The method of claim 3, the setting further comprising:

setting a channel surf suppression parameter, of the plurality of channel change parameters, to specify suppression if the channel change is user-initiated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one channel change parameter comprises a delay parameter and the setting further comprises:

setting the delay parameter to specify a random amount of delay, if the channel change is not user-initiated.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the channel change is initiated by a DVR service;

setting the at least one channel change parameter to another value based on the determination; and

performing a channel change using the at least channel change parameter having the set value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one channel change parameter comprises an error correction parameter and the setting further comprises:

setting the error correction parameter to specify at least one of forward error correction (FEC) or selective retransmission, if the channel change is initiated by the DVR component.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one channel change parameter comprises a program resolution parameter and the setting further comprises:

setting the program resolution parameter to specify a predefined resolution if the channel change is not initiated by the DVR component or by the user.

9. A digital home communication terminal (DHCT) comprising:

a channel acquisition component;

memory having stored thereon program code; and

a processor that is programmed by at least the program code to enable the DHCT to;

receive a channel change request;

determine whether the channel change request is user-initiated; and

instruct the channel acquisition component to perform a channel change using at least channel change parameter, the channel change parameter having a value that is based on the determination.

10. The DHCT of claim 9, wherein the at least one channel change parameter comprises a fast channel change parameter having a value of true if the channel change is user-initiated and of false otherwise.

11. The DHCT of claim 9, wherein the at least one channel change parameter comprises a plurality of channel change parameters, wherein a fast channel change parameter, of the plurality of channel change parameters, is true if the channel change is user-initiated, and wherein a delay parameter, of the plurality of channel change parameters, specifies no delay if the channel change is user-initiated.

12. The DHCT of claim 11, wherein a channel surf suppression parameter, of the plurality of channel change parameters, specifies suppression if the channel change is user-initiated.

13. The DHCT of claim 9, wherein the at least one channel change parameter comprises a delay parameter and the setting further comprises:

setting the delay parameter to specify a random amount of delay, if the channel change is not user-initiated.

14. The DHCT of claim 9, further comprising a DVR service executing on the processor, wherein the processor is further programmed to enable the DHCT to:

determine whether the channel change is initiated by the DVR service; and

instruct the channel acquisition component to perform a channel change using at least channel change parameter, the channel change parameter having another value that is based on the determination.

15. The DHCT of claim 14, wherein the at least one channel change parameter comprises an error correction parameter specifying at least one of forward error correction (FEC) or selective retransmission, if the channel change is initiated by the DVR service.

16. The DHCT of claim 14, wherein the at least one channel change parameter comprises a program resolution parameter specifying a predefined resolution if the channel change is not initiated by the DVR service or by the user.

17. A computer-readable medium having a computer program for processing data comprising:

logic configured to receive a channel change request;

logic configured to determine whether the channel change request is user-initiated;

logic configured to set at least one channel change parameter to a value based on the determination; and

logic configured to perform a channel change using the at least channel change parameter having the set value.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one channel change parameter comprises a fast channel change parameter and the setting further comprises:

setting the fast channel change parameter to true if the channel change is user-initiated and to false otherwise.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one channel change parameter comprises a channel surf suppression parameter and the setting further comprises:

setting the channel surf suppression parameter to specify suppression if the channel change is user-initiated.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one channel change parameter comprises a delay parameter and the setting further comprises:

setting the delay parameter to specify a random amount of delay, if the channel change is not user-initiated.