Abstract: A method includes accessing information identifying user devices, and accessing media consumption data indicating content requests corresponding to the user devices. The method also includes determining expected locations of the user devices based on the information, and determining forecasted content requests based on the media consumption data. The method further includes generating a pre-caching schedule based on the forecasted content requests and the expected locations, and determining that the pre-caching schedule indicates that particular media data is to be provided via a multicast transmission to a first user device and to a second user device. The method also includes sending an instruction to the first user device directing the first user device to store the particular media data. The method includes sending, responsive to a request from the second user device, the particular media data via the multicast transmission to the first user device and to the second user device.

Abstract: A method includes receiving, by a device, a first image of a scene and a second image of at least a portion of the scene. The method includes identifying a first plurality of features from the first image and comparing the first plurality of features to a second plurality of features from the second image to identify a common feature. The method includes determining a particular subset of pixels that corresponds to the common feature, the particular subset of pixels corresponding to a first subset of pixels of the first image and a second subset of pixels of the second image. The method also includes generating a first image quality estimate of the first image based on a comparison of a first degree of variation within the first subset of pixels and a second degree of variation within the second subset of pixels.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, facilitating access to a synopsis of a missed portion of a media program, identifying subject matter in a segment of content in the media program that has not been presented, determining a particular time for presenting the summary according to the subject matter in the segment of content, and initiating a presentation of the summary at the particular time. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable media for transmedia video bookmarks, the method comprising receiving a first place marker and a second place marker for a segment of video media, extracting metadata from the video media between the first and second place markers, normalizing the extracted metadata, storing the normalized metadata, first place marker, and second place marker as a video bookmark, and retrieving the media represented by the video bookmark upon request from a user. Systems can aggregate video bookmarks from multiple sources and refine the first place marker and second place marker based on the aggregated video bookmarks. Metadata can be extracted by analyzing text or audio annotations. Metadata can be normalized by generating a video thumbnail representing the video media between the first place marker and the second place marker. Multiple video bookmarks may be searchable by metadata or by the video thumbnail visually.

Abstract: A method is disclosed that includes receiving, from a device of a user, a request to transmit a multimedia file. The method also includes automatically generating a generated content descriptor based on an analysis of the multimedia file using at least one analysis parameter. The method includes determining whether the generated content descriptor satisfies filter criteria of a profile associated with the user. The method further includes rejecting the request to transmit the multimedia file when the generated content descriptor does not satisfy the filter criteria of the profile. The method includes transmitting the multimedia file along with the generated content descriptor when the generated content descriptor satisfies the filter criteria of the profile.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and programs for generating an authorized profile for a text communication device or account, may sample a text communication generated by the text communication device or account during communication and may store the text sample. The systems, methods, and programs may extract a language pattern from the stored text sample and may create an authorized profile based on the language pattern. Systems, methods, and programs for detecting unauthorized use of a text communication device or account may sample a text communication generated by the device or account during communication, may extract a language pattern from the audio sample, and may compare extracted language pattern of the sample with an authorized user profile.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system and method for selecting media content for a group of persons located at a venue. The system and method identify a plurality of viewers in a vicinity of a venue that has one or more display devices from location data and extracts a content viewing preference of each viewer from their profile data. The process includes aggregating the content viewing preference of each of the plurality of viewers to generate an aggregated content profile. Based on the aggregated content profile, a list of content is generated. Next, a first group of viewers approaching a viewing range of a display device are sensed by imaging data. Any conflicts between content viewing preferences of the first group of viewers are detected and resolved based on weighting the viewing preferences of the group. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A brokering device that manages multimedia information includes an interface device having access to a network and a multimedia service provider. The interface device enables selection of multimedia information from the network, and provides the selected multimedia information to a plurality of locations without requiring the user to specify a protocol associated with the multimedia information.

