Patents Examined by Cai Chen
  • Patent number: 9986298
    Abstract: A multimedia mobile personalization system provides a remote control that detects a user's electronic tag, e.g. an RFID tag. The remote control notifies a multimedia device of the user's identity. The multimedia devices tailors it operations to the user's preferences stored locally. Multimedia content such as broadcast or recorded television programs, music play lists, and the like could be sorted, displayed, or restricted, depending on the user identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: David Lockett, Adam Feder, James M. Barton, Michael F. Klar, Andrew M. Goodman, David C. Platt, Brian Beach, David Avraham Brown
  • Patent number: 9967633
    Abstract: Systems and methods for effectively and efficiently receiving, analyzing, and using subscriber content choice information are described. One embodiment of the present invention includes a subscriber-action database, such as a clickstream database, a media-content database, and a merge processor electronically connected to the two databases for merging data in the subscriber-action database with data in the media-content database to create a subscriber content-choice database. The media-content database may include programming and/or advertising data. The media-content database may also include category and context information to provide the capability to comprehensively analyze data in the subscriber content-choice database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: William R. Matz, Scott R. Swix
  • Patent number: 9967613
    Abstract: Provided is a reception device including a reception unit configured to receive AV content, a feature value extraction unit configured to extract a feature value from data of the received AV content, an identification result acquisition unit configured to acquire an identification result of the AV content identified using the extracted feature value, a command acquisition unit configured to acquire a command for controlling an operation of an application program that is executed in linkage with the AV content according to the acquired identification result, a control unit configured to control the operation of the application program according to the acquired command, and a detection unit configured to detect switching of the AV content being viewed. When the switching of the AV content is detected, the control unit closes the application program that has been executed in linkage with the AV content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC
    Inventor: Naohisa Kitazato
  • Patent number: 9961413
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing packetized content to users via a bandwidth-optimized network. In one embodiment, legacy and IPTV streams are carried over the same switched digital infrastructure, and freely intermixed without regard to their encoding or type. A user's selection for IPTV content is transmitted to an IP proxy (such as a gateway apparatus or a headend server), then on to the switched digital server which causes provision of the requested content back to the proxy for formatting. The formatted content is then delivered to the requesting IP-capable device. The entire carrier class program stream is therefore available as IP-encapsulated content to the IP capable devices (and as legacy content to legacy devices) without any significant modifications to the network infrastructure or bandwidth penalty.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: TIME WARNER CABLE ENTERPRISES LLC
    Inventors: Paul D. Brooks, Tom Gonder, Glen Hardin
  • Patent number: 9948985
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for perform association of stored content downloaded over a network with a unique identification. In one embodiment, the content is stored locally, and the association is performed in a secure manner using network or source-specific information (e.g., the organization identification or “orgID” of the bearer network or MSO). This association is used to ensure that the content stored on the playback device can be accessed for viewing only when the playback device is connected to the same network from which the content was obtained. Use of the orgID allows the content association and protection functionality to be implemented in existing networks with only minor software changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC
    Inventors: Patrick Ladd, George W. Sarosi
  • Patent number: 9930397
    Abstract: A broadcast receiving device is provided with: a broadcast receiving unit which receives a digital broadcast signal including broadcast program video and application-related information; a storage unit which stores the received broadcast program video and application-related information; a video decoding unit which decodes the video; an application acquisition unit which acquires an application on the basis of location information included in the application-related information; an application execution unit which executes the acquired application; an output unit which is able to output the video; and a control unit for reproducing and decoding the broadcast program video from the storage unit, reproducing the application-related information from the storage unit, acquiring the application on the basis of the location information included in the reproduced application-related information, and executing the acquired application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Hirabayashi, Kazuhiko Yoshizawa, Yasunobu Hashimoto, Motoyuki Suzuki, Tomonori Nomura
  • Patent number: 9930412
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and provides a network set-top box and its operating method. The operating method includes steps of selecting N types of television programs to be recommended to a user in accordance with a viewing record of the user; and after the set-top box is enabled by the user, determining from the N types of television programs M television programs not be played currently, and prompting the user for information about the M television programs. M and N are each an integer not less than 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignees: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., BEIJING BOE MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xiaohu Luo
