Patents Assigned to Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11955116
    Abstract: Content is organized for brands by selecting a plurality of brand templates. After each selection, a set of properties is generated by applying a portion of settings of the respective brand template, with the remaining settings being overridden with settings for a channel communicating one of a plurality of presentations to a node of a network involved in the communication. The plurality of presentations may include different renditions of the same content. The properties may include sections configured for different focus areas and/or types of content associated with at tags to enable brand-level-targeting. Filters may be identified in the properties. Based on each of the identifications, a property from among the generated sets of properties may be selected based on comparisons with the associated tags.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Aaron Miller, Jason D. Justman, Lora Clark Bouchard, Michael Ellery Bouchard, Kevin James Cotlove, Mathew Keith Gitchell, Stacia Lynn Haisch, Jonathan David Kersten, Matthew Karl Marchio, Peter Arthur Pulliam, George Allen Smith, Todd Christopher Tibbetts
  • Patent number: 11895186
    Abstract: Organizing and publishing content in a content management system wherein content, including text, images and video, is received and segmented into content atoms. One or more tags are associated with the content atoms to allow device specific presentation of the content atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Miller, Kevin J. Cotlove, Michael E. Bouchard, Paul D. Norton, David Thornton, Jonathan D. Kersten, Jason D. Justman
  • Publication number: 20230337156
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are method and apparatus for Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) 3.0 and non-ATSC 3.0 broadcast Direct to Mobile (D2M) co-exist aligned open radio access network (O-RAN). One aspect of this disclosure operates by generating a broadcast frame conforming to a first communications protocol, where the broadcast frame conforming to the first communication protocol includes a slice start (SS) portion. The embodiment further generates a broadcast virtual frame container including the broadcast frame conforming to the first communication protocol and a broadcast frame conforming to a second communication protocol, where the broadcast virtual frame container further includes a virtual frame start (VFS) portion, and transmits the broadcast virtual frame container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Applicant: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. SIMON, Mark A. AITKEN, Louis Herbert LIBIN
  • Patent number: 11783816
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are described herein for providing a graphical user interface for configuring presentations of content and controlling distribution of content, for example, through in conjunction with a management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Aaron Miller, Jason D. Justman, Lora Clark Bouchard, Michael Ellery Bouchard, Kevin James Cotlove, Mathew Keith Gitchell, Stacia Lynn Haisch, Jonathan David Kersten, Todd Christopher Tibbetts
  • Patent number: 11727924
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are described herein for placing secondary content into a break of unknown duration in a stream of primary content. In one aspect, the described techniques may include streaming a segment of primary content, for example, by a reduce capability client device, such as a mobile device or tablet. The device may receive information indicative of a break in the streaming of the primary content. The device may play secondary content based on receiving the information indicative of the break. The device may determine when a next segment of the primary content is available, and begin streaming the next segment of the primary content upon detecting that the second segment of the primary content is available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Aaron Miller, Jason D. Justman, Lora Clark Bouchard, Michael Ellery Bouchard, Kevin James Cotlove, Mathew Keith Gitchell, Stacia Lynn Haisch, Jonathan David Kersten, Matthew Karl Marchio, Peter Arthur Pulliam, George Allen Smith, Todd Christopher Tibbetts
  • Patent number: 11729039
    Abstract: According to some embodiments, a method includes selecting a length for an advanced television system committee (ATSC) 3.0 frame for transmission by a single frequency network (SFN) transmitter and aligning the SFN transmitter with a global positioning system (GPS) epoch. The method further includes storing geographical coordinates of the SFN transmitter and a corresponding SFN transmitter identification (TX ID) in a database. The method also includes encoding the SFN TX ID in a non-coherent symbol of a plurality of positioning navigation timing (PNT) symbols comprising a plurality of coherent symbols and the non-coherent symbol with orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) numerology to support positioning. The method further includes prepending the plurality of PNT symbols to the ATSC 3.0 frame to generate a modified ATSC 3.0 frame and transmitting the modified ATSC 3.0 using a SFN transmitter antenna of the SFN transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP, INC.
