Patents Assigned to Hulu LLC
  • Patent number: 11812081
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method receives session features for a session associated with a request for a video from a client and predicts network conditions for the session using the session features. A subset of available profiles is selected based on the network conditions. The available profiles are associated with a different playback characteristic. The method provides a profile ladder that includes the subset of available profiles for the playback of the video to the client. The profile ladder restricts the client to using the subset of available profiles to request segments of the video during the session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Tongyu Dai, Lan Xie, Wenhao Zhang, Deliang Fu, Chao Li, Qiang She, Yuting Gui, Yicheng Liu, Xizhi Xu
  • Patent number: 11800088
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method performs a first calculation to select an anchor point based on a first reference block in a first reference frame and a second reference block in a second reference frame. The first reference frame is selected as the anchor point. A third reference block in the second reference frame is selected based on the first reference frame being selected as the anchor point. The method performs a second calculation to select the anchor point based on the first reference block in the first reference frame and the third reference block in the second reference frame and determines whether to use the first reference block and the third reference block as a prediction for a current block based on the second calculation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Wenhao Zhang, Deliang Fu, Min Gao, Juncheng Ma, Chen Liu
  • Patent number: 11792486
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method receives a request for an interface. A configuration for the interface includes a plurality of slots that are associated with a plurality of collection pools, wherein each collection pool is configurable with a ranking strategy. The method determines a collection pool for a slot in the interface where the collection pool is associated with a plurality of collections. A collection is received for the slot. The collection is determined by ranking the plurality of collections using a ranking strategy for the collection pool to generate a ranking of the plurality of collections. The method outputs the collection for the collection pool for display in the slot of the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Andre Xiong, Darshana Umakanth, Yuchong Luo, Brian T. Morrison, Lena Bareket, Huimin Chen, Carlos Sandoval, Brian Burkhart, David Jung, Brandon Lonac, Bo Liu
  • Patent number: 11792390
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method maintains a first list that stores motion vectors from one or more blocks that have been previously processed in a frame. When a current block is in the first set of positions in the frame, the method resets and uses a motion vector from a second list to transcode the current block due to the resetting of the first list. When the current block is not in the first set of positions, the method uses a motion vector from the first list to transcode the current block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Wenhao Zhang, Deliang Fu, Juncheng Ma, Chen Liu
  • Patent number: 11792474
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method receives a request from a client device. The request includes location information for an update to a media presentation description for a media presentation. The method uses the location information to determine that the client device has not received a first segment based on the location information. The media presentation description is currently sending updates for a second segment. The location information is used to identify that the update to the media presentation description should include the first segment and the second segment. The method sends an instance of the media presentation description that includes update information for the first segment and the second segment to update a stored version of the media presentation description for the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventor: Zachary Cava
  • Patent number: 11765421
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method receives a manifest presentation description for a media presentation. The manifest presentation description includes an opportunity that requires resolution to determine supplemental content for the opportunity. A request to resolve the opportunity is sent where information for the supplemental content that is received from the request is inserted in an instance of the media presentation description. The method stores the information for the supplemental content in association with an identifier for the opportunity. An update to the manifest presentation description is received where the update includes the opportunity. The method retrieves the information for the supplemental content that was stored in association with the identifier for the opportunity and inserts the information for the supplemental content into the instance of the update to the manifest presentation description.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventor: Zachary McKeel Cava
  • Publication number: 20230254532
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method determines an element that is associated with a value in a manifest presentation description for a media presentation being played. The value indicates the element of the manifest presentation description is part of a group. Elements in the manifest presentation description are reviewed to determine whether elements in the one or more elements are associated with the value. The method forms a group of elements from elements in the manifest presentation description that include the value and should be replaced as a group. A single request is sent to a device to resolve the group of elements. The method receives information for content for the single request. The information for the content is inserted in the manifest presentation description in place of the group of elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: HULU, LLC
    Inventor: Zachary McKeel Cava
  • Patent number: 11687229
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method receives an input for a user interface and determines whether an input classification that classifies the input in one of a plurality of input classifications is included with the input. When the input classification is not included with the input, performing: determining an input classification for the input and sending the determined input classification and the input to a server system. When the input classification is included with the input, sending the input and the input classification that is included with the input to the server system. Then, the method receives a user interface format that is based on the input classification from the server system and causes output of content in the user interface format on the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventor: William Caviness
  • Publication number: 20230179782
    Abstract: A method includes transcoding a first block from a spatial region. The first block is associated with a first block tree pattern defining a structure of splitting a block into smaller blocks. A bit string of bits for the first block tree pattern is included in an encoded bitstream. The method determines a location of the first block in the spatial region when the first block tree pattern of the first block can be reused for a second block tree pattern of a second block. The spatial region includes blocks and the location is based on the first block being in the spatial region. Information for the second block is included in the encoded bitstream that indicates the location of the first block in the spatial region. The location allows the bit string for the first block tree pattern to be retrieved for use to decode the second block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2023
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Applicant: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Wenhao Zhang, Deliang Fu, Min Gao, Juncheng Ma, Chen Liu
  • Patent number: 11671668
