Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a messaging server within a premises device e.g., a home or enterprise gateway device. In one embodiment, a system is described that includes a premises device that acts as a centralized client messaging platform providing messaging services between a content provider and client devices, and also between client devices within a premises network. The premises device enables client-to-client communication that bypasses the long trip and propagation delay over the Internet by connecting the message across the premises network within the home or building.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a messaging server within a premises device e.g., a home or enterprise gateway device. In one embodiment, a system is described that includes a premises device that acts as a centralized client messaging platform providing messaging services between a content provider and client devices, and also between client devices within a premises network. The premises device enables client-to-client communication that bypasses the long trip and propagation delay over the Internet by connecting the message across the premises network within the home or building.

Abstract: Systems/techniques that facilitate multi-admin verification (MAV) for improved security of data stores are provided. In various embodiments, auto-execution of electronic requests may be facilitated. For example, an electronic approval of an electronic request may be received from an approver credential. A determination can be made that the electronic approval is a final electronic approval that causes a threshold number of valid electronic approvals for placing the electronic request in an approved state to be met. The electronic request is marked as being in the approved state in response to determining that the electronic approval is the final electronic approval. The electronic request is executed automatically after the electronic request has entered the approved state when the electronic request has been designated for auto-execution.

Abstract: Systems/techniques that facilitate multi-admin verification (MAV) for improved security of data stores are provided. In various embodiments, a system can access a request to perform an operation on an object stored in a data store. In various aspects, the system can identify an MAV rule that specifies: approver credentials authorized to approve the request; a threshold number of approvals needed to place the request into an approved state; a request expiration timespan denoting for how long the request can be approved; executor credentials authorized to execute the request once/when in the approved state; an approved state expiration timespan denoting for how long the request can be executed once/when in the approved state; and/or a maximum number of times the request can be executed once/when in the approved state. In various instances, the system can approve/execute the request according to the MAV rule, thereby safeguarding/protecting the object from the operation.

Abstract: Management of key information as described herein enables a respective service provider to distribute encrypted content to subscribers, preventing improper use of the content without authorization. For example, the service provider can distribute encrypted content for recording by a subscriber at a remote location. At or around a time of recording the encrypted content, and on behalf of the user, the service provider initiates storage of the corresponding decryption information that is needed to decrypt the recorded encrypted content. In order to play back the recorded segments of the encrypted content, the subscriber communicates with a server resource to be authenticated. Subsequent to being authenticated, the server resource distributes a copy of decryption information needed to decrypt the previously recorded segments of encrypted content to the subscriber.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a messaging server within a premises device e.g., a home or enterprise gateway device. In one embodiment, a system is described that includes a premises device that acts as a centralized client messaging platform providing messaging services between a content provider and client devices, and also between client devices within a premises network. The premises device enables client-to-client communication that bypasses the long trip and propagation delay over the Internet by connecting the message across the premises network within the home or building.

Abstract: A content management resource transmits a received digital data stream in a respective network data channel to one or more subscribers. The content management resource receives an emergency notification control signal, which indicates occurrence of an emergency message. In response to receiving the emergency notification control signal, the content management resource transmits the emergency message in the digital data channel to the one or more subscribers in lieu of transmitting the received digital data stream of content in the data channel to the one or more subscriber. Thus, a subscriber can tune to a particular channel to play back selected content and be apprised, via receipt of the message over the particular channel, of a corresponding condition such as an emergency.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a messaging server within a premises device e.g., a home or enterprise gateway device. In one embodiment, a system is described that includes a premises device that acts as a centralized client messaging platform providing messaging services between a content provider and client devices, and also between client devices within a premises network. The premises device enables client-to-client communication that bypasses the long trip and propagation delay over the Internet by connecting the message across the premises network. The premises device enables messages to be communicated between a content provider outside the premises network and the client devices via a single connection to minimize the number of Internet connections that need to be opened, and the number of messages communicated with servers outside of the premises network via both upstream aggregation and downstream dis-aggregation, which collectively save both network bandwidth and device reaction time.

Abstract: A transcoder resource retrieves content stored in a repository. The stored content can be encoded in accordance with a first encoding format. The transcoder resource transcodes the retrieved content into a second encoding format. To increase available capacity, the transcoder resource stores the content in the second encoding format as a replacement to the content encoded according to the first encoding format. The second encoding format can support a higher compression ratio than the first encoding format. Additionally, the transcoding can be performed as one of multiple tasks executed in parallel. In such an instance, during parallel processing, a content management resource interleaves execution of the main processing task and the background task of transcoding the content into the second encoding format. The transcoding task can be assigned a lower execution priority than one or more other tasks executed in parallel.

