Specific To Individual User Or Household Patents (Class 725/34)
  • Patent number: 11943288
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that downloads content to a local device using a decentralized content distribution network is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives a request from an application to download content using the decentralized content distribution network. In addition, the device determines a plurality of nodes in the decentralized content distribution network to download the content. For each of the plurality of nodes, the device attempts to establish communications between the device and that node. In addition, the device downloads a portion of the content from that node if communication is established between the local device and that node, wherein the size of the portion is based on at least a characteristic of that node. Furthermore, the device downloads a portion of the content from a proxy if communication cannot be established between the local device and that node, wherein the size of the portion is based on at least a characteristic of that proxy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: CLOSTRA, INC.
    Inventors: Stanislav Shalunov, Gregory Hazel
  • Patent number: 11917240
    Abstract: Methods, systems, devices, and computer-program products are described herein for providing dynamic content serving. The dynamic content serving technology can identify, in real-time, programming arriving at a client device, identify the specific segment being received, and determine which pre-stored video segment may be used to replace the identified segment. A dynamic content controller component can also identify what devices, in addition to the client device, may also be served with supplemental information either related or unrelated to the program currently displayed on the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: INSCAPE DATA, INC.
    Inventors: Zeev Neumeier, W. Leo Hoarty
  • Patent number: 11917231
    Abstract: A method and system for adjustment of replacement content duration in content modification operations. An example method includes determining a duration of a modifiable content segment in a media sequence being received by a content-presentation device. The example method then includes selecting a supplemental content segment based on the selected supplemental content segment having a duration within a predefined threshold range of the determined duration of the modifiable content segment. The example method further includes altering the duration of the selected supplemental content segment to be the same as the duration of the modifiable content segment. And, the example method includes causing the altered supplemental content segment to be transmitted to the content-presentation device to facilitate dynamic replacement of the modifiable content segment with the altered supplemental content segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew George Grover
  • Patent number: 11907279
    Abstract: A method may include in response to a user request for a playlist, identifying, by a processing device, a plurality of media items from the playlist, for each of the plurality of media items, determining whether a respective media item is available for a playback on a user device, in response to a determination that the respective media item is not available for the playback on the user device, causing the use device to advance to a next media item on the playlist without user interaction, and in response to a determination that the respective media item is available for the playback on the user device, causing the user device to play the respective media item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Justin Lewis, Ruxandra Georgiana Paun
  • Patent number: 11904240
    Abstract: An online gaming system for providing online game content to users based presentation control device. The system may comprise one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules including: a game module configured to execute an instance of an online game and to implement the instance of the online game to facilitate participation of users in the online game via presentation control devices; a user module configured to manage content sets corresponding to the individual users; a presentation control device module configured to manage game content sets corresponding to presentation control devices; a detection module configured to detect users physically present at the presentation control devices; and a content module configure to: determine appropriate content sets which are to be made available for participation by the users, and effectuate presentation of the game content to facilitate participation of the users in the determined appropriate game content sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Electronic Arts Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford J. Harrington, Kent Wakeford
  • Patent number: 11900419
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for detecting and correlating content consumption, e.g., viewing of programs and/or accessing websites, across platforms of different types are described. Content consumption, e.g., requests and/or streaming is monitored and recorded on a per subscriber basis for a wide variety of platforms, e.g., set boxes, IP content playback devices such as cell phones or pad devices with IP streaming support, and/or other devices. Web site access and corresponding content consumption is determined based on DNS requests thereby avoiding the need for monitoring at web site servers and allowing centralized monitoring of web site access operations in the form of DNS requests to be detected by a Web service provider who, at least in some embodiments, is also a content provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: TIME WARNER CABLE ENTERPRISES LLC
