Patents Assigned to Viacom International Inc.
  • Publication number: 20140095692
    Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for tracking usage of and sharing data between mobile device applications. A mobile device receives a first application to be installed on the mobile device. The first application includes a first notification module, a content developer identifier, and a first application identifier. The mobile device receives a second application to be installed on the mobile device, the second application including a second notification module, the content developer identifier, and a second application identifier. The mobile device stores a mobile device identifier in a keychain area of the mobile device. The mobile device provides access to the keychain area for applications which include the content developer identifier. The mobile device retrieves the mobile device identifier from the keychain area for use by the first application and the second application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: VIACOM INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Anita Anderson, Brian Jenkins
  • Publication number: 20140082684
    Abstract: Described are methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products for packaging media. In some embodiments, the technology relates to a computer-implemented method of packaging media files. A list of one or more media asset IDs is received by a media packaging server. A packaging template is received by the media packaging server. One or more media files based on a media asset ID in the list of the one or more media asset IDs and the packaging template are retrieved, by the media packaging server. Metadata associated with the media asset ID based on the packaging template is retrieved by the media packaging server. The one or more media files and the metadata are packaged by the media packaging server into a delivery package in a packaging format indicated by the packaging template.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: VIACOM INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Stewart Alan Frey, Vitaliy Vaysberg, Francis Henry Dillon, IV, Matthew Joseph Wood
  • Publication number: 20140002460
    Abstract: Provided herein is technology for displaying, reposition, and/or formatting graphics on a display. The technology includes receiving a graphics stream in a first playout format that includes a first display resolution and first display layout. The technology also includes determining a second playout format that includes a second display resolution and a second display layout. The technology further determines an area of importance within the first display layout given the first display layout, second display resolution, and second display layout. A preferred position within the second display layout is determined so that the preferred position is a location in the second display layout that is in a relatively similar location as the area of importance in the first display layout. The first playout format is converted into the second playout format using the area of importance and preferred position. Finally, the graphics stream is displayed in the second playout format.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: VIACOM INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Gregg William Riedel, Jeff Hess, Scott Denahy
  • Publication number: 20140006156
    Abstract: Described herein are methods, systems, and computer program products for dynamic integration and presentation of advertising content and media content. A server computing device receives a request for media content from a remote computing device. The server computing devices provides, in response to the request, an interactive advertising unit comprising a first content layer including the requested media content and a media player, a second content layer including the advertising content comprising static content and interactive content, and an integration module configured to display the requested media content in the media player, and reveal the advertising content in an area extending from a boundary of a playback window of the media player, wherein revealing the advertising content includes displacing web page content to accommodate the advertising content while keeping the web page content available for viewing and interaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: VIACOM INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventor: Mark Theophilis
  • Patent number: 8571935
    Abstract: Described are methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for dynamic integration and linear presentation of advertising content and media content. The method includes receiving a request for media content; combining the requested media content and advertising content to provide an interactive advertising unit; and transmitting the interactive advertising unit for presentation on the remote computing device, wherein the advertising content is presented before the requested media content. The interactive advertising unit includes a first content layer including the requested media content and a media player, a second content layer including the advertising content, and an integration module for coordinating interaction between the layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Viacom International Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Geer, III, Ellen To, Suzanne McDonnell, Adam Solomon, Mark Fortner, Jason Witt
  • Patent number: 8571936
    Abstract: Described are methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for dynamic integration and non-linear presentation of advertising content and media content. The method includes receiving a request for media content; combining the requested media content and advertising content to provide an interactive advertising unit; and transmitting the interactive advertising unit for presentation on the remote computing device, wherein the advertising content and media content are presented concurrently. The interactive advertising unit includes a first content layer including the requested media content and a media player, a second content layer including the advertising content, and an integration module for coordinating interaction between the layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Viacom International Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Geer, III, Ellen To, Suzanne McDonnell, Adam Solomon, Mark Fortner, Jason Witt
  • Publication number: 20130263000
    Abstract: Described herein is technology for, on a computer, facilitating interaction with a user utilizing a dynamic map displayed on a display device. A computer receives a use indication that the user has recently used an application on a computing device associated with the user, e.g., a mobile device, with the use indication including the location of the user. Then, a graphic is displayed on the dynamic map representing the user's location. The computer then receives a selection indication that the graphic has been selected, e.g., a person chooses a particular graphic to interact with. Then, based on the selection indication, the computer initiates an interaction with the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: VIACOM INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Brandon Lucas, Martez Moore, Rick Grimes, Eric Watson
  • Publication number: 20130086609
    Abstract: Described are systems and methods for dynamic integration and presentation of advertising content and media content. The method includes providing, by a server computing device, an advertising unit comprising a first content layer including the media content and a media player, a second content layer including the interactive advertising content, wherein the advertising content includes a virtual toy box, and an integration module. The integration module is configured to display the media content in the media player and, after determining that playback of the media content is complete, display the advertising content. The method includes transmitting, by the server computing device, the advertising unit for presentation on the remote computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: Viacom International Inc.
