Method and system for providing dynamic time slice encoding for complete internet anywhere

Abstract

A server may be used to handle at least some of processing of content retrieved via and/or derived from Internet access operations of a plurality of set-top boxes (STBs). Resource allocation and/or utilization, and/or tasks or applications performed in the server during the processing may be configured based on control data, which may be determined by the server and which may comprise capabilities of links between the server and each of the plurality of STBs, requirements of the tasks, characteristics of the content and/or the Internet access operations, user preferences and/or interactions, and/or content provider preferences. The server may dynamically reconfigure the tasks and/or resources based on monitoring of its operations and/or changes of the control data. Configuring tasks and/or resources may comprise time slicing access to resources that are commonly used during concurrent servicing of at least some of the plurality of STBs by the support server.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 determining, in at least one computing device, control data that is associated with a processing of content for a plurality of set-top boxes (STBs), the content being based at least in part on at least one internet access operation by at least one of the plurality of STBs;   configuring, by the at least one computing device, based at least in part on the control data and capabilities of at least one link between the at least one computing device and at least one other computing device, at least one task performed by the at least one computing device or at least one resource used by the at least one computing device during the processing of the content; and   wherein the at least one other computing device supports at least a portion of the at least one internet access operation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising time slicing access to the at least one resource, the at least one resource being used during concurrent servicing of the at least one of the plurality of the STBs. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the control data comprises capabilities of at least one link between the at least one computing device and the at least one of the plurality of STBs, at least one requirement of at least one task, a user preference, or a content provider preference. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the capabilities of the at least one link comprise an available bandwidth during a communication of processed content from the at least one computing device to the at least one of the plurality of STBs. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the control data comprises priority criteria associated with the at least one internet access operation. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the configuring comprises at least one of allocating the one or more resources based at least in part on the priority criteria or balancing a load based at least in part on the priority criteria. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the priority criteria indicates a priority of at least one of: a content type of at least one web page processed by the at least one computing device, a type of user interaction, or a service priority tier. 
     
     
         8 . A system, comprising:
 at least one computing device, configured to at least:
 determine control data that is associated with a processing of content for a plurality of set-top boxes (STBs), the content being based at least in part on at least one internet access operation by at least one of the plurality of STBs; 
 configure, based at least in part on the control data and capabilities of at least one link between the at least one computing device and at least one other computing device, at least one task performed by the at least one computing device or at least one resource used by the at least one computing device during the processing of the content; and 
 wherein the at least one other computing device supports at least a portion of the at least one internet access operation. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to time slice access to the at least one resource, the at least one resource being used during concurrent servicing of the at least one of the plurality of the STBs. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the control data comprises capabilities of at least one link between the at least one computing device and the at least one of the plurality of STBs, at least one requirement of at least one task, a user preference, or a content provider preference. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the capabilities of the at least one link comprise an available bandwidth during a communication of processed content from the at least one computing device to the at least one of the plurality of STBs. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the control data comprises priority criteria associated with the at least one internet access operation. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the configuring comprises at least one of allocating the one or more resources based at least in part on the priority criteria or balancing a load based at least in part on the priority criteria. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the priority criteria indicates a priority of at least one of: a content type of at least one web page processed by the at least one computing device, a type of user interaction, or a service priority tier. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program executable in at least one computing device, the program configured to at least:
 determine control data that is associated with a processing of content for a plurality of set-top boxes (STBs), the content being based at least in part on at least one internet access operation by at least one of the plurality of STBs;   configure, based at least in part on the control data and capabilities of at least one link between the at least one computing device and at least one other computing device, at least one task performed by the at least one computing device or at least one resource used by the at least one computing device during the processing of the content; and   wherein the at least one other computing device supports at least a portion of the at least one internet access operation.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the program is further configured to time slice access to the at least one resource, the at least one resource being used during concurrent servicing of the at least one of the plurality of the STBs. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the control data comprises capabilities of at least one link between the at least one computing device and the at least one of the plurality of STBs, at least one requirement of at least one task, a user preference, or a content provider preference. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the control data comprises priority criteria associated with the at least one internet access operation. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the configuring comprises at least one of allocating the one or more resources based at least in part on the priority criteria or balancing a load based at least in part on the priority criteria. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the priority criteria indicates a priority of at least one of: a content type of at least one web page processed by the at least one computing device, a type of user interaction, or a service priority tier.