Abstract: A watermark is inserted or overwritten into a packetized voice stream in a VoIP environment to characterize the voice data stream for various functions, such as providing certain in-band audible information or markers for detection. A visual type of marker can be inserted to measure delay for various applications, such as the round trip delay associated with providing directory assistance services, including measuring the delay from providing a prompt to a caller to the their response. The visual marker facilitates use of processes to detect measuring points for measuring delays. Audible markers can be used to provide various types of audible signals, including informational tones to agents, as well as announcements to callers.

Abstract: A method includes receiving, via a network, a request to provision and provide a private key, the private key being for use with a public and private key system. The method further includes identifying a requester that has made the request via the network and initiating a secure session with the requester. The method also includes providing the private key using the secure session, and provisioning the private key. A system is provided including a distribution location providing access to a network, a terminal selectively connected to the network via the distribution location. The system further includes a network authority selectively connected to the network and the terminal, and a certificate authority selectively connected to the network. The certificate authority is configured to provide and provision a private key, and the network authority is configured to selectively provide a secure session between the terminal and the certificate authority.

Abstract: Delay is measured associated with the transfer of voice signals involving a telephone connected to a PSTN carrier (e.g., non VoIP based) where the call is terminated by an operator agent using a workstation connected to a VoIP based network. A test tone is provided to the telephone causing a tone to be generated at a headset of the workstation. An oscilloscope measures the delay using an input of a first signal associated with the generation of the test tone at the telephone, and a second signal associated with the generation of the resulting tone at the headset. The tone at the headset can be looped back into the headset microphone, causing a return signal to be generated and measured. Once the overall delay is known, and the delay of certain elements are estimated, the delay associated with other network elements, including the workstation, can be determined.

Abstract: A system and method for soliciting a selection of video content from a user after presenting the user with an interface showing the user the video content currently available for viewing. The system provides the user an option of both viewing the content in its entirety and partially viewing the content. With the partial viewing options the user may select and view a scene or scenes, or may navigate through the content to find the portion or “snippet” of the content they wish to view. The system tracks the length of viewing and the client is charged in accordance with the amount of content viewed.

Abstract: A method may include creating an Extensible Markup Language (XML) instruction file based on screen shots of a host system, providing the XML instruction file to a screen scraper program, executing screen scraping operations based on the XML instruction file, and outputting a user interface file based on the screen scraping operations that corresponds to extracted data output from the host system.

Abstract: Systems and methods may include receiving a device identifier that identifies a first device, the first device being capable of causing display of first content at a first display device, and communicating a synchronization request that includes the device identifier via a network. Systems and methods may further include receiving an event message from the first device via the network, the event message identifying the first content the first device is causing display at the first display device, wherein the event message is useable to synchronize second content a second device causes display at a second display device with the first content the first device is causing display at the first display device.

Abstract: A system includes a first database to associate a sub-interface identifier with customer information, a second database to store a history of customer usage records, and a first device. The first device may receive information from a routing device, where the information includes the sub-interface identifier for a sub-interface of the routing device and information identifying an amount of network traffic received at or transmitted from the sub-interface over a time period, use the sub-interface identifier to obtain the associated customer information from the first database, associate the customer information with the information identifying an amount of network traffic received at or transmitted from the sub-interface over a time period to create a new customer usage record, and store the new customer usage record in the second database.

Abstract: A device may provide for display equipment associated with a channel path of a video network, receive selection of one of the equipment, provide for display the selected equipment, receive selection of a port of the selected equipment, and provide for display other equipment of the video network connected to the selected port.

Abstract: A system and method may include monitoring content being displayed at a display device to generate monitoring data that includes a program identifier, communicating the monitoring data to a server, the server determining which programs to include in an on-demand lineup based on the monitoring data and generating an on-demand lineup message to identify on-demand programs included in the on-demand lineup, and receiving the on-demand lineup message from the server.

Abstract: A user database includes information concerning at least one entity of interest. A program database includes multimedia content information associated with items of multimedia content and including a temporal interval during which the items of multimedia content are available. A presentation scheduling facility is communicatively coupled to the user database and the program database. The presentation scheduling facility is configured to determine a number of items of multimedia content that are associated with the at least one entity of interest based on the information concerning the at least one entity of interest and the multimedia content information, and configured to provide a scheduling screen containing identifications of the determined number of items of multimedia content.

Abstract: A device may receive selection of a channel provided by a video network, determine equipment, of the video network, associated with the selected channel, determine status information of the associated equipment, determine port level details of the associated equipment, combine the associated equipment, the status information, and the port level details into a path for the selected channel, and provide the selected channel path to a user.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and computer program product are provided for permitting mobile devices to generate a location alert in response to receiving activation signals. The apparatus may receive a signal, determine if the received signal is a predefined activation signal representative of a location request, and generate an alert if the received signal is a predefined activation signal.

Abstract: A media database stores a number of media content items associated with a real-life field of competitive activity. A user database stores information about a plurality of entities involved in the real-life field of competitive activity, including indications of a number of the plurality of entities that are entities of interest. An event database stores event information identifying an event related to the real-life field of competitive activity, identifying at least one portion of one of said number of media content items as associated with the event, and identifying at least one of the plurality of entities associated with the event. A manager communicatively coupled to the media database, user database and event database, determines whether the event has occurred based on the event information, determines whether the event is associated with any of the number of entities of interest, and generates a highlight message.

Abstract: A device may include a memory to store a home automation graphical application and a processor to operate based on the home automation graphical application to establish via a network a communication link with a home automation system, and provide a graphical user interface to permit a user to view state information of home devices or modify home automation configuration data to control home devices.

Abstract: A request is received for playback of a package of media files, the package of media files including at least a first set of media files of a first type and a second set of media files of a second type. The first set of media files and the second set of media files are retrieved via a network. The package of media files is provided to a media playback device such that at least some of the first set of media files are played generally simultaneously as at least some of the second set of media files.

Abstract: A device receives a request from an Internet Protocol (IP)-based device to create a virtual extension of a plain old telephone service (POTS)-based telephone line, authenticates the IP-based device for association with the POTS-based telephone line, and creates the virtual extension of the POTS-based telephone line to the IP-based device when the IP-based device is authenticated.

Abstract: An approach is provided for masking data. A determination is made whether an action initiated by an authenticated user corresponds to one of a plurality of policies stored in a policy store, wherein the policies relate to whether data to be retrieved from a data source is to be masked. A new policy is generated if no match is found in the policy store. Information associated with the new policy is received, wherein the information is input by the user. The new policy is stored in the policy store.

Abstract: An approach is provided for de-personalizing data. Content from a data source is retrieved in response to a request by a user. A rule for masking data (e.g., web data) is determined, wherein the rule is specified in a profile associated with the user. A search, within the content, for data that satisfy the rule is performed. The data that satisfy the rule is masked. The content is then modified with the masked data for delivery to the user.

Abstract: An approach is provided for de-personalizing data. A request is received from an application for retrieval of data. An end user associated with the request is authenticated. A determination is made whether to mask the data based on the request and the authentication. In response to the determination, a masking algorithm is selected to apply to the data and to output mask data.

Abstract: An exemplary system includes a content processing subsystem configured to record at least a subset of a media content program, the media content program including at least one commercial segment. The content processing subsystem is further configured to provide a commercial free status indicator to an output device for presentation to a user when a sufficient sub-portion of the media content program has been recorded to enable commercial free playback of the media content program.