Abstract: Systems, devices and processes are described to adapt segment requests placed by an autonomous media player during media streaming to compensate for fluctuations in the bandwidth consumed by the requested segments due to variances in the underlying video content. By providing predictive data about the bandwidth consumption of upcoming video segments, client devices can adapt requests for future segments accordingly. Further, predictive consumption data can be shared between players operating within shared bandwidth to assist players needing additional bandwidth for upcoming video sequences.

Abstract: Described are systems, methods and computer program products for suggesting television programs to a user by, for example, analyzing closed caption or subtitle content of unwatched or unrecorded video content to determine if the video content is of interest to the user. The user may indicate one or more keywords for use in the analysis and the analysis may scan the text of the closed caption or subtitle content to identify matches to the keywords. Beside user input keywords, the keywords may also be determined through analysis of video content watched or recorded by the user to determine frequently encountered words. These frequently encountered words may automatically be used in matching the text of the closed caption or subtitle content. The users may also or alternatively select particular words of the frequently encountered words to use for matching.

Abstract: A method for viewing video content includes displaying, within a first display region, first video content from a first content source, and receiving a request to display second video content, wherein the second video content comprises only a portion of video content from a second content source (such as a news ticker or “scroll”). The second video content is then simultaneously displayed within a second display region adjacent to the first display region.

Abstract: A method for producing an audio representation of aggregated content includes selecting preferred content from a number of sources, wherein the sources are emotion-tagged, aggregating the emotion-tagged preferred content sources, and creating an audio representation of the emotion-tagged aggregated content. The aggregation of emotion-tagged content sources and/or the creation of the audio representation may be performed by a mobile device. The emotion-tagged content include text with HTML tags that specify how text-to-speech conversion should be performed.

Abstract: Systems, devices and processes effectively and efficiently manage the energy consumption of shared workspaces such as meeting rooms and the like. A central control device receives scheduling information and/or sensor information relating to meeting attendees, for example, that can be used to activate or deactivate resources within the shared meeting space. Lights, computing equipment, heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) or other climate controls, electrical outlets, food or beverage preparation equipment and/or other energy-consuming resources within the workplace can be automatically controlled for efficient operation and energy conservation.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for hardware enforcement of hardware functionality in a client television receiver. An activation message containing an activation code for a specific hardware component within the client television receiver can be transmitted from a television service provider system to a host television receiver having an associated smart card. The smart card can decrypt the activation message, identify the client television receiver as the destination of the activation message, security check the activation message, encrypt the activation message with a local key, and transmit the activation message to a security processor on the client television receiver. The security processor can decrypt the activation message, security check the activation message to ensure it is from the smart card and has not been tampered with, and enable the hardware component within the client television receiver based on the activation code within the activation message.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for hardware enforcement of hardware functionality in a television receiver. An activation message containing an activation code for a specific hardware component within the television receiver can be transmitted from a television service provider system to a television receiver having an associated smart card. The smart card can decrypt the activation message, security check the activation message, confirm the activation message is intended for the television receiver, encrypt the activation message with a local key, and transmit the activation message to a security processor on the television receiver. The security processor can decrypt the activation message, security check the activation message to ensure it is from the smart card and has not been tampered with, and enable the hardware component within the television receiver based on the activation code within the activation message.

Abstract: A method for presenting internet content associated with a set of video content is provided. During playback of the set of video content on an electronic device, the method detects, by the electronic device, that the electronic device has been repositioned to reveal blank space on a display of the electronic device, wherein the display presents the blank space and the set of video content after repositioning of the electronic device; and presents related internet content on the blank space, by the electronic device, during playback of the set of video content.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for securing transmission of content from a smart card in a host television receiver to a client television receiver. The smart card can receive the encrypted content stream from the television service provider, decrypt the content stream with the global network key, identify the client television receiver as the destination of the content stream, generate a unique key specific to the content stream, encrypt the unique key with a local key known to the client television receiver, encrypt the content stream with the unique key, and transmit the encrypted content stream along with the encrypted unique key to the client television receiver. The client television receiver can then receive the encrypted content stream and the encrypted unique key, decrypt the unique key, decrypt the content stream with the unique key, and transmit the content stream to a display device of the client television receiver.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for providing hardware based security to software applications in a television receiver. The system can include a television receiver having a trusted hardware environment that includes a security processor and a standard environment that includes an application processor. The security processor can ensure that at least a portion of the software application executed by the application processor is secure. A portion of the software application code can be placed in an interrupt service routine memory space. During execution of the software application, the security processor can security check the portion of the software application in the interrupt service routine memory space, making it trusted code. The security processor can force the application processor to execute the trusted code by triggering an interrupt. Such forced execution can allow the security processor to not only ensure that code is trusted, but that it is executed.