    Inventors: Chris Roosenraad, Ethan Lawrence Wolf, Craig Engel, Justin Tidwell
  • Patent number: 11863801
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes techniques for generating live streaming video data and playing live streaming video. The techniques comprise obtaining live broadcasting video data; identifying a target object in a video frame; determining a target area based on the target object in the video frame; encoding data indicative of the target area based on a predetermined format for supplementary enhancement information to obtain encoded target area data; and adding the encoded target area data to a data packet corresponding to the video frame, wherein the data packet is encoded based on a predetermined video data format, and wherein the predetermined video data format and the predetermined format for supplementary enhancement information are mutually compatible data encoding formats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: SHANGHAI BILIBILI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Jiang, Junwei Zhu, Yongfang Qin
  • Patent number: 11849165
    Abstract: Systems and methods are configured to manage streaming video content. A first time length specification for a content pod is accessed. If a determination is made that a response to a request for ancillary content of a duration corresponding to the first time length of the content pod includes ancillary content of insufficient duration to populate the first time length of the content pod, the content pod time length is reduced. Ancillary content items associated with the response to the request are streamed to a user device as part of a streaming channel comprising primary content having scheduled start times. A primary content item, having a scheduled start time, is streamed to the user device after the items of ancillary content, and earlier than the scheduled start time of the item of primary content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Pluto Inc.
    Inventors: Spencer Shanson, Pavlo Kalmykov Vasilievich, Jonathan Michael Jesperson, Adrian Chiu, Bryan Randall Fish, Jonathan Jovan Gwiazda, Sonia Priya Hashim
  • Patent number: 11842379
    Abstract: The computing device obtains a training data set related to a plurality of historic user inputs associated with preferences of one or more services or items from an entity. For each of the one or more services or items, the computing device executes operations to train a plurality of models using the training data set to generate a plurality of recommended models, apply a validation data set to generate a plurality of predictions from the plurality of recommended models, obtain a weight of each metric of a plurality of metrics from the entity, obtain user inputs associated with user preferences, and determine a relevancy score for each metric. The computing device selects a recommended model based on the relevancy score of the selected metric or a combination of selected metrics, generates one or more recommendations for the users, and outputs the one or more generated recommendations to the users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: SAS Institute Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Lee Walker, Hardi Desai, Xuejun Liao, Varunraj Valsaraj
  • Patent number: 11805301
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses for outputting secondary media assets are disclosed. One or more secondary media assets may be associated with objects already existing within a first media asset. The one or more secondary media assets may be indicated according to a manifest file and may be output during execution of a trick play command during output of the first media asset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Leslie Chapman, Barry Mcmillan, Leemay Nassery, Austin Wells
  • Patent number: 11782947
    Abstract: A method and apparatus that recommends a feature from a data set. The method includes performing a first conversion on the data set including one target variable and a plurality of feature variables by converting a missing value for each of the feature variables into a preset constant, executing a first algorithm to determine a level of redundancy of the plurality of feature variables, using the data set converted by the first conversion and producing first recommendation information that includes a predetermined number of feature variables selected based on a result of the executing the first algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jaesun Shin, Ki Hyo Moon
  • Patent number: 11785305
    Abstract: According to examples, a system for identifying target users in a content item from a first location and distributing the content item to a second location may include a processor and a memory storing instructions. The processor, when executing the instructions, may cause the system to receive information associated with a content item published in a first location and receive information associated with a target user associated with the content item. The processor may further determine, based on the information associated with the content item and the information associated with the target user, if the content item should be distributed to a second location. The processor may then prepare the content item for distribution to the second location and distribute the content item to the second location to publish a distributed content item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: META PLATFORMS, INC.
