HK1165131A

HK1165131A - Method and system for service optimization based on energy saving through a broadband gateway

Info

Publication number: HK1165131A
Application number: HK12105306.4A
Authority: HK
Inventors: 韦尔‧戴博; 吉汉‧卡若古; 陈雪敏; 戴维‧加勒特; 大卫‧伦德格伦; 瑞奇‧普若克兰
Original assignee: 美国博通公司
Priority date: 2010-06-04
Filing date: 2012-05-30
Publication date: 2012-09-28

Description

Method and system for energy-saving based service optimization through broadband gateway

Technical Field

The present invention relates to audio processing, and more particularly, to a method and system for energy-efficient based service optimization through a broadband gateway.

Background

With the continued growth of digital television or broadcast multimedia and/or broadband access used in conjunction with online commerce, social networking, and/or other online services and applications, users may desire access to more providers and/or a wider range of content in a form that is flexible and/or tailored to the user's lifestyle. Most users connect to the internet using a web browser running on a Personal Computer (PC) and/or mobile device, such as a smartphone. In addition, most households may have one or more televisions that may be used to view television programming and/or multimedia content. The Television broadcast program may include a radio-Television (CATV), Cable-Television (CATV), satellite Television, and/or Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) based broadcast program. To prevent unauthorized reception and/or use of multimedia content, service providers may require the use of a set-top box (STB) to encrypt program signals transmitted by the service provider to generate suitable video and/or audio streams that can be played through a television and/or other play/playback device in the home.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

Disclosure of Invention

A system and/or method is provided for energy efficient service optimization through a broadband gateway, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

According to one aspect, the invention provides a method comprising:

in a broadband gateway communicatively connected to a plurality of devices, wherein the broadband gateway is to handle at least one physical layer connection with at least one corresponding network access service provider:

providing service energy-saving management for one or more of the plurality of devices, wherein the providing energy-saving management comprises:

determining an energy-related cost associated with providing a service to one or more of the plurality of devices utilizing the at least one physical-layer connection; and

providing the service based on the determined energy-related cost.

Preferably, the at least one physical layer connection comprises a plurality of physical layer connections, the at least one respective network access service provider comprises a plurality of respective access service providers, and wherein each of the plurality of physical layer connections corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of respective access service providers.

Preferably, the service comprises obtaining and/or delivering content for consumption by one or more of the plurality of devices.

Preferably, the method further comprises negotiating with the at least one respective network access service provider during said providing of the service.

Preferably, said negotiating comprises requesting credits (credits) for providing said service to modify energy consumption resulting from using said at least one physical layer connection.

Preferably, the method further comprises controlling and/or modifying bitrate selection, physical layer selection and/or Service Level Agreement (SLA) parameters during said providing of the service.

Preferably, the method further comprises negotiating and/or configuring one or more micro-leases (micro-leases) to support at least a portion of the service during the providing of the service.

Preferably, the method further comprises determining and/or obtaining energy related information for providing said energy saving management.

Preferably, the information comprises energy demand, energy limits, device usage patterns and/or usage time related data.

Preferably, the method further comprises communicating using a dedicated energy messaging protocol during the energy saving management.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a system comprising:

one or more circuits and/or processors for use in a broadband gateway communicatively connected to a plurality of devices, wherein the broadband gateway is to handle at least one physical layer connection with at least one corresponding network access service provider; the one or more circuits and/or processors are configured to provide energy-saving management for a service for one or more of the plurality of devices, wherein the providing energy-saving management comprises:

providing the service based on the determined energy-related cost.

Preferably, the one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to negotiate with the at least one respective network access service provider during the provision of the service.

Preferably, said negotiating comprises requesting credits for providing said service to modify energy consumption resulting from using said at least one physical-layer connection.

Preferably, the one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to control and/or modify bit rate selection, physical layer selection and/or service level protocol parameters during said providing of the service.

Preferably, the one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to negotiate and/or configure one or more micro-leases to support at least a portion of the service during the providing of the service.

Preferably, the one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to determine and/or obtain energy-related information for providing the energy conservation management.

Preferably, the one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to communicate using a dedicated energy messaging protocol during the energy conservation management.

Various advantages, aspects and novel features of the invention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, will be more fully described in the following description and drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an exemplary communication system including a home network serviced by a broadband gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a block diagram of an exemplary communication system including a broadband gateway providing energy-efficient services for delivery to a home network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1C is a schematic illustration of the power savings obtained using a link with a lower bit rate during delivery of content to a home network in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

figure 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary broadband gateway, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a flowchart of exemplary steps for generating and/or updating a device or service profile for use in energy-saving based service management using a broadband gateway, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a flowchart of exemplary steps for providing energy-efficient service delivery management for a home network using a broadband gateway, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3C is a flow diagram of an energy-efficient delivery of content and/or services to a home network through a broadband gateway using micro-rentals according to an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary energy-based messaging protocol for use in providing energy saving services for a home network in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and system for energy-efficient based service optimization through a broadband gateway. In various embodiments of the present invention, a broadband gateway, which may be communicatively coupled to a plurality of devices in a home network, and/or configured to handle one or more physical layer connections with corresponding one or more network access service providers, may be used to provide energy-saving management of services provided and/or delivered to the home network. The energy saving service management may include determining an energy related cost associated with providing the service to one or more of the plurality of devices, where the energy related cost may be based on at least one of the plurality of physical layer connections utilized in connection with providing the service. In this regard, service provisioning may enable reduced and/or optimized energy consumption within an access network based on the provisioning of the service. The service may be provided based on the determined energy-related cost associated with the service. The service may include obtaining and/or delivering content for consumption by one or more of a plurality of devices in a network. The broadband gateway may negotiate with a network access service provider during configuration of a service. The negotiation may include requesting credits to perform the service offering. In this regard, the integration may include providing power savings integration for achieving power consumption reduction and/or optimization within the access network. The service configuration may include controlling and/or adjusting bit rate selection, physical layer selection, and/or service level agreement parameters.

The broadband gateway may determine and/or obtain energy-related information for providing energy-saving service management. The energy-related information may correspond to a managed service and/or a home device that may be used in connection with the managed service. The energy-related information may include energy requirements, energy limits, device usage patterns, usage time-related data, and/or energy conservation options. The broadband gateway may track the actual energy usage of each of the one or more served devices, and the broadband gateway may update and/or modify the stored energy-related information based on the tracking. The stored energy-related information may include service and/or device profiles corresponding to each of the managed services and/or devices related to the managed services. The configuration file may be configurable, wherein configuration of the configuration file may include initializing and/or modifying energy-related information corresponding to an associated service or device. The broadband gateway may display activities associated with the energy management service through a user interface. This may include displaying energy-related activities and/or data associated with each of the managed services or devices. Energy-related information and/or data may be exchanged within the home network and/or with a network access service provider using a dedicated energy-related messaging protocol.

Fig. 1A is an exemplary communication system including a home network serviced by a broadband gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 1A, a home network 100a, a plurality of distribution networks 110, a plurality of Service Providers (SPs) 120, and a plurality of Content Providers (CPs) 130 are shown. The home network 110a may be served by the broadband gateway 102. Also shown in fig. 1A are other home networks 100b, … …, 100n, and an emergency service provider network 140. Each home network 100b, … …, 100n may also be served by a broadband gateway 102.

