Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving channel browsing experience for users by presenting an automatically appearing and automatically scrolling program guide are described. The methods and apparatus are well suited for use with remote control devices with limited numbers of input buttons, e.g., under five buttons, but can be used with remote controls with more buttons. The program guide can be used to allow access to a grid guide to users of hospital remotes or other remotes with limited input keys, e.g., an up down arrow and/or a power button. The method in some embodiments uses time spent on a channel in combination with user selection of an input key to determine an action to be taken, e.g., enter or display the program grid guide and/or select a channel and/or corresponding program being displayed in the grid guide.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing packetized content to users via a bandwidth-optimized network. In one embodiment, legacy and IPTV streams are carried over the same switched digital infrastructure, and freely intermixed without regard to their encoding or type. A user's selection for IPTV content is transmitted to an IP proxy (such as a gateway apparatus or a headend server), then on to the switched digital server which causes provision of the requested content back to the proxy for formatting. The formatted content is then delivered to the requesting IP-capable device. The entire carrier class program stream is therefore available as IP-encapsulated content to the IP capable devices (and as legacy content to legacy devices) without any significant modifications to the network infrastructure or bandwidth penalty.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for distributing content using a spectrum generation device. In one embodiment, digital content is received via a time-multiplexed network transport (such as Gigabit Ethernet), and converted to frequency channels suitable for transmission over a content distribution (e.g., Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC)) network. In one variant, the conversion is performed using digital domain processing performed by a full spectrum generation device. Additionally, methods and apparatus for selectively adding, removing, and/or changing digital content from the full spectrum device are also disclosed. Various aspects of the present invention enable physical (infrastructure) consolidation, and software-implemented remote management of content distribution.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for distributing content using a spectrum generation device. In one embodiment, digital content is received via a time-multiplexed network transport (such as Gigabit Ethernet), and converted to frequency channels suitable for transmission over a content distribution (e.g., Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC)) network. In one variant, the conversion is performed using digital domain processing performed by a full spectrum generation device. Additionally, methods and apparatus for selectively adding, removing, and/or changing digital content from the full spectrum device are also disclosed. Various aspects of the present invention enable physical (infrastructure) consolidation, and software-implemented remote management of content distribution.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods for pairing information appliance devices, such as set-top boxes and/or set-back boxes (the “set-top/back boxes”), to wireless remote control devices. The systems, apparatus, and methods allow the pairing between a set-top/back box and a remote control device to be made to be stateless, thereby facilitating the arbitration of subsequent pairings of the remote control device with one or more set-top/back boxes on a communications network, by a server computer communicably coupled to the respective set-top/back boxes over the communications network.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving channel browsing experience for users by presenting an automatically appearing and automatically scrolling program guide are described. The methods and apparatus are well suited for use with remote control devices with limited numbers of input buttons, e.g., under five buttons, but can be used with remote controls with more buttons. The program guide can be used to allow access to a grid guide to users of hospital remotes or other remotes with limited input keys, e.g., an up down arrow and/or a power button. The method in some embodiments uses time spent on a channel in combination with user selection of an input key to determine an action to be taken, e.g., enter or display the program grid guide and/or select a channel and/or corresponding program being displayed in the grid guide.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for assigning bandwidth to a network based on two or more different service levels. In an exemplary embodiment, video on-demand (VOD) session requests within a service group of an HFC cable network are assigned bandwidth such that maximum opportunity is given to grant HD VOD request among SD VOD requests, while meeting the goal of minimizing service disruption by spreading the sessions over multiple QAM channels, and limiting the maximum number of active VOD sessions of any kind.

Abstract: A game assembly includes a box that has a top side. The top side is open to access an interior of the box. A plurality of blocks is provided and the plurality of blocks comprises a plurality of sets of blocks. Each of the sets of blocks and the master block may be randomly distributed on a support surface. A plurality of balls is provided and each of the balls is urged toward the associated set of blocks. A plurality of clubs is provided and each of the clubs has a handle portion and a head portion. Each of the clubs is manipulated to strike a selected one of the balls.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for delivery of packetized content (e.g., video, audio, data, etc.) over a content delivery network. In one embodiment, the content is packetized using an Internet Protocol (IP), and delivered by a service provider over both managed and unmanaged networks to subscribers of the provider, so as to provide delivery at any time, at any location, and via any designated user device. The delivered content may originate from the service provider, third-party content sources (e.g., networks or studios), the subscriber(s) themselves, or other sources including the Internet. Use of a common control and service functions within the network afford the ability to integrate or blend services together, thereby affording the service provider and subscriber new service and economic opportunities. Content delivery sessions may also be migrated from one device to another. A network-based user interface infrastructure, and gateway-based client-side architecture, are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving channel browsing experience for users by presenting an automatically appearing and automatically scrolling program guide are described. The methods and apparatus are well suited for use with remote control devices with limited numbers of input buttons, e.g., under five buttons, but can be used with remote controls with more buttons. The program guide can be used to allow access to a grid guide to users of hospital remotes or other remotes with limited input keys, e.g., an up down arrow and/or a power button. The method in some embodiments uses time spent on a channel in combination with user selection of an input key to determine an action to be taken, e.g., enter or display the program grid guide and/or select a channel and/or corresponding program being displayed in the grid guide.