Patents Assigned to Fox Broadcasting Company
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Patent number: 11032613Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for presenting a program guide in response to a user request to stream a broadcast subject to a blackout is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system receives a media program request, and if the requested media program is blacked out, provides information from the requesting to device to present a program guide or other information available to the user in lieu of the unavailable streamed media program.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2020Date of Patent: June 8, 2021Assignee: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLCInventors: Benjamin Harry Ziskind, Steven Arthur Thorpe
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Patent number: 10992974Abstract: Plural content items are managed via a central user interface, configured to allow selection and modification of plural content items. The interface may include alternate channel and property icons, allowing one control to display and modify what used to take plural rooms and stations to broadcast content.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2015Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLCInventors: Joseph Coffaro, Jason Beard, Matthew McKay
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Patent number: 10970351Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for allocating storage of media programs among global and local storage assets for hot and cold storage is disclosed. Trend data is obtained from a plurality of sources including web page click-throughs and social media, indexed and combined with data describing available media programs to identify media programs of interest and reallocate them to hot storage as required. The system uses REST-compliant methods and commands and is therefore pluggable and can be used with a variety of existing systems.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2018Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLCInventors: Dean Perrine, Christopher D. Blandy, Joseph P. Coffaro
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Patent number: 10924779Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a broadcast video stream from a primary video component having a live feed from a source remote from the virtual media control system in at least near real time is disclosed. Live queueing events are inserted into the live video feed and automatically interpreted to insert secondary video components that become part of a broadcast video stream.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLCInventor: Joseph P. Coffaro
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Patent number: 10915239Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for conveniently providing animated bitmap image files from media is described. The method uses a technique in which a plurality of PNG files are generated and transmitted to be presented to the user via an overlay to a media program player.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2020Date of Patent: February 9, 2021Assignee: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLCInventors: Hend Baghadady, Benjamin Q. Jones, Michael J. Schmelling, Nicholas Weidenfeld, Nicole L. Wilke
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Publication number: 20200359095Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for presenting a program guide in response to a user request to stream a broadcast subject to a blackout is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system receives a media program request, and if the requested media program is blacked out, provides information from the requesting to device to present a program guide or other information available to the user in lieu of the unavailable streamed media program.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2020Publication date: November 12, 2020Applicant: Fox Broadcasting Company LLCInventors: Benjamin Harry Ziskind, Steven Arthur Thorpe
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Patent number: 10735819Abstract: A method and apparatus for presenting a media program concurrently with viewer questions and live commentary about the media program is disclosed. As the media program is broadcasted, messages from the first group regarding the media program are accepted. The accepted messages are filtered to identify suitable messages of interest and to present only those messages to a second group for comment. The identified messages from the first group and comments from the second group are added to the broadcast media program concurrently or in real time.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2018Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLCInventors: Joseph B. Earley, Tedd Charles Rosenfeld, Steven Edward Simonian
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Patent number: 10666991Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for presenting a program guide in response to a user request to stream a broadcast subject to a blackout is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system receives a media program request, and if the requested media program is blacked out, provides information from the requesting to device to present a program guide or other information available to the user in lieu of the unavailable streamed media program.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2018Date of Patent: May 26, 2020Assignee: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLCInventors: Benjamin Harry Ziskind, Steven Arthur Thorpe
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Publication number: 20200159402Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for conveniently providing animated bitmap image files from media is described. The method uses a technique in which a plurality of PNG files are generated and transmitted to be presented to the user via an overlay to a media program player.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2020Publication date: May 21, 2020Applicant: Fox Broadcasting Company, LLCInventors: Hend Baghadady, Benjamin Q. Jones, Michael J. Schmelling, Nicholas Weidenfeld, Nicole L. Wilke
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Patent number: 10608926Abstract: A method and system is provided for re-routing a flow of packets in a packet-switched network at a rerouting time. In one embodiment, the method comprises accepting packets in a switch, routing the flow of the packets to a first destination via the switch according to a switch flow rule, receiving an updated switch flow rule from a controller before the rerouting time, the updated switch flow rule defining the rerouted flow of packets, and rerouting the flow of packets according to the updated switch flow rule at a rerouting time indicated by a packet of the accepted packets.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2015Date of Patent: March 31, 2020Assignee: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLCInventor: Thomas G. Edwards
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Publication number: 20200068237Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a broadcast video stream from a primary video component having a live feed from a source remote from the virtual media control system in at least near real time is disclosed. Live queueing events are inserted into the live video feed and automatically interpreted to insert secondary video components that become part of a broadcast video stream.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2019Publication date: February 27, 2020Applicant: Fox Broadcasting Company, LLCInventor: Joseph P. Coffaro
