Patents Examined by Jason J. Chung
  • Patent number: 8607289
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set-top box operating from an interactive television (iTV) communication system having a controller to receive from the iTV communication system media content with metadata, record the media content, detect in the metadata a description of the media content correlating with one or more preferences in a preference profile, present at a media presentation device a first prompt requesting an acceptance or rejection of the media content, present at the media presentation device a second prompt requesting a selection of one or more communication devices to direct in whole or in part the media content thereto, detect the selection of at least one of the one or more communication devices, and transmit in whole or in part the media content to the at least one communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Nicholas Peter Hill
  • Patent number: 8607295
    Abstract: The MEDIA CONTENT SYNCHRONIZED ADVERTISING PLATFORM METHODS (“AD-SYNCH”) transforms TV program schedule listing information and user channel selection via AD-SYNCH components, into TV audience viewing data and ad effects data. A method is disclosed, comprising: obtaining TV program schedule listing data; providing the obtained TV program schedule listing data to a user mobile device; receiving an indication of user channel selection; determining a media program associated with the received indication of user channel selection; determining an ad associated with the determined media program; providing a survey question related to the determined ad to the user mobile device; and receiving a user response to the survey question.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Symphony Advanced Media
    Inventors: Manish Bhatia, Michael Scott Saxon, Nigel Stephen Pratt, Pyeush Gurha
  • Patent number: 8607291
    Abstract: Provided are a method, an audio/video (AV) control point (CP) device, and a home network system for executing AV content in segment units defined using a protocol enabling interoperability between various devices existing in a home network. The method includes a control point extracting segment-related information about audio/video (AV) content stored in a first AV device, and the control point controlling a second AV device to execute the AV content using the segment-related information in segment units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Won-ho Ryu
  • Patent number: 8607274
    Abstract: Meta-channels identify content entries and indicate an order with which to experience the content entries. The meta-channels may include a multi-source meta-channel that includes at least a first content entry that relates to first content broadcast by a first content provider at a specific time and a second content entry that relates to second content made available, over a network, by a second content provider in response to user requests. A selection of a meta-channel is received and the selection of the meta-channel is mapped to a content entry defined by the selected meta-channel. A media system is controlled to render content based on a content entry mapped to by the selected meta-channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: PurpleComm Inc.
    Inventors: Jack H Chang, William H. Sheu, Sherman Tuan
  • Patent number: 8601512
    Abstract: Content download technology, in which a network-based video scheduled to be played at a particular time is identified, and multiple sources from which the network-based video is available for downloading are identified. An initial source from which to download the network-based video is selected from among the multiple sources, and a first process to download the network-based video from the initial source is initiated. Progress of the download of the network-based video is monitored. When an estimated amount of time remaining for the download of the network-based video from the initial source to complete does not enable viewing of the network-based video at the particular time without interruption, an alternative source from which to download at least a portion of the network-based video is selected from among the multiple sources, and a second process to download at least the portion the network-based video from the alternative source is initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: PurpleComm Inc.
    Inventors: Jack H. Chang, William H. Sheu, Sherman Tuan
  • Patent number: 8595777
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller to receive a media program signal from a set-top box (STB), monitor ambient sound, and suppress a portion of the ambient sound according to the media program signal. The media program signal can correspond to a media program presentable at least audibly by the STB. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventor: Larry Pearson
  • Patent number: 8589977
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving channel browsing experience for users by control scroll rates in guide listings are described. A user can scroll through channel listings arranged according to program genre at a high maximum scroll rate. The scroll rate is automatically reduced, and in some embodiments scrolling is temporarily paused, when listings corresponding to a new genre are displayed. In this way a high maximum scroll rate can be supported but without the risk of a user unintentionally scrolling through an entire genre of programs of interest even if the genre only includes one or a few programs in total. Thus, in various embodiments a scrolling rate is decreased when a change in the genre of programs from a first genre of programs being displayed to a second genre of programs being displayed occurs as part of said scrolling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC
    Inventor: Douglas Frusciano
  • Patent number: 8584193
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a transcoder module having a controller to manage power distribution in the transcoder module from power supplied to an HDMI port of the transcoder module, transcode audio-visual information into a digital compatible format used on an external device. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventor: Ahmad Ansari
  • Patent number: 8572664
    Abstract: A method of receiving a broadcast signal including a Non-Real-Time (NRT) service and a broadcast receiver are disclosed herein. A method of receiving a broadcast signal including an NRT service, method comprises receiving a broadcast signal including first signaling information and second signaling information, identifying the NRT service based on the first signaling information, identifying an Internet Protocol (IP) address of an NRT service signaling data based on the first signaling information and the second signaling information, receiving the NRT service signaling data by accessing the IP address, and downloading a desired NRT service based on the NRT service signaling data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jong Yeul Suh, Gomer Thomas, Jae Hyung Song, Jin Pil Kim, Ho Taek Hong, Joon Hui Lee
  • Patent number: 8566866
    Abstract: An identification server correlates the web browsing behavior of individuals with their use of social media systems. Based on these behaviors, web identifiers (referred to as identities or IDs) may be matched to social media identifiers; these matches being determined, stored, and output as a confidences that the web identity of the user corresponds to a social media identity. Each web identity may be associated with one or more social media identities. The identity correlations between web identities and social media identities may be used along with other alignments to provide information regarding the time-based media (e.g., advertisements) a user may have likely been exposed to, and to provide targeted advertisements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Bluefin Labs, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Ben Fleischman
  • Patent number: 8566896
