Patents Assigned to The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
  • Patent number: 10397659
    Abstract: A user receiving device and method for operating the same includes a memory and a controller that stores content in the memory to form stored content. The controller receives a display request for displaying content from a user device. The display request comprises a user device identifier. The controller determines a timeslot corresponding to the display request, retrieves a content list corresponding to stored content, reorders the content list in response to the timeslot and the user device identifier to form a reordered list and communicates the reordered list to the user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Sui-Ky Ringo Ling, Raynold M. Kahn
  • Patent number: 10390077
    Abstract: Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for collective determination of interesting portions of a video program, video tagging, and jump playback within the video program. A processor can obtain interest inputs for video content associated with a video program and can send the information to an aggregator server. The aggregator server can collect and analyze the information, determine interest indications for interesting portions of the video program, generate metadata, and send the metadata to devices. Devices can use the metadata to enable jump functionality. The metadata can be correlated with recorded content that corresponds to the video program to indicate interesting portions of the recorded content. A user interface can be presented. The user interface can include a timeline for the video program and controls to navigate to portions of the video program that are indicated as interesting by the metadata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Edward Depies, Sarah M. Lyons, Aaron Louis Goldstein
  • Patent number: 10388156
    Abstract: A system and method for displaying a vehicle location on a user device includes an in-vehicle infotainment system and the user device coupled to the in-vehicle infotainment system of a vehicle. A global positioning system generates a vehicle position signal at the vehicle. The in-vehicle infotainment system communicates the vehicle position signal to a user device. The user device generates a display comprising the current vehicle position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Don E. Cansino, Stephen H. Chu, Bhavyank V. Shah
  • Patent number: 10390074
    Abstract: A method, system, computer medium, and other embodiments for integrating unrelated web services with stand-alone media-based devices are provided. Users can access and control the media-based device conveniently with a web-browser through various portals on the Internet. In an embodiment directed to a single web session, users program the media-based device by clicking on one or more hyperlinks or hypertexts in the form of advertisements of upcoming broadcasts. The advertisements may be web-hosted or sponsored by web portals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris E. Matichuk, Scott A. Rosenberg
  • Patent number: 10380630
    Abstract: A system and method for placing ads on a client-side video replay system. The described embodiments of the present invention allow a client to make a determination of ad placement priority separately from the function of serving ads to a requesting application. A described dynamic ad placement engine reorders ads when the context of the system is changed to yield a next ad to be placed. Thus, at a later time, when an application sends an ad request, the dynamic ad placement engine can quickly respond with the ad to be placed. The ads also are preferably reordered after an ad is placed. Placement of ads is controlled in the described embodiment by interpreted rules for each ad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: THE DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott A. Rosenberg, Matthew H. Self
  • Publication number: 20190238947
    Abstract: A system includes a viewer tracking module that determines a genre profile target representation based on program categories of watched events. A recommendation module determines a candidate program category representation for each program candidate of a plurality of program candidates from a plurality of program categories, compares the candidate program category representation for the plurality of candidates to the genre profile target representation, and determines a numerical value for each of the plurality of program candidates based on comparing. The system further includes a display displaying the program candidates ordered based of the numerical value for each.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Applicant: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Romulo PONTUAL, Sui-Ky Ringo LING, Raynold M. KAHN, Gordon H. CHEN, Hans M. HAGBERG
  • Publication number: 20190238902
    Abstract: A satellite broadcast system is used to transmit streams of variable bit-rate content using fixed bit-rate channels that correspond to respective satellite transponder carriers. High bandwidth content is transmitted over multiple transponder carriers in parallel with a combined bandwidth sufficient for the peak bit-rate of the high bandwidth content, whereas multiple streams of low bandwidth content can be transmitted over a single transponder carrier simultaneously by multiplexing the low bandwidth content. High bandwidth content may be multiplexed with low bandwidth content rather than assigning all high bandwidth content to be transmitted exclusively over dedicated high bandwidth transponders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Applicant: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert J. Rothaus
  • Patent number: 10368126
    Abstract: A system and method is set forth for displaying schedule recording events on a second screen device that includes a controller and a display. The controller includes a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) engine and a calendar display module. The HTTP engine receives scheduled recording data from a first receiving device. The scheduled recording data comprising a plurality of scheduled recording events. The HTTP engine receives conflict data corresponding to a conflict between at least two scheduled recording events based on the scheduled recording data. The calendar display module displays the scheduled recording events on a calendar screen display and displays a screen indicator at the second screen device indicative of a conflict.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Earl J. Bonovich, Charles W. Beeson
  • Patent number: 10359847
    Abstract: A method, system, computer program product, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to prevent bypass of advertisement viewing. A media content user interface component (that controls playback of the media content and an advertisement in a media player) is activated. The component includes a circular progress bar and a progress marker that coincides with the circular progress bar. As the media content is playing, the progress marker moves around the circular progress bar reflecting a progress of the playing. At a defined point in the media content, an advertisement is played. User input advances the progress marker along the circular progress bar to fast forward the media content. Upon an attempt to advance the progress marker a defined threshold distance beyond the advertisement, the progress marker is snapped back to the advertisement thereby preventing bypass of viewing the advertisement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: THE DIRECTV GROUP, INC.