    Inventor: Rakesh Ravuru
  • Patent number: 11769179
    Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) receiving, by a computing system, from a content-presentation device a request for supplemental content for a content-replacement operation, with the request including an identifier of a stored replacement advertisement segment; (ii) selecting, by the computing system, a replacement advertisement segment for output by the content-presentation device in place of a modifiable advertisement segment; (iii) determining, by the computing system, that the selected replacement advertisement segment is different from the stored replacement advertisement segment; (iv) determining, by the computing system, whether the stored replacement advertisement segment is a valid replacement for the content-replacement operation; (v) determining, by the computing system, that the content-presentation device should output the selected replacement advertisement segment instead of outputting the stored replacement advertisement segment; and (vi) causing, by the computing system, the selec
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: ROKU, INC.
    Inventor: Matthew Grover
  • Patent number: 11757964
    Abstract: Techniques for serving a manifest file of an adaptive streaming video include receiving a request for the manifest file from a user device. The video is encoded at different reference bitrates and each encoded reference bitrate is divided into segments to generate video segment files. The manifest file includes an ordered list of universal resource locators (URLs) that reference a set of video segment files encoded at a particular reference bitrate. A source manifest file that indicates the set of video segment files is identified based on the request. An issued manifest file that includes a first URL and a second URL is generated based on the source manifest file. The first URL references a first domain and the second URL references a second domain that is different from the first domain. The issued manifest file is transmitted to the user device as a response to the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: DLVR, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Gordon, David Morel
  • Patent number: 11743560
    Abstract: A method is provided for generating a media descriptor file for first streaming media content. The method is performed in a file generator and comprises the steps: obtaining metadata for the first streaming media content, the metadata comprising a reference to a media descriptor file for second streaming media content, the second streaming media content being separate from the first streaming media content; and generating the media descriptor file comprising the metadata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Hans Hannu, Tommy Arngren, Peter Ökvist
  • Patent number: 11736549
    Abstract: A method is performed at a network device including a plurality of network interfaces. The method includes obtaining a first source adaptive bitrate (ABR) asset and a second source ABR asset. The method includes encoding the first source ABR asset in order to generate a first plurality of video representations, and encoding the second source ABR asset in order to generate a second plurality of video representations. The method includes providing, to a first client device, a first one of the first plurality of video representations. The method includes, in response to detecting satisfaction of a source change condition with respect to the first client device, providing, to the first client device, a first one of the second plurality of video representations, and ceasing to provide the first one of the first plurality of video representations to the first client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Synamedia Limited
    Inventors: Thomas Paul Burnley, Einav Rivni, Uziel Joseph Harband, Avi Fruchter
  • Patent number: 11727330
    Abstract: In response to receiving a text describing a news event, a centralized information provider applies semantic rules to the text to determine to which client attributes the text corresponds. The centralized information provider retrieves, from an electronic database, (i) identifiers for multiple clients, (ii) a set of client attributes for each of the clients, and (iii) for each of the clients, an identifier of a respective service provider. The centralized information provider then generates a metric of relevance of the news event for each of the clients, based on the client attributes of the client and the client attributes to which the text was determined to correspond. The centralized information provider transmits, to at least one service provider, an electronic alert message descriptive of the news event and an indication of a set of clients of the service provider for distribution to some or all of the set of clients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignees: CCH AUSTRALIA LIMITED, WOLTERS KLUWER UNITED STATES INC.
    Inventors: Jane E. Lovell, William S. Flannery
  • Patent number: 11711575
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to correct misattributions of media impressions are disclosed. An example method includes obtaining first demographic-based impressions via a beacon transmitted in response to access to content by a first set of panelists, obtaining, from a database proprietor, second demographic-based impressions of the content on a second set of persons, forming a pseudo-inverse matrix determined based in part on the first impressions, and having a truncated value and a damped value to form third demographic-based impressions of the content on the second set of persons based on the second impressions, and computing at least partially corrected demographic-based impressions values by multiplying a vector of database proprietor impression data by the pseudo-inverse matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Anil Pratap Singh, Matthew VanLandeghem, Lindsey Rabhan
  • Patent number: 11711562
    Abstract: There is included a method and apparatus comprising computer code configured to cause a processor or processors to perform publishing media presentation description data comprising main live program data, and signaling a client device about ad data and in-manifest data where the ad data instructs the client device of an initial end time at which to end a display of an ad by switching a display at the client device from the ad to the main live program data and where the in-manifest data instructs the client device to determine, during a streaming of the ad to the client device, an updated end time, prior to the end time, at which to end the streaming of the ad by switching the streaming at the client device from the ad to the main live program data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: TENCENT AMERICA LLC
    Inventor: Iraj Sodagar
  • Patent number: 11709996
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media can train a sequence model to output respective captions, or portions of captions, for content items. A determination can be made that a user of the social networking system is posting a content item for publication through a social networking system. A set of captions, or portions of captions, can be determined for the content item being posted based at least in part on the sequence model. The set of captions, or portions of captions, can be provided as suggestions to the user for use in a caption describing the content item being posted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc.
