Patents Examined by Alan Luong
  • Patent number: 10070192
    Abstract: There is provided a system and method for a platform for determining and responding to user sentiments during viewed media content. The method comprises displaying on a display, a plurality of user selectable sentiment actions to a plurality of users during broadcast of a media content, receiving a first selection of at least one of the plurality of user selectable sentiment actions from each of the plurality of users, and determining a first threshold sentiment level based on the first selection of the at least one of the plurality of user selectable sentiment actions. The method may further comprise sharing the first selection of the at least one of the plurality of user selectable sentiment actions from each of the plurality of users using a social media platform. Additionally, the method may also further comprise triggering a sentiment soundtrack corresponding to the first threshold sentiment level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Maya Baratz
  • Patent number: 10045056
    Abstract: Ingress noise from subscriber equipment is mitigated or prevented from reaching a cable television (CATV) network. All upstream signals including ingress noise are initially transmitted to the CATV network whenever their instantaneous power exceeds a threshold which typically distinguishes ingress noise from a valid upstream signal. Whenever the instantaneous power is below the threshold, ingress noise is blocked from reaching the CATV network. A gas tube surge protection device is included to resist component destruction and malfunction arising from lightning strikes and other high voltage, high current surges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: PPC BROADBAND, INC.
    Inventors: Charles F. Newby, Gregory F. Halik, Matthew Kellogg
  • Patent number: 10038940
    Abstract: A channel content playback method based on a hybrid network system which may avoid idleness of a digital video broadcasting (DVB) network and a hybrid set top box that may implement the method. The method includes accessing, by the hybrid set top box, an electronic program guide (EPG) system, acquiring, from the EPG system, a channel list of channel content, receiving, based on channel selection performed by a user according to the channel list, target channel content through a DVB network channel, acquiring a first uniform resource locator (URL) from the EPG system according to a rewind operation of the user, and acquiring, according to the first URL, the rewound target channel content from a content delivery network (CDN) system located in an Internet Protocol (IP) network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yongjing Huang, Kun Liu, Jilei Jia
  • Patent number: 9942618
    Abstract: A receiving unit 28 includes a tuner that receives a first signal that may include a satellite signal. A demodulator demodulates the satellite signal to form a second signal. The second signal may be internet protocol (IP) encapsulated to form an IP encapsulated signal. The IP encapsulated signal may be communicated through an IP network to a decoder. The decoder 144 decodes the second signal or the IP encapsulated signal. A modulator 146 modulates the decoded signal which is communicated to user devices through a network 147. In addition, IP encapsulated signals may also be communicated to various user devices through the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: John L. Norin, Richard B. Tatem
  • Patent number: 9936265
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a method, a system, and a website server for playing a website video. The method includes: receiving a video playback request that includes a client identification and a video identification, and querying a playback record corresponding to the client identification; accumulating video playback times in the playback record to obtain current video playback times; determining advertisement information duration corresponding to the current video playback times, where the playback times are inversely proportional to the advertisement information duration; and extracting, from an advertisement information library according to the determined advertisement information duration, advertisement information that meets the duration, acquiring video data corresponding to the video identification, inserting the extracted advertisement information ahead of the video data, and transmitting the extracted advertisement information and the video data to a client for playing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventor: Bin Zhou
  • Patent number: 9900657
    Abstract: Provided is a method of operating a network TV. The method includes: displaying a TV-only page of an application selected by a user input; transmitting to a mobile terminal a mobile-only page mutually linked with the TV-only page; and controlling an operation of the application according to a user input transmitted from the mobile terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Hotaek Hong, Joonhui Lee
  • Patent number: 9894011
    Abstract: Aspects of bandwidth conservation include monitoring, via a processor over a period of time, program state information for content streamed to an electronic device, and accumulating, in a memory device via the processor, inputs received over the period of time from a user of the electronic device. Each of the inputs is correlated to the program state information based on a location in the content at which the corresponding input occurred. Aspects further include identifying patterns of user behavior based on collective correlations between the inputs and the program state information, determining from the patterns a presence or absence of the user at the electronic device with respect to currently streamed content when no inputs are received by the user, and performing a bandwidth control operation with respect to the currently streamed content based on the determined presence or absence of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Timothy H. Weaver, Albert Whited
  • Patent number: 9883256
    Abstract: A transmission system, a receiver and a method for satellite signal transmission, wherein the satellite signals includes respective data streams consisting of a sequence of data packets. The method includes: subdividing the data packets of the data stream, through a splitter, into a first and at least one second data pseudo-streams; modulating the first and at least one second data pseudo-streams through a first and at least one second modulators, respectively; transmitting the modulated data pseudo-streams through respective transmission channels (Ch#1 . . . Ch#N), wherein, in order to generate the data pseudo-streams, the splitter will: select each data packet of the data stream; interrogate the modulators in a sequential manner in order to identify that modulator which, among the modulators, is available to accept the data packet, and send the latter to it; send a null data packet to the remaining modulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana S.P.A.
