Abstract: A system and method are provided for processing a request for crowd data for a large geographic area. In one embodiment, a central system, which includes one or more servers, operates to obtain current locations for users of mobile devices and form crowds of three or more users based on the current locations of the users. In order to provide access to crowd data for crowds for a large geographic area, the central system receives a request for crowd data from a requesting device, establishes a bounding region for the request, and identifies one or more starting points within the bounding region for the request. Crowds are identified, crowd data for the crowds is generated, and the crowd data is returned to the requesting device in an iterative manner for a series of two or more outwardly radiating, concentric geographic regions centered at the one or more starting points.

Abstract: Systems and methods for presenting a content summary of a media item to a user based on a position within the media item are disclosed herein. According to an aspect, a method may include receiving identification of a position within a media item residing on an electronic device. For example, the identified position may be a bookmarked position within an e-book residing on an e-book reader. The method may also include generating a content summary for a portion of the media item based on the identified position. For example, an electronic device may dynamically generate a content summary based on content of the e-book that precedes a bookmarked position. The method may also include presenting the content summary to a user of the electronic device. For example, a display of an electronic device may be controlled to present a content summary to a reader of an e-book.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for associating contextual information with data identifying a geographic location. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication originating from the geographic location may be received at a computing device. In response to receiving the communication originating from the geographic location, the contextual information may be presented to the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for obtaining look-ahead segments for a streaming media item during playback such that the viewer can easily skip to the look-ahead segments without experiencing any substantial interruption or delay in playback. In general, a streaming media source begins streaming a media item to a streaming media client for playback. In one embodiment, the streaming media client selects one or more segments of the media item as one or more look-ahead segments to prefetch from the streaming media source. Then, while the media item is being streamed to the streaming media client for playback, the streaming media client prefetches the one or more look-ahead segments of the media item from the streaming media source. The look-ahead segments are thereafter utilized to enable the viewer to skip ahead in playback without experiencing a substantial interruption or delay in playback.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for initiating communications with contacts based on a communication specification. According to an aspect, a method may include receiving a communication specification. The communication specification may include identification of one or more contacts, a communication persistence parameter, a geographic location, an event, a date, and a communication channel. The method may also include determining one or more contacts based on the communication specification. Further, the method may include initiating multiple communications with the contacts via at least one communication channel. A communication channel may be a telephone call, an email, a text message, an instant message, and the like.

Abstract: A user-controlled application-based power management function is provided for a battery-operated device. In general, for each of a number of applications of the battery-operated device, a power management function enables a user of the battery-operated device to provide a desired amount of usage of the application for each of one or more tasks. For each task, an estimated amount of battery life to provide the desired amount of usage of the application for the task and whether the estimated amount of battery life is available is determined.

Abstract: Systems and devices are disclosed for monitoring and controlling usage of media content by blocking usage of media segments. In one embodiment, usage data defining usage, or consumption, of the media content is obtained. A pattern in media segments in the media content based on the usage data is detected when the media segments satisfy at least one defined criterion and are consumed at least a predefined threshold amount. Usage of at least one of the media segments is blocked. In one embodiment, one or more additional media segments accessible to the one or more media devices that are similar to the at least one of the one or more media segments for which usage is blocked at the one or more media devices is identified. Usage of at least one of the one or more additional media segments at the one or more media devices is blocked.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for initiating communications with contacts based on a communication specification. According to an aspect, a method may include receiving a communication specification. The communication specification may include identification of one or more contacts, a communication persistence parameter, a geographic location, an event, a date, and a communication channel. The method may also include determining one or more contacts based on the communication specification. Further, the method may include initiating multiple communications with the contacts via at least one communication channel. A communication channel may be a telephone call, an email, a text message, an instant message, and the like.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to assist a caller and a callee in establishing successful telephonic communications. In embodiments of the systems and methods, a telephonic call set-up network node or a callee user device of the callee may receive a call set-up request to establish a telephonic call between the caller user device of the caller and the callee user device. If the call-set up request is determined to be unsuccessful, one or more proximate user devices nearby the callee user device may be identified. Another telephonic call may be induced, this time between the caller user device and one of the proximate user devices identified to be nearby the callee user device. In this manner, success telephonic communications may be established despite the callee not being able to answer the callee user device during the original telephonic call set-up request.

