Patents Examined by Ngoc Vu
  • Patent number: 9900651
    Abstract: In the disclosure, various embodiments of a service system, a digital device and a method of processing a service are disclosed. Here, an embodiment of the digital device includes a receiver receiving a broadcast signal which contains a content and signaling information including channel information by tuning a channel, a user interface receiving a request for executing a web browser and a first user action requesting to select a first video included in a first web page through the executed web browser, a controller controlling to execute the web browser, output a first web page including the first video according to the request, output a picture-in-picture (PIP) window reproducing the first video included in the first web page on a screen according to the first user action, and an output unit outputting the web browser outputting the first web page and the PIP window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Chulmin Son
  • Patent number: 9807692
    Abstract: A network device includes one or more memories and one or more processor circuits coupled to the one or more memories. The one or more processor circuits are configured to cause providing for transmission a request directed to a network controller to change a power state of the network device, receiving a grant from the network controller in response to the request, and changing the power state of the network device in response to receiving the grant. The power state of the network device includes a running power state and a standby power state, where the standby power state includes an active mode and an idle mode. A network controller for granting a request from the network device to change a power state of the network device is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Philippe Klein, Avraham Kliger, Yitshak Ohana
  • Patent number: 9794637
    Abstract: In an interactive network-based personal video recording system, a user interface is provided that allows viewers to search a database of program guide information according to program title, indexed program attributes such as actor and director, and key word. Viewer interaction is by way of a remote control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Beach, Alan Waterman
  • Patent number: 9788046
    Abstract: Disclosure is directed to managing more than one placeshifting transmission at a target device. The target device may be configured to receive a first video from a first placeshifting source and a second video from a second placeshifting source. The target device may additionally be configured to simultaneously output the first and second video on an output device, using various display screen configurations such as picture-in-picture, split screen, windows, and so. The first and second placeshifting sources may be content receivers having integrated placeshifting functions or may be content receivers provided in association with stand-alone placeshifting devices. A dual-tuner content receiver may also provide both the first and second placeshifting sources to the target device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Sling Media PVT Ltd.
    Inventor: Sharath Hariharpur Satheesh
  • Patent number: 9769535
    Abstract: A method of managing bandwidth usage at a customer premises includes receiving a content stream at a set-top box device coupled to a display device. The method also includes receiving a power-off command for the display device. Furthermore, the method includes displaying a prompt on the display device, wherein the prompt comprises an instruction to confirm that the display device is active via a confirmation input. The method further includes directing, responsive to the determining that the confirmation input has not been received, a source device to cease sending the content stream to the set-top box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: David A. Levine, Dale Malik
  • Patent number: 9762970
    Abstract: A method that communicates a request from a first device to a proximally located second device for a movie residing in storage associated with the second device, the request communicated over a communications network, responsive to the request, receives the movie from the second device over the communications network, presents a menu on a screen corresponding to the first device, the menu comprising playback options to enable a user to manipulate playback and rewind of the movie, and responsive to user selection of one of the playback options, presents the movie on the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: TECH 5
    Inventors: David B. Davies, Samuel H. Russ, Irvan J. Krantzler
  • Patent number: 9729932
    Abstract: A system and method for preordering content includes a content processing system and a user device in communication with the content processing system. The content processing system receives program guide data for linear channels and receives future available content data at the user device. The future available content data comprises an availability window having an availability start time and an availability end time. The user device stores the program guide data in the user device storing the future available content data in a memory of the user device, forms a future content selection, and stores the future content selection in a queue until the availability window is reached. When within the availability window, the user device communicates a material identification to the content processing system. The content processing system communicates the content corresponding to the material identification to the user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Michelle L. Vagnati
  • Patent number: 9700790
    Abstract: A server center for hosting low-latency streaming interactive audio/video (A/V) includes a plurality of servers that run one or more applications and an inbound routing network that receives packet streams from users via a first network interface and routes the packets to one or more of the servers. The packet streams include user control input. One or more of the servers are operable to compute A/V data responsive to the user control input. A compression unit is coupled to receive the A/V data from the one or more of the servers and output compressed A/V data therefrom. An output routing network that routes the compressed A/V data to each of the users over a corresponding communication channel via a second interface, the compression unit is operable to modify a compression rate responsive to current characteristics of the corresponding communication channel for each user so as to optimize performance of the one or more applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC
    Inventors: Stephen G. Perlman, Roger van der Laan
  • Patent number: 9693106
    Abstract: A system and method for preordering content includes a content processing system and a user device in communication with the content processing system. The content processing system receives program guide data for linear channels and receives future available content data at the user device. The future available content data comprises an availability window having an availability start time and an availability end time. The user device stores the program guide data in the user device storing the future available content data in a memory of the user device, forms a future content selection, and stores the future content selection in a queue until the availability window is reached. When within the availability window, the user device communicates a material identification to the content processing system. The content processing system communicates the content corresponding to the material identification to the user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Michelle L. Vagnati
  • Patent number: 9648393