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Patent number: 10545651Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for conveniently providing animated bitmap image files from media is described. The method uses a technique in which a plurality of PNG files are generated and transmitted to be presented to the user via an overlay to a media program player.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2014Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLCInventors: Hend Baghdady, Benjamin Q. Jones, Michael J. Schmelling, Nicholas Weidenfeld, Nicole L. Wilke
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Patent number: 10460081Abstract: A method and system for portably binding license rights to content stored on an optical media is disclosed. Media player controllers include a secret that is used in conjunction with indelible media identifiers and digital certificates provided via a key issuance center to permit decryption of content initially distributed and freely copyable in encrypted form.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2014Date of Patent: October 29, 2019Assignee: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLCInventors: Hanno Basse, Ian E. Harvey
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Patent number: 10462500Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a broadcast video stream from a primary video component having a live feed from a source remote from the virtual media control system in at least near real time is disclosed. Live queuing events are inserted into the live video feed and automatically interpreted to insert secondary video components that become part of a broadcast video stream.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2015Date of Patent: October 29, 2019Assignee: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLCInventor: Joseph P. Coffaro
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Patent number: 10277949Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for allocating and committing votes in a variety of voting paradigms is described. In one embodiment, the method describes a system applicable in a plurality of time zones and comprises determining if an allocation of at least a portion of N1 votes among one or more candidates is received from a first user via a first device during a first period, accepting and storing the allocation of votes, only if the allocation is received during the first period, receiving a user command committing the stored allocation of the N1 votes among the plurality of candidates, determining if the command is received during a second period, and committing the stored first user allocation of N1 votes among the one or more candidates only if the command is received during the second period.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2017Date of Patent: April 30, 2019Assignee: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANYInventors: Joseph B. Earley, David B. Wertheimer, Edward A. Skolarus, William Bradford, Matthew Moroz, Nicole H. Ruby, Ori Nakar, Bryan J. Gonzalez
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Patent number: 10237598Abstract: A system and method for generating or increasing viewership of a broadcast of an episode of a series by an affiliate to a plurality of receiver stations is disclosed. A live prefacing media program is transmitted to users within an affiliates market in such a way that does not conflict with the affiliate's exclusive right to transmit a media program within that market. The live prefacing media program includes media program clips from previous episodes of a series, and users can vote on their favorite media program clips. Such votes alter the content presented in the live prefacing media program. Transmission of the live prefacing media program terminates when the affiliates broadcast of the next episode of the series begins, thus encouraging or “throwing” viewers to view that episode.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2017Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANYInventors: Michael S. Corwin, William K. Bradford, Edward A. Skolarus
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Publication number: 20180338182Abstract: A method and apparatus for presenting a media program concurrently with viewer questions and live commentary about the media program is disclosed. As the media program is broadcasted, messages from the first group regarding the media program are accepted. The accepted messages are filtered to identify suitable messages of interest and to present only those messages to a second group for comment. The identified messages from the first group and comments from the second group are added to the broadcast media program concurrently or in real time.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2018Publication date: November 22, 2018Applicant: Fox Broadcasting CompanyInventors: Joseph B. Earley, Tedd Charles Rosenfeld, Steven Edward Simonian
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Patent number: 10089401Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for allocating storage of media programs among global and local storage assets for hot and cold storage is disclosed. Trend data is obtained from a plurality of sources including web page click-throughs and social media, indexed and combined with data describing available media programs to identify media programs of interest and reallocate them to hot storage as required. The system uses REST-compliant methods and commands and is therefore pluggable and can be used with a variety of existing systems.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2016Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANYInventors: Dean Perrine, Christopher D. Blandy, Joseph P. Coffaro
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Patent number: 9973821Abstract: A method and apparatus for presenting a media program concurrently with viewer questions and live commentary about the media program is disclosed. As the media program is broadcasted, messages from the first group regarding the media program are accepted. The accepted messages are filtered to identify suitable messages of interest and to present only those messages to a second group for comment. The identified messages from the first group and comments from the second group are added to the broadcast media program concurrently or in real time.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2010Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANYInventors: Joseph B. Earley, Tedd Charles Rosenfeld, Steven Edward Simonian
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Publication number: 20170359605Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a broadcast video stream from a primary video component having a live feed from a source remote from the virtual media control system in at least near real time is disclosed. Live queuing events are inserted into the live video feed and automatically interpreted to insert secondary video components that become part of a broadcast video stream.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2015Publication date: December 14, 2017Applicant: FOX BROADCASTING COMPANYInventor: Joseph P. Coffaro