DEVICES, METHODS, AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIA FOR PROVIDING BROAD QUALITY OF SERVICE OPTIMIZATION USING POLICY-BASED SELECTIVE QUALITY DEGRADATION

• US 20100099388A1
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aaron, Jeffrey, Streijl, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,320,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

Devices, methods and computer-readable media for providing broad quality of service optimization using policy-based selective quality degradation. Data associated with a quality of service for customers and QoS policy rules are stored. Customers are grouped for potential degradation. Levels of degradation are defined for each type of user device. Degradation for the group of customers is optimized using policy rules. Degradation is adjusted to account for variations in user treatment within the group. The adjusted degradation is then implemented.

Claims

1. A device for providing services based upon adjustment of quality of service, comprising:

memory for storing data associated with a quality of service for customers and for storing quality of service policy rules; and

a controller, coupled to the memory, for grouping customers for potential degradation, defining levels of degradation for each type of user device, optimizing degradation for the group of customers using policy rules, adjusting degradation to account for variations in user treatment within the group and implementing the adjusted degradation.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller groups customers by grouping all members of a household that use the service.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller groups customers by grouping all workers at a business location that use the service.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein a group comprises all users that share a specific quality-limiting resource.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts a degradation of quality of service based upon at least one selected from a group including applications, services, a mix of applications and services, a customer profile, a group profile, and customer preferences.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory stores information regarding levels of degradation that are based upon a percentage of a maximum device resolution.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts degradation by determining an order of degradations, determining whether each customer in the group would accept a degradation, and determining an amount of degradation acceptable to each customer.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts degradation using preference setting by a customer, profiling of the customer, and inferences derived from usage history of a customer.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller queries the customer only when acceptable results are not obtained automatically.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computer system to perform operations for providing services based upon adjustment of quality of service, the operations including:

storing data associated with a quality of service for customers and quality of service policy rules;

grouping customers for potential degradation;

defining levels of degradation for each type of user device;

optimizing degradation for the group of customers using policy rules;

adjusting degradation to account for variations in user treatment within the group; and

implementing the adjusted degradation.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the grouping of customers further comprises grouping all members of a household that use the service.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the grouping of customers further comprises grouping all workers at a business location that use the service.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein a group comprises all users that share a specific quality-limiting resource.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein adjusting a degradation of quality of service further comprises selecting at least one from a group including adjusting a degradation of quality of service based upon applications, adjusting a degradation of quality of service for services provided by a service provider, adjusting a degradation of quality of service based upon a mix of applications and services, adjusting a degradation of quality of service based upon a customer profile, adjusting a degradation of quality of service based upon a group profile, and adjusting a degradation of quality of service based upon customer preferences.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, the operations further including storing information regarding levels of degradation that are based upon a percentage of a maximum device resolution.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the adjusting of degradation further comprises determining an order of degradations, determining whether each customer in the group would accept a degradation, and determining an amount of degradation acceptable to each customer.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the adjusting degradation further comprises adjusting degradation using preference setting by a customer, profiling of the customer, and inferences derived from usage history of a customer.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, the operations further including querying a customer only when acceptable results are not obtained automatically.

19. A method for providing services based upon adjustment of quality of service, comprises:

storing data associated with a quality of service for customers and quality of service policy rules;

grouping customers for potential degradation;

defining levels of degradation for each type of user device;

optimizing degradation for the group of customers using policy rules;

adjusting degradation to account for variations in user treatment within the group; and

implementing the adjusted degradation.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the grouping of customers further comprises grouping users that share a specific quality-limiting resource, the degradation of quality of service being based upon applications, profiles, identified preferences, degradation sensitivity of users and inferences derived from usage history.