    Inventors: Arpi Mardirossian, Vladislav Kolegayev
  • Patent number: 10356464
    Abstract: A system and method for displaying data related to a content displayed through a set top box includes a second screen device generating a content information request signal requesting data corresponding to the content, communicates the content information request signal to the set top box. The set top box communicates a content information signal to the second screen device comprising a content identifier. The second screen device generates a request for related data signal corresponding to the content using the content identifier, communicates the request for related data signal through a network, receives aggregated related content data corresponding to the content from a data services center and displays the aggregated related content data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Don E. Cansino, Brady C. Tsurutani, Earl J. Bonovich, Charles W. Beeson
  • Patent number: 10356458
    Abstract: Presentation of content and display of program information in an electronic program guide (EPG) can be controlled. A content manager component of a device can control or modify display of program information in the EPG based on user information selecting favorite programs on various channels or applications. Based on the modified EPG, the content manager component can switch to respective channels or applications presenting respective favorite programs at respective times of presentation of the respective favorite programs. The content manager component also can modify the EPG to prominently display a defined number of most popular programs for respective time slots in the EPG to facilitate presentation of popular programs to the user via the EPG and selection of popular programs by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: THE DIRECTV GROUP, INC.
    Inventor: Hiten Engineer
  • Patent number: 10356478
    Abstract: A user receiving device including at least one transceiver module, an output module, and a control module. The at least one transceiver module is configured to receive metadata and a program or video from a first backend device. The metadata indicates where in the program or video a spotted ad is included. The output module is configured to display the program or video on a display. The display is connected to the user receiving device. The at least one transceiver module is configured to receive a request signal from a mobile device. The request signal indicates a viewer of the video has detected the spotted ad. The control module is configured to, based on the request signal, save information pertaining to the request signal, open a dialog window or initiate a survey.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Earl James Bonovich, Don E. Cansino
  • Patent number: 10349014
    Abstract: A system includes a ground segment and a monitoring system displaying first thread view for a first channel and displaying a second thread view for a second channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Eduardo Barroso
  • Patent number: 10341702
    Abstract: A system and method for providing programming data includes a first module that generates first programming data for content and a second module generating billing data corresponding to the content. A listing service module receives first programming data from the first module and receives billing data from the second module. The listing service module combines the first programming data and the billing data to form combined programming data. A first cache module is in communication with the listing service module and a user device and stores the combined programming data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Kapil Chaudhry, Jin H. Chung, Gideon S. Raj
  • Patent number: 10341707
    Abstract: A system and method for displaying data related to a content displayed through a set top box includes a second screen device generating a content information request signal requesting data corresponding to the content, communicates the content information request signal to the set top box. The set top box communicates a content information signal to the second screen device comprising a content identifier. The second screen device generates a request for related data signal corresponding to the content using the content identifier, communicates the request for related data signal through a network, receives aggregated related content data corresponding to the content from a data services center and displays the aggregated related content data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Don E. Cansino, Brady C. Tsurutani, Earl J. Bonovich, Charles W. Beeson
  • Patent number: 10341740
    Abstract: A user device and method for operating the same includes a memory and a controller that stores an external recommendation list in the memory, said external recommendations list comprising a marketing list comprising a plurality of marketing list entries and a related program list comprising a plurality of related program entries that are related to the plurality of marketing list entries. Each marketing list entry has a related score corresponding to a respective marketing list entry. The controller generates a most viewed programming list, comparing the external recommendations list and most viewed programming list using the related score and generates a recommended recording list using both the external recommendation list and the most viewed programming list. The controller also stores at least one content from the recording recommendation list in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Romulo Pontual, Sui-Ky Ringo Ling, Raynold M. Kahn, Gordon H. Chen, Hans M. Hagberg
  • Patent number: 10334303
    Abstract: A user receiving device including a proximity module, a mode module, a profile module and an output module. The proximity module is configured to detect a first mobile device in a proximity of the user receiving device. The mode module is configured to transition the user receiving device to an active mode based on the detection of the first mobile device. The profile module is configured to, subsequent to transitioning to the active mode and based on an identifier of the first mobile device, access a first profile allocated to the first mobile device or a user of the first mobile device. The output module, based on the first profile, is configured to display on a display a guide or content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventor: John I. Chung
  • Patent number: 10334298
    Abstract: A system and method for searching using a user device that includes a memory and an event table formation module forming an event table in the memory having event objects comprising an event time and container object identifier for each program event. The user device includes a user interface that generates search criteria associated with a content type. A search module forms a search window based on the content type, searches for event objects within the event table by comparing the event time and the search window, determines content data based from the container object associated with the event object, and displays content data on a display associated with the user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Leong, Flemming R. Hansen
  • Publication number: 20190182522
    Abstract: A mobile device including a content module, an imaging module, and an interface. The content module is configured to attempt to access content including transmitting a content request signal from the mobile device to a user receiving device. The imaging module is configured to acquire an image of at least a portion of a screen shown on a display connected to the user receiving device. The interface is configured to transmit the image or information pertaining to the image to the user receiving device, a head end or a content provider to cause the user receiving device or the mobile device to receive an authorization signal for access to the content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Yang, Woei-Shyang Yee, Wesley Huie, Gerard V. Talatinian, Johnny Shum
  • Patent number: 10320503
    Abstract: A method, system, computer medium, and other embodiments for integrating unrelated web hosted services with stand-alone media-based devices are provided. Users can access and control the media-based device conveniently with a web-browser through various portals on the Internet. In one embodiment, users access the media-based device through one or more unrelated web portals, so as to control and to program the media-based device in a single web session, and to see information both stored on the media-based device and originating from third-party online sources of information and services in a single integrated presentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Millard E. Sweatt, Don Woodward, Chris E. Matichuk, Alain Regnier, Mark Nudelman, Philippe Pignon, Dave Westerhoff, F. Andrew Voltmer, Matthew Self, Sunil Mohan