Abstract: Social network friend-based recommendations are provided. Based on user consumption data provided by one or more service providers, a determination may be made as to which social network contacts a user has who may have preferences for video, music, and other media that are close to the user's. The determination of social network contacts who share a common interest and the user consumption data of those social network contacts may be utilized to infer recommendations for the user. Other functionalities may be provided, such as manual recommendations, placing emphasis on recommendations from particular friends, email notifications of content that a friend has consumed that the user has not, an option to view what a social network contact is viewing, providing a list of programs that the user and a social network contact have both seen, and providing advertisements based on consumption data, recommendations, and/or discovered areas of interest.

Abstract: In various embodiment, the disclosed systems, methods, and apparatuses describe the application of a pre-distortion at a transmitting device, such as a headend or a remote PHY device, to modify signals to be transmitted on a cable network in order to account for the distortions to the signals received by one or more devices on the network. In an embodiment, the pre-distortions can be implemented in the analog domain or in the digital domain, for example, using analog filters, or digital signal processing (DSP) devices. In an embodiment, the pre-distortion can be applied on particular subcarriers associated with the signals, without being applied to other subcarrier associated with the signals.

Abstract: Exposing consumers to content of secondary interest via a content distribution network is becoming increasingly difficult as Video on Demand gains popularity and consumers isolate themselves from secondary content, including: new programs, emergency alerts, etc. Additionally, ensuring that the consumers are consuming secondary content that is provided to them via the content distribution network poses technical difficulties for the service provider. Therefore, systems and methods that encourage consumers to consume secondary content and verify its consumption non-intrusively are of increasing importance to service providers. Providing consumers with the ability to opt in and out of tracking and verification for the promotion of content allows consumers to be provided secondary content and for the service provider to appropriately reward the consumers for consuming the content to encourage additional consumption of secondary content.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products for an improved communication network. In one embodiment, a method is provided comprising receiving, at a first device, a first signal over a first medium, the signal comprising a first portion and a second portion, and extracting by a processor a third portion of the first signal, the third portion being at least a portion of the first portion of the first signal, the third portion being intended for receipt by a second device associated with a particular user account. The method may further include combining at least a fifth portion of the first signal with the third portion of the first signal to generate a second signal, the fifth portion of the first signal being at least a portion of the second portion of the first signal and providing the second signal to the second device.

Abstract: Various embodiments relate to disrupting signals (e.g., over Multimedia over Coax or from a service provider) to determine signal recovery. A first device may receive signals from a network. The first device may receive a first input to switch the received signals from a first communication path between the network and a second device, to a second communication path for a predetermined interval. The switching of communication paths may be done by a network disruption device. When the signals are switched to the second communication path, the signals may be blocked from being received at the second device. The network disruption device may then switch the signals from the first communication path to the second communication path to block the signals for the predetermined interval. The network disruption device may then switch the signals from the second communication path to the first communication path after the predetermined interval has expired.

Abstract: Certain embodiments herein relate to optimizing the efficiency of video coding. Such optimization may be based on characteristics of video content, such as the size and type of video frames. The size of video frames may be compared to a threshold size to determine whether an intracoded frame should be inserted into a Group of Pictures (GOP) instead of a predetermined type of video frame. As an example, an intracoded video frame may be inserted into the GOP when an abrupt or gradual size change in the sequence of video frames is determined. As another example, unipredicted frames may also be inserted into the GOP instead of bipredicted frames using a similar comparison.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to intelligent automation control of an environment based at least on intelligence associated with behavior of an operator and/or equipment.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to systems and methods for validating adcopy instructions. A method may include generating, by a computer including one or more processors, media content. The method may also include identifying, by the computer, a destination server to receive playback statistics associated with playback of the media content. Furthermore, the method may include determining, by the computer, a callback address identifier associated with the destination server. Additionally, the method may include encoding, by the computer, the callback address identifier within the media content and transmitting, by the computer, the media content to a user device for playback.

Abstract: This disclosure describes methods, devices, and systems related to routing packets over enterprise network sites. A method may be disclosed for routing packets between hosts at a first site and hosts at a second site in a network using a firewall. The method may comprise receiving a request, in a first packet, from a first router to send one or more packets to two or more hosts at the second site. The method may comprise receiving a first sub-network prefix, in a route advertisement, corresponding to two or more hosts at the first site from the first router, and receiving a first community value, in a first advertisement, associated with the first sub-network prefix. The method may comprise generating a first local preference value based at least in part on the first community value. And the method may comprise sending the request, first sub-network prefix, and first local preference value to a second router, in a second advertisement.

