Abstract: A system, tracking an object within an environ, includes a hub with a processor instantiating a vision recognizer, a data store storing location data including a first location model, and a first camera which captures and provides, within a first field of view (FOV), a first image to the hub. The first image includes a first depiction of a first captured location, and the vision recognizer determines an object is present at the first location when the first depiction of the first captured location corresponds to the first location model. The first image depicts an element present within the first FOV, the data store further stores an image library record including a first object model, and the vision recognizer determines whether the object is present at the first location when the element depicted in the first image corresponds to the object as modeled by the first object model.

Abstract: A system, related operating methods, and computer readable storage media are disclosed here. The disclosed subject matter relates to methods of providing augmented reality features in connection with presentation of video content. A disclosed method involves: causing presentation of a video program at a user device associated with a viewing user; obtaining metadata associated with the video program; processing a live video feed that includes the viewing user; generating augmented reality overlay content for the live video feed, wherein visual appearance of at least some of the augmented reality overlay content is influenced by the obtained metadata; and causing presentation of an enhanced version of the live video feed at the user device associated with the viewing user, the enhanced version of the live video feed comprising the augmented reality overlay content.

Abstract: An electronic device and related operating methodology are disclosed here. The device includes a touchscreen display, at least one memory storage device, and at least one processor. The at least one storage device has instructions stored therein and configurable to be executed by the at least one processor to: control display of a media player on the touchscreen display; control display of an interactive lock element on the touchscreen display; detect occurrence of an activate lock trigger event; and, in response to detecting the occurrence of the activate lock trigger event, lock or disable at least some touchscreen functionality of the media player during playback of media content.

Abstract: Automated processes, computing systems, computing devices and other aspects of a data processing system provide improved reliability in delivering digital media content over the Internet or a similar wide area network without sacrificing data security. Content is initially placed into a secure format (e.g., secure hypertext transport protocol (HTTPS) via transport control protocol (TCP) or the like). Prior to transmission on the network, the secure data packets are encapsulated within connectionless frames, such as user datagram protocol (UDP) frames. The client device that receives the encapsulated packets extracts the underlying secure content from the connectionless frames for further processing. The encapsulation into connectionless data frames permits client and server devices to establish effective streaming sessions while preserving the security of the underlying data.

Abstract: Devices, systems and processes for multi-device access, control and presentation of streaming content are described. A system may include a first content access device that includes a first storage component, a first communications component operable to receive first content, and a first hardware processor operable to access a second content access device, control the second content access device, provide a first content to the second content access device, and swap a presentation of the second content on the second presentation device with a presentation of the first content on the second presentation device. A first presentation device may present the first content. A second presentation device may present the second content. Second storage, communications, and hardware processor components are operable to execute the second set of computer instructions that are substantially similar to the first set of computer instructions may be used.

Abstract: Systems and processes are provided to detect a deeply discharged rechargeable battery. A process includes initiating a processor operative to perform a function within a battery-operated device, determining a first output voltage of a battery, charging the battery with a battery charger for a duration of time between three and seven seconds in response to the first output voltage being less than a cutoff voltage, rebooting the battery-operated device, determining a second output voltage of the battery, providing a user prompt indicative of battery fault in response to the second output voltage being less than the cutoff voltage, and shutting down the battery-operated device.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are provided for optimizing streaming bitrate during multiclient streaming sessions based, at least in part, on display profiles associated with client media receivers to which different video streams are concurrently provided. The method may be carried-out by a streaming media server in communication with first and second client media receivers over a network. In various embodiments, the method may include establishing at the streaming media server first and second bandwidth allotment thresholds based, at least in part, on display profiles assigned to display devices associated with the client media receivers. During an ensuing multiclient streaming session, the streaming media server further encodes segments of video streams at variable bitrates regulated in accordance with the established bandwidth allotment thresholds.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for enhancing streaming performance through controlled and selectively-applied reductions in the color depth of streamed video content. In various embodiments, the method includes receiving, at a streaming media server, a request transmitted over a communications network to stream video content to a client media receiver. In response to this request, a streaming video session is initiated between the client media receiver and the streaming media server. During the streaming video session, the streaming media server obtains the video content as video input data having an original color depth; generates an encoded video stream from the video input data, while selectively reducing a color depth of the encoded video stream; and transmits the encoded video stream over the communications network to the client media receiver. The streaming media server repeats the steps of generating and transmitting until termination of the streaming video session.

Abstract: Live video streams are produced using a network server system. The network server system initially receives, via a network, one or more captured video streams that are live streams captured from a remotely-located camera, phone or the like. The captured streams are forwarded to a control device via the network to thereby permit a user of the control device to select one of the captured video streams for output to the video production stream. In response to a command received from the control device that indicates the selected capture stream, the selected capture video stream is encoded for output as the video production stream.

Abstract: Robust, computationally-efficient and secure systems, devices and automated processes are described for storing content on a disk drive or other storage device that is supplied to a media encoder or other host device. The user-supplied drive may be used, for example, to store content in a digital video recorder (DVR) or the like. The host device creates two separate digital identifiers that separately identify the host device and the user, respectively, so that subsequent pairing can be performed based upon either identifier. The two identifiers are stored on the storage device and rendered upon subsequent pairing for validation by the host device.