    Inventors: Anitha Kannan, Yuandong Tian, Yann Nicolas Dauphin
  • Patent number: 11695995
    Abstract: A media content management system that enables users to manage media content collections is disclosed. A media device is configured to receive requests to create media content collections for particular media content and, in response, to retrieve information related to the media content, and to generate one or more interfaces displaying information about created media content collections. In an embodiment, retrieving information related to a media content may include determining, for one or more episodes of the media content, whether the episode is available from various content sources, including both broadcast and broadband content sources. By enabling a media device to automatically retrieve and present information related to the availability of media content episodes across any number of different broadcast and broadband sources, users can more easily interact with and view information about particular media content of interest to the users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Margret Schmidt, Alex Liston, Nicholas Lovell, Richard Alcazar
  • Patent number: 11689302
    Abstract: A server system accesses a profile of a user of the media-providing service. The profile indicates a demographic group of the user. For each media item of a plurality of media items, the server system determines a year associated with the media item. The server system selects content for the user based at least in part on an affinity of members of the demographic group, as compared to members of other demographic groups, for content from the year associated with the media item. The server system provides the selected content to a client device associated with the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Spotify AB
    Inventors: Clay Gibson, Santiago Gil, Ian Anderson, Oguz Semerci, Scott Wolf, Margreth Mpossi
  • Patent number: 11683548
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for dynamically displaying hyperlinks in a video based on various factors associated with a device at which the video is played and/or a user of the device. In one or more aspects, a system includes a request component configured to receive a request to play a video hosted by a media provider. The system further includes a selection component configured to select a subset of links included in a set of links associated with the video to provide with the video when it is played in response to the request based in part on a number of links included in the set of links, wherein graphical elements respectively representative of the links included in the subset of links are configured to be displayed over the video when the video is played in response to the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Justin Lewis, Ruxandra Georgiana Paun
  • Patent number: 11681539
    Abstract: A method, computer system, and a computer program product for AR guidance is provided. The present invention may include detecting a plurality of objects in a video recording associated with completing a task. The present invention may include generating a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) object models based on scanning a plurality of real objects in a task space. The present invention may include matching the detected plurality of objects in the video recording with the generated plurality of 3D object models representing the plurality of real objects in the task space. The present invention may include generating, based on the video recording, an augmented reality (AR) guidance model for completing the task, wherein the generated AR guidance model replaces the detected plurality of objects in the video recording with the generated plurality of 3D object models representing the plurality of real objects in the task space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zhe Yan, Li Li Guan, Hao Jia Li, Rong Zhao, Li Bo Zhang
  • Patent number: 11669354
    Abstract: A method, computer system, and a computer program product for AR guidance is provided. The present invention may include detecting a plurality of objects in a video recording associated with completing a task. The present invention may include generating a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) object models based on scanning a plurality of real objects in a task space. The present invention may include matching the detected plurality of objects in the video recording with the generated plurality of 3D object models representing the plurality of real objects in the task space. The present invention may include generating, based on the video recording, an augmented reality (AR) guidance model for completing the task, wherein the generated AR guidance model replaces the detected plurality of objects in the video recording with the generated plurality of 3D object models representing the plurality of real objects in the task space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zhe Yan, Li Li Guan, Hao Jia Li, Rong Zhao, Li Bo Zhang
  • Patent number: 11671652
    Abstract: In a substitutional media system, one of a set of media items is selected at a programme receiver for output within a predefined programming slot, based on profile data available at the receiver. Sets of the media items are scheduled to slots according to one or more constraints pertaining to that slot and/or to media items scheduled to other slots. The receiver may select a media item for output in a slot by resolving constraints with media items scheduled to other slots, or selected for output in other slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Inventors: Christopher John Patten, Christopher David Caines, Jeffrey Russell Eales, Herve Murret-Labarthe
  • Patent number: 11659225
    Abstract: Systems and methods for targeted television commercials based on viewer presence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: DISH Network L.L.C.