    Inventors: Michael J. Simon, Mark A. Aitken, Ebenezer K. Kofi, Louis Herbert Libin
  • Patent number: 11676584
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are described herein for distributing syndicated content or content with one or more distribution restrictions. In one aspect, a method may include assigning a unique ID to a plurality of content items, where the unique ID of at least one of the content items is associated with one or more property distribution restrictions. The method may further include streaming in a video stream the content items to at least two properties and monitoring the unique IDs of the plurality of content items streamed in the video stream to detect least one content item associated with the one or more property distribution restrictions. The distribution of the least one content item associated with the one or more property distribution restrictions may be blocked from the one or more properties concurrently with streaming the video stream, based on the one or more property distribution restrictions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Aaron Miller, Jason D. Justman, Lora Clark Bouchard, Michael Ellery Bouchard, Kevin James Cotlove, Mathew Keith Gitchell, Stacia Lynn Haisch, Jonathan David Kersten, Matthew Karl Marchio, Peter Arthur Pulliam, George Allen Smith, Todd Christopher Tibbetts
  • Patent number: 11664019
    Abstract: Techniques are described herein for optimizing the presentation of content through obtaining viewership metrics, generating multiple renditions of presentations of content, and selecting optimized renditions of content. One aspect includes associating a request for viewership metrics with a presentation of content, publishing the presentation of content, and receiving information of the viewership metrics associated with the presentation. Another aspect includes copying a presentation of a content item, creating a second presentation of the content item for publishing over one or more channels, and linking the presentation of the content item to the second presentation of the content item, such that a change to one propagates to the other of the presentation of the content item or the second presentation of the content item. In yet another aspect, a content rendition may be selected for presentation based on performance of the rendition out of multiple renditions in an auction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Aaron Miller, Jason D. Justman, Lora Clark Bouchard, Michael Ellery Bouchard, Kevin James Cotlove, Mathew Keith Gitchell, Stacia Lynn Haisch, Jonathan David Kersten, Matthew Karl Marchio, Peter Arthur Pulliam, George Allen Smith, Todd Christopher Tibbetts
  • Patent number: 11527239
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are described herein for distributing syndicated content or content with one or more distribution restrictions. In one aspect, a method may include assigning a unique ID to a plurality of content items, where the unique ID of at least one of the content items is associated with one or more property distribution restrictions. The method may further include streaming in a video stream the content items to at least two properties and monitoring the unique IDs of the plurality of content items streamed in the video stream to detect least one content item associated with the one or more property distribution restrictions. The distribution of the least one content item associated with the one or more property distribution restrictions may be blocked from the one or more properties concurrently with streaming the video stream, based on the one or more property distribution restrictions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Aaron Miller, Jason D. Justman, Lora Clark Bouchard, Michael Ellery Bouchard, Kevin James Cotlove, Mathew Keith Gitchell, Stacia Lynn Haisch, Jonathan David Kersten, Matthew Karl Marchio, Peter Arthur Pulliam, George Allen Smith, Todd Christopher Tibbetts
  • Publication number: 20220338164
    Abstract: Some aspects of this disclosure are direct to a system that includes a first scheduler configured to receive an input packet and generate a first packet to be transmitted using a first radio unit (RU). The system further includes a second scheduler configured to receive the first packet from the first scheduler and generate a second packet. The second packet is to be transmitted using a second RU. The system further includes a first fronthaul operated using evolved Common Public Radio Interface (eCPRI) protocol and configured to direct the first packet to the first RU to be transmitted on a first channel having a first frequency. The system further includes a second fronthaul operated using the eCPRI protocol and configured to direct the second packet to the second RU to be transmitted on a second channel having a second frequency different from the first frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. SIMON, Louis Herbert LIBIN, Mark A. AITKEN