The service provider 120 may include various entities, such as a plurality of home devices 104a-104j, that provide various services to the broadband gateway 102 and/or to devices through the broadband gateway 102. Some service providers 120 may include network access service providers to provide a physical layer connection with the broadband gateway 102. These physical layer connections may then be used to access content provided by content providers 130, to access content provided by other service providers 120, and/or to access an intranet or the entire internet. In this regard, a "network access service provider," as used herein, is distinguished from the more general term "service provider" that may accomplish services other than those that provide the physical layer of an access network. Cable television providers, Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) providers, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) providers, cellular communication providers, WiMAX providers, and satellite providers may be examples of network access service providers. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the broadband gateway 120 may implement a connection with multiple service providers 120 to facilitate receiving content from one or more content providers 130.

Content provider 130 may include a variety of different entities and/or networks operable to generate, obtain, and/or package content that may be distributed to end users (i.e., "subscribers") via service provider 120 and/or distribution network 110. In this regard, the content may include audio, video, multimedia, electronic books, games, and/or other content. Exemplary content providers may include commercial providers of multimedia content, such as production and/or distribution companies (e.g., parimend or warner brothers) of primary movies or television, and/or personal content providers (e.g., user-generated content). The content may be, for example, content that may be downloaded and/or streamed, rented and/or purchased. Content from the content provider 130 may be distributed to end users through the service provider 120. In some cases, the content provider 130 and the service provider 120 may be separate entities. In some cases a single provider may provide both content and services. That is, an entity that is a network access service provider may also provide services other than content and/or network access, and thus such an entity may also be referred to accurately as a "content provider" and/or a "service provider". Content and/or services provided by a content provider and/or a service provider may be provided to the broadband gateway 102 via one or more physical connections provided by a network access service provider.

The plurality of distribution networks 110 may include one or more networks that may be used to enable wireless and/or wireline communication between a plurality of local and/or remote entities based on one or more networks and/or communication facilities. In this regard, multiple distribution networks 110 may be used to enable the distribution of multimedia content generated by content provider 130 to end users directly and/or through service provider 120. The operative network connections via the plurality of distribution networks 110 may be based on one or more communication standards and/or protocols. The plurality of distribution networks 110 may include, for example, the internet 110a, a cable television (CATV) network 110b, a satellite Television (TV) network 110c, a wireless local area network/wide area network (LAN/WAN)110d, and/or a cellular network 110 e.

The internet 110a may include an internetwork system to enable the exchange of data between multiple nodes based on one or more network standards, including, for example, the Internet Protocol (IP). The internet 110a may enable connections between multiple private and public, academic, commercial, and/or government nodes and/or networks. The physical connections in the internet 110a may be provided by, for example, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), copper wires, fiber optic cables, wireless interfaces, and/or interfaces based on other protocols and/or standards. The transport functions of the internet 110a may be performed based on, for example, one or more transport protocols, such as the transmission control protocol/IP (TCP/IP). The CATV network 110b may include suitable distribution nodes, systems, and/or sub-networks that may allow for the forwarding of communications between the CATV provider and a plurality of cable television consumers. For example, the CATV network 110b may include a fiber optic network and/or coaxial cable used in CATV broadcasting. The satellite television network 110c may include suitable distribution nodes, systems, and/or sub-networks that may allow a satellite television broadcast provider to transmit satellite television programming to a plurality of consumers. For example, the satellite network 110c may include a plurality of orbiting satellite nodes and/or one or more ground centers in a satellite television system.

The LAN/WAN network 110d may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that may be operable to enable implementation of one or more wired and/or wireless LAN or WAN standards and/or protocols. Exemplary WAN technologies include, for example, WiMAX-based networks. Exemplary LAN technologies may include, for example, those based on IEEE 802.11 standards, including, for example, WiFi-based networks. The cellular network 110e may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to enable communication via one or more cellular technologies. Exemplary cellular technologies may include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), wideband CDMA (wcdma), CDMA1000, High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data for Global Evolution (EDGE), and/or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). Cellular network 110e may include, for example, a plurality of control and/or switching nodes, as well as a plurality of base stations that allow for the transmission and/or reception of cellular-based communications between cellular network 110e and cellular-enabled devices.

Each home network 110a-110n may correspond to a location that includes multiple devices, such as multiple home devices 104a-104j in the home network 110a, which may be serviced and/or managed by, for example, the broadband gateway 102. In this regard, a location may be a residence (e.g., a home, apartment), small business, school, library, and/or other similar environment in which a user may wish to gain access to a service and/or content provider network. The broadband gateway 102 may be used in a home network, such as the home network 110a, to provide connectivity between the home network and one or more service providers 120 (and/or one or more content providers 130) through the distribution network 110.

The broadband gateway 102 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to perform various aspects of the present invention. In this regard, the broadband gateway 102 may be used to communicate with a content provider 130, a service provider 120, and a plurality of home devices 104a-104 j. In this manner, the broadband gateway 102 may allow bi-directional communication of content and/or other information between the content provider 130, the service provider 120, and the devices 104a-104 j. Communication between the broadband gateway 102 and the content provider 130 and/or the service provider 120 may be via optical, wired, and/or wireless links of the distribution network 110. Similarly, communication between the broadband gateway 102 and the devices 104a-104j may occur via optical, wired, and/or wireless links. In an example of the invention, a single broadband gateway 102 may be used to handle multiple physical layer (i.e., layer 1 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model) connections 108 to multiple or more portions of distribution network 110, where different individuals or portions of distribution network 110 may be owned, operated, leased, or otherwise associated with different individuals of network access service provider 120. For example, a first network access provider may provide network access to broadband gateway 102 via a twisted pair Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), and a second network access provider may provide network access to broadband gateway 102 via a cable television connection over a coaxial cable. In some examples, broadband gateway 102 may be used for concurrent communications over multiple physical layer connections provided by multiple network access service providers.

The broadband gateway 102 may be used as an interface device to allow one or more service and/or content providers to interact with devices in a home network. In this regard, the broadband gateway 102 may be used to perform and/or provide various services that may allow and/or facilitate the receipt of content from one or more content providers 130, which may be communicated through one or more service providers 120. For example, broadband gateway 102 may be used to perform operations such as network access-related processing (e.g., PHY/MAC and/or transport layer processing), encryption and/or decryption, user and/or account authentication, and/or at least some video and/or audio processing, which may be necessary for consumption of multimedia content.

The broadband gateway 102 may communicate with various devices in the home network using optical, wired, and/or wireless communication links. The devices served by or connected to the broadband gateway 102 may include content-consuming devices and/or other non-content-consuming home or home devices that may be used to interact with the broadband gateway 102. For example, the broadband gateway 102 may serve and/or communicate with a plurality of home devices 104a-104j in the home network 100 a. The home devices may include, for example, one or more televisions 104a, laptop computers 104b, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and/or security alarms 104c, computers and/or servers 104d, mobile phones 104e, speakers 104f, Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), or Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) 104 j. The broadband gateway 102 may interact with each of the home devices via respective links 106a-106j, which may be supported by the broadband gateway 102 and the respective home devices. For example, link 106a between broadband gateway 102 and television 104a may comprise a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable. The link 106b may comprise, for example, a wired ethernet link, a wireless ethernet link, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) link, or an IEEE 1394 link. The link 106c may comprise, for example, a two-wire link or a wireless link. The link 106d may comprise, for example, a wired ethernet link, a wireless ethernet link, a USB link, or an IEEE 1394 link. The link 106e may comprise, for example, a wireless ethernet link, a USB link, or a cellular link. The link 106f may include a speaker wired and/or wireless link. Link 106g may include, for example, AM and/or FM radio transmissions broadcast received using broadband gateway 102. The link 106h may comprise, for example, a wired or wireless link. The link 106i may comprise, for example, a telephone line. The link 106j may comprise, for example, a wired or wireless link.

