Abstract: Disclosed is a media content reception method for providing augmenting media contents using graphic objects, including: receiving metadata including information representing each event of any one of broadcast contents or moving picture contents, and any one of the broadcast contents or the moving picture contents and graphic object related information associated with events, the events including at least one of a specific scene, a specific situation, and a specific phenomenon of any one of the broadcast contents or the moving picture contents; analyzing the received metadata; designating the graphic objects to correspond to each event within any one of the broadcast contents or the moving picture contents based on the analyzed metadata; and displaying the designated graphic objects to meet each event at the time of playing any one of the broadcast contents or the moving picture contents.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an avatar engine having a controller to retrieve a user profile of a user, present the user an avatar having characteristics that correlate to the user profile, detect one or more responses of the user during a communication exchange between the avatar and the user, establish a communication session with a language translation system responsive to identifying from the one or more responses a need to engage in language translations, transmit to the language translation system content in a language format other than a language understood by the user, receive from the language translation system a translation of the content in the language understood by the user, and present the user an adaptation of the avatar that presents the translated content in the user's language. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for customizing a user communication experience is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving a user communication input and determining one or more communication input characteristics. Thereafter, one or more advertisements are provided to the user in accordance with the user communication input and the one or more determined communication characteristics.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a video server includes an encoder, a transmission module, storage modules, and a controller. The encoder outputs a request in response to encoding a video signal. The controller confirms whether or not the number of outputs of video data and a video file to the storage modules within a time interval is less than a limitation number in response to the request. The controller selects the best storage module to store the encoded video data from among the storage modules if the number of outputs is less than the limitation number. The apparatus controller transmits an instruction to the encoder designating the selected storage module as a transmission destination. The encoder outputs the encoded video data designating the transmission destination. The transmission module transmits the output video data to the transmission destination. The storage modules designated as the transmission destination stores the transmitted video data.

Abstract: A data communication architecture delivers a wide variety of content, including audio and video content, to consumers. The architecture employs channel bonding to deliver more bandwidth than any single communication channel can carry. The architecture includes intermediate network devices that may receive content and send content using different groups of communication channels. The network device may process content received across a first set of communication channels for transmission across a second set of communication channels different from the first set. Such processing may preserve a program order of the content during delivery to a destination device.

Abstract: A digital video recorder is disclosed. The digital video recorder includes at least one memory device, a plurality of communication access points for receiving at least one program play, an open application programming interface associated with the at least one memory device, and at least one correlation engine in communication with the open application programming interface. The plurality of applications correspondent to the open application programming interface allow a user to manipulate metadata associated with ones of the programs plays and the metadata relates to interframe interactivity with detailed aspects of the ones of the program plays. The at least one correlation engine provides for correlation among at least for the interframes of the program play to ones of the interframes of other ones of the program plays, and among the interframe interactivity to the interframes of the program play to interframe interactivity with the other ones of the interframes of the other ones of the program plays.

Abstract: According to the invention, a program delivery system for playing a plurality of video vignettes, which correspond to a plurality of video programs is disclosed. The program delivery system includes a first store, a second store a command signal. In one example, a method for selecting the types and order of video vignettes to be played can be selected. The first store holds a number of programs, where the number of video programs includes a first and second video programs. The second store holds a number of video vignettes that correspond to the number of video programs. The number of video vignettes includes a first and second video vignettes. The first video vignette promotes at least the first video program, and the second video vignette promotes at least the second video program. The command signal causes playing the first video vignette, but switches to cause playing the second video vignette when either a manual command is detected from a user or a triggering event automatically occurs.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a method and apparatus for creating and using video playlists within a network. In accordance with the invention, a user is enabled to create a playlist comprising a plurality of video segments and store the playlist for later access and viewing. In some implementations, the user may upload playlists to the network in order to permit other users to view the playlist and, if desired, watch the playlist's contents. In other implementations, the content provider or third parties may create playlists and make the contents available for viewing. In yet other implementations, the content provider or a third party may insert advertisements into a playlist's contents.

Abstract: A system for providing communications between a remote control and an advertising source is provided. The system includes a television system configured to receive content and to provide a content indicator representing received content. A remote control is also included in the system, the remote control having a local communications unit and a remote communications unit. The local communications unit is configured to communicate with the television system so as to receive from the television system the content indicator. The remote communications unit is configured to send a content indication signal to an advertising source in a manner independent of the television system, the content indication signal being related to the content indicator. The system is further configured to receive advertising from the advertising source based on the content indication signal and to output the advertising at the remote control. Also provided are corresponding apparatuses, methods, and computer program products.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosed invention include an apparatus, method, and computer program product for distributing media content to a plurality of display devices. For instance, in one embodiment, a computer implemented method for distributing media content to a display device is disclosed. The method comprises configuring a middleware device to provide media content to the display device and to a set of display devices. In response to the middleware device receiving a request for media content from the display device, the method determines whether the there is sufficient bandwidth to provide a requested media content to the display device. In one embodiment, if the method determines that there is insufficient bandwidth to provide the requested media content to the display device, the method provides the requested media content to the display device based on a set of preconfigured user preferences.

