How Home Gateways Manage Video Streaming Traffic to Prevent Buffering
A system where home internet gateways report device buffer status to a central server to intelligently manage bandwidth for multiple video streams.
Original patent title: “Gateway-based video client-proxy sub-system for managed delivery of A/V content using fragmented method in a stateful system”
A system where home internet gateways report device buffer status to a central server to intelligently manage bandwidth for multiple video streams. Granted to Arris Enterprises LLC in 2016 with 20 claims and 24 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a method for a home gateway (like your cable modem or router) to act as a middleman for video streaming. Instead of every device fighting for bandwidth blindly, the gateway monitors the buffer status of each device—essentially how much video data is already stored locally—and sends this information to a central server. The server uses these 'beacons' of data to decide how much bandwidth to give each device. By knowing which devices are about to run out of video data, the system can prioritize traffic to prevent interruptions in playback.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover systems that manage bandwidth without using buffer status information from the client device.
- Does not cover peer-to-peer video delivery where the gateway is not the primary traffic controller.
- Does not cover methods that do not use a stateful server scheduler to aggregate data from multiple gateways.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The system treats the home gateway as an intelligent reporter rather than a dumb pipe, allowing a central network scheduler to make bandwidth allocation decisions based on the actual playback state of the end-user devices.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Modern cable modem termination systems (CMTS)
Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) optical line terminals
IPTV home gateway hardware
Why it matters
The bigger picture
As households added more devices streaming high-definition video simultaneously, network congestion became a major problem. This patent provides a technical framework for cable and internet providers to ensure that one device's high-bandwidth request doesn't cause another device's stream to buffer, which is critical for maintaining quality of service in modern IPTV environments.
Filed
October 1, 2012
Granted
October 25, 2016
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Arris (now part of CommScope) remains a major player in this space, providing the hardware that implements these gateway-based management systems. Large telecommunications infrastructure providers like Cisco and Nokia also develop similar traffic management systems for managed video delivery.
Market impact
This technology helped enable the transition from traditional broadcast television to managed IPTV services over broadband connections. It provided a scalable way for ISPs to guarantee video quality to subscribers even when multiple devices are competing for the same home internet connection.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a method for a home gateway (like your cable modem or router) to act as a middleman for video streaming. Instead of every device fighting for bandwidth blindly, the gateway monitors the buffer status of each device—essentially how much video data is already stored locally—and sends this information to a central server. The server uses these 'beacons' of data to decide how much bandwidth to give each device. By knowing which devices are about to run out of video data, the system can prioritize traffic to prevent interruptions in playback.
The clever bit
The system treats the home gateway as an intelligent reporter rather than a dumb pipe, allowing a central network scheduler to make bandwidth allocation decisions based on the actual playback state of the end-user devices.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover systems that manage bandwidth without using buffer status information from the client device.
- Does not cover peer-to-peer video delivery where the gateway is not the primary traffic controller.
- Does not cover methods that do not use a stateful server scheduler to aggregate data from multiple gateways.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
28/40
Moderately cited
Claim breadth
13/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$115K – $367K
Midpoint $229K · 6.3 yr remaining · industry ×1.4
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
20 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Ansley, C., Morgos, M., Carter, W. E., & Bugajski, M. (2016). How Home Gateways Manage Video Streaming Traffic to Prevent Buffering (U.S. Patent No. 9,479,807). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9479807/netflix-interactive-content-bandersnatch
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Home Gateways Manage Video Streaming Traffic to Prevent Buffering cover?
A system where home internet gateways report device buffer status to a central server to intelligently manage bandwidth for multiple video streams.
Who owns patent US 9479807?
Arris Enterprises LLC owns this patent, granted in 2016.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on October 25, 2036, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 9479807 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 24 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
As households added more devices streaming high-definition video simultaneously, network congestion became a major problem. This patent provides a technical framework for cable and internet providers to ensure that one device's high-bandwidth request doesn't cause another device's stream to buffer, which is critical for maintaining quality of service in modern IPTV environments.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover systems that manage bandwidth without using buffer status information from the client device.
Patent monitoring