Abstract: Techniques are described for automated operations involving capturing and analyzing information from an interior of a house, building or other structure, for use in generating and providing a representation of that interior. Such techniques may include using a user's mobile device to capture visual data from multiple viewing locations (e.g., video captured while the mobile device is rotated for some or all of a full 360 degree rotation at each viewing location) within multiple rooms, capturing data linking the multiple viewing locations, analyzing each viewing location's visual data to create a panorama image from that viewing location, analyzing the linking data to determine relative positions/directions between at least some viewing locations, creating inter-panorama links in the panoramas to each of one or more other panoramas based on such determined positions/directions, and providing information to display multiple linked panorama images to represent the interior.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling dynamic content modification such as dynamic advertisement insertion. An example method includes detecting presence of an emergency-alert audio tone in a media stream accessible to a media client, and responsively causing the media client to abandon a dynamic content modification, such as to forgo a planned dynamic content modification or to discontinue an in-progress dynamic content modification. This method could occur while the media client is processing a given media stream for presentation, and the method could include detecting presence of the emergency-alert audio tone in the given media stream or alternatively in another media stream accessible to the media client. And in the latter case, the method could further involve causing the media client to switch from processing the given media stream for presentation to instead processing the other media stream for presentation, which could facilitate presenting of an associated emergency alert.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a CATV & MoCA® device, such as a RF signal amplifier. The RF signal amplifier includes a RF input port to receive signals from, and transmit signals to, a service provider. The RF input port is connected to an active communication path with a downstream signal amplifier leading to an input of a resistive splitter network. The resistive splitter network has plural interconnected resistors, which split the amplified signal received at the input of the resistive splitter network and provide the signal to plural “CATV & MoCA®” output ports. Upstream CATV signals received by the “CATV & MoCA®” output ports are combined by the resistive splitter network and sent to the RF input port to be transmitted to the service provider. MoCA® signals received by any one of the “CATV & MoCA®” output ports are carried by the resistive splitter network to the other “CATV & MoCA®” output ports, and potentially to other “MoCA® only” ports of the RF signal amplifier.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating a video stream for followers of an influencer during a session. The method includes capturing video images of an environment of the influencer, wherein the environment includes the influencer viewing an online content channel. The method includes detecting surface parameters in the environment and processing the surface parameters to identify three-dimensional features associated with the surface parameter. The method includes identifying a follower that is viewing the influencer. The method includes generating an overlay image for at least one of the surface parameters, the overlay image is configured for dynamic contouring to the identified three-dimensional features during the session. The overlay image is selected based on a profile of the follower so that the video stream received by the follower when viewing the influencer is customized based on the profile of the follower.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to determining that a wireless device associated with one user account is proximate to a computing device associated with another user account. In response to determining the proximity of the two devices, one or more of the devices may receive merged access to permissions and/or content associated with the two user accounts. In response to determining that the wireless device is not proximate to the computing device, the devices may no longer receive merged access to permissions and/or content associated with the two user accounts.

Abstract: A companion device interoperating with a broadcast reception device for receiving a broadcast signal, can include a communication device configured to connect the companion device with the broadcast reception device, in which the broadcast signal includes emergency alert information and service information for a broadcast service, and the service information includes service identification information for identifying the broadcast service and name information of the broadcast service, and the emergency alert information and the service information are carried in Internet Protocol (IP) packets having a same IP address; and a controller configured to receive the emergency alert information from the broadcast reception device, the emergency alert information including identifier information for the emergency alert information, category information of the emergency alert information, and priority information for the emergency alert information, and the controller receiving information for components of the broadc

Abstract: “Binge watching” of multiple episodes of a program is improved by the player device automatically skipping repeated portions of the program. Opening and closing credit scenes, for example, can be automatically skipped to thereby allow the viewer to progress through the entire season of programming at an even faster rate than was previously thought possible. Programming to be skipped may be identified by detecting audio or other digital fingerprints in the content itself, for example. Content to be skipped may be identified to the playback device according to presentation time stamp (PTS) or other time markers.

Abstract: Embodiments include a system, method, and a computer program product for broadcasting a universal message to a plurality subscriber devices. Embodiments include generating a universal message comprising information identifying one or more target subscriber devices from among the plurality of subscriber devices to execute an update or an event, broadcasting the universal message to each subscriber device of the plurality of subscriber devices, receiving a request, from the one or more target subscriber devices, to transmit a payload when the universal message comprises instructions to execute the update, and transmitting the payload to the one or more target subscriber devices.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for minimizing obstruction of a media asset by an overlay by predicting a path of movement of an object of interest of the media asset and avoiding placement of the overlay in the path of movement. To this end, a media guidance application may detect an object of interest in a first frame of a media asset, and may determine a determining a first location of the object in the first frame and a second location of the object of interest in a second frame. The media guidance application may calculate, based on the first location and the second location, a projected location of the object of interest in a third frame of the media asset, and may generate for display an overlay in a location that does not overlap with any of the first location, the second location, and the projected location.

