Abstract: A method of controlling delivery of video programs from video distribution equipment to video receiver devices includes receiving messages at the video distribution equipment from a mobile terminal operated by a user. The messages contain user defined identifiers that are associated with equipment identifiers of different ones of the video receiver devices. The user defined identifiers are stored associated with the equipment identifiers in a subscriber account. Delivery of video programs from the video distribution equipment to the video receiver devices is controlled in response to commands received from the mobile terminal which request delivery of identified video programs to identified ones of the user defined identifiers. Related video distribution equipment and mobile terminals are disclosed.

Abstract: Methods by a content distribution system and related adaptive streaming segmenter nodes and adaptive streaming re-segmenter nodes are disclosed. An adaptive streaming re-segmenter node includes at least one network interface that receive a series of segmented files for each of a first plurality of content streams having different coding bit rates of a same source media content. Circuitry combines the series of segmented files to generate a second plurality of content streams having different coding bit rates. The circuitry selects among a plurality of distribution container formats responsive to a streaming protocol used by one of the user equipment nodes, and selects among the second plurality of content streams responsive to available resources at the user equipment node. The circuitry also communicates the selected one of the second plurality of content streams toward the user equipment node using the selected distribution container format.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to a method performed by a pipe control node for managing network resources that are used to transport network traffic. The method includes allocating network resources to a virtual pipe for transporting a plurality of multimedia streams through the network. Utilization of the network resources by the plurality of multimedia streams transported through the virtual pipe is monitored relative to the network resources allocated to the virtual pipe. The network resources that are used by the plurality of multimedia streams transported through the virtual pipe are managed in response to the monitored utilization. Some other embodiments are directed to a corresponding pipe control node that manages network resources which are used to transport network traffic.

Abstract: A cable backend and a method are described herein for enabling a user with a location-aware mobile device to have at least partial control of a closest cable device (e.g., set top box, cable application) associated with a closest television. The closest cable device does not need to be associated with the user's home television but instead can be any cable device that is associated with a television located for instance at a stranger's house, an airport, a bar, or wherever.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to a method performed by a pipe control node for managing network resources that are used to transport network traffic. The method includes allocating network resources to a virtual pipe for transporting a plurality of multimedia streams through the network. Utilization of the network resources by the plurality of multimedia streams transported through the virtual pipe is monitored relative to the network resources allocated to the virtual pipe. The network resources that are used by the plurality of multimedia streams transported through the virtual pipe are managed in response to the monitored utilization. Some other embodiments are directed to a corresponding pipe control node that manages network resources which are used to transport network traffic.

Abstract: A system and method enabling a user to view on a computing device, a catalog of Video On Demand (VOD) content available on a remote (guest) VOD system, to purchase an available piece of VOD content on the user's account in his Home VOD System, and to play the purchased piece of VOD content through a Guest Set Top Box (STB). A pairing process associates the computing device with the Guest STB, and a VOD Back Office stores this pairing. The VOD Back Office then builds a custom catalog of VOD content available to the user through the Guest STB and sends the catalog to the computing device. When the VOD Back Office receives a request from the computing device to view selected VOD content, the VOD Back Office sends an instruction to a Guest Headend Hub to set up a session with the Guest STB. The Hub force tunes the Guest STB and streams the selected VOD content to the Guest STB for display on a Guest television.

Abstract: An adaptive streaming server, a method, and a system are described herein that create a content stream to be delivered to one or more clients by segmenting the content into data structures which are stored in random access memory (volatile storage) rather than segmenting the content into segment files which are stored on a disk or database (non-volatile storage).

Abstract: A system, a controller, and methods are described herein for enabling a user of a user device while located in a visited local area network (e.g., their friend's local area network) to remotely access a device which is located within a home local area network (e.g., their household local area network).

Abstract: An adaptive streaming server and a method are described herein for determining if a congestion level within a network exceeds a predetermined threshold and when this occurs then one or more lower bit rate segments of a content stream will be transmitted to a client.

Abstract: A streaming server and a method are described herein for providing a content stream with advertisements embedded therein through a network (e.g., IP network, CDN network, wireless network) to a client (e.g., personal computer, a mobile phone, a tablet, or a HTTP capable television).

