Patents Examined by Alexander Q Huerta
  • Patent number: 11889137
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for seamlessly connecting devices based on relationships between the users of the respective devices. A media guidance application may determine that a first user has entered an environment (e.g., his/her mother's home) and may determine a frequency with which the first user enters the environment (e.g., daily). In response to determining that the first user visits frequently, the media guidance application may identify a second device in the environment (e.g., a smart TV) that a second user (e.g., the first user's mother) is authorized to grant access rights for. The media guidance application may determine a likelihood that the second user will grant the access rights for the second device to the first user, based on interaction data between the first user and the second user. In response to determining a high likelihood, the media guidance application may transmit the access rights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventor: Sean Matthews
  • Patent number: 11863847
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for a media guidance application that facilitates presenting, to a user, media assets that match a search expression by generating for display media asset identifiers corresponding to media assets that are scheduled for transmission to a plurality of users during a specific time interval. The media asset identifiers corresponding to media assets that match the search expression are distinguished from media asset identifiers that correspond to media assets that do not match the search expression. Furthermore, media asset identifiers corresponding to media assets that match the search expression are distinguished from each other based on an attribute of each media asset that matches the search expression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventor: Takeaki Obara
  • Patent number: 11856257
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for responding to a sleep-state event. One example method includes receiving and generating, at a computing device, media content for output and receiving a sleep-state event. A type of the content being generated for output is identified and, based on the type of content, an action to perform in response to receiving the sleep-state event is identified. The action to perform is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Daina Emmanuel, Padmassri Chandrashekar, Reda Harb
  • Patent number: 11849179
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for characterizing audience engagement with one or more characters in a media content item. In some embodiments, an audience engagement characterization application processes sensor data; such as video data capturing the faces of one or more audience members consuming a media content item, to generate an audience emotion signal. The characterization application also processes the media content item to generate a character emotion signal associated with one or more characters in the media content item. Then, the characterization application determines an audience engagement score based on an amount of alignment and/or misalignment between the audience emotion signal and the character emotion signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Romann Matthew Weber, Graziana Mignone, Jacek Krzysztof Naruniec, Aaron Michael Baker, Farnood Salehi, Dennis Li
  • Patent number: 11849190
    Abstract: Systems, devices, apparatuses, components, methods, and techniques for generating and playing a selectable content depth media program are provided. Media content items are edited to produce selectable depth media segments which are assembled into selectable depth media programs. A media-playback device is configured to navigate and play the selectable depth media program through interaction by a listening user. The user selects the desired content depth for each media segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Spotify AB
    Inventors: Sten Garmark, Lawrence Kennedy, Johan Oskarsson
  • Patent number: 11849079
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for generating metadata for content. Upon detecting a request for a stored media asset from a first device, a server determines that metadata is needed for the media asset based on determining that (a) the server has access to insufficient metadata associated with the media asset and (b) the popularity of the media asset is sufficiently high. The server then assigns at least a time segment of the media asset to the first device for analysis. After assignment, the first device gathers frame analysis and user input data while the user is viewing the media asset, and transmits the gathered data to the server. The server then uses the frame analysis data and the user input data to generate metadata, and makes the generated metadata available to all devices requesting the media asset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Vishwas Sharadanagar Panchaksharaiah, Vikram Makam Gupta
  • Patent number: 11843821
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable record medium for providing additional information on content. An additional information providing method includes recognizing, by processing circuitry, a plurality of persons in a frame of a video during playback of the video, determining, by the processing circuitry, a user likeability of the plurality of persons, recognizing, by the processing circuitry, an object associated with a specific person among the plurality of persons based on the user likeability, the object being in the frame, and generating, by the processing circuitry, a screen containing additional information corresponding to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: LINE PLUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eunae Park
  • Patent number: 11838587
    Abstract: A system for providing customized content includes a recognition device. A media transmission device is in communication with a recognition device and a media delivery device. The media transmission device is in communication with a processor and a memory storing computer instructions configured to instruct the processor to receive a primary media presentation including primary media content for a point of interest of a venue. The media transmission device generates a secondary media presentation including secondary media content for the user based on identified user preferences for the user. The media transmission device generates a custom media presentation including custom media content for the user based on the identified user preferences. The media transmission device transmits the primary media presentation, the secondary media presentation, or the custom media presentation and presents the primary media content, the secondary media content, or the custom media content to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Inventor: Maris Jacob Ensing
  • Patent number: 11825146
    Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms described herein facilitate the storage of digital media recordings. According to various embodiments, a system is provided comprising a processor, a storage device, Random Access Memory (RAM), an archive writer, and a recording writer. The archive writer is configured to retrieve a plurality of small multimedia segments (SMSs) in RAM and write the plurality of SMSs into an archive container file in RAM. The single archive container file may correspond to a singular multimedia file when complete. New SMSs retrieved from RAM are appended into the archive container file if the new SMSs also correspond to the singular multimedia file. The recording writer is configured to flush the archive container file to be stored as a digital media recording on the storage device once enough SMSs have been appended by the archive writer to the archive container file to complete the singular multimedia file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: TIVO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Do Hyun Chung, Ren L. Long, Dan Dennedy
  • Patent number: 11805295
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described to selectively stream content based on parental control ratings. At a client device, a manifest identifying sequential segments of a media asset and versions of a particular segment of the sequential segments may be received, and a graphical user interface may be generated for display to simultaneously depict a respective portion of each respective version of the particular segment and respective selectable options associated with each respective version of the particular segment. A selection of a first option may be received that is associated with a first version of the particular segment, and during playing of the media asset, in response to determining that the particular segment is the next segment to be played, the first version of the particular segment may be requested from the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Rohit Dhiman, Ashish Gupta, Vaibhav Gupta, Senthil Kumar Karuppasamy