The broadband gateway 102 may also be used to provide and/or support various other non-content related services in the home network 110 a. For example, the broadband gateway 102 may provide emergency-related services in the home network 110 a. For example, the emergency service provider network 140 may be connected to the distribution network 110 via a link 112. The emergency service provider network 140 may be associated with one or more emergency service provider entities. A public entity, such as a 911 center, and/or a private entity, such as a security company, can interact with the broadband gateway 102 through the distribution network 110 in the home network 110 a.

The broadband gateway 102 may also be used to provide various energy-related services. The energy-related services provided by broadband gateway 102 may allow for optimization and/or reduction of energy usage or consumption, and/or may also allow for receiving compensation and/or solicitation (claiming), acquiring and/or compensating energy savings credits/rewards to enable and/or facilitate any such energy consumption optimization and/or reduction. The broadband gateway 102 may be used to provide service energy-saving management for services distributed by service and/or content providers (e.g., one or more service providers 120 and/or content providers 130) to a home network (e.g., to the home network 100 a). Energy-saving management of services delivered through the broadband gateway 102 may optimize and/or reduce energy usage or consumption on the network side, where energy usage or consumption may come from and/or correspond to operations performed on the network side to deliver services to the home network 110a through the broadband gateway 102. In this regard, the "network-side" operations may include operations performed outside of the home network 110 a. This may include, for example, operations performed by service provider 120 and/or content provider 130, and/or operations that provide and/or support connectivity and/or interaction between broadband gateway 102 and service provider 120 over distribution network 110. In this regard, establishing connections to the broadband gateway 102, for example, in the distribution network 110, and/or using such connections, for example, for content communication over such connections, may require the use of energy. The power consumption reduction and/or optimization may be due to, for example, selecting a power saving connection, and/or utilizing the connection in a manner that can reduce power consumption (e.g., by ensuring that the connection is set up and utilized only when content is requested). Accordingly, energy saving service management may include configuring and/or managing network-side connections and/or interactions between the broadband gateway 102 and the service providers 120 based on energy-related information corresponding to the home network and/or devices therein served by the broadband gateway.

Although broadband gateway 102 is shown in fig. 1A as a single, stand-alone device, the invention is not necessarily so limited. In one embodiment of the invention, the broadband gateway function may be implemented in a distributed manner in two or more devices. Further, the broadband gateway may be implemented as a virtual platform, such as in instances where it is implemented in a distributed manner. In another embodiment of the invention, some or all of the functions of the broadband gateway may be performed in one of the home-owned televisions.

As shown in fig. 1A, multiple home networks 100 b. These home networks 100b, 100n may operate in substantially the same manner as the home network 100 a. By connecting multiple home networks to the distribution network 110, various applications such as point-to-point communication and/or data collection operations are made possible using the broadband gateway 102 in the home network.

In operation, the broadband gateway 102 may be used as an interface device that allows one or more service providers 120, content providers 130, and/or emergency service provider networks 140 to interact with various devices in a home network, such as the home network 100 a. In this regard, the broadband gateway 102 may support configuring and/or using multiple broadband connections 108. The broadband connection 108 may comprise an optical, wired, and/or wireless connection between the broadband gateway 102 and the distribution network 110 to allow communication between, for example, the broadband gateway 102 and the service provider 120, the content provider 130, and/or the emergency service provider network 140. The broadband gateway 102 may be configured to perform and/or provide various services that allow and/or facilitate the reception of data (e.g., multimedia content) from one or more content providers through which the content may be delivered. The broadband gateway 102 may distribute the received content to one or more devices in the home network for consumption and/or perform any processing and/or operations (e.g., decryption and/or account verification) required to be used to ensure that the content is consumed by the target home device, directly and/or indirectly using other devices.

The broadband gateway 102 may also provide and/or support various other services in the home network in addition to receiving and/or downloading content. For example, the broadband gateway 102 may be used to provide energy management in the home network 100a by controlling and/or adjusting the configuration of one or more devices in the home network, thereby reducing energy consumption. The broadband gateway 102 may also provide emergency-related services in the home network 100a, including allowing first responders to provide alerts to a selected group of users by accessing the broadband gateway 102 over a secure link provided by a service/content provider.

The broadband gateway 102 may also provide and/or support various other services in the home network 100a in addition to and/or in conjunction with supporting or facilitating the receipt, downloading, and/or consumption of content. For example, the broadband gateway 102 may provide energy-related services in a home network. In this regard, the broadband gateway 102 may provide energy-saving management of services delivered to the home network 100a to allow for optimization and/or reduction of energy usage or consumption on the network side, and/or to also allow for the solicitation, acquisition, and/or compensation of energy-saving credits/rewards to enable and/or facilitate any such energy consumption optimization and/or reduction. The management of energy-saving services provided by the broadband gateway 102 may include configuring and/or managing network-side connections and/or interactions between the broadband gateway 102 and service providers based on energy-related information corresponding to the home network and/or devices therein (which may be serviced by the broadband gateway).

In this regard, the broadband gateway 102 may provide energy-saving management of services delivered to the home network 100a to allow for optimization and/or reduction of energy usage or consumption on the network side, and/or to solicit, acquire, and/or compensate for energy-saving credits/rewards in exchange for allowing energy consumption optimization and/or reduction as such. The broadband gateway 102 may interact and/or negotiate with service (or content) providers during energy saving service management to facilitate energy consumption reduction and/or optimization during service delivery and/or to obtain energy saving credits based thereon. Energy-saving service management may include configuring and/or managing network-side connections and/or interactions between broadband gateway 102 and service providers 120 through, for example, distribution network 110. This may allow for a reduction in energy usage and/or consumption resulting from and/or corresponding to operations performed on the network side for providing and/or delivering services, such as content delivery, to the home network 100a through the broadband gateway 102. For example, during energy saving service management, broadband gateway 102 may optimize energy consumption on the network side by adaptively and/or dynamically performing one or more of bit rate selection, Physical (PHY) layer selection, and/or service contract configuration. In this regard, service contract configuration may include adjusting and/or altering service performance parameters, such as delay and/or quality of service for a service.

The energy saving service management provided by the broadband gateway 102 may be performed based on energy related information corresponding to the managed service. In this regard, the broadband gateway 102 may determine and/or utilize energy consumption, such as available bit rates, PHY layers, and/or service performance parameters, in various configurable aspects of service delivery. The broadband gateway 102 may also utilize information about the devices being served in the home network 102 to further enhance and/or optimize energy consumption on the network side. In this regard, the broadband gateway 102 may utilize energy-related information about devices (which are used in connection with and/or based on the managed services) to allow for reduction and/or optimization of network-side energy consumption and/or to obtain credits on behalf of users of the broadband gateway and/or users of served devices to facilitate any such energy consumption and/or reduction. The energy-related information may include, for example, energy requirements and/or restrictions, and/or energy saving options in the served devices. The device-specific energy data may be utilized, for example, during negotiation with the service provider 120. For example, based on a determination of the performance of television 104a, broadband gateway 102 may request content in a smaller video mode (e.g., 1080p instead of 720 p), which would mean that less data is transmitted over distribution network 110, thus potentially reducing power consumption during data transmission.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, devices and/or users in the home network 100a request certain content from the broadband gateway 102. Accordingly, the broadband gateway 102 may decide whether to obtain and/or deliver in a variety of different manners, and may also determine the energy-related costs associated with each effective method of obtaining and/or delivering the requested content. The broadband gateway 102 may, for example, negotiate with a service and/or content provider through the distribution network 110 to propose obtaining requested content during content delivery in a manner that allows for reduced and/or optimized energy consumption. In this regard, the broadband gateway 102 may request, for example, energy savings credits in exchange for allowing the requested content to be received in an energy-saving manner. The energy savings credits may be used, for example, to discount payment for a user of the broadband gateway 102 and/or may be redeemed for future purchases of other content.