    Inventors: Alberto Morello, Vittoria Mignone, Bruno Sacco
  • Patent number: 9807438
    Abstract: A system receives, from a first user device associated with a giver, a request for a video-on-demand (VOD) gift, wherein the request identifies a recipient and a VOD selection. The system creates a billing event corresponding to the VOD gift, for an account associated with the giver, and generates a coupon code for the VOD gift. The coupon code is associated with the identified recipient and the VOD selection. The system sends, to a second user device associated with the recipient, an indication of the VOD gift that includes the coupon code. The system receives, from a third user device associated with the recipient, the coupon code and provides, to the third user device, information to enable access to VOD content corresponding to the coupon code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Aarif Mohamed Hussain, Subramanyam Manda, Kunthunathan Virushabadoss, Nazeer Mahaboobjan, Arjun Baskaran
  • Patent number: 9762945
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for recommending a display device for media consumption. The location and media content preference of the user is determined and used to recommend the location of a display device that is currently displaying content relevant to the user. For example, if a user walks into a restaurant and indicates that he wishes to watch one of the televisions, he is directed to a television at the far side of the room which is already playing the sports (e.g., basketball) game with his favorite team. This helps ensure that users are able to find and consume content that is meaningful to them in public spaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter R. Klappert, Michael R. Nichols, Sean William Rosqvist
  • Patent number: 9743142
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for enhanced tuner efficiency, wherein tuner resources function to permit multiple content streams to be demultiplexed and thus made available for subsequent display. In one embodiment, Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) comprises a resource manager on which a guide application is run to control the tuning of an available tuner resource. This approach obviate reliance on OCAP or other proprietary vendor architecture applications. In another variant, the CPE is adapted to receive RF source data from a wideband tuner, or multiple tuners. The CPE may also be utilized in conjunction with other system configurations designed to enforce a security or other policies within a premises network. The CPE may also employ ‘look ahead’ capabilities to anticipate a QAM stream content before it is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: TIME WARNER CABLE ENTERPRISES LLC
    Inventors: Chris Cholas, William L. Helms, George W. Sarosi
  • Patent number: 9729917
    Abstract: An enhanced multimedia over coax alliance (MoCA) implementation having a single Receive (Rx) physical (Phy) module that is arranged to receive data via one of at least two Rx radio frequency (RF) modules, which are arranged to be in communication with a coaxial cable, and at least two transmit (Tx) Phy modules respectively arranged to be in communication with two Tx RF modules, which are also arranged to be in communication with the coaxial cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Scott Ford, Jack Thomas Matheney, Leo Montreuil
  • Patent number: 9647851
    Abstract: Ingress noise from subscriber equipment is mitigated or prevented from reaching a cable television (CATV) network. All upstream signals including ingress noise are initially transmitted to the CATV network whenever their instantaneous power exceeds a threshold which typically distinguishes ingress noise from a valid upstream signal. Whenever the instantaneous power is below the threshold, ingress noise is blocked from reaching the CATV network. A gas tube surge protection device is included to resist component destruction and malfunction arising from lightning strikes and other high voltage, high current surges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: PPC BROADBAND, INC.
