Abstract: Tag data is created from in-band data in a media content item by a remote location while the media content item is being broadcasted by a content provider and received by the remote location. The tag data identifies locations in the media content item which enables media devices to accurately jump to particular locations in the media content item based on the tag data.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for displaying recommendations that are temporally relevant to activities of a user and are contextually relevant to a portion of viewed media. This may be accomplished by a media guidance application identifying activities a user has planned, as well as respective times for which each of the plurality of activities was planned to be performed by the user. The media guidance application may filter the activities by determining which of the first plurality of activities has a corresponding respective time that is within a threshold period of time. The media guidance application may then identify characteristics of each filtered activity and of a media asset that the user is consuming at the present moment, and may compute whether the characteristics match. If the characteristics match, the media guidance application may generate for display a recommendation relating to the respective activity.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating supplemental content for a program content stream include functionality that generates supplemental content such as educational questions. The questions may be generated based on the content of the program as learned by the system performing natural language processing (NLP) of the verbal content of the program content stream as the program is being presented on a television or mobile device. The system may pause the programming during presentation of the questions on the television or mobile device. The programming is then resumed once a correct answer is received or a timer runs out, whichever occurs first. The generated supplemental content may also be saved as metadata associated with the program for subsequent presentation when the program is played again for the viewer or other viewers.

Abstract: A digital signage system allows a person to use the person's own mobile device as a voice input device to the digital signage system and also can leverage the person's mobile device in other ways such as by accepting other inputs from the mobile device, providing various outputs to the mobile device, or utilizing communication capabilities of the mobile device.

Abstract: A method, a set-top box, and a non-transitory computer readable medium for content switching and content control based on multi-user profiles. The method includes: capturing, by the set-top box, the facial information of two or more users of the plurality of users viewing content on a media play device, the media play device configured to display content from the set-top box; sending, by the set-top box, the captured facial information of the two or more users of the plurality of user viewing content on the media play device to the server; and receiving, on the set-top box, recommended content for the two or more users viewing the media play device based on a multi-user profile for the two or more users from the plurality of user profiles.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing playback devices in accordance with embodiments of the invention are illustrated. One embodiment includes a method for modifying a system that includes several devices. The method includes steps for measuring a first signal pattern for wireless signals between the several devices, measuring a second signal pattern for the wireless signals after measuring the first signal pattern between the several devices, determining an updated state of the system based on a difference between the second signal pattern and the first signal pattern, and modifying state variables of one or more devices of the playback system based on the determined updated state.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed towards remotely generating encoding metadata at a remote content distributor for use by a local user computing device. The remote content distributor receives and encodes content. During or after the encoding process, the remote content distributor generates encoding metadata that indicates how the content was encoded by the remote content distributor. The remote content distributor provides the encoding metadata to the user computer device. The user computing device receives the content and the encoding metadata and encodes the content based on the encoding metadata. The user computing device can then provide the encoded content to another computing device for decoding and presentation to a user.

Abstract: A system may receive a plurality of requests to record a plurality of programs. Based on these requests, resources may be provisioned for transcoding variable bit rate streams into constant bit rate streams. Resources may be provisioned based on assigning transcoding tasks to an existing set of deployed devices in which the transcoding tasks correspond to the plurality of requests. Resources may further be provisioned based on incrementally deploying an additional device to the existing set of deployed devices when the transcoding capacity reaches a certain level.

Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes receiving one or more video program streams from one or more video provider servers, the one or more video program streams associated with one or more video programs; displaying at least one video program of the one or more video programs on a graphical user interface of a user device; generating one or more control signals configured to cause the user device to display a first interactive content including an active contacts indicator button, the active contacts indicator button configured to display a number of contacts which are online; and generating one or more control signals configured to cause the user device to display a second interactive content overlay in response to a user selection of the active contacts indicator button, the second interactive content overlay being configured to display a contacts overlay including a list of one or more contacts.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for controlling the volume of a content. In one embodiment, sound associated with a content is received as well as a request for a volume change associated with the content. An equalization ratio is then obtained based on an amplification and a compression parameter. It is then analyzed whether a volume change will cause a coordinate change in the amplifier or compression levels associated with the content. If a volume change will cause a coordinate change in the amplifier or compression levels associated with the content, the volume change is limited.

Abstract: A method for assessing viewer interest in content and advertisements may include receiving an indication regarding a content playback mode change (e.g., a change from a skip or fast-forward mode to a pause or rewind mode) occurring during playing of a media content segment such as a television program or movie. The method then proceeds to associate the playback mode change with a sub-segment of the television program, such as an advertisement or commercial, and a level of interest of a user in the advertisement or commercial is determined based on the associated content playback mode change. An item, such as an advertisement or promotional offer can be selected to be presented to the user based on the determined level of interest of the user in the advertisement or commercial. Systems for assessing viewer interest in content and advertisements include devices and components configured to perform or enable such methods.