The energy consumption reduction and/or optimization may directly stem from energy savings resulting from (re) configuring the broadband gateway external/network connection (i.e., the "last mile" or "last mile" connection). Network-side energy consumption reduction and/or optimization may also result indirectly from, for example, a reduction in processing and/or storage requirements throughout the transmission path from the data source to the broadband gateway 102, and/or from a release of resources reserved to ensure transmission parameters and/or criteria associated with higher bit rates and/or higher quality of service (QoS) levels.

Fig. 1B is an exemplary communication system including a broadband gateway providing energy-efficient services for delivery to a home network according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1B, a distribution network 110 is shown. In this regard, the distribution network 110 may provide access network-related services that may enable, for example, communication with the broadband gateway 102 and/or transmission of data (e.g., content) to the broadband gateway 102. The broadband gateway 102 shown here may serve a home network 150, the home network 150 being similar to the home network 100a-100n of FIG. 1A. Also shown in FIG. 1B are home devices 152a, 152B, and 152c, connections 162, 164, and 164, service providers 170a-170n, and content providers 180a-180 m.

The devices 152a, 152b, and 152c may comprise electronic devices that are served by the broadband gateway 102 in the home network 100 a. Each of the devices 152a, 152b, and 152c may correspond to one or more of the plurality of devices 104a-104j, substantially as described with reference to fig. 1A. In this regard, each of the devices 152a, 152b, and 152c may be used to consume content, such as multimedia content, or may not be used to consume content. For example, device 152a may be a digital television for playing a received multimedia stream, while device 152c may comprise a device such as a refrigerator. The service providers 170a-170n may be similar to the service provider 120, generally as described with reference to FIG. 1A. Content providers 180a-180m may be similar to content provider 130, generally as described with reference to fig. 1A. The relationship between the content provider and the service provider need not be limited to a one-to-one relationship. In this regard, a service provider, such as service provider 170n, may be used to provide and/or deliver content from content providers, such as content providers 180b and 180 m. Similarly, a content provider, such as content provider 180b, may be used to provide content through multiple service providers, such as service providers 170b and 170 n. Thus, the same content may be obtained through multiple service options, and/or some desired content may be obtained from multiple content sources. In some cases, as indicated by dashed line 172, content and service providers, such as content provider 180a and service provider 170a, may be combined into a single entity that may provide content simultaneously and network access for delivery of the provided content.

Connections 162, 164, and 166 may include various operative connections between broadband gateway 102 and service providers 170a-170n, such as through, for example, distribution network 110. In this regard, the connections 162, 164, and 166 may be similar to the plurality of broadband connections 108, generally as described with reference to FIG. 1A. For example, each of the connections 162, 164, and 166 may include different types of wired or wireless connections, with corresponding different physical layers supported by the broadband gateway 102.

In operation, the broadband gateway 102 may provide energy-saving management of services sent to the home network 150, generally as described with reference to fig. 1A, may allow for energy consumption optimization and/or reduction on the network side, and/or may allow for energy-saving credits to be solicited, obtained, and/or compensated for to allow and/or facilitate any such energy consumption optimization and/or reduction. Energy-saving service management provided by the broadband gateway 102 to the home network 150 may include configuring and/or managing network-side connections and/or interactions between the broadband gateway 102 and the service providers 170a-170 n. Services that are energy-efficient managed by the broadband gateway 102 may include obtaining content from one or more content providers 180a-180m and/or sending content from the one or more content providers 180a-180 m. In energy-efficient service management, broadband gateway 102 may optimize network-side energy consumption by adaptively and/or dynamically performing one or more of bit rate selection, Physical (PHY) layer selection, and/or service performance configuration.

In terms of service performance configuration, energy saving service management may include adaptively and/or dynamically establishing, configuring, controlling and/or modifying Service Level Agreements (SLAs) associated with managed services. In this regard, energy conservation management may include setting and/or modifying various service performance and/or delivery related parameters, such as latency and/or quality. For example, an SLA may guarantee that users of the home network 150a always have a fixed 100Mbps link. However, some services may not require a maximum guaranteed bit rate and/or may not require real-time delivery. Thus, energy saving management may include negotiating with the service providers 170a-170n to propose acceptance of low bit rate and/or low-guaranteed or low real-time transport traffic, which may reduce energy consumption in the distribution network 110 because less bit rate is used and/or necessary operations are performed at low network load. In exchange, broadband gateway 102 may request power saving credits.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, micro-leases may be used instead of, and/or in conjunction with SLAs to control and/or change service performance parameters based on actual needs and/or requirements. In this regard, the SLA may include fixed, non-adjustable, long-duration service contracts, such as a year or more. While micro-leases may include dynamically established service contracts that simultaneously have negotiable performance requirements, such as delay and/or quality of service, for shorter durations, such as on an hourly, daily, and weekly basis, which only apply during these shorter times. Thus, rather than being limited by a long-term service level agreement (which is configured based on a fixed manner that protects the most likely performance requirements), a user may configure and/or use micro-leases only when service is actually needed, the micro-leases being only for the duration of the actual requirement, and/or only based on the actually needed performance requirements. Thus, broadband gateway 102 may configure different micro-leases for the managed service based on the determined actual need and/or restrictions. In this regard, broadband gateway 102 may establish micro-leases based on negotiations with the service provider. The negotiation may be directed to such parameters as transmission bit rate, transmission time, and/or quality of service, and/or distribution and/or characteristics of the content (where the request may include obtaining the content). For example, a user in the home network 150 may employ an SLA to obtain content from the content provider 180a, which is accomplished by the service provider 170a based on certain conditions and/or criteria. In this regard, the service provider 170a may correspond to, for example, a user's cable service provider, and the SLA may be associated with the user's cable service. In the case of a request for particular content, the broadband gateway 102 may determine that the requested content is also available from other content providers, such as content provider 180 b. In addition, broadband gateway 102 may also determine one or more micro-rentals that may be used to obtain the requested content from content provider 180 b. In this regard, the micro-rental may be a one-time, short contract for delivering the requested content through service providers 170b and 170n, respectively. Thus, the broadband gateway 102 can assess the energy consumption requirements associated with obtaining the requested content through the existing SLAs and all available micro-rentals and can select the most energy efficient manner to obtain the content.

Power saving management may also include using physical layer selection. In this regard, the broadband gateway 102 may adaptively and/or dynamically select one or more PHY layers for use in performing the requested service, such as when transmitting the requested content to the broadband gateway through, for example, the distribution network 110. In this regard, the choice of PHY layer may also involve energy, as each PHY layer may require a different amount of energy to transmit the same amount of data. For example, a wire-based PHY layer typically requires less power than a wireless-based PHY layer. Also, in each category, such as in a wired or wireless category, different categories of connections may require different energy consumption. For example, in a wire-based connection, an optical fiber-based PHY layer typically requires less energy than a copper wire-based PHY layer. Also, cellular-based PHY layers generally require less energy than wireless network (WiFi) -based PHY layers.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the broadband gateway 102 may determine the energy consumption of each of the connections 162, 164, and 166 to use, which may be determined based on the respective PHY layers used by these connections. The broadband gateway 102 may then use the connection with the lowest energy consumption. The broadband gateway 102 may negotiate with the service providers 170a-170n proposing the use of connections with less energy consumption, such as connection 164, for exchanging energy saving credits. In an exemplary embodiment, the broadband gateway 102 may also evaluate the usage of the multiplex when determining an energy usage profile, which may allow for optimization of energy consumption reduction. For example, the broadband gateway 102 may determine an optimized PHY layer selection that may include using connection 162 for 20% of data communications, using connection 164 for 30% of data communications, and using connection 166 for 50% of data communications, rather than selecting only one of connections 162, 164, and 166.

