Patents Examined by Alfonso Castro
  • Patent number: 10652617
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method separates subscriber features generated from subscriber interaction with a video delivery service into feature dimensions and inputs the feature dimensions into a respective prediction network. Each prediction network is trained to output a respective dimension score. The method outputs dimension scores using parameters in the plurality of prediction networks that are trained using a variance term to control a variance of the plurality of feature dimensions and using a de-correlation term to control a correlation of the plurality of feature dimensions. The dimension scores are combined into a retention prediction score and an action is performed on the video delivery service for the subscriber based on the retention score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Nathan Becker, Colin Zhou, Matthew Holcombe, Atul Arun Phadnis, Hang Li, Sridhar Srinivasa Subramanian, Kristen Huff
  • Patent number: 10623801
    Abstract: For integrating multiple independent video recordings, method is disclosed. The method includes a receiving a plurality of videos from a plurality of sources. The method also includes receiving metadata for the plurality of videos, the metadata comprising a reference time for each of the plurality of videos. The method includes selecting for playback a first video and a second video, wherein the first video and the second video were recorded on different devices not directly networked together. The method further includes synchronizing playback of the first video and the second video in a single user interface, wherein synchronizing playback of the first video and the second video comprises integrating the first video and the second video into a common timeline based at least in part on the metadata of each of the first video and the second video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Inventor: James R. Jeffries
  • Patent number: 10536743
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for playing sequential video streams. The technique involves initiating playback of a first video stream within a foreground of a display region and loading at least a portion of a second video stream during the playback of the first video stream. The technique further involves detects an event associated with the playback of the first video stream, and, in response, initiating playback of the second video stream within the foreground of the display region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventors: Justin Frank Matejka, George Fitzmaurice, Tovi Grossman
  • Patent number: 10491935
    Abstract: An ad is placed in a movie, by analyzing inherent characteristics of the movie, analyzing viewed characteristics of the movie, analyzing viewer characteristics of a viewer of the movie, obtaining advertiser preferences for placement of the ad in the movie, determining costs of placing the ad in the movie based on the inherent characteristics of the movie, the viewed characteristics of the movie, the viewer characteristics and the advertiser preferences, and placing the ad in the movie in accordance with the inherent characteristics of the movie, the viewed characteristics of the movie, the viewer characteristics, the advertiser preferences and the determined costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Open Text SA ULC
    Inventors: Thomas S. Gilley, Eric Hoffert, Rabih Nassar, Paul Soukup
  • Patent number: 10469890
    Abstract: Systems and methods to select targeted advertising for display are disclosed. An example system to select a targeted advertisement includes an opportunity calculator to assign a household to a consumer segment based on (1) geodemographic characteristics of the household and (2) characteristics of the consumer segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Michael John Zenor
  • Patent number: 10469888
    Abstract: The various embodiments disclosed herein provide methods, systems, and devices for capturing broadcast streams, analyzing the broadcast streams to obtain information about the media content transmitted in the broadcast streams, obtaining additional information about the media content if available, and assigning a unique event identifier specific to the instance of broadcast of the broadcast stream and/or media segment transmitted in the broadcast stream. In other embodiments, the unique event identifier is broadcasted to broadcast receiving devices. With the unique event identifier, broadcast receiving devices can access the obtained information associated with the media content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: STRATOSAUDIO, INC.
    Inventors: Kelly M. Christensen, John Phillip Hansen, Thomas Daniel Mock
  • Patent number: 10448072
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein increasing a likelihood above a target threshold of a user watching a target media asset. The method includes selecting a target media asset, identifying a media attribute present in the target media asset that does not match a user profile, computing a percentage of the media attribute present in the target media asset relative to other media attributes present in the target media asset, searching for a first media asset that comprises a first amount of the media attribute less than the percentage by a first threshold. Upon determining that the user consumes the first media asset, repeating the process with a second media asset that comprises a second amount of the media attribute greater than the first threshold and less than the percentage by a second threshold. After the user consumes the second media asset, recommending the target media asset to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Vikram Makam Gupta, K Vishnu Vardhan, Vishwas Sharadanagar Panchaksharaiah, Srikanth Channapragada
  • Patent number: 10425618
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide for: displaying a program guide on a display device, the program guide being such that respective program frames for a plurality of programs are arranged in a display area having a time axis of one or more time slots and a channel axis; displaying a cursor on the display device and allowing a user to move the cursor, highlight desired ones of the program frames, and select from among the plurality of programs in the program guide; and displaying detailed program information regarding content of one of the programs of one of the program frames that is highlighted and/or selected by the user via the cursor, where the detailed information is displayed by enlarging the one of the program frames as compared with others of the program frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Manabu Nishizawa, Yuki Kobayashi, Kensaku Ishizuka, Koji Kanai
  • Patent number: 10362365
    Abstract: Systems and methods to address shortcomings in conventional systems that traditionally provide interactive television services. In some aspects, the systems and methods provide for a method for managing an interactive session in an interactive media guidance application. The interactive media guidance application receives a user selection of a media asset. The interactive media guidance application stores, in a buffer, an advertisement received during display of the media asset. The interactive media guidance application receives a user request to initiate an interactive session. The interactive media guidance application analyzes the buffer for information relating to the advertisement based on the user request to initiate the interactive session. The interactive media guidance application receives a user request for information in the interactive session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Ravi Guides, Inc.