Abstract: A method of three-dimensional geofencing includes defining a virtual boundary in a three-dimensional geographical space, the virtual boundary including lateral position parameters and an altitude parameter. A boundary-related event and an action to be triggered based on the position of a trackable object is defined with respect to the virtual boundary. The position of the trackable object is estimated based on lateral position values and an altitude value associated with the trackable object. The action is performed if it is determined that the position of the trackable object triggers the boundary-related event.

Abstract: A method for employing a controlled-modification current time value is presented. In the method, the current time value is maintained. Also, requests for modification of the current time value are received. The requests are processed so that the requested modification associated with one of the requests is immediately incorporated into the current time value, and so that the requested modification associated with another one of the requests is not immediately incorporated into the current time value.

Abstract: Media device systems and methods synchronize video content with audio content presented by a plurality of wireless audio headsets. In an exemplary embodiment, a first time delay corresponds to a first duration of time between communication of the audio content from the media device and presentation of the audio content by a first wireless audio headset. A second time delay corresponds to a second duration of time between communication of the audio content from the media device and presentation of the audio content by a second wireless audio headset, wherein the first time delay is greater than the second time delay. Video content communicated to a display is delayed by the first time delay. Audio content communicated to the second wireless audio headset is delayed by a time delay difference between the first time delay and the second time delay.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment provides clarifying supplemental information to a user who has become confused about a currently presenting media content event.

Abstract: Volume limiting systems and methods are operable to limit volume output from media presentation devices. An exemplary embodiment detects a sound using a microphone, wherein the sound corresponds to an audio output of at least one controlled media presentation device, and wherein the microphone is remotely located from the at least one controlled media presentation device; compares a level of the detected sound with a predefined maximum volume limit; generates a volume output limit command in response to the detected sound exceeding the predefined maximum volume limit; and communicates the volume output limit command to the media presentation device. The media presentation device then reduces a volume level of its audio output. In some instances, volume may be limited during user specified periods.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for providing a targeted and secure software image or other data to a television receiver. The data item can be provided to the smart card through a television service provider distribution system in blocks of data that are small enough to be processed by the smart card. For each block of data, the smart card can decrypt the block of data with a global network key, generate a partial hash representing the block of data, update a full hash with the partial hash, encrypt the block of data with a dynamically generated item key, and transmit the encrypted block of data to the television receiver. Once complete, the smart card can security check the software image including an integrity check using the full hash. If the security check passes, the smart card can transmit the dynamically generated item key to the television receiver.

Abstract: Media content systems and methods are operable to detect sound using one or more microphones during presentation of a media content event. The audio content output is changed by a remedial action that is performed if the audio content detected by the microphones does not correspond to the intended audio content of the presented media content event.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for automatically selecting television channels for display on one or more televisions based on the viewing preferences of the viewers. The viewers can enter their viewing preferences in a database through a user interface that a controller can access. The controller can receive, for a premises (e.g., a sports bar), a list of viewers. Based on the viewing preferences of the list of viewers, the controller can determine a single or a ranked list of television channels for display on the televisions. If there are multiple televisions, the controller can assign each of the televisions a television channel from the ranked list based on the ranking. The controller can send an instruction to the STB controlling the television(s) to set the assigned television channel to the assigned television.

Abstract: Systems and methods are operable to distribute targeted assets to a plurality of media devices. An exemplary embodiment generates an asset file defined by an asset file time period, wherein target assets are selected for saving into the asset file when the intended initial presentation time of a target asset falls within the asset file time period of the asset file that is being generated. Then, the asset file is communicated to a plurality of media devices at a time in advance of the intended initial presentation times of a target asset of the asset file.

Abstract: Media device systems and methods are operable to generate mosaic video formats that are each configured to generate corresponding mosaic videos that present video content in video tiles. An exemplary embodiment receives a selection of one of a plurality of mosaic video templates, receives a specification of a video mosaic name, and generates a mosaic video format. The generated mosaic video format is identified by the specified video mosaic name, and comprises the video tile location information and video size information for each of the video tiles defined by the selected mosaic video template.