  • Patent number: 9924209
    Abstract: Disclosed are a system and a method for minimizing signal interference for a broadcasting and communication convergence section within a local area, and an apparatus applied to the same. The system has a construction of mounting a plurality of multi RF (Radio Frequency) channels within a short-range wireless transmitting apparatus located in a local area and minimizing signal interference between mutually adjacent RF channels within the short-range wireless transmitting apparatus in a standard for providing a broadcasting and communication convergence service. Accordingly, it is possible to remove the mutual channel effects affecting a communication signal without signal interference for adjacent channels due to a broadcasting signal and it is not necessary to enhance a filtering characteristic for the adjacent channels of a chipset, which corresponds to a broadcasting and communication convergence standard structure in a local area, so that there is an advantage of reducing network investment costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SK TECHX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sang Ho Chae
  • Patent number: 9922362
    Abstract: Electronic multimedia content is recommended based on personal preferences. Consumption information may be collected to generate recommended multimedia content. Electronic storefronts may also be selected based on the consumption information. Different portals and access points may be used based on IPTV assets, mobile assets, and mobile assets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: James T. Sofos, Lee M. Chow, David J. Piepenbrink
  • Patent number: 9894403
    Abstract: A virtual reality (VR) system including a head mounted display (HMD), a sensor or an input device, a selection module, a scoreguide module and a display module. The HMD displays a VR environment including sports content of a live game, a prerecorded game, or a sports channel. The sensor or input device is connected to the HMD and generates signals based on detection of at least one of movement of the HMD, movement of an eyeball of a user, voice communication of the user, or user contact with the input device. The selection module selects the sports content based on the signals and generates a selection signal indicating the sports content. The scoreguide module generates a scoreguide based on the signals. The display module displays the sports content in the VR environment based on the selection signal and displays the scoreguide in the VR environment based on the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael E. Depies, Vikash Sharma, Aaron L. Goldstein, Charles W. Beeson
  • Patent number: 9894404
    Abstract: A multi-window user interface (UI) is presented in various configurations and operational uses to leverage the relatively large display canvas afforded by large screen display devices such as 4K or 8K displays. Along with the various “Multiview” aspects, content delivery techniques, content selection techniques, and level of service techniques also are presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Martin Richman, Jason Clement
  • Patent number: 9888283
    Abstract: Systems and methods for implementing a Transport I/O system are described. Network encrypted content may be received by a device. The device may provide the network encrypted content to a secure processor, such as, for example, a smart card. The secure processor obtains a network control word that may be used to decrypt the network encrypted content. The secure processor may decrypt the network encrypted content to produce clear content. In embodiments, the secure processor may then use a local control word to generate locally encrypted content specific to the device. The device may then receive the locally encrypted content from the secure processor and proceed to decrypt the locally encrypted content using a shared local encryption key. The Transport I/O system ensures the protection of the network control word by maintaining the network control word on the secure processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Nagrastar LLC
    Inventors: William Michael Beals, Nicolas Fischer, Benjamin Brian Ellis, Gregory Duval
  • Patent number: 9883238
    Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein provide for conflict resolution of assets selected for insertion into COD content. In one embodiment, the system includes an interface operable to process a request for asset insertion into the COD content selection. The system also includes an asset conflict resolution module operable to identify asset timeslots within the COD content selection from the request, to evaluate the assets to determine conflicts among the assets, to remove conflicting assets, and to select at least a portion of the remaining assets for insertion in the asset timeslots of the COD content selection. For example, the asset conflict resolution module may determine that conflicts exist between certain assets based on various identifiers associated with the assets and/or content such that the conflicts between the assets may be resolved with the removal of one or more of the assets from potential asset insertion selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Canoe Ventures LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan E. Farb, Thomas M. Moretto, Bruce C. Dilger, Timothy R. Whitton, Christopher M. Rippe
  • Patent number: 9883253