Abstract: Systems and methods for remote asset verification are disclosed. The systems and methods comprise an asset and an on-board diagnostic tool configured to be coupled to an on-board diagnostic port of the asset. The on-board diagnostic tool is configured to monitor one or more parameters of the asset.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to configuration of content and consumption thereof content in a networked environment. In certain aspects, the consumed content can be coordinated or otherwise synchronized between disparate consumption devices, which may be served content via different content platforms. In another aspect, the consumed content can be customized for a specific device and/or an end-user thereof. In yet another aspect, recommendations for content and/or products associated with at least a portion of the content can be provided.

Abstract: This disclosure describes devices and methods related to multiplexing optical data signals. A method may be disclosed for multiplexing one or more optical data signals. The method may comprise receiving, by a dense wave division multiplexer (DWDM), one or more optical data signals. The method may comprise combining, by the DWDM, the one or more optical data signals. The method may comprise outputting, by the DWDM, the combined one or more optical data signals to one or more wave division multiplexer (WDM). The method may comprise combining, by the one or more WDM, the combined one or more optical data signals and one or more second optical data signals, and outputting an egress optical data signal comprising the combined one or more optical data signals and one or more second optical data signals.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to configuration of content and consumption thereof content in a networked environment. In certain aspects, the consumed content can be coordinated or otherwise synchronized between disparate consumption devices, which may be served content via different content platforms. In another aspect, the consumed content can be customized for a specific device and/or an end-user thereof. In yet another aspect, recommendations for content and/or products associated with at least a portion of the content can be provided.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to intelligent automation control of an environment based at least on intelligence associated with behavior of an operator and/or equipment.

Abstract: Content information networks may be provided that may each include a plurality of content consumption devices. One or more of the content consumption devices within a content information network may be capable of serving as a content consumption hub device that coordinates the receipt and dissemination of content consumption event information pertaining to content consumption events from and to various content consumption devices within the content information network. The content consumption hub device may further communicate, to various content consumption devices within its network, content-related information relating to content consumed on content consumption devices within its network and/or devices outside of its network. The content consumption hub device may be configured to receive content-related information from one or more content information hubs. The content consumption hub device may also receive content consumption event information from a content consumption platform.

Abstract: Content information networks may be provided that may each include a plurality of content consumption devices. One or more of the content consumption devices within a content information network may be capable of serving as a content consumption hub device that coordinates the receipt and dissemination of content consumption event information pertaining to content consumption events from and to various content consumption devices within the content information network. The content consumption hub device may further communicate, to various content consumption devices within its network, content-related information relating to content consumed on content consumption devices within its network and/or devices outside of its network. The content consumption hub device may be configured to receive content-related information from one or more content information hubs. The content consumption hub device may also receive content consumption event information from a content consumption platform.

Abstract: Transmitting entertainment information for presentation to a user and receiving, on behalf of the user, user response information responsive to the entertainment information is disclosed. The entertainment information may include a set of questions such as trivia-related questions or polling questions. The user response information may indicate a set of corresponding responses provided by the user in response to the set of questions. The entertainment information may be identified based on available historical preference data associated with the user, demographic data associated with the user or may be randomly selected to gauge user interest. User psychographic data associated with the user may be generated based at least in part on the user response information. At least one offering for targeting to the user such as a product or service offering or a targeted advertisement may be identified based on the user psychographic data and may be transmitted for presentation to the user.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to curation of cloud services that can be included a cloud solution tailored to an organization or an environment thereof. In one aspect, the cloud services can include software applications, professional services, managed network services, and/or infrastructure services. In one aspect, curation of a cloud service can be based on fitness of the cloud service for the organization or the environment thereof. In another aspect, the curation of certain cloud services can be refined based on feedback associated with such services.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing estimates of duration of media content requested by a user are disclosed. The estimates of the duration may be updated as advertisements are identified and/or updated for insertion in media content signals to be provided to a client device of the user. The advertisements may be targeted to the user from an inventory of available advertisements based on a variety of factors. While a session is active to provide the client device with the user requested media content new duration estimates corresponding to updates to advertisements targeted for delivery to the user may be provided to the client device via messages and/or metadata. In some cases, this information may be provided by messages sent responsive to a trick play request form the client device. In other cases, an asynchronous message carrying updated duration information may be sent to the client device.

Abstract: Example embodiments of a time division duplex (TDD) Wavelength Division Multiplex Passive Optical Network (WDM PON) architecture using passive optical splitters are disclosed herein. The disclosed TDD WDM PON includes fixed wavelength optical transmitters in an Optical Line Termination system with tunable receiver colorless Optical Network Units (ONUs) that reuse the downstream CW light to carry upstream data. The same wavelength may be used for downstream and upstream transmissions on a single fiber in the ODN. In this architecture, the number of ONUs may be greater than the number of transmitters at the OLT, allowing for a highly scalable system with capacity for growth. An example embodiment of the disclosed system uses Arrayed Waveguide Grating (AWG) or WDM filters at the OLT and a passive optical splitter in the field.