    Inventor: Milan Indu Patel
  • Patent number: 10334303
    Abstract: A user receiving device including a proximity module, a mode module, a profile module and an output module. The proximity module is configured to detect a first mobile device in a proximity of the user receiving device. The mode module is configured to transition the user receiving device to an active mode based on the detection of the first mobile device. The profile module is configured to, subsequent to transitioning to the active mode and based on an identifier of the first mobile device, access a first profile allocated to the first mobile device or a user of the first mobile device. The output module, based on the first profile, is configured to display on a display a guide or content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventor: John I. Chung
  • Patent number: 10321192
    Abstract: A system providing for selective management of program display system services involving display devices located at geographically remote locations relative to one another. The system includes a display device, located at each of a plurality of sites, that is capable of receiving and displaying a transmitted show. A control device, also located at each of the plurality of sites, enables managed control of the display device through the execution of a client application. A cloud service interacts with the client applications as executed by the control devices to manage select associations of the plurality of sites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: TOK.tv Inc.
    Inventors: Emanuela Zaccone, Fabrizio Capobianco
  • Patent number: 10306314
    Abstract: A system, method and device for providing a mobile application across smart phone platforms to enable consumer connectivity and control of media. The viewing experience of the individual is improved by the added control and the advertising experience is enhanced by ensuring advertisements are relevant and actionable. A system for providing interactivity between a mobile device and content includes a content provider providing content for presentation on a display device and a mobile device configured with a media management module communicating to provide user interactivity with the content. The media management module enables individualized consumer media services for the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: COX COMMUNICATIONS, INC
    Inventors: Michael Joseph McCarthy, Keith Alan Rothschild
  • Patent number: 10298982
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to estimate demographics of a household are disclosed. An example method to determine demographics for non-panelist households includes calculating a first demographic constraint average and a second demographic constraint average based on a first demographic distribution of a first tuning event of a household and a second demographic distribution of a second tuning event of the household. The household is a non-panelist household. The example method also includes, based on the first demographic constraint average, determining a first likelihood of the household being associated with a first demographic constraint. The example method also includes, based on the second demographic constraint average, determining a second likelihood of the household being associated with a second demographic constraint. The example method also includes estimating a household characteristic of the household based on the first likelihood and the second likelihood.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Michael Sheppard, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Patent number: 10284889
    Abstract: An example may include identifying broadcast content, where the broadcast content includes program content of a program; identifying a scheduled start time of a time slot associated with the broadcast content; determining whether the broadcast content includes overflow content based on whether the broadcast content includes at least one of end credits or a break; and when the broadcast content does include the overflow content: determining an end time of the overflow content of the broadcast content; determining an actual start time of the program content based on the end time of the overflow content; and performing an action to enable a media client to play back the broadcast content, where the action enables the media client to begin play back at the actual start time of the program content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Eduardo Jimenez, Ilyssa Widen, Rodrigo Meneses, Mahesh Kumar Vasanthusomashekar
  • Patent number: 10219008
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving a plurality of live video streams from a plurality of communication devices, the plurality of live video streams being associated with a common event. Further aspects may include aggregating the plurality of live video streams to generate a composite video stream for presenting a selectable viewing of the common event and providing the composite video stream to a device for presentation. Additional aspects may include adjusting the composite video stream according to user generated-input to generate an adjusted composite video stream, the user-generated input corresponds to a request to adjust the presentation of the common event. Other aspects may include providing the adjusted composite video stream to the device for presentation. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Keith Crowe
  • Patent number: 10219045
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a server, an image providing apparatus, and an image providing system comprising the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Ilgeun Kwon, Sangyong Lim, Kidong Lee
  • Patent number: 10127567
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to apply household-level weights to audience measurement data at a household-member level are disclosed. An example method to determine demographics of populations to measure media audiences of populations includes determining demographics for members of a first household of a sub-population. First demographics of a first member of the first household are different than second demographics of a second member of the first household. The example method includes calculating a first household-level weight for the first household based on a demographics distribution of the sub-population and aggregate demographics of a population.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Patent number: 10038925
    Abstract: A server receives metadata associated with an advertisement in a transport signal stream from an encoder, the metadata identifying a specified frame of the transport signal stream corresponding to a point in time of the advertisement. The server instructs an encoder, by a server, to insert a marker into the specified frame of the transport signal stream, the marker identifying the point in time of the advertisement. The server receives data from a smart appliance. The server detects the marker in the data. The server identifies the marker as the specified frame of the transport signal stream played by the smart appliance. The server maps the marker to the identified point in time of the advertisement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC
    Inventors: John Raymond Mick, Jr., Jeffrey Sherwin, Bryan David Santangelo
  • Patent number: 9986277
    Abstract: Systems and methods to select targeted advertising for display are disclosed. An example method to select targeted advertising for display includes identifying an advertisement corresponding to the first product, identifying a saturation metric for the advertisement, determining a net effectiveness metric based on an opportunity metric and the saturation metric, the opportunity metric being based on a difference between an expected consumption of a first product by the household and actual consumption of the product by the household, and delivering the advertisement to the household via a media transmission when the net effectiveness metric is greater than a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Michael John Zenor
  • Patent number: 9986278
    Abstract: There is provided a server for providing an interactive broadcast. The server includes a memory configured to store a story manager including an event controller, a story controller and an action processor, and a hardware processor configured to execute the story manager. The story manager is configured to provide, using the event controller, an event based on a control script, story elements metadata, one or more user performance analyses, and one or more user preferences. The story manager is also configured to generate, using the story controller, an action command based on the event received from the event controller and a story state. The story manager is further configured to determine, using the action processor, an action corresponding to the action command for initiating one or more control processes for distributing the interactive broadcast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikolce Stefanoski, Aljoscha Smolic