Abstract: Systems and procedures which allow for the placement of advertisements in an optimized manner are presented. Systems may be provided which may be configured to optimize a media plan (either automatically or manually, or a combinations of both) using demographic vectors, and may display the optimization results in a quantifiable manner using terms and numbers.

Abstract: Techniques are described for optimizing streaming video encoding profiles.

Abstract: A system having a macroscopic imager, a microscopic imager, and a stage for moving a substrate supporting ex-vivo tissue with respect to each of the imagers to enable the macroscopic imager to capture macroscopic images, and the microscopic imager to capture optically formed sectional microscopic images on or within the tissue, when presented to the tissue, via the optically transparent material of the substrate. A computer system controls movement of the stage, and receives the macroscopic and microscopic images. A display is provided for displaying the macroscopic and microscopic images when received by the computer system. The tissue is verified as being in an orientation at least substantially flush against the upper surface of the substrate by being in focus in displayed macroscopic images prior to imaging by the microscopic imager, and if needed, any portion of the tissue unfocused is manually positioned until desired tissue orientation is achieved.

Abstract: Network content delivery apparatus and methods based on content compiled from various sources and particularly selected for a given user. In one embodiment, the network comprises a cable television network, and the content sources include DVR, broadcast, nPVR, and VOD. The user-targeted content is assembled into a playlist, and displayed as a continuous stream on a virtual channel particular to that user. User interfaces accessible through the virtual channel present various functional options, including the selection or exploration of content having similarity or prescribed relationships to other content, and the ability to order purchasable content. An improved electronic program guide is also disclosed which allows a user to start over, record, view, receive information on, “catch up”, and rate content. Apparatus for remote access and configuration of the playlist and virtual channel functions, as well as a business rules “engine” implementing operational or business goals, are also disclosed.

Abstract: A community-based recommendation engine is provided. In one example embodiment, a system to provide community-based recommendation engine comprises a recommendation detector and a decision module. The recommendation detector is configured to receive, at a viewer's system, a recommendation for a content item from a contact of a viewer. The decision module may be configured to determine an action to be performed at the viewer's system, based on the recommendation and on one or more rules, accept the recommendation as an instruction to perform the action, and initiate the action at the viewer's system.

Abstract: Provided is a method for controlling delivery of a video stream of a live-stream room, and corresponding server and mobile terminal. The method includes steps of: receiving a connection request initiated by an anchor user of the live-stream room from a first terminal and including pre-protocol information outputted by a second terminal; sending, in response to the connection request, a first live video stream uploaded by the first terminal down to the second terminal; and receiving a third live video stream uploaded by the second terminal and formed by combining at least one of a second live video stream and the first live video stream, and delivering the third live video stream to a member user in the live-stream room.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for targeting of advertising content for a consumer product, by obtaining consumer demographic data, the consumer demographic data including a plurality of demographic attributes for each person; identifying a plurality of media slots; and obtaining program information for a respective identified program aired in each media slot among the plurality of media slots, the program information including viewing data of a plurality of viewing persons viewing the program and each viewing person being among the plurality of persons.

Abstract: Techniques are described for expanding and/or improving the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) 3.0 television protocol in robustly delivering the next generation broadcast television services. A USB driver communicates I2C through a JAVA® application with a USB dongle implementing for example an ATSC 3.0 tuner, with the JAVA application simply passing I2C communication between the dongle and driver such that the driver is platform independent.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method, apparatus, and system for realizing dynamic scheduling for a cinema and controlling playing of a movie. In particular, embodiments of the present invention relate to dynamic scheduling of content presentation in a cinema by collecting user preferences of a plurality of users, wherein the user preference specifies at least a movie that a user desires to watch, a time for watching the movie, a cinema for watching the movie, and a number of people watching the movie; generating, based on the collected user preferences, a respective dynamic schedule for at least one cinema of a plurality of cinemas according to one of a plurality of scheduling schemes; and transmitting the generated respective dynamic schedule to at least one second electronic apparatus corresponding to the at least one cinema.

Abstract: An electronic device generates a respective user queue for each user of a plurality of users participating in a shared listening session. While providing a first media content item for playback, the device receives a second request, from a first user, to add a second media content item to the shared playback queue and updates the respective user queue for the first user. After receiving the second request, the electronic device receives a third request, from a second user, to add a third media content item to the shared playback queue and updates the respective user queue for the second user. The electronic device updates the shared playback queue using the respective user queues of the first user and the second user, including positioning the third media content item in an order of the shared playback queue to be played back before the second media content item.

