Patent ID: 10778546

Abstract:
This disclosure relates to determining aggregate energy consumption associated with sending content (e.g., media content, such as a video file, audio file, etc.) across a network. For example, node 106A receives a network packet from server 104 and forwards the packet to node 106B. Node 106A determines an amount of energy consumed by node 106A in processing the packet. Node 106A adds this determined energy consumption value to an energy consumption value in a header within the network packet to produce an aggregate energy consumption value and send the network packet with the aggregate energy consumption value to node 106B. Node 106B receives the network packet from node 106a. Node 106B determines an amount of energy consumed by node 106B in processing the packet. Node 106B adds this determined energy consumption value to the energy consumption value in the header within the network packet to produce an aggregate energy consumption value and send the network packet with the aggregate energy consumption value to node 106G. Node 106G also adds its determined energy consumption to the aggregate energy consumption value received from node 106B. Node 106G sends the packet with the further updated aggregate energy consumption value to communication device 102. After communication device 102 receives the packet, a process running on communication device 102 extracts and stores the aggregate energy consumption value. When communication device 102 receives another packet related to the first packet, communication device 102 extracts, from this second packet, the aggregated energy consumption and sums this new aggregated energy consumption value with the stored aggregated energy consumption value in order to determine a total energy consumption. Thus, the present disclosure provides for determining an aggregate energy consumption value as well providing users of a network with information that makes them aware of how much energy is being consumed to transmit and/or receive content through the network. The energy consumption value for network nodes that cannot determine the amount of energy needed to send one or more network packets may be estimated.