Abstract: The described technology is directed towards returning expanded data, beyond the data that was specifically requested, to a client, in order to reduce or eliminate likely subsequent requests for more data. Client requests for data items are processed by expansion rule logic to find an expansion rule set (e.g., file) corresponding to the identified data item. The rule set is used to expand requests for certain data items into expanded requests that return more data items than those requested. Client devices receive, cache and (often) use the cached expanded data items, which thereby reduces the overall number of requests to the data service. Expansion rules may be based upon observations (e.g., machine learned and/or manual) of request patterns, so as to reasonably predict which data item or items clients will likely next need, and return those as expanded data items in anticipation of their need.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards sending metadata related to a video to a client device, such as events that describe a portion of that video, such as in a hidden stream. In one or more implementations, the enhanced metadata comprises nodes used to build part of a relationship graph. This allows interested clients to switch between the feature playback and interacting with the metadata. Further, searches through the enhanced metadata may be performed to find matching video portions, and summaries or highlights of one or more videos may be assembled by accessing information in the enhanced metadata.

Abstract: The described technology is generally directed towards coordinating the generation, validation and enabling of content selection graphs in an in-memory content selection graph data store. When a set of content selection graphs is requested, a coordinator starts the generation of the relevant graphs. Upon successful generation, the coordinator starts a validation of the generated graphs against rules for the nodes/response data in the graphs. If the generated graphs pass validation, the coordinator enables the graph set for use in an in-memory cache, whereby when a request to return content selection data is received, an active graph that corresponds to the request and the current time is accessed to obtain and return the response data as the requested content selection data.

Abstract: The technology described herein is generally directed towards relating inconsistent identifiers of the same entertainment data entity (such as a movie) to one another. A global identification service, given an entertainment data entity identifier, returns identifier information and related data according to other naming conventions. Canonicalization rules and standards provide a consistent identifier for variously named/identified entertainment entities. A canonicalized identifier (or another identifier) may be part of a URN-based naming convention that identifies the entertainment data entity, as well as the organization that owns the entity and an authority within the organization that is responsible for that entertainment data entity.

Abstract: A technology that streams graphical components and rendering instructions to a client device, for the client device to perform the final rendering and overlaying of that content onto the client's video stream based on the client's most recent tracking of the device's position and orientation. A client device sends a request for augmented reality drawing data to a network device. In response, the network device generates augmented reality drawing data, which can be augmented reality change data based on the augmented reality information and previous client render state information, and sends the augmented reality drawing data to the client device. The client device receives the augmented reality drawing data and renders a visible representation of an augmented reality scene comprising overlaying augmented reality graphics over a current video scene obtained from a camera of the client device.

Abstract: The described technology is generally directed towards comparing two images for content differences, such as images based on the frames of a show and a derivative version of that show. Frame pairs such as from an original show and its derivative version are processed into image pairs, which can include decoding, scaling, luminance extraction and/or filtering. An edge pixel image is obtained via edge detection for each image. Edge pixels in one image are compared against a counterpart edge pixel (and possibly neighboring pixels) in the other image to determine matches (matching edge pixels) and mismatches. An image with too many errors based on the mismatches is deemed as a candidate for further review. A difference image can be generated to assist a reviewer in detecting where the mismatches were detected. By repeating for the various frames, a show can be automatically compared against its derivative for content differences.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards maintaining and using a version-based hierarchy of software resources (e.g., file system files) to return version-specific responses to clients. A client sends its version information with each data request, and gets back a response based upon that version. Version changes are made by maintaining the current version of each software code resource and overriding the current version with a previous version for clients as needed. The technology allows updates (e.g., for new devices and new software resource versions) to be supported by inserting resources into the resource hierarchy and moving resources therein based upon versioning. A system based on deltas is also contemplated, in which only parts of a file may be changed relative to a different version, instead of overriding the entire file.

Abstract: The described technology is generally directed towards generating content selection graphs in an in-memory content selection graph data store in association with respective start times that indicate when the respective graphs become active. When a content selection graph is needed for a given timepoint, a node identifier is used to obtain response data that is cached for that node identifier and timepoint. Edge data associated with the node identifier is used to determine a next node for obtaining its response data for caching, and so on. The response data can be prebuilt, e.g., generated in a set of active graphs for different client types, so that a response can be returned generally as is from the active graph in the set for the node identifier and that particular client type. For efficiency, operations can be used to avoid processing a node identifier more than once when generating a graph.

Abstract: The described technology is generally directed towards developing an adaptive bitrate stack (ladder) on a per-title basis. Variable bitrate encodings are used to obtain complexity information for a title and per-frames scores for the encodings; another encoding provides scene data. The complexity information is analyzed and processed based on the scene data to determine scene-based (e.g., objective and/or subjective quality) scores, which are used to determine scores for the encodings. The results are used to derive a candidate stack, comprising various resolutions and bitrates that provide desirable results. The candidate stack is evaluated by encoding the title using the candidate stack. These encodings are evaluated to select one resolution from any duplicate resolutions for a bitrate (e.g., based on relative quality), resulting in a pruned, final ladder that is associated with the title as the adaptive bitrate stack to be used for streaming that title's content.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards a production shot design system that facilitates previsualizing scene shots, including by members of a production crew (running client devices) in different locations in a collaborative and secure shot construction environment. Modifiable scene elements' properties and camera data can be manipulated to build a scene (shot) containing modifiable and non-modifiable scene elements. In an online, shared camera mode, changes to a scene can be communicated to other client devices, e.g., virtually immediately, so that each client device displays the change for other users to see at an interactive frame rate. Scene changes can also be made locally and/or in an offline mode before communicating to other users. In various aspects, animation and a video plane camera/video plane (e.g., greenscreen) are integrated into the production shot design system.