    Inventors: Charles F. Newby, Gregory F. Halik, Matthew Kellogg
  • Patent number: 9628846
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for providing the user instructional information describing the operation of their television receiving device system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: David A. Kummer, Michael T. Dugan
  • Patent number: 9628851
    Abstract: There is provided a method for automatically synchronizing playback between a first media service and a second media service, both services corresponding to the same media content source. Common audio events in the first media service and the second media service are matched. A playback timing of at least one of the first media service and the second media service is adjusted, based on a result of the matching step, so as to automatically synchronize the playback between the first media service and the second media service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Carl Chun-Hei Hu, James Alan Strothmann
  • Patent number: 9615143
    Abstract: A content providing apparatus and method, and a content reproduction apparatus and method for accessing a content stream in a hybrid three-dimensional television (3DTV) are disclosed. The content providing apparatus may include a content stream generation unit to generate a first content stream corresponding to a reference image and a second content stream corresponding to a supplementary image, a descriptor generation unit to generate a descriptor associated with the first content stream and the second content stream, and a data transmission unit to transmit the first content stream, the second content stream, and the descriptor to a content reproduction apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignees: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, KAI MEDIA CO., Hidea Solutions Co., Ltd., KOOKMIN UNIVERSITY INDUSTRY ACADEMY COOPERATION FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Joo Young Lee, Sung Hoon Kim, Jin Soo Choi, Jin Woong Kim, Suk Jin Hong, Jin Suk Kwak, Min Suk Lee, Dong Wook Kang, Kyeong Hoon Jung
  • Patent number: 9609373
    Abstract: A system for presentation timeline synchronization across audio-video (AV) streams associated with a common event may include memory and a processor. The processor may be configured to receive metadata items from a user device during a live event, the metadata items corresponding to points-in-time marked by the user while being presented with an audio-video (AV) stream associated with the live event. The metadata items may include timing indicators that are indicative of the marked points-in-time relative to the start of the live event. The processor may be configured to provide to the user device with other AV streams associated with the live event that were available at one of the points-in-time marked by the user. The processor may be configured to provide the other AV streams to the user device beginning with a frame that corresponds to the one of the points-in-time marked by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert Americo Rango, Walter Glenn Soto
  • Patent number: 9560423
    Abstract: Media system control and advertisement technology, in which input related to advertising preferences of a user of a media system that is connected to a content delivery network is received. An advertisement control policy is defined for the user of the media system based on the received input. During viewing, on the media system, of a channel provided by the content delivery network, the media system is controlled to deliver advertisements based on the defined advertisement policy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: PurpleComm Inc.
    Inventors: Jack H. Chang, William H. Sheu, Sherman Tuan
  • Patent number: 9531993
    Abstract: A method for dynamic allocation of companion online content segments includes receiving television content during a live television broadcast; creating a fingerprint of the received television content; and comparing the created fingerprint to a database of existing content segment fingerprints to determine if the created fingerprint matches any one of the existing content fingerprints. If a match occurs, the method includes increasing a bid price of a companion online content segment. Finally, if the price is sufficient, the method includes supplying the companion online content segment for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventor: Matt Wiseman
  • Patent number: 9503788
    Abstract: A tool for creating and editing applications on a television multimedia device. The tool searches the television multimedia device for a plurality of currently installed applications on the television multimedia device. The tool exposes a workspace based on a graphical programming language on the television multimedia device. The tool receives a plurality of selections in the workspace. The tool receives a configuration of the plurality of received selections in the workspace. The tool determines, based on the configuration of the received selections in the workspace, the application is complete. The tool prompts to save the completed application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth C. Torok, Terrence E. White