Abstract: Various systems, devices and methods automatically identify advertisements or other portions of television or other media content prior to broadcast using automated content analysis. Information about identified content may be used for any number of different purposes, including advertisement identification; advertisement replacement; second screen browsing or augmentation of identified content; tracking of times or places that ads or other content are viewed; and many others.

Abstract: Embodiments of a method executable by an adaptive stream concatenation server to deliver a concatenated transport stream to a video distribution system are provided, as are embodiments of adaptive stream concatenation servers. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an adaptive media stream containing television programming in an adaptive packet format at the adaptive stream concatenation server via a digital network. The contents of the adaptive media stream are concatenated by the adaptive stream concatenation server to create a concatenated transport stream containing the television programming in a streaming format different from the adaptive packet format and compatible with the video distribution system. The concatenated transport stream containing the television programming is then transmitted in the streaming format to the video distribution system.

Abstract: Systems and methods are operable to increase brightness output from a display. An exemplary embodiment detects a predefined user action of a remote control, and then increases brightness of a currently presented image that is being presented on the display in response to detecting the predefined user action so that an ambient lighting level in the vicinity of the display is increased.

Abstract: A receiving device may assign a remote-control device of the receiving device to a special mode by storing an association of an identifier unique to the remote-control device with the particular special mode. The receiving device may receive a command from the remote-control device and determine that there has been a special mode assigned to the remote-control device based on the stored association of the identifier unique to the remote-control device with the particular special mode. The receiving device will then interpret the command received from the remote-control device according to how commands are to be processed in the special mode. The receiving device having the remote-control device assigned to the special mode may cause the receiving device to execute a different command or process than it would have normally performed when receiving such a command from a remote-control device that is not assigned to the special mode.

Abstract: An antenna assembly includes a substrate, a first antenna having a first, second, third, fourth sections, which have different configuration respectively, and a first transmission cable, a second antenna having a fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth sections, which have different configuration respectively, and a second transmission cable. The first and fifth sections extend vertically from a surface of the substrate respectively. The second, third and fourth sections extend in parallel with the first section and extend from its next section. The sixth, seventh, eighth sections extend in parallel with the fifth section and extend from its next section. The first and second transmission cables physically and electrically are connected to the first and second antenna respectively. The second antenna is spaced away from the first antenna a selected distance. The first antenna is arranged having each of its sections extending perpendicular to each of its sections of the second antenna.

Abstract: Described are systems, methods, and computer program products for facilitating user access to virtual reality (VR) containers. A VR container registry may identify any type of container and optionally list requirements for accessing the container, constraints relating to when access is permitted, characteristics describing container features, lists of other containers accessible from within the container, container output formats, accepted input formats, etc. The registry may be organized in a hierarchical structure, make use of or be comparable to a domain name system, and include one or more top-level items each having one or more second-level items organized beneath. A service provider may host a VR container to facilitate user access to other VR containers, allow users to transfer between unconnected remote VR containers while staying within a VR session or without having to exit all VR sessions, and provide transformation services to ensure container and VR system compatibility.

Abstract: A content output device identifies a set of content including both high definition content and standard definition content. The content output device determines whether an associated presentation device is capable of presenting high definition content. The content output device then filters the set of content accordingly responsive to determining whether the presentation device is capable of presenting high definition content.

Abstract: A mobile device includes a first display portion, a second display portion and a graphics processor. The first display portion is viewable while the second display portion is obscured when the mobile device is in a retracted configuration. Both display portions are viewable when the mobile device is in an expanded configuration. The graphics processor may be coupled to each display portion and configured to generate a first image for display on: the first display portion when the mobile device is in the retracted configuration; at least one of the display portions while the mobile device is in the expanded configuration; and at least one of the display portions while the mobile device transitions between the retracted configuration and the expanded configuration. The second display portion may be a flexible display material, such as an OLED display and with the first display portion may be a single sheet OLED display.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide presentation control of media content. An exemplary embodiment receives media content that is currently received in a broadcasted media content stream; presents on a display a first presentation area, wherein the first presentation area presents a video portion of the media content; receives a user command that initiates a video presentation trick function; and presents in response to the user command a second presentation area, wherein the second presentation area presents the video portion of the media content in accordance with the video presentation trick function, and wherein the first presentation area and the second presentation area are concurrently presented on the display.

Abstract: Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and/or methods are described for presenting relevant programming information. A viewing action of an audiovisual event is detected on a receiving device. Data associated with the viewed audiovisual event is then retrieved. The retrieved data includes at least receiving device information and audiovisual event information. The retrieved data is then stored in a historical viewing database, and at least one scoring table is generated from the data in the historical viewing database. Programming information for a plurality of candidate audiovisual events that are available to be viewed is then organized based at least in part on the at least one scoring table and a selected time, and the organized programming information is output to a presentation device.