Abstract: A method for allowing user selection of interactive video software components in a television STB operatively coupled to a video content network includes the steps of: affording the user a selection of interactive video software components to run on the set-top box; and loading selected interactive video software components onto the set-top box. The selected interactive video software components are delivered from a remote node over the video content network to which the STB is coupled.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a messaging server within a premises device e.g., a home or enterprise gateway device. In one embodiment, a system is described that includes a premises device that acts as a centralized client messaging platform providing messaging services between a content provider and client devices, and also between client devices within a premises network. The premises device enables client-to-client communication that bypasses the long trip and propagation delay over the Internet by connecting the message across the premises network. The premises device enables messages to be communicated between a content provider outside the premises network and the client devices via a single connection to minimize the number of Internet connections that need to be opened, and the number of messages communicated with servers outside of the premises network via both upstream aggregation and downstream dis-aggregation, which collectively save both network bandwidth and device reaction time.

Abstract: At a carousel origin server, an indication is obtained that at least one of a plurality of consumer premises equipment connected to a video content network requires a software upgrade. Responsive to obtaining the indication, the carousel origin server loads onto a carousel at least one image required for the software upgrade. The at least one image required for the software upgrade is broadcast from the carousel to the at least one of the plurality of consumer premises equipment, for a predetermined period. Subsequent to the predetermined period, the at least one image required for the software upgrade is removed from the carousel.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a messaging server within a premises device e.g., a home or enterprise gateway device. In one embodiment, a system is described that includes a premises device that acts as a centralized client messaging platform providing messaging services between a content provider and client devices, and also between client devices within a premises network. The premises device enables client-to-client communication that bypasses the long trip and propagation delay over the Internet by connecting the message across the premises network within the home or building.

Abstract: A transcoder resource retrieves content stored in a repository. The stored content can be encoded in accordance with a first encoding format. The transcoder resource transcodes the retrieved content into a second encoding format. To increase available capacity, the transcoder resource stores the content in the second encoding format as a replacement to the content encoded according to the first encoding format. The second encoding format can support a higher compression ratio than the first encoding format. Additionally, the transcoding can be performed as one of multiple tasks executed in parallel. In such an instance, during parallel processing, a content management resource interleaves execution of the main processing task and the background task of transcoding the content into the second encoding format. The transcoding task can be assigned a lower execution priority than one or more other tasks executed in parallel.

Abstract: A transcoder resource retrieves content stored in a repository. The stored content can be encoded in accordance with a first encoding format. The transcoder resource transcodes the retrieved content into a second encoding format. To increase available capacity, the transcoder resource stores the content in the second encoding format as a replacement to the content encoded according to the first encoding format. The second encoding format can support a higher compression ratio than the first encoding format. Additionally, the transcoding can be performed as one of multiple tasks executed in parallel. In such an instance, during parallel processing, a content management resource interleaves execution of the main processing task and the background task of transcoding the content into the second encoding format. The transcoding task can be assigned a lower execution priority than one or more other tasks executed in parallel.

Abstract: Management of key information as described herein enables a respective service provider to distribute encrypted content to subscribers, preventing improper use of the content without authorization. For example, the service provider can distribute encrypted content for recording by a subscriber at a remote location. At or around a time of recording the encrypted content, and on behalf of the user, the service provider initiates storage of the corresponding decryption information that is needed to decrypt the recorded encrypted content. In order to play back the recorded segments of the encrypted content, the subscriber communicates with a server resource to be authenticated. Subsequent to being authenticated, the server resource distributes a copy of decryption information needed to decrypt the previously recorded segments of encrypted content to the subscriber.

Abstract: Management of key information as described herein enables a respective service provider to distribute encrypted content to subscribers, preventing improper use of the content without authorization. For example, the service provider can distribute encrypted content for recording by a subscriber at a remote location. At or around a time of recording the encrypted content, and on behalf of the user, the service provider initiates storage of the corresponding decryption information that is needed to decrypt the recorded encrypted content. In order to play back the recorded segments of the encrypted content, the subscriber communicates with a server resource to be authenticated. Subsequent to being authenticated, the server resource distributes a copy of decryption information needed to decrypt the previously recorded segments of encrypted content to the subscriber.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to determining and using a normalized in progress program indicator that can be used for resuming content playback are described. In some embodiments the normalized in progress program indicator, also referred to as a normalized in progress program time, indicates a portion, e.g., fraction, of a program which has been viewed. The normalized in progress time is generated by determining an in progress program point after excluding the time of advertisements that may have been included in a content stream with the program. A user may begin watching a program on one device and resume playback of a different version of the same program on another playback device with the normalization process allowing for the playback starting point to be easily determined whether the same or a different version, with a different duration, of the program is played back.

Abstract: An analyzer resource monitors content access information indicating availability of different types of content available to multiple subscribers over a shared communication link. To facilitate selection of content by respective subscribers, the analyzer resource sorts the available content into different classes (genres) based on a respective subject matter of the corresponding available content. The analyzer resource produces a listing of the different classes (genres) of available content. Subscribers select and/or customize genre-based feeds to store content in a repository for later retrieval.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a messaging server within a premises device e.g., a home or enterprise gateway device. In one embodiment, a system is described that includes a premises device that acts as a centralized client messaging platform providing messaging services between a content provider and client devices, and also between client devices within a premises network. The premises device enables client-to-client communication that bypasses the long trip and propagation delay over the Internet by connecting the message across the premises network within the home or building.