Abstract: A method that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, determining, by a system comprising a processor, more common features of a plurality of images according to similarity matrices indicating relative similarities between instances of common features occurring within multiple images of the plurality of images, defining, by the system, cluster groups associated with the more common features, where each cluster group comprises cluster images of the plurality of images, and where the more common features are present in each the cluster images, and performing, by the system, quality-based filtering on the cluster images to identify a target cluster image to represent the cluster images for each of the cluster groups. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A content summary is generated by determining a relevance of each of a plurality of scenes, removing at least one of the plurality of scenes based on the determined relevance, and creating a scene summary based on the plurality of scenes. The scene summary is output to a graphical user interface, which may be a three-dimensional interface. The plurality of scenes is automatically detected in a source video and a scene summary is created with user input to modify the scene summary. A synthetic frame representation is formed by determining a sentiment of at least one frame object in a plurality of frame objects and creating a synthetic representation of the at least one frame object based at least in part on the determined sentiment. The relevance of the frame object may be determined and the synthetic representation is then created based on the determined relevance and the determined sentiment.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, facilitating access to a synopsis of a missed portion of a media program, identifying subject matter in a segment of content in the media program that has not been presented, determining a particular time for presenting the summary according to the subject matter in the segment of content, and initiating a presentation of the summary at the particular time. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: An interactive conference is supplemented based on terminology content. Terminology content from a plurality of devices connected to the interactive conference is monitored. A set of words from the terminology content is selected. Supplemental media content at an external source is identified based on the selected set of words, and selectively made available to a device connected to the interactive conference.

Abstract: A particular method includes receiving a set of images, where each image of the set of images is related to a common scene. The method also includes determining a first subset of pixels of a first image of the set, where the first subset of pixels corresponds to a second subset of pixels of a second image of the set. The method further includes generating a first image quality estimate of the first image based on a comparison of the first subset of pixels and the second subset of pixels.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for a control point of initiating actions on a device in a communication network comprising at least two control points both adapted to control said device. Further, the present invention relates to a method for a device of initiating actions on said device in a communication network comprising at least two control points both adapted to control said device. Further, the present invention relates to a control point of initiating actions on a device in a communication network comprising at least two control point both adapted to control said device. Further, the present invention relates to a device in a communication network comprising at least two control points both adapted to control said device based on action requests received from a control point along with control point identification.

Abstract: A method that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, determining, by a system comprising a processor, more common features of a plurality of images according to similarity matrices indicating relative similarities between instances of common features occurring within multiple images of the plurality of images, defining, by the system, cluster groups associated with the more common features, where each cluster group comprises cluster images of the plurality of images, and where the more common features are present in each the cluster images, and performing, by the system, quality-based filtering on the cluster images to identify a target cluster image to represent the cluster images for each of the cluster groups. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, systems and methods aggregating video content and adjusting the aggregate video content according to a training model. The adjusted aggregate video content comprises a first subset of the images and does not comprise a second subset of the images. The first subset of the images is determined by the training model based on a plurality of categories corresponding to a plurality of events. The illustrative embodiments also include presenting the adjusted aggregate video content and receiving identifications for the first subset of the images in the aggregate video content. Further, the illustrative embodiments include adjusting the training model according to the identifications and providing the adjusted training model to a network device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a service platform capable of providing device-based task completion is disclosed. A request for a task is received at a service platform from a customer. A worker device to complete the task is selected from a group of worker devices registered with the service platform based on a current attribute of the worker device. Data resulting from completion of the task is received from the selected worker device, validated, and presented to the customer. A reward or incentive can be provided to the worker device in response to the data being received from the worker device and validated.

Abstract: A method that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving, by a system comprising a processor, first media content from a service provider network over a high resolution channel at a first resolution, determining whether a first resolution exceeds a resolution threshold for viewing the first media content, transmitting a notification to the service provider network that the first resolution exceeds the resolution threshold, receiving the first media content from the service provider network over the high resolution channel at a second resolution according to the notification, wherein a difference between the first resolution and the second resolution provides unused bandwidth on the high resolution channel, and receiving second media content from the service provider network over the unused bandwidth of the high resolution channel. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing an opportunistic crowd based service platform is disclosed. A mobile sensor device is identified based on a current location and/or other qualities, such as intrinsic properties, previous sensor data, or demographic data of an associated user of the mobile sensor device. Data is collected from the mobile sensor device. The data collected from the mobile sensor device is aggregated with data collected from other sensor devices, and content generated based on the aggregated data is delivered to a user device.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for processing viewer profiles and program metadata from a number of sources to provide viewing suggestions and recommendations to one or more viewers.