    Abstract: A method in a server for providing various Internet Protocol television signal qualities involves an IPTV signal having a first signal quality that is transmitted over a first network connection to a first device. A request to receive the IPTV signal over a second network connection at a second device with the IPTV signal having a second signal quality is received. A determination is made that the second network connection has sufficient bandwidth to transmit the IPTV signal at the second signal quality, and that the second device is capable of receiving IPTV signal. The transmission of the IPTV signal over the first network connection to the first device is ended. An endpoint for the transmission of the IPTV signal to the first device is determined. The IPTV signal is transmitted over the second network connection to the second device at the second signal quality beginning at the determined endpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: James G. Beattie, Jr., Stephen J. Griesmer, Arvind Ramdas Mallya
  • Patent number: 9635437
    Abstract: A video-on-demand (VOD) server in an Internet protocol television (IPTV) network with a network of set-top boxes includes IPTV operational data and an analysis module that selects a content item. The VOD server divides the content item into sequential chunks, divides the chunks into stripes, pre-populates set-top boxes in a peering network with at least one stripe from each chunk, receives a request for the content item, and directs each set-top box to sequentially stream its stripes. A method includes selecting a content item based upon IPTV operational data, dividing the content item into sequential chunks, dividing the chunks into stripes, pre-populating set-top boxes in a peering network with at least one stripe from each chunk, receiving a request for the content item, and directing each set-top box to sequentially stream its stripes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Yih-Farn Chen, Rittwik Jana, Daniel L. Stern, Hailong Sun, Bin Wei, Ping-Fai Yang
  • Patent number: 9623326
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a server that generates a stream of streaming interactive video and/or audio. Means for multicasting the stream to a plurality of client devices accommodating different device video, audio and/or network characteristics, and means for allowing input from one or more of the client devices to control the streaming interactive video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC
    Inventors: Stephen G. Perlman, Roger Van der Laan
  • Patent number: 9628852
    Abstract: In accordance with the present invention a filtering process is based on the output side of a multimedia decoder. A navigator, located at a server system, monitors the current play position of multimedia content at a consumer system and compares that position with navigation objects. Each navigation object defines a start position, a stop position, and a filtering action to perform on the portion of the multimedia content that begins at the start position and ends at the stop position. When the current play position falls within the portion of multimedia content defined by a particular navigation object, the navigator sends the filtering action to the consumer system for processing. Filtering actions include skipping, muting, reframing, etc., the portion of multimedia content defined by a navigation object. Alternatively, the navigator may be located at a consumer system and the server system may provide access to the navigation objects (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: CLEARPLAY INC.
    Inventor: Matthew T. Jarman
  • Patent number: 9621364
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for switching from a first IPTV channel arranged to be delivered to a plurality of nodes, such as a broadcast or a unicast, to a second unicast IPTV channel. The first IPTV channel is received at an IPTV receiving node, such as a User Equipment. If it is determined that the first IPTV channel is no longer available, then an IPTV content provider capable of providing the same IPTV channel in a unicast as the first IPTV channel is identified. A message is then sent to an IPTV AS, the message including an instruction to switch to a unicast IPTV channel and an address for the identified IPTV content provider node. The IPTV receiving node then receives the IPTV channel unicast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
    Inventors: Bo Åström, Peter Edlund
  • Patent number: 9584858
    Abstract: A system and method for analyzing the viewing behavior of end users that are viewing video content to determine the likely presence of one or more advertisements being viewed and to assess the viewers who stop viewing during the course of such advertisements. The system periodically or continuously receives tune data reflecting the viewing behavior of end users, analyzes the cumulative viewing behavior reflected by the received tune data, and delivers a report of the analysis to advertisers, agencies, media sellers, or other parties that are interested in measuring the effectiveness of advertisements on end users. The analysis by the system can be done over multiple different types of content-distribution platforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: RENTRAK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Vinson, Maria Loper, Amir Yazdani, Bruce Goerlich
  • Patent number: 9538125
    Abstract: A display apparatus and a driving method thereof capable of assuring reliability in frame inversion driving and improving cinema video image quality are provided. To accomplish this, a display apparatus of the embodiment replaces at least one of a plurality of frame images obtained by doubling the frame rate, with a different image before display. Specifically, the display apparatus replaces at least one of the double-speed converted plural frame images with a high-frequency emphasized image and at least one with a low-frequency component image, and displays the frame images. Furthermore, the display apparatus replaces an image at the border between cinema images with a different image before displaying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukihiko Sakashita, Ryosuke Mizuno, Kiwamu Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9497507
    Abstract: A method implemented in a computer system for inserting advertisements into an audio/video stream. The method receives the audio/video stream, and monitors it to detect an advertisement insertion notification for the audio/video stream. The advertisement insertion notification references an advertisement insertion point at a position in the audio/video stream. The method determines a disposition of the audio/video stream at the position, and examines at least one advertisement stream to identify a matching advertisement stream having an advertisement disposition that agrees with the disposition of the audio/video stream at the position. The method inserts the matching advertisement stream into the audio/video stream at the position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Dinkar N Bhat
  • Patent number: 9479838
    Abstract: A subscriber unit is provided and configured to receive an input media content feed of a media content program selection from a first source upon a determination that predetermined conditions exist. The subscriber unit may further be configured to receive an input media content feed of a media content program selection from a second source upon determining that certain predetermined conditions do not exist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Inventor: Sam Makhlouf
  • Patent number: 9479814
    Abstract: A television system and method for providing computer network-based video. Various aspects may, for example, comprise a television system and method for providing both standard television video combined with computer network-based video, serially and/or concurrently. Various aspects may also comprise a user interface system and method for interacting with a user regarding the presentation and/or control of computer network-based video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Jeyhan Kararoguz
  • Patent number: 9456168
    Abstract: The availability of a new information service is publicized by displaying an icon in an EPG when the presence of a new information service is detected. A list of new services is then displayed responsive to a user command. When one of the new services is displayed instead of the list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel B. Donnelly