Patents Examined by Kieu-Oanh T Bui
  • Patent number: 9247314
    Abstract: A network device receives selected items for an electronic shopping cart as selected by a user. The electronic shopping cart is associated with a first access network platform. The network device identifies an abandonment of the electronic shopping cart and stores the selected items associated with a user account for the user to create stored cart items. The network device receives a cart inquiry indicating that the user has accessed a second access network platform and associates the stored cart items with the user on the second access network platform. The network device determines a highest priority item of the stored cart items based on the second access network platform, generates promotional instructions for presenting the highest priority item to the user on the second network platform, and sends the promotional instructions to the second access network platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
    Inventors: Jubish Cheriya Parambath, Mithun K. Thanneeru, Pradeep Chandramohan, Sivaram Sundaram
  • Patent number: 9232283
    Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting content for outputting on a mobile device during a program break in an Internet television stream using mobile device location information. In one aspect, the methods and systems seamlessly select content for outputting on a mobile device during a program break in an Internet television stream using mobile device location information and program break markers. In another aspect, the methods and systems select content for outputting on a mobile device during a program break in an Internet television stream using mobile device trajectory information. In yet another aspect, the methods and systems select using mobile device location information cohabitation content for sharing a display screen on a mobile device with program content in an Internet television stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Inventors: David D. Minter, Albert S. Baldocchi
  • Patent number: 9232168
    Abstract: An intelligent television can provide various interfaces for navigating processes associated with providing content. The user interfaces include unique visual representations and organizations that allow the user to utilize the intelligent television more easily and more effectively. Particularly, the user interfaces pertain to the display of media content, electronic programming guide information, television content, and other content. Further, the user interfaces provide unique process of transitioning between the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Flextronics AP, LLC
    Inventor: Sanjiv Sirpal
  • Patent number: 9226031
    Abstract: A broadcast programming receiver is provided which includes a broadcast programming interface, a memory, a communication network interface, and output circuitry. The broadcast programming interface is configured to receive broadcast programming, while the output circuitry is configured to transfer the broadcast programming to an output device. The memory is configured to store data related to the broadcast programming. In one embodiment, the communication network interface is configured to receive the data related to the broadcast programming over a communication network from a second broadcast programming receiver and transfer the data to the memory. In another implementation, the communication network interface is configured to receive the data from the memory and send the data over the communication network to a second broadcast programming receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: DISH Network L.L.C.
    Inventor: Anton H. Kirchner
  • Patent number: 9226039
    Abstract: Managing communications with a subscriber rendering device by identifying a message that is applicable at a target time and that is designated to be received by a subscriber rendering device, determining that there is no time between a current time and the target time during which the subscriber rendering device is able to receive the message thereby determining that the message cannot be received by the subscriber rendering device prior to the target time, and performing an action responsive to determining that the message cannot be received by the subscriber rendering device prior to the target time. Related methods and apparatus are also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Reuel Shenker, Kevin A. Murray
  • Patent number: 9219939
    Abstract: Methods and devices for presenting an interactive media guidance application are provided in accordance with various embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventor: Kuan Hidalgo Archer
  • Patent number: 9214093
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to notify a visually impaired visual media consumer of the availability of audio description for items of visual media via one or more audible indications. Further, a catalog of items of visual media can be sorted or arranged such that items of visual media having audio description may be selected or inquired about in a quicker and more convenient manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Blanchard
  • Patent number: 9210455
    Abstract: A method of synchronizing first and second streams of a multimedia content program is operable for determining a temporal difference indicative of a relative timing between first and second streams of the program, the first stream being provided to a first multimedia processing resource (MPR) and the second stream being provided to a second MPR. The method includes manipulating at least one of the streams to reduce the temporal difference until the temporal difference is less than a predetermined threshold and enabling a viewer of the first stream to interact with a viewer of the second stream regarding the program. Interactions are visually detectable on a first display screen corresponding to the first MPR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Brian Scott Amento, Larry Stead, Christopher Harrison
  • Patent number: 9204101
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein relating to video chunking for robust, progressive upload. Video can be parsed to determined byte offsets associated with prospective chunk boundaries. Chunks can be generated based on the prospective chunk boundaries and a preferred chunk size. Sample tables can be generated for each chunk. The chunks can be fully self contained, in that they can be received and transcoded independently of other chunks. Thus, if one chunk fails, only that chunk needs to be retransmitted versus the entire video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventor: Matthew Sharifi
  • Patent number: 9197914
    Abstract: A jukebox system, including a server that stores a master library of audiovisual selections; a plurality of jukeboxes, each of which is operable to store audiovisual selections received from the server and to play the audiovisual selections at the request of a user; a communication system through which the server and the jukeboxes communicate; wherein the server is operable to define authorized uses for the audiovisual selections received from the server; and further wherein the authorized uses correspond to various rights that third parties have in the audiovisual selections, the rights requiring by law or regulation payment of respective royalties; and further wherein the server maintains information on the authorized uses made by each of the jukeboxes and determines the amount of royalties due.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation
    Inventor: Guy Nathan
  • Patent number: 9197936
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing remote access to interactive media guidance applications are provided. In particular, the systems and methods for providing remote access to interactive media guidance applications provided herein generally relate to enhancing remote access capabilities by providing algorithms and techniques for managing and correcting disparities that may be found between program listings data used by the interactive media guidance application and the remote access server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter R. Klappert, Akitaka Nishimura, Asahi Iwanaga, Akio Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 9185439
    Abstract: A server may provide information describing characteristics of audio and video components to a client, separately from encoded samples of the audio and video components themselves. The client may use the information to select components, and then to request the selected components, e.g., in accordance with a streaming network protocol. In one example, an apparatus for sending encapsulated video data includes a processor configured to determine characteristics for components of a plurality of representations of video content, wherein the characteristics comprise at least one of a frame rate, a profile indicator, a level indicator, and dependencies between the components, and one or more interfaces configured to send the characteristics to a client device, receive a request from the client device for at least one of the components after sending the characteristics, and send the requested components to the client device in response to the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ying Chen, Marta Karczewicz, Yong Wang
  • Patent number: 9178776
    Abstract: A method includes providing at least one target bandwidth for bandwidth usage on an interconnect, the target bandwidth being for traffic associated with a traffic initiator. The method also includes measuring a served bandwidth and resetting the measuring of served bandwidth in response to an occurrence of an event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignees: STMICROELECTRONICS (GRENOBLE 2) SAS, STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Ignazio Antonino Urzi, Rene Peyrard, Daniele Mangano
  • Patent number: 9172896
    Abstract: An intelligent television can provide various interfaces for navigating processes associated with providing content. The user interfaces include unique visual representations and organizations that allow the user to utilize the intelligent television more easily and more effectively. Particularly, the user interfaces' layout, aspect ratio of elements, display of elements, and size of selectable images are dependent on the type of content presented. Further, the user interfaces provide unique process of transitioning between the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Flextronics AP, LLC
    Inventors: Alexander de Paz, Sanjiv Sirpal, Mohammed Selim, Karina A. Limongi
  • Patent number: 9167286
    Abstract: A cable television (CATV) entry adapter interfaces to a CATV network and serves as a hub in an in-home network for passively communicating multimedia content or information from the CATV network and between subscriber devices connected to the ports of the CATV entry adapter, using CATV signals in a CATV frequency band and network signals in a different in-home network band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: PPC BROADBAND, INC.
    Inventors: Chad T. Wells, John M. Egan, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9161077
    Abstract: A broadcast signal receiving apparatus including a broadcast receiving unit that receives a broadcast signal; a communicating unit that performs communication with a mobile apparatus; a signal converting unit that converts the received broadcast signal; and a controller that controls the signal converting unit to convert the broadcast signal into a format corresponding to the mobile apparatus, and controls the communicating unit to transmit the converted broadcast signal to the mobile apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seung-hyuk Choi, Seung-seop Shim, Moon-seok Han, Joon-hyuk Ryu
  • Patent number: 9161099
    Abstract: Described herein is a system and method of ad targeting that automatically matches advertisements to media based on the demographic signatures of each. The method and system include calculating a match score between historical buyer demographics and media demographics. Media which is similar to the demographic of the product buyers is targeted for advertising.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Lucid Commerce, Inc.
    Inventors: Brendan Kitts, Brian Burdick, Dyng Au, Tyson Roberts
  • Patent number: 9160971
    Abstract: Techniques are described to provide content access. In an implementation, a determination is made at a client that a high-definition channel has content that matches content provided by a standard-definition channel. Access is provided to the content via the high-definition channel and access is restricted to the content via the standard-definition channel up the client is capable of outputting the content and high definition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Peter J. Potrebic, Prashant K. Jha, Mark B. Tozer
  • Patent number: 9154537
    Abstract: An event trigger data string is formulated and added to digital content for distribution to an audience via broadcast, satellite, cable or any other technology. The event trigger data string includes identification of an event source, identification of an operation to be performed, and a payload. A controller reads the data string and outputs a command to an appropriate event source for alteration of a digital content stream based upon the identified operation. The payload may, for example, identify an advertisement or notice to be spliced into or out of the digital content stream. Such event trigger data strings may be added to many different digital content streams, and a router or switching component may distribute the streams to systems that disseminate them to the audience. The technique enables interaction with different event sources, and allows command of multiple different operations by these event sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: NBCUniversal Media LLC
    Inventors: Keith Andrew Jackson, Michael George Duemo, Michael P. Slavik, Stephen J. Asay, Marcel Bautista
  • Patent number: 9154852
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for an advertising bidding system in which advertisers can bid on advertising time slots or enhanced ads that can be inserted in either prerecorded or live television programming. A high degree of flexibility is provided by allowing embedded ads to be purchased and displayed in a very short time period. This allows TV broadcasters to increase revenues and allows advertisers to have more flexibility in advertising. Objects can be inserted in the display video broadcast using enhancements such as by using mark-up language overlay pages or by video combination techniques. The effect of these ads can be evaluated for advertising campaigns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: OpenTV, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Huber, Thomas Lemmons, Ian Zenoni