Abstract: An exemplary geographic playlist system includes a plurality of mobile devices with global positioning systems that provide geographic location information of the mobile device to a geographic location playlist device. The geographic location playlist device has a database of geographic playlist information that includes at least a unique identifier for each one of a plurality of media content events and at least one associated geographic location for each of the plurality of media content events. The geographic location playlist device determines a current geographic location of the mobile device, compares the geographic location of the mobile device with the geographic locations residing in the database, and generates user geographic playlist information that includes the identifier of media content events that has an associated geographic location that matches with the determined geographic location of the mobile device. A geographic playlist is then presented to the user of the mobile device.

Abstract: A set-top box or other receiving device may detect such channels that the EPG cursor visits frequently, visits for relatively long periods of time or that are frequently displayed on the screen in the electronic program guide (EPG), or otherwise frequently visited or viewed. The system determines that such channels are those that the user is likely to return to when browsing the EPG in the future and then adapts the EPG to present such channels on top of the EPG together with each other separately from the other full list of channels presented in the. This may be performed each time the EPG is opened. A customized EPG having the particular group of channels presented according a specific identified user's previous channel browsing activity may also be generated.

Abstract: Three dimension (3D) model generation systems and methods are operable to generate 3D model data corresponding to images of a physical object of interest that are viewed in a presenting media content event. An exemplary embodiment receives a user request that is associated with an interest by the user to obtain a 3D model of a physical object of interest that is being shown in a scene of a currently presenting media content event. A plurality of video image frames are selected from the scene. Then, 3D model data of the physical object of interest is generated based on at least the selected video image frames of the scene.

Abstract: A content selection menu is generated and provided to a user. The content selection menu includes a plurality of audiovisual (AV) programs that are provided for user selection. The AV programs may be positioned in the content selection menu in accordance with their associated score for content attributes. Upon providing the content selection to a user, the user may select a program for viewing or the user may indicate interest in a program. If the user indicates interest in a program a second content selection menu is generated based at least in part on the attributes of the program of interest.

Abstract: Information may be presented on a display device about program content substantially concurrently, substantially contemporaneously, or otherwise in conjunction with the presented program, or with portions of the presented program. This presentation of information about program content may occur dynamically in response to a voice query or other query from a user while the presented program is playing or paused on the same or different presentation device on which the information about the program content is being presented.

Abstract: Systems and methods of media devices are operable to receive appointment information from an electronic device, wherein the appointment information is defined by a time period for a scheduled appointment for a user, and wherein the scheduled appointment requires the user to be at a remote location that is remote from a location of the media device such that the user is unable to manually operate or use their media device. The media device is configured to automatically modify at least one operation of the media device based on the received appointment information that is associated with the scheduled appointment.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide media content events to media devices. An exemplary system receives a request for a media content event from a first media device; communicates the media content event to an edge server that is communicatively coupled to the first media device based on an identifier of the requesting media device; identifies a second media device based on preferred media content event characteristics associated with the second media device, wherein at least one media content event characteristic of the requested media content event corresponds to at least one of the preferred media content event characteristics of the second media device, and wherein the second media device is able to communicatively couple to the edge server; and in response to identifying the second media device, communicates an identifier of the second media device to the edge server, wherein the requested media content event is communicated to the second media device.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided to assist users to locate content of interest based on viewer ratings. First information enabling unique identification of a first user may be processed. Indications of ratings of television programming may be processed, the indications being received from a first media device associated with the first user. Ratings information associated with the first user may be retained in repositories, the ratings information being based on the indications. The first user may be matched to a category that represents a classification of a set of viewers and/or of a set of content based on a set of attributes. Descriptive content indicative of the first user and/or content rated by the first user may be selected and may be transmitted via the network to a second media device associated with a second user.

Abstract: A method for assessing viewer interest in content and advertisements may include receiving an indication regarding a content playback mode change (e.g., a change from a skip or fast-forward mode to a pause or rewind mode) occurring during playing of a media content segment such as a television program or movie. The method then proceeds to associate the playback mode change with a sub-segment of the television program, such as an advertisement or commercial, and a level of interest of a user in the advertisement or commercial is determined based on the associated content playback mode change. An item, such as an advertisement or promotional offer can be selected to be presented to the user based on the determined level of interest of the user in the advertisement or commercial. Systems for assessing viewer interest in content and advertisements include devices and components configured to perform or enable such methods.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for inserting advertisement content into a program content stream includes receiving, by a headend content server, the program content stream. The program content stream includes an advertisement insertion cue. The method further includes detecting the advertisement insertion cue in the program content stream, and the advertisement insertion cue indicates an insertion point in the program content stream for inserting an advertisement. The method further includes modifying the advertisement insertion cue to indicate an expiration date and time for playout of a first advertisement content to be inserted into the program content stream, and inserting the first advertisement content into the program content stream.