    Abstract: An addressable optical network interface unit includes an optical input and a radio frequency output. The unit also includes an optical-to-electrical conversion circuit that converts optical signals received at the optical input into radio frequency signals, a directional coupler that is coupled to an output of the optical-to-electrical conversion circuit and a radio frequency receiver that is coupled to a first output of the directional coupler. The radio frequency receiver receives radio frequency signals input through the optical input. The unit also includes a controller that is coupled to the radio frequency receiver, and a filter circuit that is coupled to a second output of the directional coupler. The filter circuit includes multiple signal paths that filter out signals in different frequency ranges. Switches are provided that select one of the signal paths through the filter circuit. These switches are controlled in response to data contained in the radio frequency signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: CommScope, Inc. of North Carolina
    Inventors: Robert Ryan Riggsby, Neil Phillips, Mark Vogel
  • Patent number: 8561114
    Abstract: A method and system for ordering content includes a mobile device having an ordering interactive interface having available content including linear content and on-demand content. The interactive interface receives a content selection corresponding to the on-demand content from the interactive interface and communicates the selection to a content processing system. The content processing system communicates a control word to the user device. A user device receives the on-demand content corresponding to the selection in response to the control word.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Alistair E. Jeffs
  • Patent number: 8553153
    Abstract: An operation mode adjustment device (309) for adjusting an operation mode of an electronic product (300) comprises a detection unit (303) for automatically detecting whether an environment in which an electronic product (300) connectable to the operation mode adjustment device (309) is currently located is a shop environment, and an adjusting unit (304) for automatically adjusting an operation mode of the electronic product (300) based on whether the detected environment in which the electronic product (300) connectable to the operation mode adjustment device is currently located is a shop environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: T.P. Vision Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Adrianus Johannes De Vaan, Erik Lieuwen
  • Patent number: 8555320
    Abstract: Systems and methods of recording media content are provided. A particular method includes accessing user configuration settings. The user configuration settings include at least one premier recording option. Selection of the premier recording option indicates that initial episodes of series programs are to be recorded. The method also includes searching electronic program guide (EPG) information for the initial episodes of series programs in response to determining that the premier recording option is selected in the user configuration settings. The method further includes storing a data record scheduling recording of a particular initial episode of a particular series program identified by searching the EPG information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Larry G. Kent, Jr., Brian K. Daigle
  • Patent number: 8555315
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for navigating a media guidance application with multiple perspective views. A first of a plurality of media guidance objects may be displayed in a first perspective view that appears flat on the screen. A second media guidance object may be displayed in a second perspective view that appears to be going into the screen creating the appearance of a fold between the first and second media guidance application objects at a location where the first perspective view changes into the second perspective view. The second media guidance object in the second perspective view may be caused to slide through the fold into the first perspective view. The second media guidance object displayed in the first perspective view may be selected. An action may be performed for a media asset corresponding to the selected media guidance object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: United Video Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Steven Woods, Jason Conness, Christopher Bauder
  • Patent number: 8533768
    Abstract: Techniques are afforded for providing syndication feed content on a television STB with limited decoder capability. A request is initiated for syndication feed content from a networked content source through the STB. The syndication feed content is obtained through a proxy device in communication with the networked content source. When the syndication feed content is in a first format usable by the STB, the proxy device passes the syndication feed content in the first format to the STB. When the syndication feed content is in a second format unusable by the STB, the syndication feed content is first converted from the second format to the first format usable by the STB and then the syndication feed content is passed, in the first format, to the STB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC
    Inventor: Albert Straub
  • Patent number: 8533763
    Abstract: An in-flight entertainment system includes a server and a server/client interface. The server/client interface interfaces with the server and a display unit to retrieve a specified data block requested by the display unit, where the server/client interface sends a command to a storage device controller of the server to retrieve the specified data block from a storage device under the control of the server. The server/client interface operating based on its own control logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Intheairnet, LLC
    Inventor: Howard Isham Royster
  • Patent number: 8533758
    Abstract: A digital television (DTV) receiver retrieves, from a memory, a standardized hostname and a standardized filename for a web-based service for providing a channel map associated with service providers. The DTV receiver adds, to the standardized hostname, a name for a particular service provider and sends, to a data server, a request for channel map information, where the request is based on the standardized hostname, the name for the particular service provider, and the standardized filename. The DTV receiver receivers, from the data server, a channel map file based on the standardized filename and extracts information from the channel map file to present to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventor: Enrique Ruiz-Velasco
  • Patent number: 8533759
    Abstract: To provide a program viewing-recording system which executes program viewing or recording without a failure when a program is viewed or recorded using a program list created by a third party. In response to a user operation or an instruction from an application (107), a program information adjustment unit (110) obtains program information included in a program list from a program list management unit (109), compares the program information with broadcast program information held by a broadcast program information management unit (106), and corrects the program information on the basis of terminal setting data. When it is determined that the program information cannot be corrected using the information held by the broadcast program information management unit, the program information adjustment unit sends the program information and the terminal setting data to an external program information correction server (400) and requests the server to correct the program information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Yuki, Emi Tsurukiri
  • Patent number: 8533754
    Abstract: A method, device and/or system for operating or causing a video player embedded into a web page to play a video is disclosed. Embed code is placed into the web page. When the web page is loaded into a web browser, player code is loaded and optionally customized to display one or more videos that can be selected for playback with the player code. When an end user selects the video using the player code, any ad and/or analytics module associated with the video are retrieved. The functionality of the ad and/or analytics module is integrated into the player code to allow tracking of analytics and inserting advertising into the video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Limelight Networks, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Cho