    Inventors: Joanne Levy, Adam Solomon, Jen Tracy, Christine Warner, Roy Firestone, Tim Bagwell, Jonathan Tabak, Ryan Ondriezek, Patricia Clarke, Thong Duy Vu
  • Publication number: 20130064524
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing online advertising is provided. The method includes providing, by a video delivery module, online video content to a user and maintaining, by a tracking module, a content consumption counter tracking an amount of time the user has watched the video content. The method also includes preventing, by a blocking module, the user from controlling playback of the video content if the content consumption counter satisfies a time characteristic. The method further includes providing, by an advertisement delivery module, a portion of an advertisement section to the user during the preventing. The duration of the portion of the advertisement section is dependent on the time characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: Viacom International Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Griffin, Glenn Goldstein, Brian Huss, Colleen Fahey Rush
  • Publication number: 20130031636
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed for providing content protection to a data file displayed on a webpage. The method includes scrambling, by a scrambling module, data in the data file to produce a scrambled data file. The scrambled data file is stored in a storage module. A computing device embeds a wrapper file associated with the scrambled data file into the webpage that, upon loading, retrieves the scrambled data file from the storage module and descrambles data in the scrambled data file.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: Viacom International Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Altschul, Dhimiter Bozo, Pier Borra
  • Publication number: 20120246588
    Abstract: The technology features a method and computer program product that can be used to provide a system and interface for generating a graphical representation on a mobile device such that consumers can view advertisements interspersed with other applications in a visually appealing fashion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: Viacom International, Inc.
    Inventors: Antony Petersen, Matthew Mahony, Basil Hafez, Michael Curtes, David Cunha
  • Publication number: 20120246009
    Abstract: The technology features a method and computer program product that can be used to provide a system and interface for generating a graphical representation on a mobile device such that consumers can view advertisements interspersed with other applications in a visually appealing fashion. The subject matter also includes a recommendation engine that will include specific content applications based on keywords associated with each specific content application. The recommendation engine can compare keywords associated with a content application to keywords associated with a customer profile. The recommendation can use matching keywords to associate a production list with content applications associated with the matching keywords. The production list can then be used to populate a graphical presentation on the mobile device with graphics associated with content applications on the production list.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: Viacom International, Inc.