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for thumbnail generation. In one embodiment, a thumbnail stream is generated where one or more bits are assigned to key frames and minimizes the number of bits assigned to delta frames. Each key frame may be used to extract a still image for use in thumbnails during trick mode operation (e.g., fast forward, rewind, pause, or random seek operation). When the encoded video file is given to a Just in Time Packager (JITP), the JITP extracts the image files (via the key frames). Information regarding how to reference these files is stored in generated manifest file and may be reformatted by the JITP to fit the needs of the current product. In a variant, the JITP reformats the image files extracted from the encoded video for operation on a number of devices.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for distributing content using a spectrum generation device. In one embodiment, digital content is received via a time-multiplexed network transport (such as Gigabit Ethernet), and converted to frequency channels suitable for transmission over a content distribution (e.g., Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC)) network. In one variant, the conversion is performed using digital domain processing performed by a full spectrum generation device. Additionally, methods and apparatus for selectively adding, removing, and/or changing digital content from the full spectrum device are also disclosed. Various aspects of the present invention enable physical (infrastructure) consolidation, and software-implemented remote management of content distribution.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for inserting local content of interest in an all digital content delivery network. In one embodiment, the content delivery network comprises a cable television or satellite network, and an RF channel thereof is separated or isolated from an incoming multiplex of all-digital content transmission. The separated RF channel is demodulated to provide a multiplexed transport stream, and packets corresponding to one or more programs from the transport stream are replaced with packets obtained from local compression and encoding of analog programming such as e.g., personal, educational and government (PEG) programming. The inserted programming may also contain closed captioning and emergency data alerts. The resulting encoded transport stream is then re-inserted into the multiplex, modulated, and put back onto the RF channel. In an alternate embodiment, space is reserved within the downstream multiplex so as to avoid having to remove an existing program stream.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods for pairing information appliance devices, such as set-top boxes and/or set-back boxes (the “set-top/back boxes”), to wireless remote control devices. The systems, apparatus, and methods allow the pairing between a set-top/back box and a remote control device to be made to be stateless, thereby facilitating the arbitration of subsequent pairings of the remote control device with one or more set-top/back boxes on a communications network, by a server computer communicably coupled to the respective set-top/back boxes over the communications network.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for distributing content using a spectrum generation device. In one embodiment, digital content is received via a time-multiplexed network transport (such as Gigabit Ethernet), and converted to frequency channels suitable for transmission over a content distribution (e.g., Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC)) network. In one variant, the conversion is performed using digital domain processing performed by a full spectrum generation device. Additionally, methods and apparatus for selectively adding, removing, and/or changing digital content from the full spectrum device are also disclosed. Various aspects of the present invention enable physical (infrastructure) consolidation, and software-implemented remote management of content distribution.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for distributing content using a spectrum generation device. In one embodiment, digital content is received via a time-multiplexed network transport (such as Gigabit Ethernet), and converted to frequency channels suitable for transmission over a content distribution (e.g., Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC)) network. In one variant, the conversion is performed using digital domain processing performed by a full spectrum generation device. Additionally, methods and apparatus for selectively adding, removing, and/or changing digital content from the full spectrum device are also disclosed. Various aspects of the present invention enable physical (infrastructure) consolidation, and software-implemented remote management of content distribution.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for managing the quality of experience of delivery of content to end-point or user devices. In one embodiment, metrics data pertaining to network conditions being experience by consumer devices attached to a managed network are monitored by a network entity. The monitored metrics are analyzed to determine if a consumer device is experiencing poor network conditions, such as network congestion. Consumer devices that are identified as experiencing poor network conditions are reported to a content delivery network (CDN) entity responsible for providing IP-based content. The CDN entity adjusts content delivery files used by the consumer devices to request particular IP-based content to guide the consumer device to select a version of the content suitable for delivery over consumer device's existing network condition.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods for pairing information appliance devices, such as set-top boxes and/or set-back boxes (the “set-top/back boxes”), to wireless remote control devices. The systems, apparatus, and methods allow the pairing between a set-top/back box and a remote control device to be made to be stateless, thereby facilitating the arbitration of subsequent pairings of the remote control device with one or more set-top/back boxes on a communications network, by a server computer communicably coupled to the respective set-top/back boxes over the communications network.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing an alternate content delivery mechanism available to content-based network users. In one embodiment, the network comprises a cable television network, and subscribers are able to retrieve requested content from one or more other subscriber's storage medium and without going outside the cable network (or accessing the network core in any significant capacity) using a peer-to-peer (P2P) network protocol. Using this approach, bandwidth consumption is advantageously pushed out to the edge of the network from the core, also obviating content requests outside the network (e.g., to third-party servers on the Internet). Methods of operating the aforementioned P2P network, and various business paradigms relating thereto, are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for inserting local content of interest in an all digital content delivery network. In one embodiment, the content delivery network comprises a cable television or satellite network, and an RF channel thereof is separated or isolated from an incoming multiplex of all-digital content transmission. The separated RF channel is demodulated to provide a multiplexed transport stream, and packets corresponding to one or more programs from the transport stream are replaced with packets obtained from local compression and encoding of analog programming such as e.g., personal, educational and government (PEG) programming. The inserted programming may also contain closed captioning and emergency data alerts. The resulting encoded transport stream is then re-inserted into the multiplex, modulated, and put back onto the RF channel. In an alternate embodiment, space is reserved within the downstream multiplex so as to avoid having to remove an existing program stream.