BACKGROUND

Content providers transmit content to the consuming public in a variety of different formats and display resolutions (e.g., standard definition, high definition, etc.), all of which consume data transmission resources such as bandwidth. This bandwidth, however, is limited, and there remains an ever-present need for improved methods of most efficiently using the available bandwidth to achieve the most satisfaction among users. This disclosure relates to providing content to a user in a more efficient way.

SUMMARY

The following summary is for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to limit or constrain the detailed description.

The disclosure is directed to systems and methods aimed at satisfying the need of delivering content to end users in an efficient manner, while still optimizing the user's viewing experience. In some embodiments, areas of the video image that are the focus of the viewer's eyes are transmitted with a higher resolution than other areas of the video image. This may optimize the usage of the limited transmission bandwidth (and other video resources) that is available, by reducing the level of resources used for less important areas of the video image. Some aspects of this disclosure relate to determining a viewing distance between a user and a display area, and determining an image resource allocation for displaying content within the display area based on the determined viewing distance. Further aspects of this disclosure relate to tracking a user's interaction with content displayed within a display area, such as by, e.g., determining which display region within the display area the user's eyes are focused, and adjusting the image resource allocation for displaying the content based this interaction.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, this is achieved by associating an image capture device (e.g., a camera) with a display device or display area. The image capture device captures an image of a user accessing content and his/her surroundings, and one or more objects in the captured image may be recognized by the image capture device. In another aspect, the image capture device may be configured to track the movements of one or more users viewing the display area. The allocation of image resources for displaying the content on the display device is adjusted based on the updated location and viewing distance of the one or more users in the viewing area. In this way, notwithstanding the user's location in the viewing area, the allocation of image resources for the content being displayed may be tailored to maximize available data transmission resources (e.g., bandwidth) without detracting from the user's perceived viewing experience.

In yet another aspect, what is being viewed by the user's eyes may be determined, and the corresponding regions of the display area (e.g., the display device) that the user is viewing may be recognized. An image resource allocation for displaying content on the display device may be adjusted based on those regions of the display device where the user's eyes are focused. Content may be transmitted for display within the display area in accordance with the adjusted allocation of image resources. In this way, content is provided to the user in an efficient manner, e.g., maximizing the allocation of image resources, without detracting from the user's perceived viewing experience.

