Patents by Inventor Marcelo D. Lechner
Marcelo D. Lechner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11671639Abstract: A device may receive content data identifying television schedules for content to be provided for viewing in a first geographic location and a second geographic location, and may identify a first available time slot for content in the first geographic location and a second available time slot for content in the second geographic location. The device may identify a first set of content for the first available time slot and a second set of content for the second available time slot, and may assign values to the first and second sets. The device may determine whether the values assigned to the first and second sets satisfy a threshold value, and may cause, when a value of content in the first set fails to satisfy the threshold value, a first client device, in the first geographic location, to obtain replacement content with a value that satisfies the threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2022Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Marcelo D. Lechner, Glenn Altchek, Aakash Chokshi, Shashank Shekhar Sharma, Ataqurahman Patil
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Publication number: 20220295130Abstract: A device may receive content data identifying television schedules for content to be provided for viewing in a first geographic location and a second geographic location, and may identify a first available time slot for content in the first geographic location and a second available time slot for content in the second geographic location. The device may identify a first set of content for the first available time slot and a second set of content for the second available time slot, and may assign values to the first and second sets. The device may determine whether the values assigned to the first and second sets satisfy a threshold value, and may cause, when a value of content in the first set fails to satisfy the threshold value, a first client device, in the first geographic location, to obtain replacement content with a value that satisfies the threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2022Publication date: September 15, 2022Applicant: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Marcelo D. LECHNER, Glenn ALTCHEK, Aakash CHOKSHI, Shashank Shekhar SHARMA, Ataqurahman PATIL
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Patent number: 11368734Abstract: A device may receive content data identifying television schedules for content to be provided for viewing in a first geographic location and a second geographic location, and may identify a first available time slot for content in the first geographic location and a second available time slot for content in the second geographic location. The device may identify a first set of content for the first available time slot and a second set of content for the second available time slot, and may assign values to the first and second sets. The device may determine whether the values assigned to the first and second sets satisfy a threshold value, and may cause, when a value of an content in the first set fails to satisfy the threshold value, a first client device, in the first geographic location, to obtain a replacement content with a value that satisfies the threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2021Date of Patent: June 21, 2022Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Marcelo D. Lechner, Glenn Altchek, Aakash Chokshi, Shashank Shekhar Sharma, Ataqurahman Patil
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Publication number: 20210250628Abstract: A device may receive content data identifying television schedules for content to be provided for viewing in a first geographic location and a second geographic location, and may identify a first available time slot for content in the first geographic location and a second available time slot for content in the second geographic location. The device may identify a first set of content for the first available time slot and a second set of content for the second available time slot, and may assign values to the first and second sets. The device may determine whether the values assigned to the first and second sets satisfy a threshold value, and may cause, when a value of an content in the first set fails to satisfy the threshold value, a first client device, in the first geographic location, to obtain a replacement content with a value that satisfies the threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2021Publication date: August 12, 2021Applicant: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Marcelo D. LECHNER, Glenn ALTCHEK, Aakash CHOKSHI, Shashank Shekhar SHARMA, Ataqurahman PATIL
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Patent number: 11019370Abstract: Devices, methods, and storage media provide for identifying, by an ad insertion device, at least one prospect for inserting a selected ad via a set of hidden channels during a target programming timeslot based on ad schedules for a plurality of networks; determining based on hidden channel usage data for a programming timeslot corresponding to the target programming timeslot, that a likelihood of availability of at least one hidden channel of the set of hidden channels during the target programming timeslot exceeds a first threshold level; and sending an instruction to an interface device to insert the selected ad via the at least one hidden channel during the target programming timeslot.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2020Date of Patent: May 25, 2021Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Marcelo D. Lechner, Glenn Altchek, Aakash Chokshi, Srinivas Anumala
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Patent number: 10999616Abstract: A device may receive content data identifying television schedules for content to be provided for viewing in a first geographic location and a second geographic location, and may identify a first available time slot for content in the first geographic location and a second available time slot for content in the second geographic location. The device may identify a first set of content for the first available time slot and a second set of content for the second available time slot, and may assign values to the first and second sets. The device may determine whether the values assigned to the first and second sets satisfy a threshold value, and may cause, when a value of an content in the first set fails to satisfy the threshold value, a first client device, in the first geographic location, to obtain a replacement content with a value that satisfies the threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2020Date of Patent: May 4, 2021Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Marcelo D. Lechner, Glenn Altchek, Aakash Chokshi, Shashank Shekhar Sharma, Ataqurahman Patil