Abstract: When a media client is receiving a media stream, the media client determines an upcoming time point at which the media client is to perform a content revision involving insertion (e.g., substitution or overlaying) of new content. The media client further determines an advanced time point when the media client should initiate a process of acquiring the new content, setting the advanced time point sufficiently in advance of the upcoming content-revision time point to enable the media client to obtain at least enough of the new content to be able to start the content revision on time. In an example implementation, the media client could determine the advanced time point by predicting how long the content-acquisition process will take, based on consideration of past instances of content acquisition, possibly correlated with operational factors such as content source, processor load, memory load, network speed, and time of day.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for dynamically modifying a playlist for reviewing highlights of a media event. A playlist comprising highlights of a media event may be generated by a media guidance application. A user command may be received by the media guidance application to extend or shorten the currently-playing segment of the playlist. To generate a longer version of the segment, the media guidance application may access the media asset from which the playlist was originally generated at a position corresponding to the currently-playing segment, and generate a longer version of the segment. To generate a shorter version of the segment, the media guidance application may remove a portion of the currently-playing segment. The media guidance application may replace the currently-playing segment with, and begin playing back, the modified version of the segment.

Abstract: A method at a computing system includes receiving from a first device a request from a user indirectly referencing a media content item and content information including one or more portions of audio and/or video components of media playing in proximity to the first device in response to the user request, the media having originated from a third party content provider independent of the server system; and in response to receiving the user request and the content information from the first device: matching the content information received from the first device to a portion of content stored in the server system; and identifying the media content item based on the matching.

Abstract: In some implementations, a system can be configured to allow remote control devices to quietly obtain status information related to various audio/video playback devices. For example, a streaming device (e.g., a user device, phone, etc.) can establish a streaming connection to a playback device. The playback device can be configured to only accept a single streaming connection (i.e., master connection). A remote control device (e.g., a user device, phone, etc.) can quietly connect (i.e., control connection) to the playback device without interrupting the master connection to obtain status information related to the playback device and or the media being streamed to the playback device. The remote control device can provide commands through the control connection to adjust the playback of the streamed media at the playback device.

Abstract: A system having a macroscopic imager, a microscopic imager, and a stage for moving a substrate supporting ex-vivo tissue with respect to each of the imagers to enable the macroscopic imager to capture macroscopic images, and the microscopic imager to capture optically formed sectional microscopic images on or within the tissue, when presented to the tissue, via the optically transparent material of the substrate. A computer system controls movement of the stage, and receives the macroscopic and microscopic images. A display is provided for displaying the macroscopic and microscopic images when received by the computer system. The tissue is verified as being in an orientation at least substantially flush against the upper surface of the substrate by being in focus in displayed macroscopic images prior to imaging by the microscopic imager, and if needed, any portion of the tissue unfocused is manually positioned until desired tissue orientation is achieved.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for targeting of advertising content for a consumer product, by obtaining consumer demographic data, the consumer demographic data including a plurality of demographic attributes for each person; identifying a plurality of media slots; and obtaining program information for a respective identified program aired in each media slot among the plurality of media slots, the program information including viewing data of a plurality of viewing persons viewing the program and each viewing person being among the plurality of persons.

Abstract: Methods for managing digital content include authenticating a user account identifier from a client device over a computer network, registering a telephone number for at least one wireless mobile device in a registry identified with the user account based on the authenticating, as a pre-authorized identifier for accessing digital content licensed for use with the client device. The methods include maintaining a library of digital content identified with the user account for access by the at least one wireless mobile device, and initiating streaming of the digital video content to the at least one wireless mobile device without requiring user authentication from the at least one wireless mobile device, based on the registering of the telephone number as the pre-authorized identifier. An apparatus for performing the method comprises a processor coupled to a memory, the memory holding instructions for performing steps of the method as summarized above.

Abstract: When a media client is receiving a media stream, the media client determines an upcoming time point at which the media client is to perform a content revision involving insertion (e.g., substitution or overlaying) of new content. The media client further determines an advanced time point when the media client should initiate a process of acquiring the new content, setting the advanced time point sufficiently in advance of the upcoming content-revision time point to enable the media client to obtain at least enough of the new content to be able to start the content revision on time. In an example implementation, the media client could determine the advanced time point by predicting how long the content-acquisition process will take, based on consideration of past instances of content acquisition, possibly correlated with operational factors such as content source, processor load, memory load, network speed, and time of day.

Abstract: A method is provided for coordinating preparation of video-on-demand (VOD) products that are to be delivered as adaptive-bit-rate (ABR) video streams. In the method, actual start and actual stop times are received from a video product generator for each of a plurality of VOD products processed by the video product generator. The video product generator is configured to create VOD products in video transport streams from source assets. Responsive to receipt of the start and stop times, a transcoder is instructed to insert into a video transport stream for each of the VOD products encoder boundary points and IDR frames at specified times in each of the VOD products. The specified times include offset start and offset stop times of each of the VOD products.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for generating a media quality score associated with the presentation of a content item are provided.