Abstract: A method and system for rating programs, the method including, receiving a sample of viewing logs from a plurality of set top boxes (STBs), determining, from the sample of viewing logs, at least groups of viewers sharing similar interests, and groups of programs sharing similar audience, computing time dynamics of rating distribution for the groups of viewers and the groups of programs, and incorporating at least one of the following into broadcast metadata the time dynamics of rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs, rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs marginalized by time, rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each program marginalized by time, relative sizes of each group of viewers, and a mapping of each program to groups of programs, thereby making the broadcast metadata available to the plurality of STBs for use in computing ratings. Related systems and methods are described.

Abstract: A system, comprising an external memory operative to store data therein, the data including a plurality of sections, each of the sections being associated with a signature, and an internal memory operationally connected to the external memory, and a processor arrangement operationally connected to the internal memory, the processor arrangement including a transfer module to transfer one section from the external to the internal memory, an authentication module to authenticate the signature of the section transferred from the external memory, a validity status module to identify the section as valid if the signature is authentic, and an execution module to utilize the section of the data only if the section is valid, wherein the validity status module is operative to invalidate the section, if the content of the section is changed while stored in the internal memory. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Abstract: A digital rights management system including a controlled content disk to store content in an encrypted format, and a processor to run a plurality of applications and a secure device driver thereon, the processor being operationally associated with the controlled content disk, the applications being unable to decrypt content from the encrypted format, the secure device driver having a receiving module to receive a request from one of the applications to access the content, a validation module to validate the request based upon a recognized access pattern to the content by the one application, and a transport module to transfer the content from the controlled content disk to the one application, contingent upon a positive result of the validating of the validation module. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Abstract: An intermediate certificate authority (ICA) for a hierarchical certificate authority structure (HCAS), the HCAS having a plurality of levels, the levels including a root level, at least one intermediate level, and a leaf level, the root level having a root certificate authority, the ICA being in the at least one intermediate level, the ICA including a certificate receiving module to receive a first certificate signed by a certificate authority in a level above the level of the ICA, the first certificate certifying an aspect of the ICA, the first certificate having an expiration time, and a certificate signing module to sign a second certificate for a member of the HCAS, prior to the expiration time of the first certificate, such that the second certificate expires after the expiration time of the first certificate, the member being in a level below the level of the ICA, the second certificate certifying an aspect of the member. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Abstract: A method of receiving content at a user unit is disclosed. The method includes: receiving at the user unit a transmission stream, the transmission stream including: (a) a content item followed by a following content sub-item set, the following content sub-item set including one or more following content sub-items, and (b) following start time data indicating a following start point of the following content sub-item set, wherein the following start time is received in advance of the following start point during reception of the content item. The method further includes continuing to receive the following start time data periodically throughout reception of the following content sub-item set. Related methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A rights validator system for controlling access to content, the system including a query processor to receive a rights query and to provide a result to the rights query based on an estimated time, and a time-based query response module operationally connected to the query processor, the time-based query response module being operative to determine the estimated time as a function of a most recently updated time, and a plurality of indications of elapsed time since the most recently updated time, the indications of elapsed time being from a plurality of different sources of time indication. Related apparatus and methods are also included.

Abstract: A method and system for associating metadata with an encrypted content item, the method including receiving metadata for association with a content item, receiving an entitlement control packet (ECP) associated with the content item, applying a cryptographic hash function to the ECP, thereby generating an ECP hash value, combining the ECP hash value with the metadata, thereby creating a data control object, performing a cryptographic operation on the data control object, thereby generating cryptographic integrity data, and joining the cryptographic integrity data to the data control object after the cryptographic operation, wherein usage of the content by the recipient is dependent on both a validation of the ECP hash value and a validation of the cryptographic integrity data. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Abstract: A computer system for real-time determination of a motion vector comprising an image processor to apply an image processing filter to a normalized frame element of a first image frame, yielding a filtered frame element having associated filtered pixel values, a pixel selector to select a first reference pixel from the filtered frame element having the highest value of the filtered pixel values, an optic flow module to determine a first optic flow applied at a location of the first reference pixel, a pattern matching module to perform pattern matching between the normalized pixel values of the normalized frame element and normalized frame elements of a second image frame, yielding a plurality of pattern matching scores, and a motion vector determiner to determine a motion vector based on a lowest one of the pattern matching scores. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Abstract: A system for switching from a first (14) to a second (16) audio/video sequence, the second sequence (16) including a splice point time stamp (12), the system including a disk (18) to store the first sequence (14), a receiver to receive the second sequence as live audio/video, a demultiplexer arrangement (24) to demultiplex at least some of the first sequence (14) from the disk (18) and the second sequence (16) from the receiver, demultiplex the first sequence fast enough so that the demultiplexing of the second sequence (16) can commence a number of frames prior to the splice point time stamp (12), a buffer (28,30) to receive for storage from the demultiplexer arrangement (24), the demultiplexed audio/video of the first sequence (14) and at least part of the second sequence (16), and a decoder (34,36) to decode the demultiplexed audio/video stored in the buffer (28,30) including decoding the first sequence (14) and then the second sequence (16) from the splice point time stamp (12).

