Patents Assigned to Rovi Technologies
  • Publication number: 20120170915
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing smooth visual search of media encoded for adaptive bitrate streaming using trick play streams are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention includes requesting and buffering portions of video from at least one of the alternative streams using a playback device, decoding the buffered portions of video using a decoder on the playback device, receiving at least one user instruction directing the playback device to perform a visual search of the media, requesting and buffering portions of video from the trick play stream using the playback device, and decoding the buffered portions of the trick play stream using a decoder on the playback device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: Rovi Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Braness, Kourosh Soroushian, Auke Sjoerd van der Schaar
  • Publication number: 20120170906
    Abstract: Systems and methods for adaptive bitrate streaming of media including subtitles utilizing Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention includes requesting and buffering portions of video from at least one of the alternative streams using a playback device, requesting information indicative of a font utilized by a font-rendering engine to render text from a selected subtitle stream, downloading at least one font file when the font is not present on the playback device, requesting and buffering at least a portion of the selected subtitle stream, decoding the buffered portions of video using a decoder on the playback device, rendering the portions of the subtitle stream corresponding to the buffered portion of video using a font-rendering engine configured by the at least one downloaded font file, and performing synchronized playback of the decoded video and rendered subtitles using the playback device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: Rovi Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kourosh Soroushian, Scott Douglas, Steve Bramwell, Jason Braness, Abhishek Shivadas
  • Publication number: 20120170643
    Abstract: Systems and methods for adaptive bitrate streaming of media including subtitles utilizing HTTP in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention includes selecting a portion of the source media using the source encoder, transcoding the selected portion of the source media into a plurality of alternative portions of encoded video, where each alternative portion is encoded using a different set of encoding parameters and commences with an intra frame at the start of a closed group of pictures (GOP), writing each of the alternative portions of encoded video to a separate container file using the source encoder, writing a subtitle stream segment from each subtitle track corresponding to the selected portion of the source media to a separate container file using the source encoder, and associating a font file with at least one of the container files containing subtitle stream segments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: Rovi Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kourosh Soroushian, Scott Douglas, Steve Bramwell, Jason Braness, Abhishek Shivadas
  • Publication number: 20120170642
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing smooth visual search of media encoded for adaptive bitrate streaming using trick play streams are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention includes transcoding a selected portion of the source video into a portion of trick play stream video for inclusion in a trick play stream using the source encoder, where the portion of trick play stream video is encoded at a lower frame rate and a lower resolution than the source video, writing the trick play stream to a separate container file using the source encoder, and adding an entry to an index that identifies the location of each frame in the portion of trick play stream video within the container file containing the trick play stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: Rovi Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Braness, Kourosh Soroushian, Auke Sjoerd van der Schaar
  • Patent number: 8209313
    Abstract: A method and a system are provided for structuring and searching data in a hierarchical confidence-based configuration. In one example, the system receives data and assigns a confidence quality tier to the data. The confidence quality tier is in a range that spans from a highest confidence quality tier inclusive to a lowest confidence quality tier inclusive. Data of a particular confidence quality tier is configured to be searched before data of a relatively lower confidence quality tier. The system organizes the data in a selected server of a server system according to the confidence quality tier. The selected server is in the range that spans from the highest confidence quality tier inclusive to the lowest confidence quality tier inclusive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jens Nicholas Wessling, Robert Dennis Kahlbaum, Dustin James Williams
  • Publication number: 20120159534
    Abstract: Data for a programming guide or other type of media guidance application of the type associated with video, such as television Electronic Programming Guides (EPG) or Interactive Programming Guides (IPG), is transported via a digital delivery network such as the Internet to a video receiving or storage device such as a personal video recorder (PVR). The receiving device extracts one or more signals from the media guidance application data for a purpose such as programming of control signals. The receiving device thereby reads or interprets control signals derived from the programming guide data provided via the digital delivery network so as to control subsequent recording (or other storage) of the video programs or other video content assets associated with the media guidance application data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: Rovi Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald Quan, John F. Cloutman
  • Publication number: 20120143986
    Abstract: Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed that use network connected devices that simultaneously use multiple different download processes to download different portions of a file. One embodiment of the invention includes a network connected device, including: a processor; memory containing a download manager application; where the download manager application configures the processor to utilize a plurality of different download processes to download portions of the same piece of content from at least one download source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: Rovi Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron C. Robinson, Jim Hedley Reesman
  • Patent number: 8176518
    Abstract: Fantasy sports contests based on segments of a single sports event. A segment or subevent may be a portion of a single sports event. The users choose a roster of selections to form an fantasy sports contest team roster. Fantasy points are awarded to the user for the real-life performance of the selections on the fantasy sports contest team roster according to rules of the fantasy sports contest. In one embodiment, the user is presented with bonus questions asking for predictions on the outcome of real-life action during a subevent of the a televised competition. Fantasy points may be awarded to users making correct predictions. The bonus questions may supplement fantasy scoring from the users' team rosters, or may be presented as a stand alone interactive sports contest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: William Junkin, Dave Barber
  • Publication number: 20120078954
    Abstract: Browsing content stored in a content source. A hierarchical tree structure is accessed. The hierarchical tree structure has nodes that correspond to at least one query for recommended content that is recommended based on sponsored recommendations. Recommended content stored in the content source is browsed by executing the at least one query for recommended content, the at least one query corresponding to at least one node of the hierarchical tree structure. The browsing is performed in accordance with a hierarchy of the hierarchical tree structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Carlos Araya