  • Patent number: 11388629
    Abstract: The ATSC 3.0 physical layer broadcast standard is extended with new OFDM numerology, L1 signaling and frame structure aligned with 5G. This is done to enable improved broadcast mobility and convergence 5G release 16 as a Non-3GPP access network. The 5G core network and Broadcast core network interwork over defined interfaces to enable convergence layer 3. This enables improvements of broadcast physical layer for physics of broadcast. The 5G unicast physical layer is enhanced for physics of unicast, and then both are converged at layer 3. This is novel and has many benefits compared to the legacy LTE broadcast method (e.g., Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services (eMBMS)), which combines both broadcast and unicast into a single shared LTE frame at layer 1. The eMBMS method is then improved for dominate unicast mode in shared L1 frame. The result is the broadcast performance and efficiency in eMBMS are less than optimal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Simon, Mark A. Aitken
  • Patent number: 11363467
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, an apparatus, and a computer-readable medium product for sharing broadcast resources and validating usage of the broadcast resources according to an agreement between a plurality of broadcast virtual network operators (BVNOs). A method includes determining the plurality of spectrum resources corresponding to a length of a broadcast frame, and creating a plurality of physical layer pipes (PLPs) based on a plurality of internet protocol (IP) flows from the plurality of BVNOs. The method includes constructing the broadcast frame including the plurality of PLPs and generating a broadcast frame record based on transmission of the broadcast frame. The broadcast frame record can identify the plurality of spectrum resources shared between the plurality of BVNOs. The method includes updating the broadcast frame record with identification information of the plurality of BVNOs and the plurality of IP flows corresponding to the plurality of PLPs of the broadcast frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP, INC.
    Inventors: Michael John Simon, Mark A. Aitken, Ebenezer K. Kofi, Louis Herbert Libin
  • Publication number: 20220070042
    Abstract: According to some embodiments, a method includes selecting a length for an advanced television system committee (ATSC) 3.0 frame for transmission by a single frequency network (SFN) transmitter and aligning the SFN transmitter with a global positioning system (GPS) epoch. The method further includes storing geographical coordinates of the SFN transmitter and a corresponding SFN transmitter identification (TX ID) in a database. The method also includes encoding the SFN TX ID in a non-coherent symbol of a plurality of positioning navigation timing (PNT) symbols comprising a plurality of coherent symbols and the non-coherent symbol with orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) numerology to support positioning. The method further includes prepending the plurality of PNT symbols to the ATSC 3.0 frame to generate a modified ATSC 3.0 frame and transmitting the modified ATSC 3.0 using a SFN transmitter antenna of the SFN transmitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Applicant: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. SIMON, Mark A. AITKEN, Ebenezer K. KOFI, Louis Herbert LIBIN
  • Patent number: 11153056
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method are provided for generating and transmitting one or more band segmented bootstrap signals. For example, a transmitter may be configured to generate a plurality of sequence numbers and apply cyclic shift to each of the plurality of sequence number. The transmitter is further configured to map each of the shifted sequence numbers to at least one frequency domain subcarrier of a plurality of frequency domain subcarriers, and translate each subcarrier of the plurality of subcarriers to a time domain sequence. Each subcarrier of the plurality of subcarriers may be shifted with respect to other subcarriers of the plurality of subcarriers, thereby aligning each segment of the band segmented bootstrap signals next to each other in the frequency domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP, INC.
