Patents Examined by Annan Q. Shang
  • Patent number: 11589111
    Abstract: In a system for broadcasting video programs to a user including a display, a system and method for providing program information or a copy of at least a portion of a program to the user. In one embodiment, a controller receives an input signal representing a request for summary information concerning a program, the program having a beginning and the input signal generated at a time during the broadcast. The controller provides via the display a summary of the program from the program beginning to the input signal time in response to the input signal. A controller may alternatively monitor a period of time during which the display is tuned to a broadcast of a program, the period starting during the broadcast. The controller is used to provide via the display a copy of at least a portion of the program when the period exceeds a predetermined threshold time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Brenner, Michael E. Cain, Kenneth L. Hamel, Joshua D. Staller
  • Patent number: 11589125
    Abstract: A system comprises a receiver to receive a main content. The system further comprises a detector to detect a placeholder in the main content for placement of a media object. Further, the system comprises an obtainer to obtain a plurality of media objects having placement attributes corresponding to the placeholder in the main content, where a placement attribute is indicative of characteristics of a media object compatible with the placeholder. The system further comprises a selector to select one of the plurality of media objects for being placed in the placeholder of the main content, based on a user profile. Further, the system comprises a generator to generate a final content indicative of the selected media object embedded in the main content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: ACCENTURE GLOBAL SOLUTIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Christian Souche, Lucia Gattoni, Edouard Mathon, Richard Vidal
  • Patent number: 11563999
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for a media guidance application that can cause a specific portion of a media asset to be stored based on a user command. For example, if the user requests the closing scene from a given movie, the media guidance application may detect the command, determine that it comprises an instruction to store a portion of a media asset, identify a source of the portion of the media asset, and cause the portion of the media asset to be stored. The media guidance application may also cause the entirety of the media asset to be stored and initiate playback at the start of the requested portion. This may allow users to store and watch portions of particular interest without requiring that the users seek through the entire media asset on their own.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Maltar, Milan Patel, Yong Gong
  • Patent number: 11564002
    Abstract: Advertisements in broadcast television programming are digitally replaced with different ads prior to viewing. Replacement can occur in time and/or place shifted content, and can be used to promote a particular advertisement that the viewer has not yet seen, thereby improving the reach of the ad without oversaturation. Data reporting by the playback devices is collected in a database of viewed ads. The information in the database can be used to refresh previously-viewed ads, to increase saturation of particular ads, to replace previously-broadcast but no longer relevant ads, or for other purposes as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Sling TV L.L.C.
    Inventor: R. Drew Major
  • Patent number: 11558657
    Abstract: Ancillary information associated with one or more images embedded in a digital broadcast data stream may be accessed by a digital broadcast receiving device. The device may include a receiver unit, a processor, and a memory. The processor may execute program instructions to access the ancillary information. Control data may be associated with one or more visual components of one or more video images. The control data and images may be combined into a digital broadcast data stream. The device may receive the images and control data. The images may be presented on a display device. The receiving device may use the control data to present or store a perceptible indication that ancillary information is associated with the visual components in conjunction with presenting the images. The device may use the control data to present or store the ancillary information in response to an input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC
    Inventor: Gary M. Zalewski
  • Patent number: 11540021
    Abstract: Systems and methods for incorporating social content items into a produced video are provided. The system presents a producer interface to a user that allows the user to query for social content items. The user may then select and arrange social content items in an on-air queue. In an on-air mode, the system generates a broadcast-ready on-air format of the social content items and provides a video stream including the broadcast-ready social content items in the on-air queue to a video production system. The broadcast-ready social content items are incorporated into a produced video by the video production system. The user may navigate through the social content items in the on-air queue while on camera as part of the produced video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Tagboard, Inc.
    Inventors: Jennifer Hogan, David Peter McLauchlan
  • Patent number: 11539993
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for presenting notifications indicating recommended content are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Justin Lewis, Richard Rapp
  • Patent number: 11533541
    Abstract: Disclosed are video access methods and apparatuses, a client, a terminal, a server and a memory medium, wherein the method comprises: receiving entrance presentation data of a video-updated user, wherein the video-updated user includes a user who has a video updated among followed users; displaying an entrance presentation bar on the current terminal interface, and presenting at least one video access entrance in the entrance presentation bar based on the entrance presentation data; and displaying, responsive to a client user's preset operation on any video access entrance in the entrance presentation bar, a video play page corresponding to the preset operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJING MICROLIVE VISION TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD.