Abstract: A user-controlled application-based power management function is provided for a battery-operated device. In general, for each of a number of applications of the battery-operated device, a power management function enables a user of the battery-operated device to provide a usage parameter for the application defining a desired amount of usage of the application for each of one or more tasks. For each task, the power management function determines an estimated amount of battery life that is sufficient to provide the desired amount of usage of the application for the task and determines whether the estimated amount of battery life is available. If the estimated amount of battery life is available, the power management function allocates an amount of battery life corresponding to the estimated amount of battery life to the application for the task.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for associating communication information with a geographic location-aware contact entry. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include identifying a geographic location. The method may also include receiving a communication including identification information and originating from the geographic location. Further, the method may include associating the identification information with a contact entry.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for associating contextual information with data identifying a geographic location. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication originating from the geographic location may be received at a computing device. In response to receiving the communication originating from the geographic location, the contextual information may be presented to the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing advance content alerts during playback of a media item. In one embodiment, upcoming content in the media item is analyzed based on a received advance content alert configuration. Content is detected that substantially satisfies the received advanced content alert configuration. An advance content alert is generated for the upcoming content based upon the detection of the upcoming content that substantially satisfies the received advanced content alert configuration. The advance content alert is provided prior to playback of the upcoming content. Providing the advance content alert can be providing the advance content alert prior to playback of the upcoming content to a mobile device providing the advanced content alert configuration. Providing the advance content alert can be inserting the advance content alert into the media item during playback such that the advance content alert is presented prior to playback of the upcoming content.

Abstract: Devices are disclosed for providing a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for representing a reference item and a number of items of interest. In one embodiment, each item of interest is assigned to one of a number of concentric regions in a two-dimensional geographic space based on the location and one or more attributes of the item of interest. The concentric regions in the two-dimensional geographic space are centered at a location in the two-dimensional space that corresponds to the reference item. A GUI is generated includes concentric display regions that correspond to the concentric regions in the two-dimensional geographic space, where a select concentric display region provides an expanded view of the items of interest located within the corresponding region in the two-dimensional geographic space and the remaining concentric display region(s) provide collapsed view(s) of the items of interest in the corresponding region(s) of the two-dimensional geographic space.

Abstract: Systems and devices are disclosed for monitoring and controlling usage of media content by blocking usage of media segments. In one embodiment, usage data defining usage, or consumption, of the media content is obtained. A pattern in media segments in the media content based on the usage data is detected when the media segments satisfy at least one defined criterion and are consumed at least a predefined threshold amount. Usage of at least one of the media segments is blocked. In one embodiment, one or more additional media segments accessible to the one or more media devices that are similar to the at least one of the one or more media segments for which usage is blocked at the one or more media devices is identified. Usage of at least one of the one or more additional media segments at the one or more media devices is blocked.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for representing a reference item and a number of items of interest. In one embodiment, each item of interest is assigned to one of a number of concentric regions in a two-dimensional space based on one or more attributes of the item of interest. The concentric regions in the two-dimensional space are centered at a location in the two-dimensional space that corresponds to the reference item. A GUI is then generated such that the GUI includes concentric display regions that correspond to the concentric regions in the two-dimensional space, where a select concentric display region provides an expanded view of the items of interest located within the corresponding region in the two-dimensional space and the remaining concentric display region(s) provide collapsed view(s) of the items of interest in the corresponding region(s) of the two-dimensional space.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for enabling an administrator to monitor and control usage of media content in a locale. In one embodiment, the locale includes one or more media devices that have access to media content from one or more local and/or remote content sources. Usage data defining usage of the media content by a user is obtained. A pattern including two or more media segments consumed by the user is detected based on the usage data and one or more predefined pattern detection rules. The administrator is then enabled to review the pattern and choose whether to block usage. Usage of at least one of the media segments included in the pattern is then blocked at the one or more media devices at the locale in response to the administrator choosing to block usage of the at least one of the media segments included in the pattern.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a Wide Area Network (WAN) based home theater system. In one embodiment, a home theater at a subscriber premises includes multiple home theater components, which include multiple audio playback components and a video playback component. Each home theater component is enabled to receive data from and send data to a virtualized home theater service via a WAN. In operation, each home theater component receives an appropriate media content stream for the home theater component from the virtualized home theater service via the WAN and provides playback of the media content stream according to the absolute playback timestamps for the media content stream.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a Wide Area Network (WAN) based home theater system. In one embodiment, a home theater at a subscriber premises includes multiple home theater components, which include multiple audio playback components and a video playback component. Each home theater component is enabled to receive data from and send data to a virtualized home theater service via a WAN. In operation, each home theater component receives an appropriate media content stream for the home theater component from the virtualized home theater service via the WAN and provides playback of the media content stream according to the absolute playback timestamps for the media content stream.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for associating communication information with a geographic location-aware contact entry. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include identifying a geographic location. The method may also include receiving a communication including identification information and originating from the geographic location. Further, the method may include associating the identification information with a contact entry.