Patents Examined by John Schnurr
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Patent number: 9313537Abstract: Methods and systems are also provided herein for presenting an advertisement to a user who perceives a media asset to be in a lull, and refraining from presenting the advertisement to a different user who does not perceive the media asset to be in a lull. Control circuitry may determine that a first user perceives a segment of the media asset as a lull based on a first user profile. The control circuitry may determine whether or not the second user also perceives the segment of the media asset to be a lull based on a second user profile. In response to determining that the second user does not also perceive the segment of the media asset to be a lull, the control circuitry may cause the advertisement to be presented to the first user but not to the second user.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2014Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.Inventors: Young Tang, Robin Ford, Helen Zhang
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Patent number: 9313548Abstract: Systems and methods for remote access to personal television service are disclosed. A remote personal TV service center provides centralized program guide information. Users may access the personal TV service center through a digital video recorder which is connected to the personal TV service center via telephone modem or a network server. Users may access the personal TV service center through a remote computer terminal or a personal digital assistant which is connected to a computer network. A user selects program events and programs the digital video recorder using a graphical user interface installed in the digital video recorder in case of local programming, or using a similar GUI which is incorporated into the Web pages presented to remote users by a Web server in case of remote programming. The media stream stored in one digital video recorder may be transferred to another digital video recorder.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2014Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: TiVo Inc.Inventors: James M Barton, David C Platt
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Patent number: 9313543Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor that includes a memory and a controller coupled to the memory. The controller can be programmed to receive media content from a set top box where the set top box is a separate device from the media processor and where the media content includes video content. The controller can also be programmed to receive supplemental content from a mobile communication device where the supplemental content is based on reading of a two dimensional bar code by the mobile communication device, and where the supplemental content comprises an image. The controller can further be programmed to generate augmented content by overlaying the supplemental content with the media content and to provide the augmented content to a display device for presentation.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2013Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, LPInventor: Lee Friedman
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Patent number: 9313457Abstract: A system and method for remotely collecting signals includes a local collection facility comprising a plurality of primary receiving circuit modules comprising a first receiving circuit module. The first receiving circuit module receives a first channel signal and forms a first encoded signal. The system further includes a remote facility having a multiplexer, and a router routing the first encoded signal to the multiplexer. The remote facility generates an output signal in response to the first encoded signal. A monitoring system receives an error signal from the first receiving circuit module. The router routes the error signal of the first receiving circuit module to the monitoring system. The system also includes a back-up receiving circuit module. The router routes the first channel signal to the back-up receiving circuit module to form a second encoded signal. The monitoring system monitors the second encoded signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2007Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.Inventors: Hoang D. Pham, Jeanet C. Mika
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Patent number: 9288516Abstract: An apparatus, method, and system are provided for associating or tying an audio source/content to visual/video content. A request to tie a selected audio source to visual/video content may be received. Upon receiving the request, the selected audio source may be tied to the visual/video content. Audio received from the selected audio source may be substituted for audio associated with the visual/video content. One or more synchronization techniques/methods may be used to synchronize audio content with visual/video content.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2014Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventor: Christopher J. Kennedy
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Patent number: 9282370Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2014Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Inventors: Ryan Steelberg, Chad Steelberg
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Patent number: 9282272Abstract: An EPG data processing device (D), for an electronic equipment (EE), comprises a processing means (PM) arranged i) to access to sets of data defining respectively channel programs and each comprising at least first data representative of a channel name and a channel program name, second data defining a channel program starting time, and third data representative of a channel program ending time, ii) either to determine amongst the accessed data sets which respectively follow each data set contributing to a displayed page of data the one which comprises the earliest ending time, in order to define a time reference just before this earliest ending time and associate this time reference to a following page of data to be displayed, or to determine amongst the accessed data sets which respectively precede each data set contributing to a displayed page of data the one which comprises the latest starting time, in order to define a time reference just after this latest ending time and associate this time reference toType: GrantFiled: July 10, 2006Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.Inventors: Emmanuel Schwarz, Benjamin Novi
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Patent number: 9277260Abstract: Device capabilities, media rights, and content are managed using a convergence platform to allow seamless consumption of content across disparate devices. Media content can be paused on one device having a particular set of capabilities and rights and resumed on a different device having another set of capabilities and rights. A user can play media on a mobile device, continue playing the media on a desktop computer, and subsequently move to a large screen television and capabilities and rights are automatically identified to seamlessly provide the most appropriate authorized content. Personalized media content information can be provided based on maintained information for user playback stoppage events and the user can resume playback of any number of media streams.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2011Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: MobiTV, Inc.Inventors: Kay Johansson, Allen Billings
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Patent number: 9277275Abstract: A method executes at a server system with one or more processors and memory. The server receives demographic information for a plurality of household members. The demographic information includes at least age and gender. The server receives television viewing information for the household. The server identifies one or more television viewing sessions from the television viewing information and selects one of the television viewing sessions. The server identifies one or more television programs tuned during the selected televisions viewing session and accesses demographic skew data for at least a subset of the television programs tuned. The demographic skew data for a television program identifies fractions of viewers of the television program from predefined demographic segments. The server associates a household member with the television viewing session at least in part by correlating the demographic skew data of the television programs tuned with the demographic information of the first household member.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2011Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Google Inc.Inventor: Nick Arini
