Delivery of multimedia components according to user activity

• US 9,948,573 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Werner, Anthony, Mao, Weidong, Kotay, Sree
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahmud, Golam
• Application Number:
  US13/804,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20140280869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media may be configured for establishing at least one session for delivery of multimedia. In an aspect, a first transmission of data fragments of a first component and a second transmission of data fragments of a second component may be transmitted and synchronized for presentation. If an inactivity event is detected the session may be maintained while reducing bandwidth consumption.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing at least one session for delivery of;

a first component of a multimedia content item; and

a second component of the multimedia content item;

receiving, during the at least one session, a first transmission of data fragments of the first component and a second transmission of data fragments of the second component;

synchronizing the first transmission of data fragments and the second transmission of data fragments to form synchronized data fragments;

providing the synchronized data fragments for rendering of the multimedia content item;

identifying an inactivity event after the rendering;

after the identifying of the inactivity event, maintaining the at least one session in an active state and requesting that delivery of the first transmission of data fragments and the second transmission of data fragments be stopped;

in response to identifying an activity event after the requesting, determining to resume the first component and not to resume the second component, wherein the first component and the second component each comprise one of video, audio, or data components of the multimedia content item; and

after the determining to resume the first component, communicating a resumption request for resumption of delivery of the first component of the multimedia content item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating an activity timer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising resetting the activity timer in response to detecting a change in volume level, user presence, or user movement.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifying of the inactivity event is in response to determining that the activity timer has expired.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, after expiration of the activity timer, resetting the activity timer to monitor for the activity event during a predetermined amount of time.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising causing termination of the at least one session after the predetermined amount of time has elapsed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the inactivity event comprises detecting that a first graphical user interface presenting the first component is at least partially obscured by a second graphical user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the inactivity event comprises detecting that a device configured for presenting the first component has been turned off.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising forwarding the data fragments of the first component to a first device and the data fragments of the second component to a second device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transmission of the data fragments of the first component is received from a first server and the second transmission of the data fragments of the second component is received from a second server.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user input comprising an indication of a resumption point, wherein the communicating the resumption request further comprises communicating the resumption point.

10. A method comprising:

establishing at least one session for delivery of;

a first component of a multimedia content item; and

a second component of the multimedia content item;

receiving, via the at least one session, a first transmission of data fragments of the first component and a second transmission of data fragments of the second component;

synchronizing the first transmission of data fragments and the second transmission of data fragments;

identifying an inactivity event;

after the identifying of the inactivity event, maintaining the at least one session in an active state and requesting that delivery of the first transmission of data fragments and the second transmission of data fragments be stopped;

determining an activity event during a predetermined amount of time after the requesting;

in response to determining the activity event, determining to resume the first component and not to resume the second component, wherein the first component and the second component each comprise one of video, audio, or data components of the multimedia content item; and

after the determining to resume the first component, communicating a resumption request for resumption of delivery of the first component of the multimedia content item.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifying of the inactivity event comprises:

initiating an activity timer;

monitoring for the activity event after the initiating of the activity timer; and

determining that the activity timer has expired without detecting the activity event.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifying of the inactivity event comprises detecting that a first graphical user interface presenting the first component is at least partially obscured by a second graphical user interface.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifying of the inactivity event comprises detecting that a device configured for presenting the first component has been turned off.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a user input comprising an indication of a resumption point, wherein the communicating the resumption request further comprises communicating the resumption point.

14. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to;

establish at least one session for delivery of;

a first component of a multimedia content item; and

a second component of the multimedia content item;

receive, via the at least one session, a first transmission of data fragments of the first component and a second transmission of data fragments of the second component;

synchronize the first transmission of data fragments and the second transmission of data fragments to form synchronized data fragments;

provide the synchronized data fragments for rendering of the multimedia content item;

identify an inactivity event after the rendering;

after the identifying of the inactivity event, maintain the at least one session in an active state and request that delivery of additional data fragments of the first transmission and the second transmission be stopped; and

in response to identifying an activity event after the requesting, determine to resume the first component and not to resume the second component, wherein the first component and the second component each comprise one of video, audio, or data components of the multimedia content item; and

after the determining to resume the first component, communicate a resumption request for resumption of delivery of the additional data fragments of the first component.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

initiate an activity timer;

monitor for the activity event after initiating of the activity timer; and

determine that the activity timer has expired without detecting the activity event.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

identify the inactivity event by detecting that a device configured for presenting the first component has been turned off.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

receive a user input comprising an indication of a resumption point, wherein the communicating the resumption request further comprises communicating the resumption point.