    Inventor: Zhi Liao
  • Patent number: 11528082
    Abstract: A method for receiving a multimedia service is provided. The method includes receiving service specific information for at least one multimedia service provided from different networks, selecting one service based on the service specific information, and receiving the selected service. The service specific information includes one of a first service map table including information about at least one service which is transmitted over a plurality of logical channels, and a second service map table including information about at least one service which is transmitted over a single logical channel. Each of the first and second service map tables includes asset-related information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., UNIVERSITY OF SEOUL INDUSTRY COOPERATION FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Sung-Oh Hwang, Yong-Han Kim, Kyung-Mo Park, Sung-Ryeul Rhyu
  • Patent number: 11523147
    Abstract: A method for processing a multimedia content previously digitally encoded into an audio-video stream and transmitted from a distribution platform for the purposes of on-demand transmission to a plurality of receiving terminals includes the following steps: applying a demultiplexing function to the audio-video stream, said function being arranged to generate at least one group of data streams; applying a transformation to each data stream; segmenting each data stream; storing the at least one group of segmented data streams in a memory; carrying out, only in response to a request issued by a receiving terminal among the plurality of receiving terminals, the following steps: selecting, on the basis of the request, at least one data stream of at least one group of stored data streams; and transmitting the at least one selected data stream to the receiving terminal that issued the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: ATEME
    Inventors: Eric Toullec, Jerome Vieron
  • Patent number: 11503099
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for selecting video formats for adaptive video streaming are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Yeping Su, Balu Adsumilli
  • Patent number: 11503355
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for distributing content are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes storing, in a data structure, data specifying a future live event. An opportunity to provide the specified content to a user at a user device is identified. It is determined that (i) a time of the opportunity is between a start time and an end time for the live event, (ii) that a user device is located in a same geographic region as the live event based on geographical data provided by the user device, and (iii) the user is interested in the live event based on attributes of the user matching attributes of other users that were identified as interested in the live event (e.g., based on evaluation of online search data). The content is provided for display at the user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Fong Shen, Tao Huang, Jian Chen, Yingwei Cui, Xiaodan Song
  • Patent number: 11496803
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method receives a first stream identifier for a video stream. The first stream identifier is received in a request from a client for the video stream. The method selects a virtual stream identifier for the first stream identifier where the virtual stream identifier is associated with a plurality of physical stream identifiers associated with a plurality of physical streams. A ranking of the plurality of physical stream identifiers is analyzed to select one of the physical stream identifiers. Then, the method outputs the one of the physical stream identifiers as the video stream to use in response to the request for the first stream identifier. The one of the physical stream identifiers is sent to the client to allow the client to request the respective physical stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: HULU, LLC
    Inventors: McKay Salisbury, Jeremy Cutler
  • Patent number: 11490166
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for displaying a program source indicator. A program may be selected within an electronic program guide. Metadata associated with the program may be received, wherein the metadata comprises a source identifier. A source identifier may be an Internet-streaming service, a broadband TV service, a satellite TV service, and/or a digital video recorder database. Based on the source identifier, a source indicator may be retrieved. A program source indicator may be a superimposed image, icon, or other visual indicator. The source indicator may then be temporarily overlaid on the program content within the electronic programming guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Sling TV L.L.C.
    Inventors: Seth VanSickel, Zachary Orner
  • Patent number: 11445250
    Abstract: A content distribution device includes a communication component and a controller. The communication component communicates with an access point device having a plurality of identifiers. The controller sets a distribution related condition related to a distribution of content for each of the identifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: FUNAI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoto Takada, Masanori Ujino, Shinsuke Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11418826
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes receiving from a content-presentation device a request for first supplemental content for presentation during first content-modification operation, and transmitting to the content-presentation device a link to a set of content items in a playlist including the first supplemental content. A request may be received from the content-presentation device for second supplemental content for presentation during a second content-modification operation. A determination may be made that the second content-modification operation is scheduled immediately after the first content-modification operation. Responsive to the determination, the playlist may be modified to include the second supplemental content positioned immediately after the first supplemental content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Michael Cormie, Matthew George Grover, Stefanos Christakis Liassides
  • Patent number: 11381878
    Abstract: Systems and methods for recommending a media asset relating to a character unknown to a user are provided herein. The systems and methods may receive a first media asset viewed by a user, determine a first character in the first media asset, and include the first character in the character viewing profile for the user. Further, the systems and methods may receive a second media asset, including the first character, determine that a second character appears in the second media asset, and determine that the second character is not in the character viewing profile. The systems and methods may recommend a third media asset to the user for the second character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Vishwas Sharadanagar Panchaksharaiah, Ashwini Dharwa, Gaurav Gupta, Harsha Neerakani
  • Patent number: 11375290
    Abstract: Curating ancillary data to be presented to audience members of a visual program content may include a) creating a timeline rule that correlates ancillary data objects to respective visual program content features, the visual program content features correlated to respective instances on a timeline of the visual program content, b) creating an environmental rule to correlate the ancillary data objects to respective environmental features of an audience member; and c) indicating that the ancillary data objects are to be presented to the audience member when both the timeline rule and the environmental rule are met such that the ancillary data objects may be presented to the audience member when both a) the respective ones of the visual program content features appear in the visual program content during playback by the audience member and b) the respective environmental features are present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Source Digital, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Clay Greene, Henry Lawrence Frecon, Michael Eric Phillips
  • Patent number: 11336942
    Abstract: Introduced here are systems to manage and discover a processing offloader. A first multimedia device may identify a processing offloader in a networked environment. A first multimedia device may determine that a bandwidth of a second multimedia device in the networked environment falls below a threshold bandwidth, indicating that the second multimedia device may process instructions and render multimedia information with increased latency or delay. Based on this determination, the first multimedia device may forward instructions from the second multimedia device to the processing offloader for the processing offloader to process and render multimedia information on behalf of the second multimedia device based on the received instructions. The first multimedia device may forward rendered multimedia information from the processing offloader to the second multimedia device, and the second multimedia device may output the rendered multimedia information to an output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: DISH Network L.L.C.
    Inventors: Manuel Novoa, III, Kan Man Wong, Vishal Neeralike, Shiqiang Chu, Aram Semerjyan, Anthony Bond, Michael Song, Anthony Kallas, Derick Wong
  • Patent number: 11330331
    Abstract: A system and method for detection of media items matching is disclosed. In an implementation, the method includes identifying a first media item associated with a channel of a first user; determining whether the first media item qualifies as a candidate reference media item based on properties of the first media item and the channel; analyzing content of the first media item to determine whether a first threshold amount of frames of the first media item does not match with any frame of any previously uploaded media item; selecting the first media item as a reference media item; detecting a subsequently uploaded media item that includes at least a second threshold portion of the reference media item; and providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for presentation to the first user, the GUI including the subsequently uploaded media item and one or more actions to be initiated by the first user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Fabio Magagna, David Rosenstein