Energy saving management may also be performed based on learned energy related information about home devices used with the requested device. For example, home device 152a may support High Definition (HD), while home device 152b may only support Standard Definition (SD). Thus, the broadband gateway 102 may provide for receiving content based on standard definition resolution when the requested content is intended for the home device 152b, but not for the home device 152 a. Thus, the broadband gateway may maintain data related to the energy associated with supported services and/or devices, which may be used when the broadband gateway 102 provides network-side energy-saving service management. The service and/or device energy related information may be preconfigured, predetermined, and/or may include default parameters that may be utilized until more accurate data is determined based on tracking and/or monitoring and/or from requesting and obtaining information about the device or service.

Fig. 1C is a schematic diagram of the power savings obtained using a link with a lower bit rate during delivery of content to a home network according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1C, two plan views 190a and 190b are shown, each including two axes. In this regard, the vertical axis (y-axis) may correspond to energy consumption associated with the link as a function of the data rate of the link and the horizontal axis (x-axis) may correspond to time. The area under the curve shown here therefore represents the energy consumption.

The floor plans 190a and 190b may indicate energy consumption optimization and/or reduction due to reconfiguration of links used in sending data (e.g., content) to a network managed or serviced by a broadband gateway (e.g., the broadband gateway 102). In this regard, the energy consumption reduction and/or optimization may result from reconfiguring the link to operate at a lower data rate. For example, when providing a service to a home device (e.g., home device 152a), the broadband gateway 102 may determine service delivery requirements and/or restrictions. In this regard, the service may include the delivery of content from one or more content providers 180a-180m through one or more service providers 170a-170 n. Thus, the broadband gateway 102 may reconfigure the connection 164 that may be used when sending content to achieve energy consumption optimization and/or reduction by reducing the data rate used therein.

For example, the plan view 190a may indicate that the connection 164 is configured at a first data rate R₁(x) (such as operating at, for example, 2 Gbps). In this regard, the energy consumption associated with the data transfer over connection 164 may be represented using, for example, dashed area 192 a. The plan view 190b may indicate that the connection 164 is configured at the second data rate R₂(x) (such as operating at, for example, 1 Gbps). In this regard, the energy consumption associated with the transfer of data over the connection 164 may be represented using, for example, the dashed area 192 b. As illustrated by the plan views 190a and 190b, reconfiguring one link (e.g., connection 164) to be reduced by a factor to operate at a lower data rate may cause the energy consumption associated with using and/or operating that link to be reduced by a second, different factor, which may be greater than the link data rate reduction factor. For example, reducing the data rate of connection 164 by one-half (1/2), from 2Gbps to 1Gbps, as shown in plan views 190a and 190b, may reduce the associated energy consumption by a factor greater than half. In this regard, shaded portion 192c may represent an additional energy consumption savings by halving the data rate related energy consumption of 2Gbps, as illustrated by area 192a of plan view 190 a.

The reduction in energy consumption and savings will be more apparent when the reduction in link data rate may be due to various reasons. Increasing the data rate may lead to a non-linear increase in power consumption, for example in the form of an exponential relationship. This may be because, for example, compressing and/or transmitting additional data using the same physical medium may increase complexity and/or operation. For example, assuming that the power consumption rate of a link configured as a 1Gbps ethernet link is 1/2 watts, reconfiguring it as a10 Gbps ethernet link will cause the power consumption rate to become 10 watts. Thus, reducing the data rate may result in a greater reduction in power consumption. Furthermore, using a reduced data rate may allow additional power savings because less processing and/or storage is required in the transmission path from the original source to the receiving terminal (e.g., broadband gateway 102).

Figure 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary broadband gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 2, there is shown a broadband gateway 200 similar to the broadband gateway 102 described above with reference to fig. 1A and 1B.

The broadband gateway 200 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, code, and/or interfaces that may be operable to provide connectivity between one or more external networks (e.g., the distribution network 110 shown in fig. 1A) and one or more devices in a home network (e.g., the home devices 104a-104j in the home network 100a shown in fig. 1A). In this regard, the broadband gateway 200 may operate as an interface device that allows one or more of the service provider 120, the content provider 130, and/or the emergency service provider 140 to interact with various devices in the home network serviced by the broadband gateway 200 and/or interact with its own home devices within the serviced home network.

The broadband gateway 200 may interact with devices served in a home network (e.g., the home network 100a) via wired and/or wireless communication links to support communication between the broadband gateway 200 and the home devices and/or to support communication between the home devices via the broadband gateway 200. In this regard, the broadband gateway 200 may include suitable hardware and/or software to provide some or all of the functionality and/or operation of one or more modems, routers, and switches. The modem function and/or operation may be, for example, a function and/or operation of a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem, a cable modem, or a wireless cable modem. The router function and/or operation may be, for example, the function and/or operation of a wireless router. The switch function and/or operation may be, for example, a network switch or a Local Area Network (LAN) switch. In some cases, the broadband gateway 200 may communicate with various devices in the home via more than one home network.

The broadband gateway 200 may include a plurality of modules, each of which may include hardware, software, or a combination thereof for performing various related operations of the broadband gateway 200. For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the broadband gateway 200 may include a processing subsystem 202, a storage subsystem 204, a vendor interface subsystem 220, and a customer network interface subsystem 220. In some cases, the broadband gateway 200 may be configured such that the various modules listed above are distributed across multiple devices. Furthermore, the above listed modules are provided for illustration only and not for limitation. Other configurations and/or architectures of the broadband gateway 200 may also be implemented. For example, broadband gateway 200 may be provided for virtual gateways in a network that utilize Virtual Machines (VMs) and/or Next Generation (NG) data centers.

The processing subsystem 202 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to process data received from a service and/or content provider and/or data received from one or more devices in the home network 100 a. In this regard, the processing word system 202 may include one or more portions adapted to process particular types of data, such as video data and/or audio data. Processing subsystems 202 may also be used to control and/or manage the operation of broadband gateway 200 and/or perform tasks and/or applications therein. For example, the processing subsystem 202 may execute applications, programs, and/or code stored in, for example, the storage subsystem 203. In this regard, the processing subsystem 202 may be used to configure and/or control various components and/or subsystems of the broadband gateway 200 by utilizing, for example, one or more control signals. Processing subsystems 202 may also control data transfers within broadband gateway 200, for example, during execution of various applications and/or tasks. The processing subsystem 202 may include, for example, a number of processors, which may be general and/or special purpose processors (e.g., CPUs, video processors, and/or audio processors). Although processing subsystem 202 is shown here as a single module, the invention is not necessarily limited in this regard. Thus, when broadband gateway 200 is implemented in a distributed platform, some of the operations and/or functions described herein with reference to the processing subsystem may be performed by different components located in different devices. In an exemplary aspect of the invention, the processing subsystem 202 may include an energy management module 206. In this regard, the energy management module 206 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to execute, control and/or manage energy-related services provided by the broadband gateway 200, substantially as described with reference to fig. 1A and 1B. In this regard, the energy management module 206 may be used to provide energy-saving management for services provided and/or transmitted to a home network served by the broadband gateway 200. This may include configuring, controlling and/or managing external connections and/or interactions between the broadband gateway 200 and service or content providers that are accessed and/or used to provide managed services.