Abstract: An electronic program guide (“EPG”) coordinates the display of availability metadata representing the availability of listed multimedia programs from one or more alternative content sources. The EPG presents multimedia programs available from a primary content source. A system identifies alternative content sources for one or more multimedia programs listed in the EPG, estimates availability parameters from these alternative content sources, and supplements the EPG with availability metadata that represent the determined availability parameters of the versions of the multimedia programs from one or more alternative content sources. The system estimates missing availability parameters based on application of one or more availability rule sets, which can reflect, for example, a contractual agreement or arrangement, a data analysis performed on historical availability data for the multimedia program or the content provider, and the like.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for processing a traffic log having an optional-promotion log entry. An example method involves (i) accessing a stored traffic log, wherein the traffic log includes multiple ordered log entries including at least a first log-entry and a second log-entry; (ii) making a first determination that the first log-entry corresponds to a show-segment video-component (VC) of a live news program; (iii) making a second determination that the second log-entry corresponds to an initial show-segment VC of a show, wherein the show is scheduled to follow the live news program; (iv) identifying, among log entries scheduled between the first log-entry and the second log-entry, a set of optional-promotion log entries, each such optional-promotional log entry having a duration; (v) determining a cumulative duration of the optional-promotion log entries in the identified set; and (vi) providing the determined cumulative-duration to an output device for presentation.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor having a controller to present a user of the media processor a solicitation initiated by a media content supplier requesting an opinion survey of unpublished media content, receive the unpublished media content responsive to submitting an acceptance of the solicitation, and submit the opinion survey to the media content supplier responsive to receiving a response from the user. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and systems for advertisement insertion into streaming media content are described. In one method, an advertisement insertion tool receives a first indication of a start time of where an advertisement is to be inserted into media content and a second indication comprising at least one of an end time of the advertisement or a duration of the advertisement. The advertisement insertion tool inspects a first original slice of the media content that contains the media content at the start time to locate a first key frame at or prior to the start time and creates a first new slice comprising the media content of the first original slice up to the start time. The advertisement insertion tool inspects a second original slice of the media content that contains the media content at the end time to locate a second key frame at or prior to the end time and creates a second new slice comprising the media content of the second original slice after the end time until an end of the second original slice.

Abstract: A method controls one or more attributes of a secondary video stream for display in combination with a primary video stream. The method comprises: identifying a primary video stream; identifying a secondary video stream; assigning one or more settings for one or more attributes of said secondary video stream to a predetermined set of one or more user identifiers; identifying the user identifier associated with a given video processing module; determining the one or more attribute settings assigned to the user identifier; and processing the secondary video stream for display in combination with the primary video stream in accordance with the one or more attribute settings for the user identifier.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for highlighting a program listing in a set of program listings based on selection criteria. The selection criteria may indicate that the a broadcaster has agreed to pay a service provider in return for the service provider ensuring that a program listing, corresponding to the program of the broadcaster, is highlighted in a program page that displays a set of program listings, such as television program listings. If there are multiple program listings, listed in a program page, that are to be highlighted, then details of the respective contracts may be used to determine which program listing to highlight. Such details may include the total contract value, a ratio of contract value-to-page view, and/or the time of contract formation.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a communication system includes a transmitter and a switch. The transmitter transmits, to a television receiver, an address used to access a server on a network used by a mobile terminal. The switch automatically switches, after the address is transmitted, the display of the mobile terminal to an operation display that displays an operation element suitable for the operation state of the television receiver.

Abstract: Methods and systems of optimizing EPG data include: (i) receiving EPG data comprising a plurality of schedule objects; (ii) identifying a recurrence pattern in a subset of the schedule objects based on an association between properties of the schedule objects in the subset; (iii) based on the recurrence pattern, identifying at least one base schedule object in the subset, each at least one base schedule object comprising properties that are common to two or more of the schedule objects in the subset; (iv) generating at least one recurrence pattern property for identifying the recurrence pattern; (v) generating an optimized schedule grouping comprising the at least one base schedule object and a metadata object, wherein the metadata object comprises the at least one recurrence pattern property; and (vi) providing optimized EPG data in which the subset of schedule objects is substituted with the optimized schedule grouping.

Abstract: An approach is provided for presenting, via a set-top box, a widget. The widget includes content retrieved over a data network and augmented content.

Abstract: When a user is consuming media content from a first source, one or more other available sources of media content may be monitored and the user may be notified if other available content matches the user's profile.