    Inventors: Basil Hafez, Antony Petersen, David Cunha, Michael Curtes, Matthew Mahony
  • Publication number: 20120240098
    Abstract: Described are methods, systems, and computer program products for providing a flexible development platform. The system aspect includes a hierarchical data modeling system, which itself includes a number of data modeling system base data types, a structure class comprising one or more complex data types. There is also an encoding module. In the first structure class, each complex data type includes the data modeling system base data types or another structure class. The encoding module converts the one or more complex data types of the first structure class into a form using only the data modeling system base types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: Viacom International, Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Souza, Anthony Alexander Espinoza
  • Publication number: 20120239510
    Abstract: Described are systems and methods for dynamic integration and presentation of advertising content and media content. The method includes receiving a request for media content from a remote computing device. The method also includes providing an interactive advertising unit, which comprises a first content layer including the requested media content and a media player, a second content layer including the advertising content, wherein the advertising content comprises video content and website content, and an integration module configured to display the video content to match the boundaries of the media player, extend the display area of the video content, reduce the display area of the video content after a period of time, display the website content in an area outside of the boundaries of the media player, and display the requested media content in the media player. The method also includes transmitting the interactive advertising unit for presentation on the remote computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: Viacom International, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Geer, III, Ellen To, Suzanne McDonnell, Adam Solomon, Mark Fortner, Jason Witt
  • Publication number: 20120222064
    Abstract: Described are methods and apparatuses for dynamic integration and presentation of advertising content and media content. A server computing device receives a request for media content from a remote computing device. The server computing device provides, in response to the request, an interactive advertising unit which includes a first content layer with the requested media content and a media player, a second content layer with the advertising content, wherein the advertising content includes a virtual representation of an advertised product, and an integration module which displays the requested media content in the media player, displays the advertising content in the second content layer, wherein the virtual representation provides at least a portion of the functionality provided by the advertised product on which the virtual representation is based, and receives input associated with the functionality provided by the virtual representation from the remote computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: Viacom International Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Geer, III, Ellen To, Suzanne McDonnell, Adam Solomon, Joanne Levy
  • Publication number: 20120215879
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for generating an online graphical representation of a user. For example, a method includes receiving, at a layering module, a request for an online graphical representation of a user, the request comprising indicia of a first asset and a second asset, the first asset and the second asset collectively providing an online graphical representation of the user; retrieving, with the layering module, a first file associated with the first asset and a second file associated with the second asset from an asset repository based on the indicia, the asset repository storing a plurality of files associated with assets including the first file and the second file; and compositing, with the layering module, the first and second file to form a first image being the online graphical representation of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: Viacom International Inc.
    Inventor: Dhimiter Bozo
  • Publication number: 20120215646
    Abstract: Described are methods and systems for dynamic integration and presentation of advertising content and media content. A server computing device receives a request for media content from a remote computing device, and provides an interactive advertising unit. The interactive advertising unit includes a first content layer including the requested media content, a media player, and website content; a second content layer including the advertising content, wherein the advertising content comprises video content; and an integration module. The integration module is configured to display the video content to match the boundaries of the media player, extend the display area of the video content beyond the boundaries of the media player and underneath the website content of the first content layer, reduce the display area of the video content after a period of time to match the boundaries of the media player, and display the requested media content in the media player.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: Viacom International, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Geer, III, Ellen To, Suzanne McDonnell, Jason Witt, Joanne Levy
  • Publication number: 20120172132
    Abstract: Described are methods, systems, and computer program products for synchronizing game content access to the broadcast of particular television content. A game, wherein a portion of the game is locked and inaccessible to a player of the game, is provided via a gaming network comprising one of an Internet network, a cable television network, or an interactive television network. An identifier is provided to a television program for broadcast, which is then viewed by the player. The player inputs the identifier, the identifier is validated, and, if the identifier is valid, the locked portion of the game is unlocked and made accessible to the player.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: VIACOM INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Justin Molyneaux, Pete Banks
  • Publication number: 20120158524
    Abstract: Described are systems and methods for dynamic integration and presentation of advertising content and media content. The method includes receiving a request for media content from a remote computing device and providing, in response to the request, an interactive advertising unit. The interactive advertising unit includes a first content layer including the requested media content and a media player, a second content layer including the advertising content, wherein the advertising content comprises static content and interactive content, an integration module configured to display the requested media content in the media player, and reveal the advertising content in an area extending from a boundary of a playback window of the media player, wherein revealing the advertising content includes moving web page content to accommodate the advertising content. The method includes transmitting the interactive advertising unit for presentation on the remote computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: Viacom International Inc.
    Inventors: Jaime Hintz, Mark Fortner, Adam Solomon, Colin McNamara, Mark Theophilis
  • Publication number: 20120150662
    Abstract: Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for centralized deployment of advertising code. Advertising code is stored for use by a web page, the advertising code comprising at least one of vendor advertising code or vendor reporting code. An application programming interface is provided for the web page to access the advertising code, the application programming interface allowing the advertising code to be updated such that updated advertising code is automatically provided to the web page without changing source code that the web page uses to accesses the advertising code. A request for advertising code is received from the web page using the application programming interface. The advertising code is determined to be a most recently updated version of advertising code stored by the computing device. A response to the request can be generated using the advertising code. The response can be transmitted to the web page.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: MTV NETWORKS, A DIVISION OF VIACOM INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Dale Hannon, Josef Blazej, Mark A. Cohen, Saravanan Kathiresan, Guy Laor, Roger Mayorga, Horace Nelson