Abstract: A device is provided for use with an audiovisual device and a cable having a first end and a second end. The audiovisual device can receive digital television audiovisual signals. The cable includes a data channel, a control channel and a power line and can transmit the digital television audiovisual signals. The first end can connect to the audiovisual device, whereas the second end can connect to the device. The device includes a connector, a detecting portion and a power source. The connector can connect to the second end. The detecting portion can generate a connection signal based on a connection of the connector to the second end. The power source can provide power based on the connection signal.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods that aid users, especially users temporarily staying in locations remote from home, in finding and accessing media content. A program listing tailored for the user's current location, and showing only services actually available at that location, is created and presented to the user. In some embodiments, the user interacts with the listing to access available media content items. If the user has expressed specific location-based preferences, then those preferences can be taken into account when creating the listing. If a service subscribed to by the user is not available at this remote location, then an alternate provider will be searched for, and, if found, the user's favorite shows can be added to the created program listing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting a coding mode for a block of a current picture are disclosed. For example, the method selects a coding mode in accordance with a cost function, for coding the block, wherein the cost function comprises a coding distortion parameter and a number of coding bits parameter, wherein said coding distortion parameter is measured in accordance with at least one of: between a prediction residual and a reconstructed prediction residual, or between a transformed prediction residual and a dequantized transformed prediction residual, wherein the number of coding bits parameter is computed in accordance with at least one of: from a true number of compressed bits resulting from coding said block, directly from a plurality of bins, or directly from a plurality of quantized transform coefficients.

Abstract: In embodiments of on-demand HTTP stream generation, a manifest file (126) is published to a client device (108) for HTTP streaming of video content (124), and the manifest file identifies multiple video content streams each at a different bitrate and/or resolution. A request can be received from the client device for the video content at a first bitrate and/or resolution, segments (112) of the video content are generated at the first bitrate and/or resolution responsive to the request from the client device, and the segments of the video content are communicated to the client device. An additional request can be received from the client device for the video content at a second bitrate and/or resolution, subsequent segments of the video content are generated at the second bitrate and/or resolution responsive to the additional request from the client device, and the subsequent segments of the video content are communicated to the client device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for efficiently managing the resources in a delivery system may include managing the processing power of a transcoder. By managing the input selection functions of a tuner and linking the selections with functions of a transcoder, the transcoder may process fewer instructions for a given request, resulting in the ability of the transcoder to support more streams. Modifying the inputs to the transcoder that need to be transcoded, therefore, may enable the media content delivery system to support more inputs and, thereby, more media playback devices. Managing the processing power of a transcoder can more efficiently support the delivery of media content to a media playback device, particularly where the delivery system supports multiple media playback devices.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, the disclosure describes a resonance restricting material in communication with a bypass line of a cable television tap. The bypass line generates resonances at a defined frequency in response to RF parameters in the tap and the resonances increase insertion losses at the defined frequency and precludes bandwidth of the tap being increased above the defined frequency. The resonance restricting material may attenuate the resonances generated by the bypass line at the defined frequency (e.g., approximately 1.2 GHz) and reduce insertion losses at the defined frequency and enable the bandwidth of the tap to be increased (e.g., from 1.0 GHz to 1.5 GHz).

Abstract: An automated method of characterizing distortion detected by equalization on a channel of a network is provided. Equalization stress of an observed channel equalization response of an end device of the network is estimated, and equalization stress is calculated for a theoretical channel equalization response of the end device mathematically based on the observed channel equalization response and a theoretical removal of a suspected impairment from the network. The above referenced calculating step is separately repeated for each of a plurality of suspected impairments stored in a database of suspected impairments. A highest ranking suspected dominant impairment is determined from the database of suspected impairments such that removal of the highest ranking suspected dominant impairment from the network would provide a greatest reduction of equalization stress of a channel equalization response of the end device.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for displaying multimedia feeds. The method comprises receiving a plurality of multimedia feeds and, for each of the plurality of multimedia feeds, acquiring a value of a metric and displaying, on a common display, the plurality of multimedia feeds. The metric is variable and its value for a particular multimedia feed and for a particular time is dependent upon either events occurring within that particular multimedia feed at or before that particular time or upon a rating (by one or more entities), at that particular time, of that particular multimedia feed. The multimedia feeds are displayed on the common display such that a first feed is displayed in a manner different from the manner of display of a second feed, the first feed having a first metric value, the second feed having a second metric value, and the first and second metric values being different.