  • Publication number: 20120078952
    Abstract: Browsing content stored in a content source. A hierarchical tree structure is accessed. The hierarchical tree structure has nodes that correspond to at least one query for recommended content that is recommended based on a user profile. Recommended content stored in the content source is browsed by executing the at least one query for recommended content, the at least one query corresponding to at least one node of the hierarchical tree structure. The browsing is performed in accordance with a hierarchy of the hierarchical tree structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Carlos Araya
  • Publication number: 20120079429
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for navigating media content information using a media guidance application implemented on a portable device with a touch-sensitive display. A display screen with a media content information region, an availability region, and/or a media source region may be displayed on the touch-sensitive display. The user may interact with these regions and, specifically, with media tiles, a time selector, and a channel selector to navigate the media content information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Paul T. Stathacopoulos, Geoff Ehlers, Carlos Araya
  • Publication number: 20120078937
    Abstract: Browsing content stored in a content source. A hierarchical tree structure is accessed. The hierarchical tree structure has nodes that correspond to at least one query for recommended content of a first content type that is recommended based on a collection of data for content of a second content type, the first content type and the second content type being different. Recommended content, of the first content type, stored in the content source is browsed by executing the at least one query for recommended content, the at least one query corresponding to at least one node of the hierarchical tree structure. The browsing is performed in accordance with a hierarchy of the hierarchical tree structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Gina Mae Hall
  • Publication number: 20120078885
    Abstract: Browsing content stored in a content source. A hierarchical tree structure is accessed. The hierarchical tree structure has nodes that correspond to at least one query for recommended content that is recommended based on editorial recommendations. Recommended content stored in the content source is browsed by executing the at least one query for recommended content, the at least one query corresponding to at least one node of the hierarchical tree structure. The browsing is performed in accordance with a hierarchy of the hierarchical tree structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Carlos Araya
  • Publication number: 20120078953
    Abstract: Browsing content stored in a content source. A hierarchical tree structure is accessed. The hierarchical tree structure has nodes that correspond to at least one query for recommended content that is recommended based on at least one social network service. Recommended content stored in the content source is browsed by executing the at least one query for recommended content, the at least one query corresponding to at least one node of the hierarchical tree structure. The browsing is performed in accordance with a hierarchy of the hierarchical tree structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Carlos Araya
  • Publication number: 20120060095
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating and/or displaying personalized video content are provided. In some embodiments, a video asset made up of a set of frames, including a preliminary frame with an object region, is received at user equipment. A media element is identified and transmitted to a remote server, where it is processed to produce a modified version of the media element and then transmitted back to the user equipment. The video asset is displayed at the user equipment, except that a modified frame incorporating the modified version of the media element is displayed in place of the preliminary frame. The modified version of the media element is incorporated in an area of the modified frame corresponding to the object region of the preliminary frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Walter R. Klappert
  • Publication number: 20120059953
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating and/or displaying personalized video content are provided. In some embodiments, a video asset made up of a set of frames, including a preliminary frame with an object region, is received at user equipment. A media element is identified and transmitted to a remote server, where it is processed to produce a modified version of the media element and then transmitted back to the user equipment. The video asset is displayed at the user equipment, except that a modified frame incorporating the modified version of the media element is displayed in place of the preliminary frame. The modified version of the media element is incorporated in an area of the modified frame corresponding to the object region of the preliminary frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Walter R. Klappert
  • Publication number: 20120057850
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating and/or displaying personalized video content are provided. In some embodiments, a video asset made up of a set of frames, including a preliminary frame with an object region, is received at user equipment. A media element is identified and transmitted to a remote server, where it is processed to produce a modified version of the media element and then transmitted back to the user equipment. The video asset is displayed at the user equipment, except that a modified frame incorporating the modified version of the media element is displayed in place of the preliminary frame. The modified version of the media element is incorporated in an area of the modified frame corresponding to the object region of the preliminary frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Walter R. Klappert
  • Publication number: 20120047166
    Abstract: A method for providing configurable access to media in a media-on-demand system also can include delivering the media to a first client device in a format compatible with the first client device; interrupting the delivery of the media; recording a bookmark specifying a position in the media where the interruption occurred; and resuming delivery of the media to a second client device, the resumed delivery beginning at a position in the media specified by the recorded bookmark. The method further can include identifying device properties for each of the first and second client devices; delivering the media to the first client device in a format compatible with the identified device properties for the first client device; and, delivering the media to the second client device in a format compatible with the identified device properties for the second client device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Neil Katz, Bruce P. Semple, Edith H. Stern, Barry E. Willner
  • Publication number: 20120036536
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for updating a media guidance application with real-time media information for enhancing recording features. In particular, real-time schedule changes, actual and estimated, are provided for updating instructions for a media guidance application operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Applicant: ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Walter R. Klappert, Mitch Drummond, William L. Thomas, Michael McCarty
  • Publication number: 20120033943
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for updating a media guidance application with real-time media information for enhancing recording features. In particular, real-time schedule changes, actual and estimated, are provided for updating instructions for a media guidance application operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Applicant: ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Walter R. Klappert, Mitch Drummond, William L. Thomas, Michael McCarty