Abstract: A mobile phone/device case or cover having a 3D camera, realized by integrating or connecting two cameras and a 3D viewer sheet integrated on the phone/device case or cover; wherein the 3D camera comprises: a V-shaped optical component having left and right arms, which act as light guides to guide the light from an object, onto an image sensor, and a focusing lens for focusing an image on the image sensor, where two images are formed of any object in the field of view of the V-shaped optical component.

Abstract: Improved technical functionality is provided to dynamically select and seamlessly play advertisements immediately before playing of a recorded program upon selection of the recorded program for playing, or upon other detected events and conditions associated with the set-top-box (STB) or user. In some embodiments, this is performed by using metadata which may be delivered to and stored on a digital video recorder (DVR) prior to recording the program, providing a technical solution to enable opportunities for additional advertisement impressions. Playing of the advertisement may also or instead occur upon the recorded program finishing playing. Thus, the technical solution provides the additional opportunity for the content creator and/or the satellite television or cable service provider to sell advertising spots in addition to those already sold for breaks within the recorded program.

Abstract: Improved technical functionality is provided to dynamically select and seamlessly play advertisements immediately before playing of a recorded program upon selection of the recorded program for playing, or upon other detected events and conditions associated with the set-top-box (STB) or user. In some embodiments, this is performed by using metadata which may be delivered to and stored on a digital video recorder (DVR) prior to recording the program, providing a technical solution to enable opportunities for additional advertisement impressions. Playing of the advertisement may also or instead occur upon the recorded program finishing playing. Thus, the technical solution provides the additional opportunity for the content creator and/or the satellite television or cable service provider to sell advertising spots in addition to those already sold for breaks within the recorded program.

Abstract: A store having an automated checkout can automatically associate multiple shoppers with a single purchase. For example, a mother and her children can walk independently through the store and select items. Upon checkout, the items selected by the mother and children can all be charged to the mother's credit card in a single purchase. The system and method discussed herein can capture images of multiple shoppers from one or more video streams of a store area, can associate the multiple shoppers with one another from the captured images when the multiple shoppers appear together in a check-in area of the store, can track the movement of the multiple shoppers within the store from the captured images, can track items selected by the multiple shoppers from the captured images, and can initiate a transaction that charges the selected items to an account associated with one of the multiple shoppers.

Abstract: Methods, systems, devices, and computer-program products are described herein for providing dynamic content serving. The dynamic content serving technology can identify, in real-time, programming arriving at a client device, identify a specific media segment being received and/or displayed, and determine which pre-stored substitute media segment may be used to replace the identified segment. A picture-in-picture channel can be used to display the substitute media segment.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and an ad decision sever for determining personalized messages during a provisioning of digital content. The method comprises to provide a set of personalized messages candidates by executing a relevance algorithm, which matches message metadata and content metadata. The method continues with receiving calculated network costs for the set of personalized message candidates in order to determine a set of personalized messages, which are optimized with respect to the received network costs by applying a multivariate optimization algorithm.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a thermal image detector to determine a heat blob count based on a frame of thermal image data captured in the media environment, an audience image detector to identify a face of an audience member based on a frame of audience image data captured in the media environment, the frame of audience image data corresponding to a field of view associated with at least one heat blob included in the heat blob count, and a people meter controller to cause a people meter, which is to emit a prompt for audience identification information, not to emit the prompt for at least a first time period after the audience member is identified.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described to address shortcomings in the conventional network storage systems via novel techniques to store offsets of a recorded program in a network digital video recorder (DVR). Storing offsets of a recorded program may be beneficial to users that would like to record media content that is broadcast either prior to a start time of a program, or media content that is broadcast after an end time of a program. This feature may be useful when start times and end times of a program are variable (e.g., in the case of sporting events, or other real-time events). This feature may also be useful for recording content of interest that is scheduled for broadcast prior to a start time of or after an end time of the program.

Abstract: Systems and methods to provide security to an occupant of a first vehicle. In an example method, a computer provided in the first vehicle establishes a geofence that surrounds the first vehicle. The computer may detect a second vehicle that is present inside the geofence at one or more times and may react to the detection by obtaining data that provides information about an identity of the second vehicle. In one scenario, the data may be obtained via vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the first vehicle and the second vehicle. The computer may evaluate the data to identify a driver of the second vehicle and to confirm that the second vehicle is carrying out a stalking operation and may pose a security threat. The computer may then automatically contact a police officer to report the security threat.

Abstract: Systems and methods for organizing and controlling the display of content, then measuring the effectiveness of that content in modifying behavior, within a particular temporal and special dimension, so as to minimize or eliminate confounding effects.

Abstract: This document describes techniques and systems to increase the dynamic range of time-of-flight (ToF) lidar systems. The described lidar system adjusts, based on the energy of a first return pulse, the bias voltage of a photodetector for other return pulses of the object pixel. The bias voltage can be adjusted down for highly-reflective or close-range objects. Similarly, the bias voltage can be increased for low-reflectivity or long-range objects. The ability of the described lidar system to adjust the bias voltage of the photodetector for each object pixel increases the dynamic range of the lidar system without additional hardware or a complex readout. The increased dynamic range allows the described lidar system to maintain a long-range capability, while accurately measuring return-pulse intensity for detecting close-range or highly-reflective objects.