Resource conservation for packet television services
The present invention controls delivery of television content to conserve network resources based on whether the television content is being viewed on a television monitor. A television gateway may monitor a viewer's interactions with the television gateway to determine whether the television content is being viewed at the associated television monitor, or detect whether the television monitor is on or off. Upon determining that the viewer is not viewing the television content, various actions can be taken to conserve network resources.
1. A method of operating a video display system having a video display, the method comprising:
receiving video content delivered from a content provider over a communication network to the video display system;
displaying the received video content on the video display;
monitoring at least one viewing indicator; and
responsive to the at least one viewing indicator meeting at least one resource saving criterion, initiating reduction of consumption of communication network resources due to delivery of the video content to the video display system.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one viewing indicator is indicative of whether the displayed video content is being viewed.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one resource saving criterion is deemed to be met when the at least one viewing indicator does not indicate that the displayed video content is being viewed.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating reduction of consumption of communication network resources due to delivery of the video content to the video display system comprises signaling into the communication network to modify delivery of the video content from the content provider over the communication network to the video display system so as to reduce consumption of communication network resources.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein signaling into the communication network to modify delivery of the video content from the content provider over the communication network to the video display system so as to reduce consumption of communication network resources comprises signaling to stop delivery of the video content over the communication network to the video display system.
6. The method of claim 5 , comprising displaying locally stored content on the video display when delivery of the video content over the communication network to the video display system is stopped.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein signaling into the communication network to modify delivery of the video content from the content provider over the communication network to the video display system so as to reduce consumption of communication network resources comprises signaling the content provider.
8. The method of claim 4 , wherein signaling into the communication network to modify delivery of the video content from the content provider over the communication network to the video display system so as to reduce consumption of network resources comprises signaling to deliver a reduced bandwidth video signal over the communication network to the video display system.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the video display system provides a viewer alert when a reduced bandwidth video signal is received over the communication network.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the video display system has a user interface that enables a viewer to cause signaling of the content provider requesting delivery of a higher bandwidth video signal when the video display system is receiving a reduced bandwidth video signal.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring at least one viewing indicator comprises monitoring viewer interactions with the video display system.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein action taken to reduce consumption of communication network resources due to delivery of the video content to the video display system is based on viewer preferences.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring at least one viewing indicator is based on at least one viewer preference.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one resource saving criterion is based on at least one viewer preference.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one viewing indicator meets the at least one resource saving criterion only when the received video content is not being recorded and the at least one viewing indicator does not indicate that the displayed video content is being viewed.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one resource saving criterion depends on the network resources consumed by delivery of the video content to the video display device.
17. The method of claim 1 , comprising creating at least one customized resource saving criterion based on analysis of at least one monitored viewing indicator.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the video display is provided on a portable device.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the video display is provided on a hand-held device.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring at least one viewing indicator and initiating reduction of consumption of communication network resources due to delivery of the video content to the video display system are performed by a network interface device and displaying the video content of the video display is performed by a display device downstream from the network interface device.
21. A video display system, comprising:
a communication network interface configured to receive video content delivered from a content provider over a communication network;
a video display configured to display the received video content on the video display; and
a control system configured to monitor at least one viewing indicator and, responsive to the at least one viewing indicator meeting at least one resource saving criterion, to reduce consumption of communication network resources due to delivery of the video content to the video display system.
22. The video display system of claim 21 , wherein the at least one viewing indicator is indicative of whether the displayed video content is being viewed.
23. The video display system of claim 22 , wherein the at least one resource saving criterion is deemed to be met when the at least one viewing indicator does not indicate that the displayed video content is being viewed.
24. The video display system of claim 21 , wherein the control system is configured to reduce consumption of communication network resources due to delivery of the video content to the video display system by signaling into the communication network to modify delivery of the video content from the content provider over the communication network to the video display system so as to reduce consumption of communication network resources.
25. The video display system of claim 24 , wherein the control system is configured to signal into the communication network to modify delivery of the video content from the content provider over the communication network to the video display system so as to reduce consumption of communication network resources by signaling to stop delivery of the video content over the communication network to the video display system.
26. The video display system of claim 25 , wherein the control system is configured to display locally stored content on the video display when delivery of the video content over the communication network to the video display system is stopped.
27. The video display system of claim 24 , wherein the control system is configured to signal into the communication network to modify delivery of the video content from the content provider over the communication network to the video display system so as to reduce consumption of communication network resources by signaling the content provider.