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Patent number: 9271049Abstract: The present invention is directed to a television schedule guide which includes a detector for determining whether a previously scrambled program is unscrambled. If a previously scrambled program is momentarily unscrambled due to promotional efforts by the program provider, the system will visually distinguish the program on the guide, and a viewer may tune to or record the program from the guide. The view may also subscribe to the program provider through the guide during the promotional period.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2015Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.Inventors: Douglas B. Macrae, Thomas E. Ward, Kenneth S. Hancock, Jonathan B. Orlick
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Patent number: 9258606Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for using second screen devices to augment media engagement metrics. In one aspect, a method includes accessing user activity data describing user activities performed by a user on a first user device during a first time period, and accessing data describing presentation of one or more content items during the first time period on second user devices. For the first user device, determining based on the user activity data, for each of a plurality of second time periods that are sub-periods of the first time period, a first level of user engagement with the first user device, and determining, based on the user activity data, for each second time period that is a sub-period of the first time period, a second level of user engagement with the one or more content items presented.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2014Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Alexander Collins, Brandon Bilinski
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Patent number: 9258592Abstract: A method and apparatus for secure transfer of previously broadcasted content enables the secure transfer of previously broadcasted content between DVRs on a computer network.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2005Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: TiVo Inc.Inventor: Wijnand van Stam
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Patent number: 9241177Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2015Date of Patent: January 19, 2016Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Rajesh Shankarrao Mamidwar, Xuemin Chen, Victor Hou
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Patent number: 9226010Abstract: Different data communication architectures receive a wide variety of content, including audio and video content, for consumers. The architectures employ channel bonding to deliver more bandwidth than any single communication channel can carry. In some implementations, the communication architectures receive distributed video programming in the form of MPEG2 TS packets, flagged by marker packets. Channel bonding synchronization information may be present in packets defined above the data-link layer or received in fields within data-link layer frames.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2015Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Xuemin Chen, Rajesh Shankarrao Mamidwar, Anand Tongle, Victor Hou
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Patent number: 9219941Abstract: A secondary stream of rich media packets defining scene states of a sub-portion of a scene representable by a primary stream or rich media packets. Local random access data defining instructions for enabling creation, when being processed, of a starting state of the scene sub-portion without affecting the scene state of scene portions is provided. The local random access data is packed into at least one rich media packet, which is inserted into the secondary stream and transmitted to at least one user terminal. The local random access data can be used by terminals for tuning-in to the secondary stream and/or for error recovery relating to the secondary stream.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2007Date of Patent: December 22, 2015Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ)Inventors: Clinton Priddle, Per Fröjdh
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Patent number: 9215420Abstract: Methods, systems, computer readable media, and apparatuses for ranking search results are presented. According to one or more aspects, two or more search results may be ranked based on the extent to which each search result matches at least one search criterion and based on the amount of time that content corresponding to each search result will remain available. Content with less availability time remaining may be ranked higher than content with more availability time remaining. The ranking may also be based on a genre of the content being ranked, and availability may be weighted differently in ranking content of different genres.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2011Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventor: Sergei Suslov
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Patent number: 9210466Abstract: Viewers use remote controls to generate mute signals based on broadcast programming. Those mute signals are processed into mute messages, which are sent to viewers' television audio controls, which mute and un-mute broadcast audio based on the mute messages. Accurate mute messages are generated based in part on various mute signal statistics derived from mute signal streams. Sending mute signals can result in mute signal point credits, and receiving mute messages can result in mute point debits. Additionally, more accurate mute signals can result in greater mute point credits.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2013Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Inventor: Delia Stokes Stephens
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Patent number: 9204187Abstract: A method, computer program, reception apparatus, and information providing apparatus for accessing or providing access to content. The method includes receiving a transport stream from a content provider. A virtual channel table (VCT) is extracted from the transport stream. Further, a determination is made as to whether one or more services, corresponding to an entry included in the VCT, are supported by the reception apparatus based on one or more parameterized service descriptor (PSD) instances, which are associated with a predetermined Service Type and included in the VCT.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2014Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: SONY CORPORATIONInventor: Mark Eyer
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Patent number: 9197836Abstract: Techniques involving anonymous content promotion are described. In an implementation, content, which may include one or more advertisements embedded by a content provider, is promoted to clients who anonymously indicate behaviors. A client may generate behavior data matching behaviors of the client to unique codes. The client communicates the behavior data having the matched behaviors/unique codes anonymously to a network operator. A network operator collects behavior data from multiple clients. The network operator associates unique codes corresponding to a behavior to content to promote the content to clients who anonymously indicate the behavior through the unique codes in the behavior data. The network operator may output a promotion having the associated unique codes to multiple clients to enable each client to identify its own unique codes and obtain corresponding content recommendations and/or content.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2008Date of Patent: November 24, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventor: David H. Sloo
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Patent number: 9185461Abstract: A spot notification device includes: a viewing history acquisition unit that acquires a program viewing history of a user; a program metadata acquisition unit that acquires program metadata including a name and locational information on a spot introduced in a program; a spot list generation unit that generates, on the basis of the viewing history and the program metadata, a spot list including the name and locational information on the spot; a current location acquisition unit that acquires a current location of the user; an activity history holding unit that holds the current location in time series as an activity history; a notifying spot determination unit that sets a search range in accordance with the activity history and refers to the spot list to search for the spot present within the search range; and a spot notification unit that notifies the user of information relating to the spot.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2014Date of Patent: November 10, 2015Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of AmericaInventors: Yuka Ozawa, Yoshihiro Ujiie