    Inventor: Jason Michael Anguiano
  • Patent number: 11646894
    Abstract: A method for securely broadcasting information to a group of undisclosed recipients. The information in an information system is encoded by applying a hash function to a group of messages to form the information stream, wherein portions of the information in the information stream are intended for respective ones of the group of undisclosed recipients. The information is encoded such that that only an intended recipient can decode a portion of the information intended for the intended recipient. The information stream is broadcasted to the group of undisclosed recipients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nicholas S. Kersting, Bodhisatwa Sadhu
  • Patent number: 11636367
    Abstract: One example method of operation may include identifying a number of features associated with information of one or more entities, accessing a probability distribution store comprising defined numerical ranges as potential possibilities for being paired with the features of the one or more entities, determining first probability distributions for each of the defined numerical ranges indicating probabilities that each defined numerical range is assigned to each entity having one or more of the features, determining second probability distributions for each of the defined numerical ranges indicating probabilities that each defined numerical range is assigned to each entity having one or more additional features, determining a merged probability distribution based on the first probability distributions and the second probability distributions, determining and storing one or more prediction sets based on the merged probability distribution, selecting one or more content items to display on a device interface based
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Zoomph, Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Reza Manouchehri, Jorge Luis Vasquez, Thomas Mathew, John William Seaman, Lee Evan Kohn
  • Patent number: 11636855
    Abstract: An example computing system that maintains a playlist of media items for playback by one or more playback devices receives, from a first playback device, a request to play back the playlist and first operational data and also receives, from a second playback device, a request to play back the playlist and second operational data. The computing system provides the media items in the playlist to the first and second playback devices for substantially synchronous playback and, based on the first and second operational data, determines respective first and second advertisements. The computing system provides the first advertisement to the first playback device for playback during a given time slot designated for advertisements, and also provides the second advertisement to the second playback device for playback during the given time slot, such that the second playback device plays the second advertisement while the first playback device plays the first advertisement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Inventors: Ryan Taylor, Dmitri Siegel, Helen McDermott
  • Patent number: 11637884
    Abstract: Provided are methods and systems for inserting custom content. An example method can comprise receiving, at a first computing device, an insertion instruction over a first non-packet-switching protocol information stream. The method can also comprise querying, by the first computing device, a second computing device in response to receiving the insertion instruction. The method can further comprise receiving, at the first computing device, content over a packet-switching protocol information stream in response to querying the second computing device. The content can be customized for an end-user associated with the first computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory Allen Broome, Jason Burgess, Richard Fliam
  • Patent number: 11622152
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for indicating whether a scene in a media asset corresponds to a scene for which a scene change was previously requested. A media player client monitors scene sequences in a media asset to anticipate whether the user will initiate a scene change request based on historical scene change data. In response to detecting a scene sequence for which the user is expected to request a scene change, the media player client determines whether a scene change is necessary and outputs an indication of whether a scene change is recommended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
    Inventors: Vishwas Sharadanagar Panchaksharaiah, Vikram Makam Gupta
  • Patent number: 11606591
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for coordinating the display of content segments in linear TV devices and over-the-top (OTT) media devices. A controller can select a content segment from a plurality of content segments of linear TV content provided to a plurality of linear TV devices to be displayed at a TV channel at a scheduled time instance. The controller can further select an OTT time instance separated from the scheduled time instance by a predetermined time interval, and provide a copy of the selected content segment to one or more media devices to be displayed at the one or more media devices at the OTT time instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: ROKU, INC.
