Patents Examined by Robert Hance
  • Patent number: 9510050
    Abstract: A context aware recommendation system and method for recommending at least one program to the user responsive to dynamically varying user preferences, learned user behavior and contextual information is described. The recommended program is a television program, radio program or music file. The system and method further alert the user about change in user's preferences and guides the user to change stated preferences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LIMITED
    Inventors: Debnath Mukherjee, Snehasis Banerjee, Siddharth Bhattacharya, Prateep Misra
  • Patent number: 9503767
    Abstract: Segmentation messages indicative of locations of upcoming events, such as the start and end of programs and program portions, and/or rights related to the programs and program portions, are used by cable systems and the like to store programs and program portions for later retrieval and transmission to customers on request. Storage, retrieval and management of programming is thereby facilitated. Methods and systems are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC
    Inventors: John B. Carlucci, Louis D. Williamson, John W. Callahan, Erik G. Urdang, David M. Kimble, Thomas Gonder, Joseph Buehl
  • Patent number: 9497502
    Abstract: There is provided methods and apparatus for enabling a fast channel change for a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) system. A channel change processing unit for enabling a channel change in a DSL system includes a demultiplexer (132) and a selector (134) in signal communication with the demultiplexer. The demultiplexer (132) is for receiving a normal stream and a channel change stream. The selector (134) is for receiving a channel change request and for sending the channel change stream in response to receiving the channel change request. The channel change stream coded pictures are of a lower quality than the normal stream coded pictures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: THOMSON LICENSING
    Inventors: Jill MacDonald Boyce, Alexandros Michael Tourapis
  • Patent number: 9497358
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to video capture. In particular, aspects of the present related to systems and methods for reducing latency in the capture of video frames. Various implementations of the present disclosure may add extra pixels to a video frame so that visible pixels within each frame may be transferred faster through a video interface. In particular, adding extra pixels to a frame may cause an increase in a pixel clock that is generated based on the total number of pixels within each frame. As a result of the corresponding decrease in the time needed to transfer visible pixels in each frame, latency due to delay in a video capture process may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA LLC
    Inventor: Roelof Roderick Colenbrander
  • Patent number: 9497485
    Abstract: Systems, articles, and methods for coding unit size dependent simplified depth coding for 3D video coding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Zhipin Deng, Yi-Jen Chiu, Lidong Xu, Wenhao Zhang, Yu Han, Xiaoxia Cai
  • Patent number: 9491133
    Abstract: In particular embodiments, one or more computer systems of a social-networking system determine information associated with a product displayed on a display device and access a database of known products. The one or more computer systems of the social-networking system determine, by comparing the database of known products with the determined information associated with the product, an identity of the product displayed on the display device. The one or more computer systems of the social-networking system provide one or more instructions to display media content related to the identified product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Joseph Badros, David Harry Garcia, Mark Heynen, Brian Krausz, Cameron Alexander Marlow, Michael John McKenzie Toksvig, Erick Tseng
  • Patent number: 9473802
    Abstract: Systems, devices and methods are described to obtain a lower-quality replacement when the reception of a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) or other broadcast television signal becomes weak or unavailable due to weather, maintenance or other circumstances. The received broadcast television signal is monitored by a receiver, antenna, outdoor unit or the like. When the received broadcast signal becomes weak or unavailable, the television receiver obtains a lower quality replacement for received broadcast signal from a network service or other alternate source to thereby continue the playback of the television program. Lower quality alternatives may include lower quality video streams, audio streams, text tickers, web pages or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Sling Media PVT Ltd.
    Inventor: Yatish Jayant Naik Raikar
  • Patent number: 9473819
    Abstract: A method for notifying a viewer of content relevant to the viewer's interests is provided. A computer identifies an identity of a viewer of a display device, wherein the display device is displaying a first video feed. A computer determines a plurality of preferences of the viewer. A computer retrieves a profile of the viewer, wherein the profile includes the plurality of preferences of the viewer. In response to a determination that a content of a second video feed that is available for viewing on the display device matches at least one of the plurality of preferences of the viewer, a computer generates a notification of the second video feed. In response to receiving an acceptance of the notification, a computer sends a command to the display device to display the second video feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James E. Bostick, John M. Ganci, Jr., Martin G. Keen, Sarbajit K. Rakshit, Craig M. Trim
  • Patent number: 9462338
    Abstract: Examples of the disclosure enable a set top box to be installed. In some examples, a remote control device, a computing device, and a set top box are provided. The computing device downloads configuration information for a location and receives input from an installer at the location. The set top box includes a remote control interface that receives commands from the remote control device, a local communications channel that transmits data to the computing device, an emulator that emulates the receipt of the commands by injecting remote control keypresses into the remote control interface to issue the commands, and a diagnostic feature activatable over the local communications channel by the computing device after the computing device receives the input to perform verification tests and to return results of the verification tests to the computing device to confirm to the installer that the set top box has been installed correctly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Accenture Global Solutions Limited
    Inventors: Liam Friel, Derek Dwyer, Colm Aengus Murphy, John Maguire, Duncan Palmer
  • Patent number: 9462350
    Abstract: A system and method is provided where, in one aspect, a user signals that the user is interested in a particular image being displayed as part of a video, wherein objects in the image are detected and recognized, and wherein an action is taken based on information associated with the recognized objects. By way of example only, the actions may include recording a show (with or without a user's prior confirmation) or displaying information about a product in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Nik Clayton
  • Patent number: 9462342
    Abstract: A method for recommending premium on-demand multimedia content based on event information is provided. The method includes (i) obtaining the event information associated with a time period, (ii) mapping the event information with structured metadata associated with a plurality of premium on-demand multimedia content, (iii) generating a recommendation for at least one matching premium on-demand multimedia content based on the event information and a structured metadata associated with the at least one matching premium on-demand multimedia content. The time period includes a current time during which an event is trending. A metadata associated with at least one premium multimedia content corresponds to the event information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: SUREWAVES MEDIATECH PRIVATE LIMITED
    Inventor: Kishore Adekhandi Krishnamurthy
  • Patent number: 9438928
    Abstract: A mechanism for performing a motion vector search at a current block within a current frame of video data. For each test vector position v of a plurality of test vector positions, compute a rate distortion value J(v) based on a combination of a distortion value D(v) and a bit cost value R(v,p,C). The distortion value D(v) represents a measure of distortion of the current block relative to a corresponding block Bv in the reference frame. The bit cost value R(v,p,C) depends on the test vector position v, a prediction vector p for the current block and a set C of one or more vectors c1, c2, . . . , cn. The one or more vectors c1, c2, . . . , cn are estimates (or predictions) of statistically-popular motion vectors for the current frame. The test vector position v* that gives a minimum rate-distortion value J(v*) is selected as the motion vector for the current block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: LIFESIZE, INC.
