Abstract: A computing device receives a modified first image frame from a client device, wherein the client device stores the first image frame. The computing device generates a second image frame that corresponds to the modified first image frame with a watermark. The computing device transmits, to a third-party application executing at the computing device, the second image frame and generates an instruction for modifying the first image frame, the instruction based on an altered version of the second image frame that is identified by the watermark, the second image frame altered by the third-party application. The computing device transmits, to the client device, the instruction for modifying the first image frame.

Abstract: A client device receives a first image frame from a server, stores the first image frame and generates a first modified image that corresponds to the first image frame. The client transmits, to a remote device, the generated first modified image. The remote device uses the first modified image to determine the instruction for displaying the second image frame. The client receives, from the remote device, an instruction for displaying a second image frame. In response to receiving the instruction, the client device displays, on a display communicatively coupled to the client device, the second image frame.

Abstract: A server computing device receives, from a client device, a digest segment generated by the client device. The digest segment corresponds to a first media stream segment received by the client device, and the digest segment includes a representation of the first media stream segment. The server computing devices determines, using the digest segment, a playback command that corresponds to the first media stream segment and transmits, to the client device, the playback command.

Abstract: The method of providing audiovisual content to a client device configured to be coupled to a display. The method detects a selection of a graphical element corresponding to a video content item. In response to detecting the selection of the graphical element, a transmission mode is determined. The transmission mode is a function of: (i) one or more decoding capabilities of the client device; (ii) a video encoding format of the video content item; (ii) whether the video content item should be displayed in a full screen or a partial screen format; and (iv) whether the client device is capable of overlaying image data into a video stream. Next, audiovisual data that includes the video content item is prepared for transmission according to the determined transmission mode. Finally, the prepared audiovisual data is transmitted from the server toward the client device, according to the determined transmission mode, for display on the display.

Abstract: A server system determines, for a group of user sessions assigned to a single modulator, that an aggregate bandwidth for a first frame time exceeds a specified budget for the modulator. The user sessions comprise data in a plurality of classes, each class having a respective priority. In response to a determination that the aggregate bandwidth exceeds a specified budget, the server system allocates a portion of the aggregate bandwidth, including allocating a first portion of the data for a first user session in the group of user sessions and allocating a second portion of the data for a second user session in the group of user sessions, where both the first portion and the second portion are allocated in accordance with the class priorities. The server system transmits the allocated portions of the data for the group of user sessions through the modulator during the first frame time.

Abstract: A server remote from a client device executes an HTML-based virtual client application. The server uses the HTML-based virtual client application to traverse a Document Object Model (DOM) tree to identify differences between a set of sequential images in sequential video frames of a sequence of video frames to render a rendered image corresponding to a video frame, the rendered image associated with HTML commands. The server uses the HTML-based virtual client application to generate an HTML wrapper for the rendered image that includes data encoded in accordance with the differences identified by traversing the DOM tree. The server sends the HTML wrapper to the client device to be processed by an HTML-based application on the client device to enable the image to be displayed at a display coupled to the client device.

Abstract: An electronic device sends a content stream, via an unmanaged network, toward a client device and monitors the capacity of the unmanaged network. The device determines whether an aggregate bandwidth of an upcoming portion of the content stream fits the capacity. The upcoming portion of the content stream includes video content and user-interface data. In response to a determination that the aggregate bandwidth of the upcoming portion of the content stream does not fit the capacity, when the user-interface data is not the result of a user interaction: the device prioritizes a frame rate of the video content over latency for the user-interface data, and in accordance with a determination that the aggregate bandwidth of the upcoming portion of the content stream does not fit the capacity, sends ahead one or more frames of the video content in the upcoming portion, and delays the user-interface data in the upcoming portion.

Abstract: A method is performed at a client device distinct from an application server. In the method, a first key is stored in a secure store of the client device. A wrapped second key is received from the application server. The first key is retrieved from the secure store and used to unwrap the second key. Encrypted media content and a media control command to control playback of the media content is received from the application server. The content is decrypted using the unwrapped second key, and decoded for playback. During playback of the media content, a play position of the decrypted media content is transmitted to the application server and the decrypted media content is transmitted to a display device that is coupled to the client device. The decrypted media content is displayed in accordance with the received media control command.

Abstract: A method of displaying video embedded in a user interface is performed at an electronic device such as a server system or client device. The method includes obtaining user-interface frames having a first placeholder for a first video window and obtaining source video frames having a first video stream in the first video window. The source video frames and the user-interface frames are interleaved to form an output video stream, which is provided for decoding and display.

Abstract: A client device receives, from a server, first content directed to a first buffer in the client device and second content directed to a second buffer in the client device. The second buffer is deeper than the first buffer. The client device buffers the first content in the first buffer and buffers the second content in the second buffer. At least a portion of the second content is buffered in the second buffer simultaneously with buffering the first content in the first buffer. The client device selects between the first content in the first buffer and the second content in the second buffer, and provides the selected content for display.

Abstract: A method of adapting content-stream bandwidth includes generating a content stream for transmission over an unmanaged network with varying capacity and sending the content stream toward a client device. The method includes monitoring the capacity of the unmanaged network and determining whether an aggregate bandwidth of an upcoming portion of the content stream fits the capacity. The upcoming portion of the content stream includes video content and user-interface data. The method further includes, in response to a determination that the aggregate bandwidth of the upcoming portion of the content stream does not fit the capacity, prioritizing low latency for the user-interface data over maintaining a frame rate of the video content when the user-interface data is the result of a user interaction and reducing a size of the upcoming portion of the content stream in accordance with the prioritizing. The reducing comprises decreasing the frame rate of the video content.

