Systems and methods of differentiated channel change behavior

• US 8,832,766 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: Guy Atkinson Iii Meador, William C. Versteeg
• Inventors: VerSteeg, William C., Schlarb, John M., Meador, Guy Atkinson III
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Jason K
• Application Number:
  US11/829,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20090031392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,601 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/118
• 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 at a digital home communication terminal;

creating at least one channel change parameter for the channel change request, wherein creating at least one channel change parameter comprises initiating a priority parameter and a delay parameter;

determining whether the channel change request involves background data collection;

setting, in response to the channel change request not involving background data collection, the priority parameter to an intermediate value between a low value and a high value;

determining, in response to the channel change request not involving background data collection, whether the channel change request is user-initiated;

determining, in response to the channel change request being non-user initiated, whether a source of the channel change request is a navigator;

setting, in response to the channel change request being non-user initiated and the source of the request not being from the navigator, the priority parameter to the high value and the delay parameter to random short;

wherein, when the source of the channel change is the navigator, the delay parameter is set to random long;

wherein the delay parameter controls the amount of delay between the request to channel acquisition and the actual channel change;

wherein the range for random short values are less than a range for random long values; and

performing a channel change based on the priority parameter and the delay parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a channel surf suppression parameter to specify suppression, in response to the channel change being the user-initiated.

3. 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.

4. The method of claim 3, 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.

5. The method of claim 3, 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.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the channel change based on the priority parameter and the delay parameter further comprising causing a switch of the network signaling to a unicast transmission from a multicast transmission.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the channel change request involves the background data collection further comprises setting, in response to the request for channel change request involving the background data collection, the priority parameter to the low value.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the channel change request is user-initiated further comprises setting, in response to the channel change request being user-initiated, an error correction parameter to a robust value.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein setting the error correction parameter to the robust value comprises setting the error correction parameter to the robust value wherein the error correction parameter determines a level of error correction in the acquired channel.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein setting the error correction parameter to the robust value comprises setting the error correction parameter to the robust value wherein robust error correction include use of forward error-correcting codes (FEC).

18. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the channel change request is user-initiated further comprises setting, in response to the channel change request being user-initiated, a fast mode parameter to a true value.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein setting the fast mode parameter to true value comprises setting the fast mode parameter to the true value wherein the fast mode parameter determines a speed of a source to service the channel change request.

6. 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;

create at least one channel change parameter, wherein creating the at least one channel change parameter comprises initiating a priority parameter and a delay parameter;

determine whether the channel change request involves background data collection;

set, in response to the channel change request not involving background data collection, the priority parameter to an intermediate value between a low value and a high value;

determine, in response to the channel change request not involving background data collection, whether the channel change request is user-initiated;

determine, in response to the channel change request being non-user initiated, whether a source of the channel change request is a navigator;

set, in response to the channel change request being non-user initiated and the source of the request not being the navigator, the priority parameter to the high value and the delay parameter to random short;

wherein, when the source of the channel change is the navigator, the delay parameter is set to random long;

wherein the delay parameter controls the amount of delay between the request to channel acquisition and the actual channel change;

wherein the range for random short values are less than a range for random long values; and

instruct the channel acquisition component to perform a channel change using the priority parameter and a delay parameter.

7. The DHCT of claim 6, the processor is further configured to set a channel surf suppression parameter in response to the channel change request being the user-initiated.

8. The DHCT of claim 6, wherein the processor is further programmed to enable the DHCT to:

determine whether the channel change is initiated by a 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.

9. The DHCT of claim 8, 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.

10. The DHCT of claim 8, 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.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program for processing data comprising:

logic configured to receive a channel change request;

logic configured to create at least one channel change parameter, wherein creating the at least one channel change parameter comprises initiating a priority parameter and a delay parameter;

logic configured to determine whether the channel change request involves background data collection;

logic configured to set, in response to the channel change request not involving background data collection, the priority parameter to an intermediate value between a low value and a high value;

logic configured to determine, in response to the channel change request not involving the background data collection, whether the channel change request is user-initiated;

logic configured to determine, in response to the channel change request being non user-initiated, whether the source of channel change request is a navigator;

logic configured to set, in response to the channel change request being non-user initiated and the source of the request not being the navigator, the priority parameter to the high value and the delay parameter to random short;

wherein, when the source of the channel change is the navigator, the delay parameter is set to random long;

wherein the delay parameter controls the amount of delay between the request to channel acquisition and the actual channel change;

wherein the range for random short values are less than a range for random long values; and

logic configured to perform a channel change using the priority parameter and the delay parameter.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the at least one channel change parameter comprises a channel surf suppression parameter and the computer program for processing data further comprising:

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