    Inventor: Michael J. Simon
  • Patent number: 10971138
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are described herein for placing secondary content into a break of unknown duration in a stream of primary content. In one aspect, the described techniques may include streaming a segment of primary content, for example, by a reduce capability client device, such as a mobile device or tablet. The device may receive information indicative of a break in the streaming of the primary content. The device may play secondary content based on receiving the information indicative of the break. The device may determine when a next segment of the primary content is available, and begin streaming the next segment of the primary content upon detecting that the second segment of the primary content is available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Aaron Miller, Jason D. Justman, Lora Clark Bouchard, Michael Ellery Bouchard, Kevin James Cotlove, Mathew Keith Gitchell, Stacia Lynn Haisch, Jonathan David Kersten, Matthew Karl Marchio, Peter Arthur Pulliam, George Allen Smith, Todd Christopher Tibbetts
  • Patent number: 10951334
    Abstract: Systems and methods for relaying in broadcast single-frequency networks are disclosed herein. A single-frequency network can be formed in part using transmitters that receive data via a cooperative relay channel instead of a station-to-transmitter link. In some embodiments, a second channel may use a portion of its transmission time to relay the information to the single-frequency network transmitter using time-division multiplexing. In other embodiments, a second channel may encode the relayed information on a second layer using layer-division multiplexing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP, INC.
    Inventors: Michael John Simon, Louis Herbert Libin
  • Patent number: 10923116
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are described herein for placing secondary content into a break of unknown duration in a stream of primary content. In one aspect the described techniques may include receiving information indicative of a break in streaming of the primary content, such as metadata data that is inserted into the stream of primary content, for example, on a client device. A duration of the stream of the primary content may be obtained. Secondary content may be played, for example during a break in the streaming of the primary content. Upon detecting that the duration of the stream of the primary content has increased to a second duration, for example, in response to the client device receiving additional primary content, the primary content may be streamed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Aaron Miller, Jason D. Justman, Lora Clark Bouchard, Michael Ellery Bouchard, Kevin James Cotlove, Mathew Keith Gitchell, Stacia Lynn Haisch, Jonathan David Kersten, Matthew Karl Marchio, Peter Arthur Pulliam, George Allen Smith, Todd Christopher Tibbetts
  • Patent number: 10909975
    Abstract: Systems, devices and methods are described herein for segmentation of content, and more specifically for segmentation of content in a content management system. In one aspect, a method may include receiving content associated with speech, text, or closed captioning data. The speech, the text, or the closed captioning data may be analyzed to derive at least one of a topic, subject, or event for at least a portion of the content. The content may be divided into two or more content segments based on the analyzing. At least one of the topic, the subject, or the event may be associated with at least one of the two or more content segments based on the analyzing. At least one of the two or more content segments may then be published such that each of the two or more content segments is individually accessible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Aaron Miller, Jason D. Justman, Lora Clark Bouchard, Michael Ellery Bouchard, Kevin James Cotlove, Mathew Keith Gitchell, Stacia Lynn Haisch, Jonathan David Kersten, Matthew Karl Marchio, Peter Arthur Pulliam, George Allen Smith, Todd Christopher Tibbetts
  • Patent number: 10909974
    Abstract: Techniques are described herein for optimizing the presentation of content through obtaining viewership metrics, generating multiple renditions of presentations of content, and selecting optimized renditions of content. One aspect includes associating a request for viewership metrics with a presentation of content, publishing the presentation of content, and receiving information of the viewership metrics associated with the presentation. Another aspect includes copying a presentation of a content item, creating a second presentation of the content item for publishing over one or more channels, and linking the presentation of the content item to the second presentation of the content item, such that a change to one propagates to the other of the presentation of the content item or the second presentation of the content item. In yet another aspect, a content rendition may be selected for presentation based on performance of the rendition out of multiple renditions in an auction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Aaron Miller, Jason D. Justman, Lora Clark Bouchard, Michael Ellery Bouchard, Kevin James Cotlove, Mathew Keith Gitchell, Stacia Lynn Haisch, Jonathan David Kersten, Matthew Karl Marchio, Peter Arthur Pulliam, George Allen Smith, Todd Christopher Tibbetts
  • Patent number: 10855765
    Abstract: Organizing and publishing content in a content management system wherein content, including text, images and video, is received and segmented into content atoms. One or more tags are associated with the content atoms to allow device specific presentation of the content atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Miller, Kevin J. Cotlove, Michael E. Bouchard, Paul D. Norton, David Thornton, Jonathan D. Kersten, Jason D. Justman