    Inventor: John C. Sievers
  • Patent number: 9432703
    Abstract: The present invention provides a salience-based media manipulation method and system for inserting contents into video presentations. The method includes establishing an advertisement-element pool containing a plurality of advertisement elements provided for insertion; obtaining an input video presenting at least one scenes and containing a plurality of original frames; and performing shot grouping and primary scene analysis on the input video to acquire scenes with static background and limited camera motion. The method also includes detecting white-space candidates in the acquired scenes for inserting at least one advertisement element and adjusting alignment between the white-space candidates and the at least one advertisement element. The adjusted alignment increases a salience gain of the advertisement elements and limit salience change of the scenes without insertion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: TCL RESEARCH AMERICA INC.
    Inventors: Jia He, Chen Huang, Haohong Wang
  • Patent number: 9432746
    Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods of providing content to a user via communications between a content provider and a user over a plurality of disparate communication channels are provided. Content is provided to a user via a first transmission channel for presentation. Metadata associated with the content identifies a content event trigger at a point in the content. The content is displayed using a first presentation system. When the content event trigger is reached, supplemental content is provided to the user via a second transmission channel. The supplemental content is provided to the user during continued presentation of the content, and the supplemental content is provided to the user using a content providing system that is wholly separate from the first presentation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: IPAR, LLC
    Inventor: Joseph L. Spears
  • Patent number: 9398334
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and media for controlling a presentation of media content are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, methods for controlling a presentation of media content, the methods comprising: causing the presentation of the media content to begin; measuring an elapsed time of the presentation of the media content; determining a first threshold based on at least one of: a characteristic of a person; a characteristic of a current point in time; and a characteristic of the media content; determining if the elapsed time of the presentation has met the first threshold; and ending the presentation in response to determining that the elapsed time of the presentation has met the first threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Shiva Jaini, Kevin Dame
  • Patent number: 9390447
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for a recommendation insertion application. Instances of abandonment for media content are aggregated. A recommendation insertion point is calculated as a function of the instances of abandonment. A recommendation for suggested content is inserted into the media content at the recommendation insertion point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Brent Russell Smith
  • Patent number: 9386257
    Abstract: Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of controlling wireless transmission of video streams. For example, an apparatus may include a controller to control one or more windows to be displayed by a display device, the one or more windows to display video of one or more wireless video streams of a plurality of wireless video streams transmitted by a plurality of video sources, the controller is to request at least one video source of the plurality of video sources to set one or more attributes of a video stream transmitted by the video source based on at least one predefined criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lei Shao, Peng Ge, Radhakrishnan Sankar, Inching Chen, Ulun Karacaoglu, Xintian E. Lin
  • Patent number: 9374559
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods are disclosed that encrypt media files with cryptographic keys and transmit the encrypted media files to a remote device during pre-caching. The encrypted media files may be transferred to the remote devices prior to a user issuing a request to share the particular media file. The local device may maintain cryptographic keys associated with the sent encrypted media files and only share a cryptographic key associated with a media file the user wishes to share. Without the cryptographic keys, the remote device cannot access the contents of the pre-shared encrypted media files in the remote device's cache. Upon the user sharing the media file and the remote device receiving the cryptographic key, the remote device may use the cryptographic key to decrypt the encrypted media file and display the media file at a significantly reduced latency than if the media file were sent only upon the sharing request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Julien George Beguin
  • Patent number: 9374609
    Abstract: A technique of using a remote control device to identify a source for transferring content on a home network, a renderer for rendering the content and a pathway within a home network to couple the source to the renderer to transfer the content. The remote control device then transmits control information to the source to set a control parameter value within the source to send the content and transmits control information to the renderer to set a control parameter value within the renderer to receive the content. The commands from the remote configure parameter values associated with a media layer in the source and/or the renderer to initiate a hand-shake to effect the content transfer, so that the source and the renderer need not initiate the hand-shake between themselves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeyhan Karaoguz, Stephen Ray Palm, Xuemin Chen
  • Patent number: 9369744
    Abstract: An SDN controller to provision network resources at a data plane to keep progressive downloads of multimedia files proportional to encoding rates is disclosed. Packets from a new or unknown flow being downloaded at a default rate are forwarded from an access point, or other device, to an SDN controller for analysis. If a progressive download of a multimedia file (e.g., a video file) in progress is detected, an encoding rate of frames for the multimedia file is determined. A target download rate for the multimedia file at the access point is determined based on the encoding rate, in an embodiment. Other optional factors also take into account network-wide data plane information gathered by the SDN controller from various points on the network. Additionally, a playback history for a particular multimedia file can affect the target download rate, based on whether, for example, a file is likely to be quickly halted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Fortinet, Inc.
    Inventor: Anil Kaushik