The storage subsystem 204 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to store data used in the operation of the broadband gateway 200. In this regard, the storage subsystem 204 may include one or more storage devices that allow for permanent and/or non-permanent storage, caching, and/or retrieval of data, code, and/or other information used, consumed, and/or processed in the broadband gateway 200. For example, the storage subsystem 204 may be used to store, for example, configuration data, parameters, device information, tracking and/or monitoring information, security information, and intermediate processing data. The storage subsystem 204 may include storage media integrated within the broadband gateway 200 and/or one or more mobile storage devices. The storage subsystem 204 may include various storage technologies including, for example, Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), and/or flash memory. In an exemplary aspect of the invention, the storage subsystem 204 may be used to store energy-related data and/or code, which may be used with energy-related services provided by the broadband gateway 200, generally as described with reference to fig. 1A and 1B.

Provider interface subsystem 210 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to communicate with one or more corresponding network access service providers via one or more physical-layer connections 208a-208j via, for example, distribution network 110. Vendor interface subsystem 210 may be used to support a variety of communication protocols, standards, and/or data transmission techniques. In this regard, each of the physical-layer connections 208a-208j may connect the gateway 200 to a different network access service provider and may include wired, optical, or wireless connections. Each of the physical layer connections 208a-208j may utilize a different physical medium and/or a different physical layer protocol. For example, connection 208a may comprise DSL connected over twisted pair cable, while connection 208j may comprise CATV connected over coaxial cable. Thus, the provider interface subsystem 210 may allow access and/or communication with one or more service providers 120 and/or content providers 120 via the distribution network 110. The vendor interface subsystem 210 may also be used to transmit data to and/or obtain data from third parties. In this regard, the provider interface subsystem 210 may allow gateway-to-gateway communications and/or interaction between the broadband gateway 200 and communication devices located outside the home network 100a to be accomplished directly and/or indirectly through the distribution network of the respective one or more service providers. Provider interface subsystem 210 may allow simultaneous communication with multiple and/or different service/content providers and/or devices. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, one or more connections 208a-208j may be configured, controlled and/or managed based on energy saving service management performed by the broadband gateway 200, substantially as described with reference to fig. 1A and 1B.

The client network interface subsystem 220 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to transmit data to one or more devices in a home network (e.g., the home network 100a) serviced and/or managed by the broadband gateway. The client network interface subsystem 220 may also be used to receive data from one or more devices in the home network 100 a. Client network interface subsystem 220 may also be used to support multiple communication protocols, standards, and/or data transmission techniques. For example, client network interface subsystem 220 may support links 106a-106 j.

In operation, the broadband gateway 200 may be used as an interface device for interacting with a home network (e.g., devices 104a-104j in the home network 100a) and/or may provide connectivity between devices in the home network and service and/or content providers. The broadband gateway 200 may also interact with a plurality of home devices in the home network, such as devices 104a-104j in the home network 100a, using the client network interface subsystem 220. In this regard, the client network interface subsystem 220 may support the use of one or more links 106a-106 j. In addition, broadband gateway 200 may interact with one or more service providers 120 through provider interface subsystem 210 to allow interaction, such as information and/or content, through one or more distribution networks 110. Accordingly, the broadband gateway 200 may allow and/or facilitate the retrieval of content (e.g., multimedia content) from one or more content providers 130, where the content may be delivered through one or more service providers 120. The broadband gateway 200 may distribute the received content to one or more of the plurality of home devices 104a-104j for content consumption and/or may perform any necessary processes and/or procedures (e.g., decryption and/or account verification) to ensure that the content is consumed by the home devices, either directly through the processing subsystem 202 and/or indirectly with other devices connected to the broadband gateway 200.

The broadband gateway 200 may be used to run or execute an agent to extract content, ratings, copyrights, language, privacy rules, and automatically add user-generated content. For example, the proxy may operate or execute in conjunction with the processing subsystem 202 of the broadband gateway 200. In addition, the broadband gateway 200 may be used to combine and/or merge multiple content into a single content for use in a home network. Such combination may also be performed in one or modules of the broadband gateway 200. For example, the broadband gateway 200 may fuse different video and audio content into one event by accessing one or more service/content providers and providing automatic and/or manual content synchronization.

The broadband gateway 200 may then provide various services and/or tasks in addition to, and/or in conjunction with, delivering content to the home devices. For example, the broadband gateway 200 may perform content retrieval, transport discovery, ranking, and/or classification. In this regard, some operations may be based on the quality of content, price, quality of service (QoS), and network protocols supported by devices in the home network, such as service level protocols.

The broadband gateway 200 may provide a user interface service in a home network. In this regard, the broadband gateway 200 may be used to support a user interface and/or to generate and/or store data corresponding thereto, which may be used to allow interaction between the broadband gateway 200 and a user, such as in the home network 100 a. Exemplary user interfaces may include Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) that allow visual display and/or provide for interaction with a user to provide visual interaction with, for example, custom-tailored content. Information input and/or output using the user interface may be stored in the broadband gateway 200, for example, by the storage subsystem 204. The user interface may allow for configuration of the broadband gateway 200 and/or any application and/or service provided thereby, and/or may also be used to configure and/or regulate other devices in the home network 100 a. A graphical user interface, and the like, may be displayed using one or more devices connected to the broadband gateway 200. For example, the interface generated and/or used by the broadband gateway 200 may be displayed using the television 104 a.

The broadband gateway 200 may also be used to create, maintain, and/or update profiles corresponding to active users, devices, and/or services in the home network 100 a. In addition, a user interface supported and/or utilized by broadband gateway 200 may be utilized to allow for the display and/or modification of profiles for users, devices, and/or services. Data corresponding to these profiles may be stored in the storage subsystem 204 of the broadband gateway 200. For example, the device profile may be used to store information relating to particular devices that may be connected to the broadband gateway 200 and/or serviced by the broadband gateway 200. In this regard, the device profile may thus be used to store information relating to device capabilities, limitations, requirements, and/or configuration parameters. The subscriber profile may be used to store information relating to a particular subscriber, such as setup preferences for various devices and/or services that may be used by a particular subscriber in conjunction with the broadband gateway 200. For example, the broadband gateway 200 may utilize subscriber and/or home device configuration information to select a hierarchical video service and/or transmission. In some cases, the edited and/or enhanced video layers received by the broadband gateway 200 may be aggregated in the middle by one or more network or routing nodes.

Gateway functionality associated with the user, such as security features, preferences, applications, and Electronic Program Guides (EPGs), as well as user profiles, may be exported from broadband gateway 200 to one or more broadband gateways 200 located elsewhere. In some cases, the visitor may be allowed access to content outside of its service/content provider service area, for example, by categorizing access levels for different users and/or by providing restricted access to the content. In addition, the broadband gateway 200 may allow for a multi-user interface software architecture, for example, by standardizing the interface to accommodate service/content providers and devices in the home network.

In various embodiments of the invention, the broadband gateway 200 may provide energy-related services to a network serviced by the broadband gateway 200, such as the home network 150, through, for example, the energy management module 206 block. In this regard, the energy management module 206 may be used to provide energy saving service management, generally as described with reference to fig. 1A and/or 1B. The energy efficient service management may include configuring, managing and/or controlling interactions and/or connections with service or content providers to reduce and/or optimize energy consumption on the network side. Data and/or code used in these operations may be stored in the storage subsystem 204 and/or retrieved from the storage subsystem 204. Further, when providing energy saving service management, the broadband gateway 200 may interact with managed devices through the client network interface subsystem 220.