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method receives a first set of probabilities mapping a behavior to a user for a set of behaviors in a video delivery system. A first part of a model is used to predict the first set of probabilities. The method receives a second set of probabilities mapping a user to a behavior for a set of users that are using an account on the video delivery system. A second part of the model is used to predict the second set of probabilities. A combined probability is calculated for the set of behaviors and the set of users based on the first set of probabilities and the second set of probabilities. The method updates a second parameter of the second part of the model while keeping a first parameter of the first part of the model fixed and outputs the second parameter of the second part of the model upon determining the training of the model is finished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Dingming Wu, Changsheng Xiang, Wu Zhang, Chunyang Wei
  • Patent number: 11653046
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method receives a request for an instance of content and determines content metadata for the instance of content. A metric for concurrent playback sessions based on the content metadata is determined. The concurrent playback sessions are actively streaming content. The method evaluates the request to block or allow the request based on comparing the metric for concurrent playback sessions to a threshold for the concurrent playback sessions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Henke, Isha Shah, Aleksandar Zambelli
  • Patent number: 11647252
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method determines an element is associated with a value in a manifest description presentation for a media presentation being played. The value indicates the element of the manifest description presentation is part of a group. The method reviews the manifest description presentation to determine a plurality of elements that are associated with the value and sends a request to a device to resolve the plurality of elements using information from one of the elements. Information for supplement content is received for the group where the information for the supplemental content is inserted in the manifest description presentation in place of the plurality of elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventor: Zachary McKeel Cava
  • Publication number: 20230111188
    Abstract: In some embodiments, after receiving a first set of video segments of a video, a method starts a first computing instance and receives a video segment of the video using the first computing instance. A measurement is calculated based on receiving the video segment. The method uses the measurement to determine whether the first computing instance should continue to be used to receive video segments in the video or should be terminated to not receive video segments in the video.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Applicant: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Tongyu Dai, Lan Xie, Wenhao Zhang, Deliang Fu, Chao Li, Qiang She, Yuting Gui, Yicheng Liu, Yanping Zhou, Xizhi Xu
  • Patent number: 11622116
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method receives a current encoding stream of a video. A first measurement for a reference encoding stream is selected to measure a quality of the reference encoding stream. The method compares a second measurement of the current encoding stream to the first measurement of the reference encoding stream and outputs whether the current encoding stream is validated based on the comparing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Chen Liu, Wenhao Zhang, Deliang Fu, Xiaobo Liu, Xuchang Huangfu
  • Publication number: 20230096951
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method determines a reward metric based on feedback for an instance of content. A delivery status for a delivery constraint of the instance of content is applied to the reward metric to generate a constrained reward metric. The method uses the constrained reward metric to train a model. The model is used to select from a plurality of instances of content. One of the plurality of instances of content is selected for delivery using the model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Pengfei Gao, Dingming Wu, Chunyang Wei, Xiaohui Xie, Shulei Ma
  • Patent number: 11616993
    Abstract: In some embodiments, during playback of a video, using a parameter value of an adaptive bitrate algorithm to analyze playback of the video. The adaptive bitrate algorithm uses the parameter value to select a profile from a plurality of profiles to use to request segments of the video. A method selects a scenario in a plurality of scenarios when a playback condition meets a characteristic value of the scenario. The plurality of scenarios are associated with a different characteristic value. The method adjusts the parameter value of the adaptive bitrate algorithm based on the scenario to generate an adjusted parameter value. The plurality of scenarios have at least one different parameter value. The adjusted parameter value of the adaptive bitrate algorithm is used to analyze the playback of the video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Si Chen, Tongyu Dai, Lemei Huang, Deliang Fu, Wenhao Zhang
  • Patent number: 11601718
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method inputs a sequence of historical behaviors for a plurality of instances of content into a prediction network to generate a sequence of values that model the sequence of historical behaviors. A restriction on an operation performed by the prediction network is based on a characteristic of an viewing behavior. A sequence of attention scores is generated based on a similarity of a current behavior for a first instance of content to respective instances of historical behaviors in the sequence of historical behaviors. The method adjusts respective values based on corresponding attention scores to generate an adjusted sequence of values. The adjusted sequence of features are sampled to generate an output from the prediction network that models the sequence of historical behaviors based on the current behavior. The output for determining a prediction if the current behavior is indicative of the viewing behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Qingying Chen, Shulei Ma, Chunyang Wei
  • Patent number: 11601660
    Abstract: A method includes transcoding a first block of a video. The first block is associated with a first block tree pattern defining a structure of splitting a block into smaller blocks. A bit string of bits for the first block tree pattern is included in an encoded bitstream for the video. The method determines that the first block tree pattern of the first block can be reused for a second block tree pattern of a second block and includes information in the encoded bitstream that indicates that the first block tree pattern is to be used to decode the second block from the encoded bitstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Wenhao Zhang, Deliang Fu, Min Gao, Juncheng Ma, Chen Liu
  • Patent number: 11595715
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method receives a message that identifies an asset being viewed on a video service at a timestamp. The message is associated with a profile identifier and a plurality of messages are received for the profile identifier while using the video service. The method determines a channel identifier for a channel in which the asset is offered during the timestamp and determines whether a channel change occurred based on the channel identifier and a prior channel identifier determined from a prior message in the plurality of messages. When the channel change has occurred, the method stores the channel identifier and timestamp for the profile identifier in a data structure, wherein a list of channels is generated by querying the data structure to determine a set of channel identifiers and timestamps for the profile identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Mckay Salisbury, Peter Moore, Karthik Prasanna, Xiaoming Sun, Tong Yang, Srivardhan Jalan, Arkin Yetis
  • Patent number: 11593968
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method analyzing a first set of values for a first bin plane in a plurality of bin planes. The plurality of bin planes are used to determine a context model for entropy coding of a current block in a video. The method determines whether to use a second set of values from a second bin plane based on the analyzing. When it is determined to use the second set of values, information is calculated for the context model using the first set of values and the second set of values. When it is determined to not use the second set of values, information is calculated for the context model using the first set of values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: Wenhao Zhang, Deliang Fu, Juncheng Ma, Chen Liu