Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for configuring static memory in a device by analyzing a set of functionalities of a first device based on at least one use case wherein the at least one use case are associated with configuring available static memory in processing at least one functionality of the first device; configuring at least a first profile composed of the first part for memory allocation of the available static memory to a first processor, and a second part for memory allocation of the available static memory to a second processor of the first device; selecting the first profile either automatically or via a graphical user interface (GUI) by identifying a set of performance characteristics related to the functionality, and implementing the memory allocation by the first profile in processing the at least one functionality in the use case by the first device.

Abstract: Systems, devices and processes are provided to facilitate the streaming of video content in a video streaming system. Specifically, the various embodiments provide an improved user interface for a video streaming system. In general, this user interface displays indications of program content of past time slots along with current and future time slots in a way that give the user an intuitive understanding of the percentage of remaining time in the current program. Thus, a user can immediately ascertain the percentage of the current program that has already been streamed relative to the percentage of the current program remaining. This information allows a user to more quickly decide if they would like to start viewing a program that has already been streaming for some period of time.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for providing a media stream transmitted from an encoding system to a remotely-located media player that requests segments of the media stream. In accordance with one embodiment, a method of encoding a media stream provided from an encoding system to a remotely-located client includes establishing a data connection with the client and acquiring, from the client, client information including a client identifier, a public internet protocol (IP) address, and a geographical location associated with the client. The method further includes determining, based on the client information, whether historical bit rate data is available in a historical bit rate data store provided by the encoding system. If such historical bit rate data is available, an initial bit rate parameter is set for the media stream and the media stream is encoded at the encoding system according to the initial bit rate parameter and transmitted to the client.

Abstract: A method for speech emotion recognition for enriching speech to text communications between users in speech chat sessions including implementing a speech emotion recognition model to enable converting observed emotions in speech samples to enrich text with visual emotion content by: generating a data set of speech samples with labels of a plurality of emotion classes; extracting a set of acoustic features from each of the emotion classes; generating a machine learning (ML) model based on the acoustic features and data set; training the ML model from acoustic features from speech samples during speech chat sessions; predicting emotion content based on a trained ML model in the observed speech; generating enriched text based on predicted emotion content of the trained ML model; and presenting the enriched text in speech to text communications between users in the chat session for visual notice of an observed emotion in the speech sample.

Abstract: A set-top box (STB), digital video recorder (DVR), video player or other host device receives and interacts with a transcode module to provide enhanced transcoding capabilities that may be useful in placeshifting or other applications. The transcode module includes a host interface that couples to and communicates with the host device. The transcode module also includes a processor that receives an encrypted media stream from the host device via the bus interface, decrypts the encrypted media stream, transcodes the encrypted media stream to a different format, re-encrypts the transcoded stream, and provides the re-encrypted media stream to the host device via the host interface. The transcoded media content may be placeshifted to a remote player, stored at the host, or used for any other purpose.

Abstract: Techniques are described for handling stale variant cases that arise in adaptive streaming of content by media players. For example, embodiments include a delegate subsystem integrated with a media player client. The delegate subsystem can act as a proxy for requesting variant manifest update requests on behalf of the media player client and for receiving corresponding responses. The delegate subsystem can track the received update responses to determine whether the responses indicate a stale variant condition. If so, the delegate subsystem can issue a failover trigger to the media player client, such as by returning an error code, a variant gap tag, or the like. The failover trigger can cause the media player client 110 automatically to respond by executing a failover routine.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are provided for optimizing streaming bitrate in response to variations in processor load. In various embodiments, a streaming media server includes a processor and a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer-readable code or instructions. When executed by the processor, the computer-readable code causes the server to encode segments of a video stream at a final variable bitrate (ABRFINAL). The encoded segments are transmitted from the server, over a network, and to a first client media receiver for presentation to an end user. The steps of encoding and transmitting are repeated during a streaming video session with the first client media receiver, while varying a value of ABRFINAL based, at least in part, upon a running average of a processor load placed on the processor (LOADAVG).

Abstract: Systems, devices and automated processes reduce the effects of unwanted interruption during video encoding by reserving header space at the outset of video encoding. This reserved space can be progressively filled on any periodic or other basis as encoding continues so that a recent header is always available. If an interruption occurs, only the video content encoded after the last header write will be lost, thereby greatly reducing the effects of the interruption.

Abstract: Client and server devices identify each other over a LAN or similar network through a series of unicasts. Rather than broadcasting a service announcement or discovery request as a broadcast or multicast, for example, a device instead transmits a series of unicast messages using a finite set of recipient network addresses and port numbers. Responses to the unicast messages can be collected and tracked to thereby allow subsequent communications to occur via unicasts with only the recognized addresses, with a multicast to only the recognized addresses, and/or otherwise as desired. By allowing the clients and servers to communicate with a finite set of unicast messages, a “broadcast” type message can be sent on the network without a need for router configuration. Moreover, unicasts can be sent using different protocols (e.g., TCP) than the subsequent traffic (e.g., UDP), thereby making discovery of compatible devices on the network more reliable.