Abstract: A creator of a media program is recommended to air an advertisement at a time or for a duration during an episode of the media program. The time or the duration are determined based on numbers of listeners to the episode of the media program, which may be predicted based on attributes of the creator or the media program, and attributes of other creators or other media programs, as well as listenership of episodes of the other programs. A machine learning model is trained to associate attributes of creators or media programs with listenership, and slots or other portions of an episode of a media program are identified for a creator of the episode of the media program based on outputs received from the machine learning model.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for monitoring a telecom network is provided. The method includes retrieving images associated with a transmission location of a telecom network. A communication channel is initialized for enabling transmission of a real time video stream comprising the images with respect to virtual network functions. The virtual network functions are enabled and a triggering signal of the virtual network functions is located. Image collector software and hardware components are activated for collecting the images for local cache storage and location and activation information is collected. Attributes of objects within the images are collected and detecting resulting obstruction characteristics associated with obstruction objects located within a coverage area of the telecom network are detected.

Abstract: A system for interactive video content includes one or more interactive engagement platform servers communicatively couplable to a plurality of user devices configured to display one or more video programs received from video provider servers. In another embodiment, the one or more interactive engagement platform servers are configured to: receive at least one of an event ID or metadata associated with the at least one video program stream of the one or more video program streams; retrieve one or more data payloads including supplemental content related to the event ID or metadata associated with the at least one video program stream from at least one of a third-party content provider or a third-party service provider; and generate one or more control signals configured to cause the plurality of user devices to display an interactive content overlay configured to display information associated with the one or more retrieved data payloads.

Abstract: Using a sentiment analysis model, a reaction to a presentation of a first content is measured. Using the first content and the reaction, a content generation parameter is determined. Using a first content generation model and the content generation parameter, second content corresponding to the first content is generated. Using a second content generation model and the content generation parameter, third content corresponding to the first content is generated. The first content is adjusted by combining the first content with the second content and the third content, the adjusting resulting in an adjusted content.

Abstract: A method includes determining a first transmission rate for transmitting an entirety of a segment of a video stream to a client device. The segment includes a set of frames. In some implementations, the method includes, after transmitting a first subset of the set of frames at the first transmission rate, detecting that a network connectivity of the client device has reduced below a connectivity threshold associated with the first transmission rate. In some implementations, the method includes transmitting an entirety of the segment at a second transmission rate that is less than the first transmission rate. In some implementations, the method includes triggering the client device to present a second subset of the set of frames that corresponds to a temporal position in the video stream after the first subset of the set of frames while foregoing re-presentation of the first subset of the set of frames.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for detecting a presentation of media content on a display device are provided. In accordance with some implementations, methods for detecting a presentation of media content on a display device are provided, the methods comprising: detecting, using a light sensor, light levels in the light sensor's surroundings; generating a signal representing the light levels; detecting, using a hardware processor, at least one variation in light levels indicative of a presentation of a video scene based on the signal; detecting at least one variation in light levels indicative of a scene change subsequent to the video scene based on the signal; and determining that media content is being presented on a display device in response to detecting the variation in light levels indicative of the presentation of the video scene and the variation in light levels indicative of the scene change.

Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) identifying, by a playback device, a media device based on a control message received from the media device by way of an audio and/or video interface, where the media device provides media content to the playback device; (ii) providing, by the playback device, replacement media content for display; (iii) determining, by the playback device, that while the playback device is displaying the replacement media content a remote control transmitted an instruction to the identified media device; (iv) determining, by the playback device, a playback-modification action corresponding to the instruction and the identified media device; and (v) modifying, by the playback device, playback of the replacement media content in accordance with the playback-modification action.

Abstract: The various implementations described herein include systems and methods for determining that media items are currently being presented. In one aspect, a method performed at a client device includes: (1) identifying a media item potentially being presented on an output device coupled to the client device; (2) calculating a level of confidence that the identified media item is currently being presented to the user; (3) subsequent to the calculating, determining that at least one predetermined event associated with user interaction with the media item has occurred; and (4) based on the at least one predetermined event, increasing or decreasing the level of confidence that the identified media item is currently being presented to the user.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for packaging media and data for transmission over a broadband communications network link for display at a terminal destination. Features of the method included creating desired media segments for transmission to the terminal destination and for creating targeting information, for example in whole or in part in the form of metadata, for transmission to the terminal destination. Other features include packaging the created media segments and the created targeting information in a single package and unpacking the single package for display of the targeted media at the terminal destination.