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Publication number: 20200195986Abstract: Devices, methods, and storage media provide for identifying, by an ad insertion device, at least one prospect for inserting a selected ad via a set of hidden channels during a target programming timeslot based on ad schedules for a plurality of networks; determining based on hidden channel usage data for a programming timeslot corresponding to the target programming timeslot, that a likelihood of availability of at least one hidden channel of the set of hidden channels during the target programming timeslot exceeds a first threshold level; and sending an instruction to an interface device to insert the selected ad via the at least one hidden channel during the target programming timeslot.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2020Publication date: June 18, 2020Inventors: Marcelo D. Lechner, Glenn Altchek, Aakash Chokshi, Srinivas Anumala
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Patent number: 10616615Abstract: Devices, methods, and storage media provide for receiving ad schedules for an upcoming programming timeslot for a network lineup; identifying an opportunity to insert a selected ad via a set of hidden channels during the upcoming programming timeslot based on the ad schedules; retrieving, based on the identifying, stored hidden channel usage data for previous programming timeslots that correspond to the upcoming programming timeslot; determining whether an availability likelihood of a hidden channel during the upcoming programming timeslot exceeds a threshold; retrieving, when the threshold is exceeded, ad insertion collision data for the previous programming timeslots; determining, based on the collision data, whether a likelihood of a collision occurring on the hidden channels during the upcoming programming timeslot exceeds another threshold; and sending, when the other threshold is not exceeded, an instruction to a user interface device to insert the selected ad via the hidden channel during the upcomingType: GrantFiled: August 20, 2018Date of Patent: April 7, 2020Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Marcelo D. Lechner, Glenn Altchek, Aakash Chokshi, Srinivas Anumala
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Publication number: 20200059680Abstract: Devices, methods, and storage media provide for receiving ad schedules for an upcoming programming timeslot for a network lineup; identifying an opportunity to insert a selected ad via a set of hidden channels during the upcoming programming timeslot based on the ad schedules; retrieving, based on the identifying, stored hidden channel usage data for previous programming timeslots that correspond to the upcoming programming timeslot; determining whether an availability likelihood of a hidden channel during the upcoming programming timeslot exceeds a threshold; retrieving, when the threshold is exceeded, ad insertion collision data for the previous programming timeslots; determining, based on the collision data, whether a likelihood of a collision occurring on the hidden channels during the upcoming programming timeslot exceeds another threshold; and sending, when the other threshold is not exceeded, an instruction to a user interface device to insert the selected ad via the hidden channel during the upcomingType: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2018Publication date: February 20, 2020Inventors: Marcelo D. Lechner, Glenn Altchek, Aakash Chokshi, Srinivas Anumala
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Patent number: 9788022Abstract: An exemplary method includes a digital advertisement insertion optimization system accessing data that indicates a playback return position at which playback of a media program is to be resumed following insertion of an advertisement in the media program when a first media file comprising the media program encoded in a first media format is used for playback of the media program, analyzing a second media file comprising the media program encoded in a second media format to identify a set of key frames within the second media file, selecting a key frame from the identified set of key frames; and generating data that indicates a new playback return position at which playback of the media program is to be resumed following insertion of an advertisement when the second media file is used for playback of the media program.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2015Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Dongchen Wang, Marcelo D. Lechner, Rory W. Britt
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Publication number: 20170094324Abstract: An exemplary method includes a digital advertisement insertion optimization system accessing data that indicates a playback return position at which playback of a media program is to be resumed following insertion of an advertisement in the media program when a first media file comprising the media program encoded in a first media format is used for playback of the media program, analyzing a second media file comprising the media program encoded in a second media format to identify a set of key frames within the second media file, selecting a key frame from the identified set of key frames; and generating data that indicates a new playback return position at which playback of the media program is to be resumed following insertion of an advertisement when the second media file is used for playback of the media program.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2015Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Dongchen Wang, Marcelo D. Lechner, Rory W. Britt
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Patent number: 9602863Abstract: Devices, methods, and storage media provide for receiving an airing of a program and a national ad; recording the program and the national ad; identifying an age of the national ad; comparing the age of the national ad to a threshold time period; and obtaining a replacement national ad in response to a comparison indicating that the age of the national ad exceeds the threshold time period.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2012Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignee: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.Inventors: Marcelo D. Lechner, Michael P. Ruffini, Jason L. Malamud
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Patent number: 9299089Abstract: A device is configured to receive scheduling information associated with a program. The device is configured to determine a time break, corresponding to an advertisement, associated with the program. The device is configured to receive guide information associated with the program. The device is configured to identify the program based on the guide information and the scheduling information, and generate an advertisement map based on identifying the program and based on the time break. The advertisement map may include information that identifies the time break and the program. The device is configured to provide the advertisement map to a dynamic advertisement insertion system to permit the dynamic advertisement insertion system to replace the advertisement during a subsequent playing of the program.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2013Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.Inventors: Marcelo D. Lechner, Erin Flood, Yehuda Kaplovitz, Daniel S. Elias