Abstract: The described technology is generally directed towards causing the generation of a content selection graph (or set of graphs) upon receipt of a notification that a new graph or replacement graph is needed with respect to a starting timepoint. For a new graph, a timepoint for that new graph indicates the need for the new graph at a given starting time. For a replacement graph, a notification (subscribed from a monitoring service) can indicate that an existing graph has changed; a replacement graph is generated with a graph identifier of the replacement graph, which then replaces the graph identifier of the existing graph in the mappings of valid graphs to start times. A Redis cache can be used to maintain the various graph sets, including the active graph sets and graph sets that will become active at a future time.

Abstract: The described technology is generally directed towards garbage collecting content selection graphs and related data from in an in-memory content selection graph data store. When a set of content selection graphs expire, a more current content selection graph set becomes active, and the storage space (e.g., in a Redis cache) used by the expired content selection graphs is reclaimed via garbage collection. Some graphs can be replaced before use, referred to as orphaned graphs, and the storage space for any such orphaned graphs is also reclaimed during garbage collection. Also garbage collected is storage space including related data structures used to generate and validate graphs.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards generating a new video image sequence (e.g., for playback at 30 frames per second) based on an existing video image sequence (e.g., originated for playback at 24 frames per second). The technology is based on processing frames, e.g., adjacent pairs of frames in a four-frame sequence, to obtain candidate frames for selecting a similar candidate frame to insert into the original sequence to create the new sequence (e.g., a five-frame sequence). Aspects include selecting a repeated frame to insert or creating a new frame from existing frames to insert, to generate the new sequence based on a difference/scoring comparison.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards repurposing expired cached data when no unexpired data is available. Cached, unexpired data is used in response to a request when such data exists. If such data does not exist, e.g., at a front-end data service, then an attempt to obtain the requested data from another (e.g., back-end data service) is made. If the attempt is unsuccessful, and expired cached data exists, the expired cached data is returned in response to the request, e.g., instead of returning an error. A back-end data service may similarly return expired cached data when the back-end data service is unable to obtain unexpired requested data elsewhere. An emergency mode may be entered in which data, whether expired or not, is returned from a cache when such data exists, such as when an attempt to obtain the data elsewhere is known in advance to be futile.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards evaluating client-specific information and possibly other information to determine whether to return less data than is available for a data item in response to a request for graph node data to a data service, and/or return expanded graph node data. When a request for graph data is received, client-specific information is used at least in part by a data service in determining whether to return a virtual graph node comprising a relatively lightweight set of information relative to the full set of information maintained in a main (graph) node. The client-specific information is also used in determining whether to return expanded data beyond that requested, e.g., for caching at the client in anticipation of it likely being needed by the client.

Abstract: The described technology is generally directed towards detecting and propagating changes that affect information maintained in a cache. Data may be pre-cached in advance of its actual need, however such data can change, including in various different source locations. A change monitoring/signaling service detects relevant changes and publishes change events to downstream listeners, including to a cache population service that updates pre-cache data as needed in view of such data changes. Per-user-specific data also may be pre-cached, such as when a user logs into a data service.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards presenting a server overload condition that can result from a spike in client requests. Upon receiving an incoming client request for data at a server, a request buffer condition of a client request buffer (e.g., a counter) is evaluated to determine whether the client request corresponds to an anticipated overload state with respect to a request-handling capability of the server, e.g., whether the client request buffer is full. If so, an overload response (e.g., a retry response) is returned to the client indicating so that the client retries a corresponding client request after a time delay. If not in the anticipated overload state, the request is further processed, e.g., to provide a regular response containing the requested data, such as by adding a request information entry associated with the incoming client request to the client request buffer and updating the request buffer condition.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards a pre-child user interface element in a user interface tree that draws before the parent element draws, (and thus before any conventional child element of the parent draws). For example, based upon current state data such as whether the parent element has focus, the pre-child may draw a highlight or the like before (so as to be beneath) drawing the representation of the parent element, to indicate the focused state (or and/or other current state or states). The user interface tree maintains a property that it is composable because the parent user interface element code is independent of what any of its pre-child element or pre-children elements do when invoked.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards data-driven navigation, in which a next navigation location depends on variable data associated with an interactive user interface element (rather than a fixed link). The data may be in a hierarchy of data models. A menu contains interactive navigation elements, each bound to a data model. A selected interactive navigation element results in locating a data model associated with the selected element. The data model is used to determine the next navigation location. Also described is hierarchical navigation to one item of a level as well as lateral and peer navigation.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards locating and using a template for processing data item data from a general form into a client-specific form for returning in response to a client request. A client request includes a data item identifier and client-specific information. The data item's identifier is processed into a data type and/or identifier, e.g., a string. The client-specific information is used to determine a device class, device type and/or client platform software version. The template is found in a hierarchy of templates based upon the client-specific information and the data type or data ID string, e.g., the client-specific information may be used to determine a subset of template folders that is evaluated to find a file with a filename matching the string. The folders may be ordered from most-specific to least-specific, so as to locate the most specific template file that applies.