28. The video display system of claim 24 , wherein the control system is configured to signal into the communication network to modify delivery of the video content from the content provider over the communication network to the video display system so as to reduce consumption of network resources by signaling to deliver a reduced bandwidth video signal over the communication network to the video display system.
29. The video display system of claim 28 , wherein the control system is configured to provide a viewer alert when a reduced bandwidth video signal is received over the communication network.
30. The video display system of claim 28 , comprising a user interface configured to enable a viewer to cause signaling of the content provider requesting delivery of a higher bandwidth video signal when the video display system is receiving a reduced bandwidth video signal.
31. The video display system of claim 21 , wherein the control system is configured to monitor user interactions with the video display system to determine whether a viewer viewing the received content on the video display can be detected.
32. The video display system of claim 21 , configured such that action taken to reduce consumption of communication network resources due to delivery of the video content to the video display system is based on viewer preferences.
33. The video display system of claim 21 , wherein the monitored at least one viewing indicator is based on at least one viewer preference.
34. The video display system of claim 21 , the at least one resource saving criterion is based on at least one viewer preference.
35. The video display system of claim 21 , wherein the at least one viewing indicator meets at least one resource saving criterion only when the received video content is not being recorded and the at least one viewing indicator does not indicate that the displayed video content is being viewed.
36. The video display system of claim 21 , wherein the at least one resource saving criterion depends on the network resources consumed by delivery of the video content to the display device.
37. The video display system of claim 21 , wherein the controller is configured to create at least one customized resource saving criterion based on analysis of at least one monitored viewing indicator.
38. The video display system of claim 21 , wherein the video display is provided on a portable device.
39. The video display system of claim 21 , wherein the video display is provided on a hand-held device.
40. The video display system of claim 21 , wherein the control system is at least partially implemented on a network interface device and the video display is implemented on a display device downstream from the network interface device.
41. Apparatus for reducing network resource consumption associated with delivery of video content for display, the apparatus comprising:
a communication network interface configured to receive video content delivered from a content provider over a communication network; and
a control system configured to monitor at least one viewing indicator and, responsive to the at least one viewing indicator meeting at least one resource saving criterion, to reduce consumption of communication network resources associated with the delivery of the video content.
42. The apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the at least one viewing indicator is indicative of whether the displayed video content is being viewed.
43. The apparatus of claim 42 , wherein the at least one resource saving criterion is deemed to be met when the at least one viewing indicator does not indicate that the displayed video content is being viewed.
44. The apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the control system is configured to reduce consumption of communication network resources due to delivery of the video content by signaling into the communication network to modify delivery of the video content from the content provider over the communication network so as to reduce consumption of communication network resources.
45. The apparatus of claim 44 , wherein the control system is configured to signal into the communication network to modify delivery of the video content from the content provider over the communication network to the video display system so as to reduce consumption of communication network resources by signaling to stop delivery of the video content over the communication network.
46. The apparatus of claim 45 , wherein the control system is configured to provide locally stored content when delivery of the video content over the communication network to the video display system is stopped.
47. The apparatus of claim 44 , wherein the control system is configured to signal into the communication network to modify delivery of the video content from the content provider over the communication network so as to reduce consumption of communication network resources by signaling the content provider.
48. The apparatus of claim 44 , wherein the control system is configured to signal into the communication network to modify delivery of the video content from the content provider over the communication network so as to reduce consumption of network resources by signaling to deliver a reduced bandwidth video signal over the communication network to the video display system.
49. The apparatus of claim 48 , wherein the control system is configured to provide a viewer alert when a reduced bandwidth video signal is received over the communication network.
50. The apparatus of claim 48 , comprising a user interface configured to enable a viewer to cause signaling of the content provider requesting delivery of a higher bandwidth video signal when the video display system is receiving a reduced bandwidth video signal.
51. The apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the control system is configured to monitor user interactions with a video display to determine whether a viewer viewing the received content on the video display can be detected.
52. The apparatus of claim 41 , configured such that action taken to reduce consumption of communication network resources due to delivery of the video content is based on at least one viewer preference.
53. The apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the monitored at least one viewing indicator is based on at least one viewer preference.
54. The apparatus of claim 41 , the at least one resource saving criterion is based on at least one viewer preference.
55. The apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the at least one viewing indicator meets the at least one resource saving criterion only when the received video content is not being recorded and the at least one viewing indicator does not indicate that the displayed video content is being viewed.
56. The apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the at least one resource saving criterion depends on the network resources consumed by delivery of the video content.
57. The apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the controller is configured to create at least one customized resource saving criterion based on analysis of at least one monitored viewing indicator.