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Patent number: 9137272Abstract: One or more servers may receive, from a first server, a first list of timeslots; receive, from a second server, a second list of timeslots; store the first list of timeslots and the second list of timeslots to form a shared list of timeslots; receive an update to the shared list of timeslots by the first server or by the second server; store the update to the shared list of timeslots; receive a first schedule from the first server; and receive a second schedule from the second server. The first server may generate the first schedule and the second server may generate the second schedule based on information stored by the shared list of timeslots. The one or more servers may provide a particular content file to a user device in accordance with information associated with the first schedule or the second schedule.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2012Date of Patent: September 15, 2015Assignee: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.Inventors: Marcelo D. Lechner, Lily F. Chen
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Publication number: 20150172737Abstract: A device is configured to receive scheduling information associated with a program. The device is configured to determine a time break, corresponding to an advertisement, associated with the program. The device is configured to receive guide information associated with the program. The device is configured to identify the program based on the guide information and the scheduling information, and generate an advertisement map based on identifying the program and based on the time break. The advertisement map may include information that identifies the time break and the program. The device is configured to provide the advertisement map to a dynamic advertisement insertion system to permit the dynamic advertisement insertion system to replace the advertisement during a subsequent playing of the program.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2013Publication date: June 18, 2015Applicant: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Marcelo D. LECHNER, Erin FLOOD, Yehuda KAPLOVITZ, Daniel S. ELIAS
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Patent number: 8949888Abstract: Systems, apparatus, methods and computer readable mediums for efficient and unconstrained information distribution and IP multicasting are provided. An exemplary method may include receiving, from a set top box, information indicative of criteria associated with targeted advertisement; and determining, at a set top box, whether the criteria corresponds to a characteristic of a household at which the criteria is received. The method may also include joining, from a set top box, a multicast group associated with the criteria in the event the criteria is determined to correspond to the characteristic of the household at which the criteria is received. The method may also include receiving, via multicast, at a set top box, the targeted advertisement associated with the criteria; and displaying, at a video display device, the targeted advertisement. The exemplary method may allow efficient and unconstrained information distribution leading to improved application quality and performance.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2008Date of Patent: February 3, 2015Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Armando Paul Stettner, Marcelo D. Lechner, Michael Patrick Ruffini, Harpal Singh Bassali
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Methods and systems for synchronizing delivery of media content streams having different resolutions
Patent number: 8856823Abstract: An exemplary method includes processing a first program stream representative of media content having a first resolution and a second program stream representative of the media content having a second resolution, generating a single advertisement stream representative of advertisement content having a third resolution, detecting a transmission lag between the first and second program streams, dynamically synchronizing the first and second program streams to substantially remove the detected transmission lag, transmitting the synchronized first program stream by way of a first content channel, the synchronized second program stream by way of a second content channel, and the advertisement stream by way of an advertisement channel, and directing a media content access device to switch from being tuned to the second content channel to being tuned to the advertisement channel during an advertising break in the media content. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2010Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Harpal S. Bassali, Armando P. Stettner, Michael P. Ruffini, Marcelo D. Lechner -
Patent number: 8825765Abstract: A first game server is configured to provide a game to a first category of user device. A second game server is configured to provide the game to a second category of user device. A game manager is configured to receive a request from a user device for the game application and to assign the request to one of the first game server and the second game server according to whether the user device is included in the first category of user device or the second category of user device.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2007Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignees: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc., Verizon Services Organization Inc., Verizon Services Corp.Inventors: Christina Fyock, Mansey K. Amin, Brent Simon, Harpal S. Bassali, Marcelo D. Lechner, Robert Beckwith, Rick Utley, Stella Alvo, Kristopher T. Frazier
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Publication number: 20140172966Abstract: One or more servers may receive, from a first server, a first list of timeslots; receive, from a second server, a second list of timeslots; store the first list of timeslots and the second list of timeslots to form a shared list of timeslots; receive an update to the shared list of timeslots by the first server or by the second server; store the update to the shared list of timeslots; receive a first schedule from the first server; and receive a second schedule from the second server. The first server may generate the first schedule and the second server may generate the second schedule based on information stored by the shared list of timeslots. The one or more servers may provide a particular content file to a user device in accordance with information associated with the first schedule or the second schedule.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2012Publication date: June 19, 2014Applicant: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Marcelo D. LECHNER, Lily F. CHEN
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Patent number: 8750115Abstract: Media units are stored in a buffer, wherein an importance rating is assigned to each of the media units. At least some of the media units are selectively flushed from the buffer based on the importance rating.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2007Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Harpal S. Bassali, Marcelo D. Lechner, Nosherwan Minwalla, Raul Aldrey