Abstract: Techniques are described for transparent switching between live-edge and non-live-edge playback responsive to user navigation. For example, live content is available to a user both via a live stream from a remote live edge server, and via a recorded-live stream from a remote recording server. During playback of a live content stream, a player system uses a warm-up player to continually receive, pre-decode, and pre-buffer the live stream at the live edge to maintain a pre-buffered warm-up stream; and the player system uses a primary player to decode and generate a playback stream for playback. As the user navigates playback between live-edge and non-live-edge locations, the player system can seamlessly switch between generating the playback stream based on the recorded-live stream for non-live-edge playback, or based on the pre-buffered warm-up stream for live-edge playback.

Abstract: Systems and processes are provided for interactive reassignment of character faces in an audio video program including receiving, via an audio video input, an audio video program, receiving, via a user interface, a request to substitute an original character face within the audio video program with an alternative character face, delaying, using a buffer, the audio video program to generate a delayed audio video program, detecting, with a processor, an occurrence of the original character face within the audio video program, the processor being further operative for replacing an image of the original character face in the delayed audio video program with an image of the alternative character face to generate a modified delayed audio video program and coupling the modified delayed audio video program to a display and loudspeaker.

Abstract: Various systems, device and automated processes allow video streaming hosts or other server devices to publish their internal/local addresses (e.g., addresses used on a subnet or other local area network) to a backend address server operating on a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet. Client devices attempting to subsequently contact server devices operating in the same local network can contact the address to obtain the internal address of the target server, thereby allowing direct LAN connections between clients and servers.

Abstract: Devices and methods are provided for generating reminder notifications pertaining to time-sensitive media content. In various embodiments, the method includes the step or process of establishing whether time-sensitive media content is desirably viewed by an end user of the media receiver. If establishing that time-sensitive media content is desirably viewed by the end user, it is further determined whether a reminder notification should be generated for the time-sensitive media content at a specified time relative to a change in availability of the time-sensitive media content from a media content provider. If further determining that a reminder notification should be generated for the time-sensitive media content, the reminder notification is generated at the specified time; e.g., the media receiver may generate the reminder notification itself or transmit instructions to a user-carried electronic device to generate the notification reminder.

Abstract: Devices, systems, method, and program products are provided, which support temporally-seamless change functionalities during multichannel streaming sessions established between a streaming media server and a client media receiver. In embodiments, the method includes outputting, to a display device, a first streaming channel contained in a streaming channel bundle and assigned a high priority level. When receiving a channel change request to view a second streaming channel, the client media receiver monitors for additional channel change requests over a predetermined wait period. If an additional channel change request is received within the wait period, the client media receiver repeats the step of monitoring.

Abstract: Systems and processes are provided to detect a deeply discharged rechargeable battery. A process includes initiating a processor operative to perform a function within a battery-operated device, determining a first output voltage of a battery, charging the battery with a battery charger for a duration of time between three and seven seconds in response to the first output voltage being less than a cutoff voltage, rebooting the battery-operated device, determining a second output voltage of the battery, providing a user prompt indicative of battery fault in response to the second output voltage being less than the cutoff voltage, and shutting down the battery-operated device.

Abstract: Systems and processes are provided to generate a thumbnail image including a tuner configured for receiving and demodulating a video signal including a video packet having a packet header and a video frame, a processor configured for generating a modified packet header by modifying the packet header to set a number of reference frames to zero and to designate the video frame as unused for reference, decoding the video frame in response to the modified packet header to extract the video frame, and generating the thumbnail image in response to the video frame, a memory configured for storing the thumbnail image, and a video output configured for coupling the thumbnail image to a display in response to a user video search request.

Abstract: Systems, devices and processes and described herein to improve the generation of video content in video production systems. In general, the systems, devices and processes facilitate the incorporation of remotely generated user telestration inputs into output video streams generated by the video production systems. In one embodiment user telestration inputs are received at a control device. Minimum capture shapes corresponding to the user telestration inputs are then determined and images corresponding to the minimum capture shape are captured. The captured images are then transmitted from the control device to the video access point device. At the video access point device the captured images can then be combined with previously captured and transmitted images and overlaid with a selected input video stream. The video input stream with the overlaid image can then be transmitted as an output video stream.

Abstract: Methods and systems for establishing a media streaming connection between a client and a placeshifting device that are each communicating via a network using a standard and non-standard port, including: in response to an initial denial of a request to receive streamed content by a client via a non-standard port in communication with the placeshifting device, attempting another request by the client using a standard port in communication with a relay reverse proxy service of a relay backend server to the placeshifting device; establishing a first connection by the client between the relay reverse proxy service of the relay backend server and the client using the standard port to receive streamed content from the placeshifting device; and establishing a second connection between the relay reverse proxy service of the relay backend server and the placeshifting device using the non-standard port to communicate streamed content streamed directly from the placeshifting device.

Abstract: A system may include a presentation device and a hub coupled thereto. The hub has a hardware processor which executes first computer instructions facilitating a conditions engine and second computer instructions facilitating a preferences engine. The preferences engine may identify a presentation preference and generate a preference instruction based on the presentation preference. The conditions engine, upon receiving the preference instruction, may identify a presentation condition and output a condition instruction to the presentation device. The system may include the presentation device, upon receiving the condition instruction, being configured in accordance with the presentation condition. The presentation preference may be an abstract preference, a technical preference, or a default preference. The presentation preference may be identified by the preferences engine based on a presentation setting, such as a location.