    Inventor: Matthew George Grover
  • Patent number: 11599910
    Abstract: A retail ticking system including a processing unit, a web services server for receiving sent messages from a terminal client device and delivering presentation data to the terminal, a credential server for receiving and verifying a processed credential access request, a profile management server for storing and retrieving user information, and a message broker adapted to receive and manage event messages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Last Yard Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Christopher Geoffrey Stoyles
  • Patent number: 11601720
    Abstract: Methods, systems, computer readable media, and apparatuses are disclosed for providing event messages to a user. The event messages may include video data or a link to video of the event. In some variations, a user or content provider may define criteria for the event messages that are to be displayed to the user. The event messages may be stored so that a user may be able to browse through the stored event messages and decide when to view the video of the event. Upon a user's selection of the event message, the video of the event may be displayed to the user on the same display device or another display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Leslie Eugene Chipman, Amit Bagga, Jenny Jiang, Anita Eradla, Scot Zola
  • Patent number: 11599914
    Abstract: Disclosed is delivering and closing out viewership priced spots in zoned cable delivery of linear TV, assembling past measured viewership data within a zone for a TV spot in a program, by aggregating records and augmenting aggregated logs with viewers' demographic data. This includes running an automated auction for advertising, at five minutes or less before airtime, announcing the spot, providing the past viewership data augmented with demographic data, with bids accepted for a rate, accepting and selecting a winning bid, provisioning an ad corresponding to the winning bid rate for an operator to deliver to the zone, after selecting the bid and before the airtime. After airing the ad, included is processing collected delivery logs within ten minutes of receipt, calculating current measured viewership during the spot, calculating an extended price, and reporting to a winning bidder the extended price, within six hours of airing the ad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Beachfront Media LLC
    Inventors: Richard Shea, Daniel Church, Frank Sinton
  • Patent number: 11594258
    Abstract: Described herein is a method and system for automated, context sensitive and non-intrusive insertion of consumer-adaptive content in video. It assesses ‘context’ in the video that a consumer is viewing through multiple modalities and metadata about the video. The method and system described herein analyzes relevance for a consumer based on multiple factors such as the profile information of the end-user, history of the content, social media and consumer interests and professional or educational background, through patterns from multiple sources. The system also implements local-context through search techniques for localizing sufficiently large, homogenous regions in the image that do not obfuscate protagonists or objects in focus but are viable candidate regions for insertion for the intended content. This makes relevant, curated content available to a user in the most effortless manner without hampering the viewing experience of the main video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: PES UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Gowri Srinivasa, Atmik Ajoy, Dhanya Gowrish, Chethan U Mahindrakar
  • Patent number: 11589099
    Abstract: Systems and methods for updating advertisements embedded in a media asset scheduled for download at a future time. The media guidance application may receive a request from a user to download a media asset at a future time, where the media asset includes a plurality of embedded advertisements. The media guidance application may determine whether to update an embedded advertisement in the plurality of embedded advertisements. After determining to update the embedded advertisement, the media guidance application may replace the embedded advertisement with an updated advertisement in the media asset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
    Inventors: Milan Indu Patel, Hyok Cho, Young-Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 11575948
    Abstract: A method for automatic selection of video sequences to fill a break in a broadcasted program, including determining an estimated duration of the break (bi) and selecting from a collection of videos, such as advertisements, a sequence of videos to be played out. The sequence has a second duration which is shorter than the estimated duration and the selection depends on broadcast priority criteria associated with at least some of said videos. The method also includes broadcasting the sequence of videos and broadcasting a fill-in video signal until the end of the break.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: AD INSERTION PLATFORM SÀRL
    Inventor: Laurent Potesta
  • Patent number: 11570063
