Patent ID: 8839278

Claim:
A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving, at a computing device, a request for user activity information associated with a television access network that provides multimedia content to users; generating, at the computing device, the user activity information based on execution of a model of a plurality of set-top boxes, wherein executing the model comprises, for a set-top box of the plurality of set-top boxes, determining to change a power state of the set-top box or change channels at the set-top box based on a rate moderating function, wherein the rate moderating function is based on an indication of periodic spikes in aggregate rates of changing the power state or the channels at a set of set-top boxes, and wherein determining to change the power state of the set-top box or change channels at the set-top box includes determining that the set-top box enters a sub-state of the set-top box based on a mixture exponential distribution, and determining a period of time that the set-top box is to remain in an on-state, an off-state, or tuned to a particular channel of the television access network while in the sub-state; and storing the user activity information.