    Abstract: A method comprising the steps of: receiving, from a user electronic device at a computer system, one or more extracted feature vectors that are compact representations of one or more video frames of a video displayed at the user device; identifying, at the computer system, one or more products related to the one or more video frames based at least in part on an approximate nearest neighbor search of an electronic database of reference feature vectors corresponding to one or more reference works that identifies any match within a threshold of at least one of the reference feature vectors to the one or more extracted feature vectors but does not guarantee to identify the closest match to the one or more extracted feature vectors; providing, by the computer system to the user electronic device, the identified one or more products along with action information associated with the identified one or more products, wherein the action information is related to an action to be performed at the user electronic device;
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: NETWORK-1 TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Ingemar J. Cox
  • Patent number: 9883240
    Abstract: A communication method and system for providing a secure communication pathway between a user and a third-party is described. The system uses a telecommunications provider which has a controller for distributing and controlling electronic communications between a database, a translation server, a third-party provider of content and public identification information (PII), and at least one television of a user. The at least one television has a set-top box (STB) and a remote control. The STB has a unique electronic identifier (STB-ID). The STB communicates with the controller and the at least one television utilizing the STB-ID to ensure secure communications between the user, the telecommunications provider and the third-party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: First Layer Health L.L.C.
    Inventor: Paul Wessel
  • Patent number: 9872047
    Abstract: An identification system receives a request from a user device to identify a video captured in a video stream. The identification system identifies a display area captured in the video stream in which the video is displayed. The identification system identifies content include in the display area throughout the stream. Based on the identified content, the identification system creates a fingerprint for the video. The identification system identifies from a plurality of stored fingerprints at least one fingerprint similar to the created fingerprint. The identification system identifies video information associated with the similar fingerprint. The video information is transmitted to the user device and displayed as being video information about the video captured in the stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Weich, David Erb
  • Patent number: 9860575
    Abstract: A video data processing method. The method includes: acquiring a multiple program transport stream identifier of each TS packet; acquiring, a single program transport stream identifier of each TS packet; creating at least one scheduling queue for the at least one TS packet according to the single program transport stream identifier in the first information mapping table; selecting any scheduling queue, and determining a first TS packet of the any scheduling queue meets a scheduling condition, selecting at least one output channel to output the any scheduling queue, and continuing to perform determining on a first TS packet of another scheduling queue until determining on all scheduling queues is completed. The present disclosure is applied to transmission of video data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fei Peng, Xuqiang Ren
  • Patent number: 9848222
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to improve the accuracy of crediting media exposure through detecting reverberation indicative of spillover. Example disclosed methods involve determining periods of loudness in media presented by a media presentation device, and identifying a quantity of the periods of loudness that satisfy a duration threshold. Disclosed example methods also involve calculating a ratio by dividing the quantity of the periods of loudness that satisfy the duration threshold by a total number of periods of loudness in the media. Disclosed example methods also involve marking the media as usable to credit a media exposure if the ratio satisfies a loud threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Morris Lee
  • Patent number: 9843843
    Abstract: A master node in a multimedia content network includes a processor, a content interface coupled to the processor and configured to receive, from a media source, a multimedia stream including a multimedia program, a network interface coupled to the processor and configured to provide an interface to a broadband network, processor executable instructions for performing operations including: identifying a group of subordinate nodes available to analyze a multimedia program, assigning different analysis tasks for the multimedia program to the available subordinate nodes, receiving analysis results from the subordinate nodes; and modifying electronic programming guide information for the multimedia program based on the analysis results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Scott Anthony White
  • Patent number: 9827497
    Abstract: A CPU shows animation in which an introduction character appears. In succession, the CPU has a profile of the introduction character displayed. Thereafter, the CPU has a substance of a content displayed, based on a title or the like included in motion picture information downloaded from a distribution server. Namely, the CPU causes a monitor to display the introduction character (a character object) based on obtained character information and outputs information for introducing a specific content in association with the introduction character (the character object) based on obtained content information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Mizuki, Yusuke Beppu