Abstract: Controlling trick plays, such as play, pause, fast forward, and rewind, of a plurality of content items includes respectively assigning, via a remote-control device, a plurality of trick-play bars to the plurality of content items. The plurality of trick-play bars is operative on the remote-control device. The controlling further includes directing, via the remote-control device, a plurality of media devices to respectively play the plurality of content items. The controlling further includes displaying, on the remote-control device, the plurality of trick-play bars based on the assigning of the plurality of trick-play bars to the plurality of content items, and controlling an operation, via the remote-control device, of a trick play of one of the plurality of content items, respectively, via an input respectively received by one of the plurality of trick-play bars.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for including an insert (e.g., an advertisement) in multimedia content. The method comprises receiving, by a receiving module, one or more indications, each indication being an indication that a consumer intends to consume, at some time in the future, the multimedia content. Using the indications, a value of a metric is then determined. The metric is dependent upon the number of received indications or one or more attributes of consumers whom the indications indicate intend to consume the multimedia content. An insert is then selected depending on the determined value for the metric. The selected insert is then included in the multimedia content.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for characterizing an impulse noise impairment impacting communications over data links of a network are provided. A test signal comprising a bit stream of a predetermined bit sequence and packet size is configured and transmitted over the data links. The test signal is received, and the bit stream of the test signal as transmitted is compared to a bit stream of the test signal as received to identify differences in bit sequence. Thereafter, characteristics of the impulse noise impairment impacting communications between the data links are estimated based on the detected differences in bit sequence.

Abstract: A system is provided for use with secure content in a first format. The system includes a conditional access device, a transcoding device and a media processor. The conditional access device is operable to receive the secure content and can generate a second secure content based on the secure content. The conditional access device can further provide the second secure content to the transcoding device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method determines an I slice in a current picture that is currently being encoded and a value for a flag to enable or disable using temporal motion vector predictors for the I slice. The value for the flag is encoded in an encoded bitstream associated with the I slice being encoded. The method then sends the encoded bitstream to a decoder where encoding the value for the flag for the I slice allows pictures that follow the I picture in a decoding order to use temporal motion vector predictors from a picture that precedes the I picture in the decoding order when temporal motion vector predictors are enabled.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for sending information from a first computer to a second computer. The first computer may comprise a gesture module, a device-detection module, and a transmission module. The method may comprise receiving, by the gesture module, an input. The input may specify the information that is to be sent and a direction relative to the first computer. The input may have been generated by a user of the first computer performing a gesture. Using the specified direction, the device-detection module may then identify the second computer. The second computer may be located relative to the first computer substantially in the specified direction. The specified information may then be sent, by the transmission module, to the second computer.

Abstract: A method for enforcing a software upgrade for software operable on a device includes receiving, at the device, a message including software-version information for the software from a domain controller. The software-version information indicates a list of approved versions of the software. The method includes determining, by the device, the software-version information from the message, and determining a current version of the software included on the device by performing a comparison of versions in the list of approved versions to the current version of the software on the device. If the current version of the software is not included in the list of approved versions, the method includes causing the device to not have or use a set of up-to-date security credentials for a set of content servers, for accessing any pieces of media on the set of content servers until the device has an approved version of the software.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for determining an influence score for a user of one or more social-networking services. The methods comprise acquiring a set of one or more criteria, the criteria having been specified by a first party, acquiring a dataset comprising information that relates to the user's interactions with one or more of the social networks provided by one or more of the social-networking services, selecting from the dataset data that are in accordance with the one or more criteria, and determining some function of the selected data, thereby providing the influence score for the second party.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for augmenting a user's multimedia consumption experience. The methods comprise whilst the user is consuming the multimedia presentation using a first device, that device provides (to one or more remote processors) information that may be used to identify a relevant location. The one or more processors use this information to identify the location and acquire a virtual environment. This virtual environment may be a virtual representation the location. The virtual environment is presented to the user on a second (companion) device. Using the second device, the user may explore the virtual environment and interact with virtual objects therein.

Abstract: A method and computing device for determining the location of a point of interest in a media stream. The method receives an order of duplication for a media stream and a sequence of caption data strings associated with the media stream. The method computes a hash value for a selected string in the sequence. The hash value representing the selected string, and a number of strings in the sequence that immediately precede the selected string, where the order of duplication determines the number of strings. The method receives a media stream time for the selected string based on the hash value, and determines a time at a point of interest in the media stream relative to the media stream time for the selected string.

Abstract: A user interface device (100) includes a capacitive trackball assembly (108) having a conductive trackball (110) and one or more conductive plates (210, 310, 410, 510, 610) proximate to a surface of the conductive trackball (110), thereby enabling the conductive trackball assembly (108) to operate as a capacitive touch sensor. Each user contact point with the conductive trackball (110) modifies the effective capacitance of the conductive trackball assembly (108). The user interface device (100) senses the effective capacitance of the conductive trackball assembly (108) to discern the number of user contact points on the conductive trackball (110) and uses this information, along with other parameters, such as a concurrent sensed rotation vector of the conductive trackball (110), to identify a user command intended by the user. The identified user command may be transmitted to a controlled system (740) to effectuate or modify an operation at the controlled system (740).