Abstract: A stream manager and a method are described herein for creating an adaptive stream manifest file (e.g., HTTP adaptive stream manifest file) associated with original content where the original content is subsequently modified while being streamed based on input from a user of a user device. The user device is configured to request, receive and playback the original content and the modified content associated with the adaptive stream manifest file.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, methods, and computer-readable medium providing licensing rights for media content that follows a subscriber so that the subscriber may experience the media content on various content distribution platforms. In particular embodiments, the systems, methods, and computer-readable medium transfer licensing rights for a user for particular media content that is associated with a first device on a first distribution platform so that the rights are associated with a second device on a second distribution platform. As a result, in various embodiments, the user is able to experience the particular media content with the use of the second device on the second distribution platform.

Abstract: A Video On Demand (VOD) system having a VOD catalog that lists VOD movies available for a user to purchase, a database for storing a plurality of reference images associated with the VOD movies in the VOD catalog, and an image processing and lookup system (IPLS) for searching the plurality of reference images in the database utilizing automated image recognition. A user takes a photograph of a movie poster or DVD box cover and sends the image to the IPLS. The IPLS determines whether the user image matches a stored reference image. If so, the IPLS sends an indication to the user that the movie associated with the matching image is available in the VOD catalog. When the received image does not match any image in the database, the IPLS sends an indication to the user that there are no movies in the VOD catalog matching the user image.

Abstract: A cable backend and a method are described herein for enabling a user with a location-aware mobile device to have at least partial control of a closest cable device (e.g., set top box, cable application) associated with a closest television. The closest cable device does not need to be associated with the user's home television but instead can be any cable device that is associated with a television located for instance at a stranger's house, an airport, a bar, or wherever.

Abstract: A system and method enabling a user to view on a computing device, a catalog of Video On Demand (VOD) content available on a remote (guest) VOD system, to purchase an available piece of VOD content on the user's account in his Home VOD System, and to play the purchased piece of VOD content through a Guest Set Top Box (STB). A pairing process associates the computing device with the Guest STB, and a VOD Back Office stores this pairing. The VOD Back Office then builds a custom catalog of VOD content available to the user through the Guest STB and sends the catalog to the computing device. When the VOD Back Office receives a request from the computing device to view selected VOD content, the VOD Back Office sends an instruction to a Guest Headend Hub to set up a session with the Guest STB. The Hub force tunes the Guest STB and streams the selected VOD content to the Guest STB for display on a Guest television.

Abstract: A method of controlling delivery of video programs from video distribution equipment to video receiver devices includes receiving messages at the video distribution equipment from a mobile terminal operated by a user. The messages contain user defined identifiers that are associated with equipment identifiers of different ones of the video receiver devices. The user defined identifiers are stored associated with the equipment identifiers in a subscriber account. Delivery of video programs from the video distribution equipment to the video receiver devices is controlled in response to commands received from the mobile terminal which request delivery of identified video programs to identified ones of the user defined identifiers. Related video distribution equipment and mobile terminals are disclosed.

Abstract: A system, an authentication engine and a method are described herein for authenticating an end user and associating their set-top box with a third party web based application to stream a third party video to the set-top box. In one example, the end user may utilize a client device (e.g., computer, laptop computer, smart phone) to access via the internet the third party video provider which lists a number of videos that the end user could watch on their television. The end user would select one of the videos to watch and then their cable provider would stream the video to the end-user's set-top box to be displayed on their television. To enable this service, the authentication system authenticates the end user and associates their set-top box with the third party video provider's web based application.

Abstract: A system and method for providing an environmentally enhanced experience to a user reading an electronic book (eBook) on an eBook reader in proximity to a television. An application program in the eBook reader causes the eBook reader to send an indication to a Video On Demand (VOD) television delivery system identifying a page of the eBook displayed on the eBook reader. The VOD television delivery system accesses an eVODBook package that defines start, stop; and loop locations in video content associated with the eBook. Video content associated with text or an illustration on the eBook page currently displayed on the eBook reader is streamed to a Set Top Box (STB) and the television in accordance with the eVODBook package.

Abstract: Methods, video terminals, and systems are disclosed for generating a montage of video segments for display by a video terminal. At least one video viewing preference associated with the video terminal is identified. Metadata associated with video segments in at least one video file is searched to identify video segments that correspond to the identified at least one video viewing preference. A montage of the identified video segments is generated for display by the video terminal.

Abstract: A user can become involved in an Event presented to the user by a media stream. Suitable motion and location cameras and other sensors capture characteristics information on objects, environments, and people in the Event, and that information enables a virtual representation of the user to become a player in the media stream of the Event. Views are generated that include images or representations of one or more real objects in a real space and representations of viewers and that enable the viewers to interact with other images or representations of the objects. To put it another way, a viewer can interact with a TV broadcast of a sporting event, such as a baseball game, an automobile race, etc.