Abstract: An end-user rendering system including an advertisement database to receive advertisements, and store the advertisements therein, a state database to store information, a decision model optimization module to receive a tree-type decision model and optimize the tree-type decision model based on at least some of the information stored in the state database, an advertisement decision module to evaluate the optimized tree-type decision model and select an advertising campaign, the selected advertising campaign having at least one advertisement, and a rendering module to render the at least one advertisement of the selected advertising campaign. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Abstract: A method and system for embedding data in video frames is described, the method comprising receiving marking information, representing the marking information as a 2-coordinate vector, denoted ?, where the 2-coordinates are denoted, respectively, ?, ?, such that ?=(?, ?), providing a video frame to be marked, the video frame including a plurality of pixels, each pixel of the plurality of pixels being represented as p, where p=(x, y), x and y including coordinates of pixel p, the plurality of pixels being represented as a triad of color elements, denoted, respectively, as R, G, and B, and marking the video frame by transforming each pixel among the plurality of pixels as follows R?(p)=R(p)+R>, G?(p)=G(p)+G>, and B?(p)=B(p)+B>, where R> represents a dot product operation on p and ?R, G> represents a dot product operation on p and ?G, and B> represents a dot product operation on p and ?B.

Abstract: A method of content sub-item substitution is described. The method includes: receiving from a headend a description of a plurality of virtual channels, the description defining each virtual channel on the basis of one or more metadata attributes associated with that virtual channel; receiving one or more content sub-item substitution opportunities for each virtual channel, each content sub-item substitution opportunity specifying one or more content sub-items for use in the content sub-item substitution; and receiving and recording a content item, the content item including metadata associated with the content item and one or more substitutable content sub-items.

Abstract: A method for television viewing data analysis is described comprising, the method including receiving a query including audience parameters defining characteristics of a subset of a viewing audience, and viewing pattern parameters defining viewing patterns to be analyzed, applying the audience parameters to a database of viewer characteristics and determining therefrom a plurality of viewers from whom data is to be collected, building a viewer query based on the viewing pattern parameters, sending the viewer query to a plurality of viewer devices associated with the plurality of viewers for execution thereat, after execution of the viewer query at the plurality of viewer devices, receiving a viewer query result from at least some of the plurality of viewer devices, and analyzing the received viewer query results to produce a result of the query. Related methods and apparatus are also described.

Abstract: A system for displaying electronic program guide information about a plurality of video items on a screen, the system including a display module to display a plurality of pages layering into the screen, each of the pages including a plurality of graphical panels associated with the video items, and a user input module to receive a user input to turn at least one of the pages such that the at least one page is peeled away from other ones of the pages in order to bring the graphical panels of the at least one page in or out of view, wherein the display module is operative to show the turning of the at least one page bringing the at least one page in or out of view. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Abstract: A system for displaying electronic program guide information about a plurality of video items on a screen, the system including a display module to display a plurality of pages layering into the screen, each of the pages including a plurality of graphical panels associated with the video items, and a user input module to receive a user input to turn at least one of the pages such that the at least one page is peeled away from other ones of the pages in order to bring the graphical panels of the at least one page in or out of view, wherein the display module is operative to show the turning of the at least one page bringing the at least one page in or out of view. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Abstract: A method of accessing program meta-data is disclosed. The method includes receiving a plurality of program meta-data virtual containers, at least one of the virtual containers comprising normalized program meta-data of programs having instances in a plurality of time windows, receiving an input indicating a selected time window, the input at least one of comprises and refers to a time-window identifier identifying the selected time window, and using the time-window identifier to filter the plurality of virtual containers, so as to obtain a subset of the program meta-data which corresponds to the selected time window. Related apparatus and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for content access control operative to enable authorized devices to access protected content and to prevent unauthorized devices from accessing protected content, the method comprising: providing a plurality of authorized devices; dividing the plurality of authorized devices into a plurality of groups, each of the plurality of authorized devices being comprised in at least one of the plurality of groups, no two devices of the plurality of authorized devices being comprised in exactly the same groups; determining whether at least one device of the plurality of authorized devices is to be prevented from having access to the protected content and, if at least one device is to be prevented, removing all groups comprising the at least one device from the plurality of groups, thus producing a set of remaining groups; and determining an authorized set comprising groups from the set of remaining groups, such that each device of the plurality of authorized devices which was not determined, in the determining

Abstract: A method of accessing program meta-data is disclosed. The method includes receiving a plurality of program meta-data virtual containers, at least one of the virtual containers comprising normalized program meta-data of programs having instances in a plurality of time windows, receiving an input indicating a selected time window, the input at least one of comprises and refers to a time-window identifier identifying the selected time window, and using the time-window identifier to filter the plurality of virtual containers, so as to obtain a subset of the program meta-data which corresponds to the selected time window. Related apparatus and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system of securing content is described, the method including establishing communication between a secure module source and a content rendering device, loading a dynamically generated pseudo-unique secure module to the content rendering device from the secure module source, establishing communication between the secure module source and the dynamically generated pseudo-unique secure module, and transferring a decryption key from the secure module source to the dynamically generated pseudo-unique secure module, thereby enabling decryption of encrypted content, the encrypted content being encrypted according to the decryption key. Related methods and apparatus are also described.

Abstract: In connection with network elements in a network, enhancing security by measuring proximity between elements, that are communicating with each other, by using facilities of secure devices and secure elements in the network. In some embodiments, secured information stored in a device certificate comprises a device processing delay, and the device processing delay is used in calculating a net response time which is compared to a threshold.