Abstract: A server system assigns a group of user sessions to a single modulator. The user sessions comprise data in a plurality of classes, each class having a respective priority. The plurality of classes includes, in order of priority from highest priority to lowest priority, audio data, video data, and user-interface graphical elements. The server system determines that an aggregate bandwidth for a first frame time exceeds a specified budget for the modulator. In response to determining that the aggregate bandwidth for the first frame time exceeds the specified budget, the server system transmits an allocated portion of the data for the group of user sessions through the modulator onto a channel corresponding to the modulator during the first frame time in accordance with the class priorities.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to user interfaces and systems and methods for generating a real-time “lean-back” user interface for use with a television or other display device and for reuse of encoded elements for forming a video frame of the user interface. An interactive session is established between a client device associated with a user's television and the platform for creating the user interface over a communication network, such as a cable television network. The user interface is automatically generated by the platform and is animated even without interactions by the user with an input device. The user interface includes a plurality of interactive animated assets. The animated assets are capable of changing over time (e.g. different images, full-motion video) and are also capable of being animated so as to change screen position, rotate, move etc. over time. A hash is maintained of cached encoded assets and cached elements that may be reused within a user session and between user sessions.

Abstract: The method of providing audiovisual content to a client device configured to be coupled to a display. The method detects a selection of a graphical element corresponding to a video content item. In response to detecting the selection of the graphical element, a transmission mode is determined. The transmission mode is a function of: (i) one or more decoding capabilities of the client device; (ii) a video encoding format of the video content item; (ii) whether the video content item should be displayed in a full screen or a partial screen format; and (iv) whether the client device is capable of overlaying image data into a video stream. Next, audiovisual data that includes the video content item is prepared for transmission according to the determined transmission mode. Finally, the prepared audiovisual data is transmitted from the server toward the client device, according to the determined transmission mode, for display on the display.

Abstract: A method is performed at a client device distinct from an application server. In the method, a first key is stored in a secure store of the client device. A wrapped second key is received from the application server. The first key is retrieved from the secure store and used to unwrap the second key. Encrypted media content is received from the application server, decrypted using the unwrapped second key, and decoded for playback.

Abstract: A method of displaying video embedded in a user interface is performed at an electronic device such as a server system or client device. The method includes obtaining user-interface frames having a first placeholder for a first video window and obtaining source video frames having a first video stream in the first video window. The source video frames and the user-interface frames are interleaved to form an output video stream, which is provided for decoding and display.

Abstract: A method of generating a blended output including an interactive user interface and one or more supplemental images. At a client device, a video stream containing an interactive user interface is received from a server using a first data communications channel configured to communicate video content and a command is transmitted to the server that relates to a user input received through the interactive user interface. In response to the transmitting, an updated user interface is received using the first data communications channel, and one or more supplemental images are received using a second data communications channel. Each supplemental image is associated with a corresponding transparency coefficient. The updated user interface and the one or more supplemental images are blended according to the transparency coefficient for each supplemental image to generate a blended output and the blended output is transmitted toward the display device for display thereon.

Abstract: A client device receives a broadcast content signal containing an interactive identifier over a managed network at a client device. The interactive identifier may be a trigger that is included in a header or embedded within the digital video data. The trigger may have a temporal component, wherein the trigger can expire after a certain period of time. In response to identification of the trigger, the client device sends a user request for interactive content over an unmanaged network. For example, the managed network may be a one-way satellite television network, IP-television network or cable television network and the unmanaged network may be the Internet. The client device switches between receiving data from the managed network to receiving data from the unmanaged network.

Abstract: Switched digital television programming for video-on-demand and other interactive television services are combined utilizing class-based, multi-dimensional decision logic to simultaneously optimize video quality and audio uniformity while minimizing latency during user interactions with the system over an unmanaged network. For example, a method of adapting content-stream bandwidth includes generating a content stream for transmission over an unmanaged network with varying capacity; sending the content stream, via the unmanaged network, toward a client device; monitoring the capacity of the unmanaged network; determining whether an aggregate bandwidth of an upcoming portion of the content stream fits the capacity, wherein the upcoming portion of the content stream corresponds to a respective frame time and includes video content and user-interface data; and, in response to a determination that the aggregate bandwidth does not fit the capacity, reducing a size of the upcoming portion of the content stream.

Abstract: Switched digital television programming for video-on-demand and other interactive television services are combined utilizing a class-based, multi-dimensional decision logic to simultaneously optimize video quality and audio uniformity while minimizing latency during user interactions with the system over managed networks such as cable and satellite television networks. A group of user sessions are assigned to a single modulator. The user sessions include data in a plurality of classes, each class having a respective priority. In response to a determination that an aggregate bandwidth of the group of user sessions for a first frame time exceeds a specified budget, bandwidth is allocated for the group of user sessions during the first frame time in accordance with the class priorities. The group of user sessions is multiplexed onto a channel corresponding to the modulator in accordance with the allocated bandwidth and transmitted over a managed network.