Abstract: In one embodiment, a method determines a block of a current picture and a prediction type associated with the block. Also, the method determines one of a first list of reference pictures and a second list of reference pictures for the block. An encoder or a decoder selects the one of the first list of reference pictures or the second list of reference pictures implicitly without communication of information between the encoder and the decoder indicating which of the first list of reference pictures or the second list of reference pictures was selected. Then, the method sets a reference picture in the selected one of the first list of reference pictures and the second list of reference pictures as a collocated picture for the block. The selected reference picture is used in a temporal prediction process for the block.

Abstract: In a hierarchical profile, each node represents at least one feature of behavioral data collected about an entity profiled, with the topmost node selected as the “statistically most informative” feature of the data. A profile can cover numerous domains and be predictively very powerful in each domain. A number of observations can be “aggregated” together into a single datapoint. In use, the structure of the profile is compared against current information associated with the entity to produce a recommendation or prediction. If the profile represents at least some data aggregation, then new observations are folded into the profile based on statistical weights of the aggregations. Because of the way the profile is created and updated, its hierarchical structure maps the collected observations. Therefore, as new observations are incorporated, if the new observations change the profile's structure significantly, then it can be hypothesized that something “interesting” has happened to the entity.

Abstract: In a hierarchical profile, each node represents at least one feature of behavioral data collected about an entity profiled, with the topmost node selected as the “statistically most informative” feature of the data. A profile can cover numerous domains and be predictively very powerful in each domain. A number of observations can be “aggregated” together into a single datapoint. In use, the structure of the profile is compared against current information associated with the entity to produce a recommendation or prediction. If the profile represents at least some data aggregation, then new observations are folded into the profile based on statistical weights of the aggregations. Because of the way the profile is created and updated, its hierarchical structure maps the collected observations. Therefore, as new observations are incorporated, if the new observations change the profile's structure significantly, then it can be hypothesized that something “interesting” has happened to the entity.

Abstract: In a hierarchical profile, each node represents at least one feature of behavioral data collected about an entity profiled, with the topmost node selected as the “statistically most informative” feature of the data. A profile can cover numerous domains and be predictively very powerful in each domain. A number of observations can be “aggregated” together into a single datapoint. In use, the structure of the profile is compared against current information associated with the entity to produce a recommendation or prediction. If the profile represents at least some data aggregation, then new observations are folded into the profile based on statistical weights of the aggregations. Because of the way the profile is created and updated, its hierarchical structure maps the collected observations. Therefore, as new observations are incorporated, if the new observations change the profile's structure significantly, then it can be hypothesized that something “interesting” has happened to the entity.

Abstract: Complexity for a video frame after a special event is estimated and used for encoding the frame. The complexity for a key frame of a special event is estimated based on its intra activity and a complexity of a previously encoded key frame in the video stream prior to the special event. The complexity for a dependent frame after a special event is estimated based on a motion estimation cost for the dependent frame and a complexity of a previously encoded dependent frame prior to the special event.

Abstract: The present invention monitors a user's activities to determine how much attention he is paying to one or more devices. Based on the information gathered about the user's current “attention profile,” a “user-interaction parameter” is set that reflects where the user's attention is focused and, ideally, how much of his attention is given to each device. Then, based on the user-interaction parameter, the user interface of at least one of the user's devices is configured to optimize the user's interactions, given the amount of attention he is currently giving to this user interface. If the user is giving the majority of his attention to the television, for example, then the user interface of a companion device can be configured to emphasize the types of interactions available to a user who is not actively watching the companion device.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for processing display data. The display data specify one or more presentations (e.g., digital signage information) for displaying to a user on an end-user device (e.g., a digital signage device). One or more processors receive one or more criteria (e.g., “user preferences”) and the display data. The one or more processors select some or all of the received display data. This selection may be dependent upon the one or more criteria. The one or more processors then provide, for display by the end-user device, the selected display data. This provision may be dependent upon the one or more criteria.

Abstract: A method and computing device for configuring devices connected to a home entertainment network by bidirectional audio/video interconnections. The method selects a profile for a user of a home entertainment network that includes a display device connected to audio/video source devices where the connection to each audio/video source device is a bidirectional audio/video connection, and where the display device includes a preferences manager. The method determines audio/video preferences for the user of the home entertainment network, where the audio/video preferences are based on a user-selected configuration of the preferences manager. The method sends the audio/video preferences to each audio/video source device for configuring each audio/video source device based on the audio/video preferences for the user of the home entertainment network.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of transferring content within a system having a credit managing device, a content providing device and a user device. The method includes: registering the user device with the credit managing device; providing a universal credit to the user device from the credit managing device; providing encrypted content and a pre-rights generator from the content providing device to the user device at a first time without consuming the universal credit; generating a decryption key from the pre-rights generator a second time after the first time; and decrypting, via the decryption key, the encrypted content at the user device and consuming a portion of the universal credit.

Abstract: A method and computing device that allows a viewer to specify a Region of Interest (ROI) in a picture-in-picture (PIP) video signal, and displays only the ROI in the PIP window. The method displays a secondary video signal for a secondary program, and receives a boundary that defines an ROI on the secondary video signal. The method extracts a portion of the secondary video signal, where the portion extracted corresponds to the ROI. The method displays a primary video signal for a primary program in a main window, and displays the extracted portion of the secondary video signal in the main window where the portion of the secondary video signal overlays the primary video signal.