For example, the broadband gateway 200 may configure one or more services requested in the home network 150. In this regard, service configuration may include performing and/or utilizing physical layer selection, bit rate selection, and/or service performance configuration and/or management, generally as described with reference to fig. 1B. The energy saving management may be performed based on energy related information related to the requested service and/or the device used with the requested service. The information of the energy phase may include energy requirements and/or restrictions, and/or available energy saving options. In this regard, energy management module 206 may decide when and/or if the requested service may be configured and/or adjusted to achieve a reduction and/or optimization of network-side energy consumption. The energy management module 206 may communicate with the service or content provider 210 through the provider interface subsystem 210 to negotiate energy saving modifications and/or configurations to provide requested services that may be provided or allowed to exchange, for example, energy saving credits.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the broadband gateway 200 may be used to create and/or maintain an energy-related database that may be used in connection with energy management services provided by the broadband gateway 200. In this regard, the energy-related database may be used to store energy-related information corresponding to services and/or devices of services and/or operations performed thereby performed by the broadband gateway 200, substantially as described with reference to fig. 1A and 1B. The energy-related database, or portions thereof, may be stored in, for example, the storage subsystem 204, and/or retrieved from the storage subsystem 204.

Broadband gateway 200 may continuously or periodically monitor and/or track the operation and/or environment of the serviced devices, access or distribution networks, and/or services performed, for example, via energy management module 206, to determine and/or update energy-related information corresponding to the services and/or devices used by broadband gateway 200 in providing energy management services. In this regard, broadband gateway 200 may create and/or update a corresponding service and/or device profile in the energy-related database. Further, actual power consumption may be tracked and/or collected to create actual usage data for each service or device. This actual usage data may be efficiently utilized and/or reported to the inside and/or outside of the network being serviced (e.g., to the energy provider using provider interface subsystem 210).

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the proprietary protocol and/or interface may be used in energy optimization related operations of the broadband gateway. In this regard, the energy-related protocol may be used within the home network when communicating between the broadband gateway 200 and the home device. For example, dedicated energy messages or fields in existing messages may be used to enable, for example, broadband gateway 200 to request and/or obtain energy-related information, and/or specify and/or provide energy-related configurations and/or operating parameters and/or criteria. In this regard, the client network interface subsystem 220 may be configured to support and/or incorporate any such energy protocol.

The energy-related protocol may also be used outside the home network. In this regard, energy-related protocols may be used to enable communication of energy-related information between the broadband gateway 200 and entities outside of the home network managed by the broadband gateway 200 to allow for reduced and/or optimized energy consumption. The external entities may correspond to various entities within the delivery mechanism that deliver the content to the broadband gateway 200. In this regard, the delivery mechanism may include a service provider, a content provider, and/or any other supporting device and/or system. In this regard, the supplier interface subsystem 210 may be configured to support and/or incorporate any such energy protocol. Energy protocols may also be used to provide energy-related communication between external entities. For example, an energy-related protocol may define dedicated energy messages and/or energy-related fields that may be incorporated into existing protocols or messages thereof to allow, for example, request and or obtain energy-related information, and/or to facilitate energy-related configuration or operation modifications.

Fig. 3A is a flow diagram of exemplary steps for generating and/or updating a device or service profile for use in energy-saving based service management using a broadband gateway, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 3A, a flow diagram 300 is shown including a number of exemplary steps that may be performed by a broadband gateway to allow for the generation and/or updating of energy saving related device or service profiles.

In step 302, the broadband gateway may create an energy-related profile for the service and/or device. For example, broadband gateway 200 may create a device profile for each device in the network served by broadband gateway 200 as an entry in an energy management database. Likewise, the broadband gateway 200 may create a service profile for each service provided through the broadband gateway 200 (particularly services requesting use and/or access to external networks during which energy will be consumed) as an entry in the energy management database. In step 304, broadband gateway 200 may populate the energy-related data in the service and/or device profile. In this regard, the service and/or device profile may be populated based on preconfigured, predetermined, dynamically determined, and/or default parameters. The service profile may be used to store service-specific energy-related parameters and/or information corresponding to a combination of various energy costs for providing the associated service based on, for example, different bit rates, PHY layer and/or use of service protocols. The device profile may be used to store specific device energy related parameters and/or information, such as energy requests and/or limits, energy related configuration data, and/or energy saving options. In step 306, broadband gateway 200 may update the service and/or device profiles based on the automatic monitoring and/or tracking performed by broadband gateway 200 and/or based on information provided to broadband gateway 200.

Fig. 3B is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps for providing energy-efficient service management for a home network using a broadband gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 3B, a flow 330 is shown including a number of exemplary steps that may be performed by a broadband gateway to allow for providing service energy-saving management to a home network (e.g., home network 150).

In step 332, the broadband gateway may receive a request to provide a service to a home network served by the broadband gateway. For example, the broadband gateway 102 may receive a request from a user and/or a home device in the home network 150 to provide a service provided by the service provider 170 a. In step 334, the broadband gateway 102 may negotiate with a service provider to facilitate execution of the requested service based on an existing service (and/or device) profile and/or default power saving data (if valid). In this regard, the negotiation may include determining various energy-based combinations for providing the requested service. For example, the broadband gateway 102 may negotiate with the service provider 170a to determine whether the requested service may be performed in a different manner while having a corresponding combined energy cost and/or energy savings credit. In step 336, the broadband gateway may configure the execution and/or transmission of the service. This may include, for example, configuring aspects related to the connection and/or interaction between the broadband gateway and the service provider. For example, the broadband gateway 102 may configure aspects such as bit rate selection, physical layer selection, and/or service agreement related parameters. In step 338, the broadband gateway may continuously monitor and/or adjust the configuration, and/or connection, of the service based on the energy-related information.

Fig. 3C is a flow diagram of energy-efficient delivery of content and/or services to a home network through a broadband gateway using micro-rentals in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 3C, a flow diagram 360 is shown including exemplary steps that may be performed by a broadband gateway to deliver a service to a home network (e.g., home network 150) using an efficient micro-lease configuration.

In step 362, the broadband gateway can receive a request to provide a service to a home network served by the broadband gateway. For example, the broadband gateway 102 may receive a request from a user and/or a home device in the home network 150 to provide a service provided by the service provider 170 a. In this regard, the service may include obtaining specific content. In step 364, the broadband gateway 102 may retrieve the valid micro-tenancy for use in providing the requested service. In this regard, micro-leases may include dynamically established service contracts for shorter durations, e.g., on an hourly, daily, and weekly basis, with negotiated performance requirements, e.g., latency and/or quality of service, that apply only for the duration of a particular micro-lease (contract). Thus, micro-leases may be used as an alternative to, and/or in an alternative long-term service level agreement, which is generally configured and/or built in a fixed manner based on and/or to ensure the maximum possible performance requirements. In step 366, the broadband gateway may determine whether to provide the requested service via any discovered micro-tenancy that provides energy consumption reduction and/or optimization as compared to using existing, e.g., service level agreements. In this regard, broadband gateway 102 may evaluate energy consumption criteria, including, for example, energy requirements and/or limitations associated with providing the requested service based on any discovered micro-tenancy and/or any existing service level agreement. When broadband gateway 102 may determine that providing the requested service via the discovered micro-tenancy may achieve energy consumption reduction and/or optimization, the example steps may proceed to step 368. In step 368, the broadband gateway may configure execution and/or delivery of the requested service based on the selected micro-tenancy.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary energy-based messaging protocol for use in providing energy saving services for a home network in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 4, a delivery mechanism 420 that may be used in delivering services to a subscriber 400 through a broadband gateway 102 is shown. In this regard, the services provided by delivery mechanism 420 may include delivering content requested by user 400.