Abstract: A method of encoding packets of a media stream includes establishing a data connection between a client device and a server, sending a first packet of the media stream from the server to the client device at a first bit rate, receiving, at the server, a first acknowledgment signal from the client device responsive to receipt of the first packet, determining a second bit rate based on the first acknowledgment signal, and sending a second packet of the media stream from the server to the client at the second bit rate.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for automatically establishing communications with a media device. One method involves a client device capturing and analyzing an image of a media device to obtain identification information associated with the media device, automatically configuring a network interface of the client device to communicate on a wireless network using at least a portion of the identification information associated with the media device obtained from the captured image, and thereafter establishing a peer-to-peer communication session with the media device via the wireless network. In one or more embodiments, a name or other identifier associated with the wireless network includes the portion of the identification information.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide media based on a detected language being spoken. In one embodiment, the system electronically detects which language of a plurality of languages is being spoken by a user, such during a conversation or while giving a voice command to the television. Based on which language of a plurality of languages is being spoken by the user, the system electronically presents media to the user that is in the detected language. For example, the media may be television channels and/or programs that are in the detected language and/or a program guide, such as a pop-up menu, including such media that are in the detected language.

Abstract: An account management server, a communication device and a service device are provided for managing access to an account. The account management server, for example, includes, but is not limited to, a storage device configured to store identifying information for each of a plurality of service devices and configured to store an account associated with each of the plurality of service devices, and a processor communicatively coupled to the storage device, wherein the processor is configured to: receive identifying information from a communication device; identify at least one service device whose stored identifying information matches the received identifying information; and grant management access to the account associated with the identified at least one service device to the communication device.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for searching media files using a set-top box (STB), a television receiver, digital video recorder (DVR), placeshifting device or other media device, or any type of network host that communicates with a media device of any sort. Search criteria is received from a user, and the search criteria is identified in listings of media programming available from one or more sources. In some implementations, a combined search result can be provided that identifies instances of the search criteria found in program guide listings, files stored on a digital video recorder (DVR), available on-demand content, or any other sources as desired. Some implementations may prioritize search results using information about files stored on a DVR, user preferences, or any other information as desired.

Abstract: A technique is described for generating a unified list (e.g., a list ribbon) of programs from a variety and disparate channels, the list for display on an over-the-top (OTT) client device. As an example, the unified list can be generated from OTT live channels and from over-the-air OTA and/or Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) live channels. Further, the unified list can include OTT recordings on the cloud and OTA/ATSC recordings on the local hard drive connected to an OTA local DVR. Thus, the OTT device Client obtains the list from the DVR backend, instead of going to the local OTA client box for the local recordings.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed towards the analysis of the audiovisual content to adjust the timing, duration, or positioning of closed captioning so that the closed captioning more closely aligns with the scene being presented. Content that incudes video, audio, and closed captioning is obtained, and the audio is converted to text. A duration and timing for the closed captioning is determined based on a comparison between the closed captioning and the audio text. Scene context is determined for the content based on analysis of the video and the audio, such as by employing trained artificial neural networks. A display position of the closed captioning is determined based on the scene context. The duration and timing of the closed captioning are modified based on the scene context. The video and closed captioning are provided to a content receiver for presentation to a user based on the display position, duration, and timing.

Abstract: Systems and processes are provided to generate and transmit a thumbnail image for a video searching function including a video input configured to receive a video signal, a processor configured to decode the video signal to generate a video program, to generate a plurality of thumbnail images in response to the video program, to determine a subset of the plurality of thumbnail images in response to a client request and to couple the subset of the plurality of thumbnail images to a network interface, and the network interface configured to transmit and receive data on a local area network, the network interface being operative to receive the client request from a client device and to transmit the subset of the plurality of thumbnail images to the network interface for transmission to the client device.

Abstract: Devices, methods, and program products are provided enabling Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) optimization upon initialization of a streaming video session. In embodiments, the method includes launching a streaming media interface application in response to user input. Substantially concurrently with application launch, the client media receiver further transmits a request over a communications network to a streaming media server for a sample video stream. As the video stream is received, the client media receiver plays the sample video stream as, for example, a background process. When subsequently receiving user input selecting streaming content for end user viewing, the client media receiver determines an optimized ABR setting based upon a recent ABR value of the sample video stream. The client media receiver transmits a request to the streaming media server for user-selected content stream at the optimized ABR setting and then presents the content stream for end user viewing.

Abstract: A portable video delivery device includes data storage, a secure processor, and a wireless network interface that acts as an access point for a secure personal wireless network. Transcoded media files are stored in the data storage so that the portable device maintains a library of stored media programs that can be carried along with the user during commuting, travel and/or other activities. To playback the stored programming, other media player devices use the personal wireless network to securely connect to the portable device and to obtain previously-transcoded content from the data storage of the device.

Abstract: A system includes a computing device programmed to generate an aggregated media item that includes individual media items from a plurality of inputs. The aggregated media item combines one or more of the individual media items for a common display. The computing device is further programmed to send the aggregated media item to a media device and receive commands from the media device. The commands identify data from the aggregated media content item to be included in a media output item. The computing device is further programmed to generate the media output item based on the aggregated media content item and the commands.