Abstract: A dongle for converting remote control instructions from a first wireless medium to a second wireless medium includes a base unit having a base unit housing. A receiver disposed within the base unit housing is operable to receive a remote control instruction via the first wireless medium. A communication module including a communication module housing includes a transmitter operable to transmit the remote control instruction via the second wireless medium. The communication module is coupled to and pivotable with respect to the base unit.

Abstract: A method of dual-pass rate control video encoding and an encoder are disclosed. Uncompressed input video is received with a video encoder. First pass encoding is performed, and a second pass encoding is performed with the video encoder at a delay relative to the first pass. The first pass encoding detects scene changes within the input video, assigns macroblocks to a pre-determined number of activity classes, and determines a complexity of each picture within the sequence of pictures. Information from the first pass encoding concerning the scene changes, the activity classes, and the complexity are used for rate control determined in second pass encoding for producing and outputting a bit stream of compressed video. During at least one of the first pass and second pass encoding, boundaries of at least some of the GOPs are adjusted to be aligned with the scene changes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for streaming content is disclosed. A streamer (155) detects a cue for a break in a segment of the program content, wherein the cue includes an identification of an advertising provider associated with the break. The streamer sends, to an advertisement server (115), a request for content associated with the advertising provider, and receives, from the advertisement server, an advertisement associated with the advertising provider. Further, the streamer transcodes the advertisement based on configuration information of an additional device (165) to generate formatted content viewable on the additional device. Moreover, the streamer streams the formatted content to the additional device via the local connection.

Abstract: A translator for converting remote control instructions from a first wireless medium to a second wireless medium includes a base unit having a base unit housing. A receiver disposed within the base unit housing is operable to receive a remote control instruction via the first wireless medium. A communication module including a communication module housing includes a transmitter operable to transmit the remote control instruction via the second wireless medium. The communication module is coupled to and detachable from the base unit.

Abstract: The present invention monitors a user's activities to determine how much attention he is paying to one or more devices. Based on the information gathered about the user's current “attention profile,” a “user-interaction parameter” is set that reflects where the user's attention is focused and, ideally, how much of his attention is given to each device. Then, based on the user-interaction parameter, the user interface of at least one of the user's devices is configured to optimize the user's interactions, given the amount of attention he is currently giving to this user interface. If the user is giving the majority of his attention to the television, for example, then the user interface of a companion device can be configured to emphasize the types of interactions available to a user who is not actively watching the companion device.

Abstract: A method and system for enabling trick plays during a variable bit rate (VBR) playback of a media file transmitted to a user media device as a constant bit rate (CBR) flow includes determining a plurality of access points within the media file. The media file is configured to be played back from each of the plurality of access points. A minimum buffer value is calculated for each of the plurality of access points. The minimum buffer value identifies a minimum amount of the media file to transmit to the user media device before beginning playback of the media file from each of the plurality of access points to substantially ensure that the media file is configured to be played back from each of the plurality of access points continuously and uninterruptedly at a variable bit rate.

Abstract: A 3D video and graphics processing system may include at least one interface to receive an input video stream. The input video stream may include a 2D, a 3D, or a 2D/3D mixed content stream. A decoder may decode the input video stream. A processor may determine a source format of the input video stream from the decoded input video stream, and determine a target format for an external device to use to display content. The processor may further determine whether the source format matches the target format, if yes, the processor may send the input video stream to the at least one interface, and if no, the processor may modify the input video stream to be in the target format and send the modified input video stream to the at least one interface, for transmitting as an output video stream to the external device.

Abstract: Encoding a video signal including pictures includes generating perceptual representations based on the pictures. Reference pictures are selected and motion vectors are generated based on the perceptual representations and the reference pictures. The motion vectors and pointers for the reference pictures are provided in an encoded video signal. Decoding may include receiving pointers for reference pictures and motion vectors based on perceptual representations of the reference pictures. The decoding of the pictures in the encoded video signal may include selecting reference pictures using the pointers and determining predicted pictures, based on the motion vectors and the selected reference pictures. The decoding may include generating reconstructed pictures from the predicted pictures and the residual pictures.

Abstract: A method and computing device for transitioning into and out of partial service mode to make bandwidth available for other resources. A trigger value is set for a channel, where a first and second cable modem have registered to use the channel, and where the first cable modem is a bonded channel modem that utilizes a bonding group that includes the channel and at least one other channel. A modulation mode for the channel is monitored. The channel is transitioned from full service mode to partial service mode when the channel is in full service mode and monitoring detects that the modulation mode is less than or equal to the trigger value. The channel is transitioned from partial service mode to full service mode when the channel is in partial service mode and the modulation mode for the channel is greater than the trigger value.

Abstract: A method (300) and apparatus (110, 150) collect and upload implicit analytic data. The method can include storing (320) dependency rules corresponding explicit events to implicit events. The method can include collecting (330) and storing (340) implicit event data corresponding to implicit events. The method can include receiving (350) an explicit event at the device. The method can include evaluating (360) dependency rules corresponding to the explicit event. The method can include identifying (370) a relevant subset of implicit event data corresponding to the explicit event based on evaluating the dependency rules. The method can include uploading (390) the relevant subset of the implicit event data and explicit event data corresponding to the explicit event.