Delivery mechanism 420 may include a plurality of content providers 180a-180m, a plurality of service providers 170a-170n, and/or any other supporting entity such as, for example, devices, networks, and/or systems that may be used to facilitate and/or support delivery of services through broadband gateway 102.

In embodiments of the present invention, energy-related information may be exchanged and/or utilized when providing services through transport mechanism 420. In this regard, energy-related information may be exchanged when requesting, providing, and/or configuring services delivered by delivery mechanism 420 to broadband gateway 102. Exchanging energy information may be done via dedicated energy packets, and/or by including energy related content in existing protocols or messages. The present invention is not limited to any particular packet type. In this regard, energy-related information may be exchanged via, for example, L2, L3, and/or L4-based data packets. Furthermore, the exchange of energy-related information is not limited to a specific medium. For example, energy-related information may be exchanged over an ethernet and/or non-ethernet connection, such as DOCSIS.

The exchange of energy-related information may be dynamically performed in-corporated in and/or as part of the service providing step.For example, user 400 may transmit service request 402. The service request 402 may include a plurality of fields 403₁-403_M. In this regard, field 403₁-403_MMay be configured and/or arranged to indicate various desired aspects of the requested service. For example, when the requested service includes delivery of content, field 403₁-403_MParameters and/or criteria such as display options, resolution parameter selection, delay parameter selection (e.g., real-time or download), quality of service, etc. may be specified. In an exemplary aspect of the invention, field 403₁-403_MMay also be used to provide energy consumption parameter selections to the user.

The broadband gateway 102 may respond to one or more service response messages 404. Service response message 404 may include a plurality of fields 405₁-405_N. In this regard, field 405₁-405_NVarious aspects of the service provided may be specified. For example, when the requested service includes delivery of content, field 405₁-405_NParameters and/or criteria may be specified such as available display options, available resolutions, available delay parameter choices (e.g., real-time versus download), available quality of service, etc. In an exemplary aspect of the invention, field 405₁-405_NOne or more of which may also be used to provide additional information, such as cost-related information and/or energy consumption-related information. In this regard, the energy consumption options may include energy saving options and/or credits and/or rewards that may be provided in exchange for the selected items, respectively.

To generate service response 404, broadband gateway 102 may communicate with delivery mechanism 420, and/or entities therein, such as content providers 180a-180m and/or service providers 170a-170n, to determine the availability of service options. Furthermore, entities in transport mechanism 420 may also exchange information when deciding on the availability of the requested service and/or its parameters. For example, the broadband gateway 102, the content providers 180a-180m, and/or the service providers 170a-170n may exchange service information packets 410. In this regard, the service information packet410 may include a plurality of fields 411₁-411_K. In this regard, field 411₁-411_KVarious aspects of the service provided may be specified. For example, field 411₁-411_KMay be used to provide information relating to the requirements of an application that may be associated with the requested and/or provided service option. Exemplary application requirements may include, for example, delay, bandwidth, and/or link reservation information (e.g., time). In an exemplary aspect of the invention, field 411₁-411_KMay also be used to provide additional information, such as relevant cost information (preferences and/or costs) and/or relevant energy consumption related information (preferences and/or costs). Accordingly, service information packets 410 may be exchanged between broadband gateway 102 and transport mechanism 420, and/or internally within the transport mechanism, to specify energy consumption preferences and/or to discover energy consumption optimization or reduction options when conducting service option searches in response to service requests and/or configuring services provided based thereon. Furthermore, the service information packets 410 may be continuously exchanged to enable, for example, discovery and/or determination of when conditions change in a manner that affects energy consumption during service delivery through the broadband gateway 102.

Embodiments of the invention may include methods and systems for energy-efficient based service optimization through a broadband gateway. The broadband gateway 200 may provide energy-saving management for services provided and/or delivered to a home network (e.g., the home network 150), for example, through the energy management block 206. The energy management service may allow for reducing and/or optimizing energy consumption outside the home network, for example when using the distribution network 110 to perform and/or deliver a respective managed service. Energy saving service management may include determining, by the energy management block 206, an energy related cost associated with providing service to the home network 150, where the energy related cost may be based on, for example, using at least one of the connections 162, 164, and 166. The service may be configured by the energy management block 206 based on the determined energy-related cost associated with its service. Services may include obtaining and/or delivering content to one or more of a plurality of devices in a network for consumption.

The broadband gateway 200 may negotiate with the service provider during configuration of the service. The negotiation may include requesting energy saving credits to exchange to perform service configuration in a manner that achieves energy consumption optimization and/or reduction. The service configuration may include controlling and/or adjusting bit rate selection, physical layer (PHY) selection, and/or Service Level Agreement (SLA) parameters. Broadband gateway 200 may determine and/or obtain energy-related information for use in providing energy-saving service management. The energy-related information may correspond to a managed service, and/or home devices, like home devices 152a, 152b, and/or 152c, which may be used in connection with the managed service. The energy-related information may include energy requirements, energy limits, device usage patterns, relevant data usage times, and/or energy saving options.

Broadband gateway 200 may track the actual energy usage of each of the one or more served devices, and broadband gateway 200 may update and/or change the stored energy-related information based on the tracking. The stored energy-related information may include service and/or device profiles corresponding to each of the managed services and/or devices associated with the managed services. The configuration file may be configurable, wherein configuration of the configuration file may include initializing and/or changing energy-related information corresponding to the associated service or device. The broadband gateway 200 may display activities related to the energy management service through a user interface. This may include displaying energy-related activities and/or data related to each of the managed services or devices.

Other embodiments of the invention may provide a non-transitory computer readable medium and/or storage medium, and/or non-transitory machine readable medium and/or storage medium having stored therein machine code and/or a computer program having at least one code section executable by a machine and/or computer to cause the machine and/or computer to perform the steps described herein for power saving based service optimization using a broadband gateway.

Accordingly, the present invention may be realized in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The present invention can be realized in a centralized fashion in at least one computer system, or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware and software could be a general purpose computer system with a computer program that, when being read and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein.

The present invention can also be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer system is able to carry out these methods of the invention. The computer program in this document refers to: any expression, in any programming language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following: a) conversion to another language, code or notation; b) reproduced in different material forms.

While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing the service based on the determined energy-related cost.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one physical layer connection comprises a plurality of physical layer connections, wherein the at least one respective network access service provider comprises a plurality of respective access service providers, and wherein each of the plurality of physical layer connections corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of respective access service providers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the service comprises obtaining and/or delivering content for consumption by one or more of the plurality of devices.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising negotiating with the at least one corresponding network access service provider during the providing of the service.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein negotiating comprises requesting credits for providing the service to modify energy consumption resulting from using the at least one physical-layer connection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling and/or modifying bit rate selection, physical layer selection and/or service level agreement parameters during said providing service.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising negotiating and/or configuring one or more micro-leases to support at least a portion of the service during the providing of the service.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining and/or obtaining energy-related information for providing the energy-saving management.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the information comprises energy requirements, energy limitations, device usage patterns, and/or usage time related data.

10. A system, comprising:

providing the service based on the determined energy-related cost.