  • Patent number: 11800159
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for inserting placement opportunities into content assets. A content distributor may receive a content asset comprising a plurality of content fragments. The content distributor may be further configured to adjust a playback duration of a portion of the content fragments so that the placement opportunity may be inserted at the content asset fragment boundaries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: James Barkley, Walter Mlodzinski
  • Patent number: 11792479
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for managing presentation of content. An action may be scheduled to occur at a first time within the presentation of the media asset, where the action may interrupt the presentation of the media asset. When a current presentation position is approaching the first time, an option to delay the action may be generated for presentation. In response to receiving selection of the option to delay the action, the action may be scheduled to occur at a later second time within the presentation of the media asset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
    Inventor: Susanto Sen
  • Patent number: 11778261
    Abstract: A glossary may be seamless accessed using a content player to provide relevant information about an audio video series or show or movie by using search queries or scrolling an electronic list of terms to help cognitively challenged people.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventor: Brant Candelore
  • Patent number: 11778270
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclose involve a method, a device, and a system comprising a processor and a machine-readable storage medium storing at a set of instructions for identification and authentication of user profiles associated with a digital television system and displaying information related thereto. In example embodiments, the method includes identifying a user profile registered with a content presentation device based on received identification data that includes biometric data. The method further includes receiving, from a server, identifiers of a set of recently watched channels associated with the user profile and causing presentation of a recent channels interface that includes selectable elements corresponding to the set of recently watched channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: NAGRAVISION S.A.
    Inventors: Srinivasan Kannan, Siddalinga Swamy, Amudha Kaliamoorthi
  • Patent number: 11765423
    Abstract: Methods and systems for transmitting an interruption-free version of a television program for recording on a user equipment device. In one aspect, a system transmits a first stream including a television program to a user equipment device. The system receives an indication that the television program is being recorded on the user equipment device. The system determines whether an interruption is imminent during transmission of the television program. In response to determining that the interruption is imminent, the system generates a second stream including the television program. The second stream does not include the interruption during the transmission of the television program. The system transmits the second stream to the user equipment device along with an instruction to switch recording of the television program from the first stream to the second stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Thomas Ward, Arevik Chimayan, Walter R. Klappert
  • Patent number: 11758234
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for creating a co-watching experience among audience members who are physically apart when watching the media asset. A media guidance application may monitor a sound of the first user. In response to the sound being detected during the monitoring, the media guidance application may determine whether the first user emitted the sound based on an occurrence in the video. In response to determining that the first user emitted the sound based on an occurrence in the video, the media guidance application may store the sound in connection with a timecode of the video corresponding to a time when the sound is detected. When the video is displayed to a second user, the sound of the first user may be played back based on the timecode of the video stored in connection with the sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Rovi Product Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Daniel Lee, Ida Wahlquist-Ortiz
  • Patent number: 11758230
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating for display an indication of a segment of media content relevant to a voice communication. This may be accomplished by a media guidance application that monitors a voice communication between users. The media guidance application determines that a first user is describing media content. In response to determining that the first user is describing the media content, the media guidance application retrieves media asset viewing history of the first user. The media guidance application determines, based on metadata of each media asset in the media asset viewing history of the first user and the voice communication, a media asset that the first user is describing. The media guidance application determines, based on metadata of the media asset, a segment of the media asset that the first user is describing. The media guidance application generates, for display, an indication of the segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael K. McCarty, Glen E. Roe
  • Patent number: 11758235
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for presenting user selected scenes. A media guidance application may generate for display a listing for a media asset, wherein a play length of the media asset includes a non-selectable play length portion and a selectable play length portion. The media guidance application may generate for display a first scene option corresponding to a first scene and a second scene option corresponding to a second scene. The media guidance application may receive a user selection of the first or second scene option and incorporate the selected scene into the selectable play length portion of the media asset. The media guidance application may generate for display the media asset with the selected scene incorporated into the selectable play length portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Peterson, Vanessa Wickenkamp, David John Wheatley, Walter R. Klappert
  • Patent number: 11758245
    Abstract: An Interactive Media Event (IME) system includes a sync server, a first user device, and a second user device, each device is coupled to the server. The server executes computer instructions instantiating a content segment engine which outputs a Party matter to the second user device and instantiates an IME engine which receives, from the second user device, a later reaction to the Party matter. The IME engine synchronizes the later reaction with the Party matter. The Party matter may include a media event and a prior reaction to the media event received from the first user device. The media event includes a primary content segment and synchronization information associated therewith. The prior reaction and/or the later reaction may be synchronized to the primary content segment and/or to each other using the synchronization information. A reaction may include chat data captured during the Party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: DISH Network L.L.C.
    Inventor: Neil Marten
  • Patent number: 11758223
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and method for user presence detection for audience monitoring are disclosed. Example apparatus disclosed herein are to detect movement of a user relative to an area based on one or more signals output by one or more motion detection sensors, the area associated with a media presentation device. Disclosed example apparatus are also to generate a request for verification of user presence in the viewing area in response to detection of the user movement. Disclosed example apparatus are further to correlate a user input responsive to the request with media presented via the media presentation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Stanley Wellington Woodruff, John T. Livoti