    Abstract: A Quality of Experience (QoE) optimization system and method are provided. An electronic device inputs key performance indicators (KPIs) and system control parameters collected from a core network, a base station and a user equipment (UE) into a QoE optimization model. The QoE optimization model then optimizes the system control parameters based on the KPIs and a user QoE fed back from the UE to output optimized system control parameters. Furthermore, a strategy emulator controls at least one of a base station emulator and a UE emulator, so as to emulate the QoE optimization model using the at least one of the base station emulator and the UE emulator. Non-real-time optimization adjustments to the QoE optimization model are made based on the result of the emulation performed by the at least one of the base station emulator and the UE emulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
    Inventors: Ta-Sung Lee, En-Cheng Liou, Yu-Chien Lin, Ting-Yen Kuo, Ching-Hsiang Lin
  • Patent number: 11570525
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems related to production of a movie, a TV show or a multimedia content are described. In one example aspect, a system for producing a multimedia digital content includes a pre-production subsystem configured to receive information about a storyline, cameras, cast, and other assets for the content from a user. The pre-production subsystem is configured to generate one or more machine-readable scripts that include information about one or more advertisements. The system includes a production subsystem configured to receive the one or more machine-readable scripts from the pre-production system to obtain a footage according to the storyline. The production subsystem is further configured to embed one or markers corresponding to the one or more advertisements in the footage. The system also includes a post-production editing subsystem configured to detect the one or more markers embedded in the footage and replace each of the one or more markers with a corresponding advertising target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: WeMovie Technologies
    Inventors: Xiubo Wu, Xidong Wu
  • Patent number: 11550989
    Abstract: A control application of a media playback system controls playback of media content by a media playback system. The application receives, from a media streaming service, a page object that identifies (i) a page format identifier, (ii) page content data, (iii) a set of page elements, and (iv) a respective element format identifier for each page element of the set of page elements. The application determines a first set of formatting rules using the page format identifier and displays a corresponding page that includes the page content data formatted using the first set of formatting rules. The application asynchronously receives media content data identifying media content available for streaming. Based on a respective element format identifier of the page element associated with the media content data, the application determines a second set of formatting rules, which the application uses to update the displayed page to display the media content data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: David Bernstein, Konstantin Vovk, Lee Fyock, Andrew Woodbury, Emilio Arce, Elliot Lawrence
  • Patent number: 11539997
    Abstract: An electronic device associated with a media-providing service receives a first media item and a request, from a second device, for playback of the first media content item. The electronic device determines an insertion time within the first media content item for inserting a second media content item, and generates a queue indicating an order in which a first, second, and third file are to be provided. The first file corresponds to a portion of the first media content item from a start of the first media content item until the insertion time, the second file corresponds to the second media content item, and the third file corresponds to a portion of the first media content item starting at the insertion time. The electronic device generates the files, and queues the second electronic device to play back the first, second, and the third files in accordance with the queue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Spotify AB
    Inventors: Ludvig Asger Borgne, Peter Ingemar Zebühr, Ulrik Sven Gunnar Mikaelsson
  • Patent number: 11533527
    Abstract: Systems and methods are configured to manage streaming video content. A first time length specification for a content pod is accessed. If a determination is made that a response to a request for ancillary content of a duration corresponding to the first time length of the content pod includes ancillary content of insufficient duration to populate the first time length of the content pod, the content pod time length is reduced. Ancillary content items associated with the response to the request are streamed to a user device as part of a streaming channel comprising primary content having scheduled start times. A primary content item, having a scheduled start time, is streamed to the user device after the items of ancillary content, and earlier than the scheduled start time of the item of primary content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Pluto Inc.
    Inventors: Spencer Shanson, Pavlo Kalmykov Vasilievich, Jonathan Michael Jesperson, Adrian Chiu, Bryan Randall Fish, Jonathan Jovan Gwiazda, Sonia Priya Hashim
  • Patent number: 11528512
    Abstract: Video content is evaluated to classify one or more scenes or objects of the video content. The classifications may be evaluated against one or more rules for determining whether to include keywords associated with the classifications for targeting supplemental content. Classifications that satisfy the one or more rules may be used for selection of supplemental associated with one or more keywords Selected supplemental content may be included in video content in a break period following primary content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronnie Dean Gauny, Andrew Christopher Chud, Scott Anthony Siegler
  • Patent number: 11496812
    Abstract: A goal-based method, as disclosed herein, is usable to procure advertising. The method, in an embodiment, includes providing goal data associated with an advertising goal for a plurality of markets. The at least one processor is operable to process advertising inventory data associated with one or more media sources. The advertising inventory data is associated with a plurality of advertising opportunities. The at least one processor is operable to modify at least one of the opportunity sets as a result of the at least one opportunity set deviating from the advertising goal by an extent, and the modification results in a modified opportunity set that deviates from the advertising goal by a lesser extent. The at least one processor is operable to cause an output that identifies the modified opportunity set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Active Media Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Melissa A. Castano, Martin Lhotak
  • Patent number: 11490167
    Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamically skipping a presentation of a portion of segments to catch up to live based on a skippable bit value is disclosed herein. For example, a streaming application generates a content item for live streaming where the content item comprises a plurality of segments. In response to determining that playing of the content item lags behind the live streaming of the content item, the streaming application determines a skippable bit value for a segment that follows the last played segment based on a manifest which includes skippable bit information. If the segment includes a first skippable bit value, requesting data for the segment may be skipped. For a corresponding segment subsequent to the skipped segment, if the corresponding segment includes a second skippable bit, data for the corresponding segment is requested and the corresponding segment is played from a respective network address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Vaibhav Gupta, Ashish Gupta, Rohit Dhiman
  • Patent number: 11483377
    Abstract: Time-based media is distributed and promoted in a social networking environment. Accounts of a social networking system author social media content items (SMCIs) from which a social networking system infers relevance of content to users of those accounts. Content distributors submit time-based media content to the social networking system, which creates distributor SMCIs containing the time-based media content. Accounts are identified to receive distributor SMCIs based on SMCIs previously authored by those accounts as well as identifying information and the subject of the SMCI. Content promoters may add promotional material to distributor SMCIs, which the social networking service sends to additional accounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Twitter, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn Brown, Mike Park, Je Carr
  • Patent number: 11477540
    Abstract: Advertisement preparation methods and systems are shown and disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes reviewing metadata of an advertisement. The metadata includes duration information for the advertisement, and determining actual duration of the advertisement. The method additionally includes determining whether the duration information matches the actual duration of the advertisement, and editing the advertisement when the duration information does not match the actual duration such that the actual duration of the edited advertisement matches the duration information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC
    Inventor: Thomas L. du Breuil
  • Patent number: 11467721
    Abstract: An augmented reality (AR) platform for the Internet of Things (IoT) is disclosed. The AR platform enables a user to associate AR objects with IoT devices. These associations may further enable a user to direct a control input to a particular IoT device and receive outputs such as sensor measurements or state information from the IoT device via interaction with an associated AR object. These AR objects may be perceived by the user via a client device, such as via an AR viewer or other human interface. The AR platform further enables users to create shareable objects that define an association among or between multiple AR objects and their IoT devices that can be shared with and modified by other users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: YouAR INC.
    Inventors: Oliver Clayton Daniels, David Morris Daniels, Paul Issac Thomas, Luke Timothy Hartwig, Raymond Victor Di Carlo