Abstract: An interactive program guide system is provided. The system facilitates recording of programs selected from the program guide. The system handles the recording and viewing of pay programs, parentally-controlled programs, consecutive programs on different television channels, and programs with and without copy protection. Programs may be recorded using combination television videocassette recorder (TV/VCR) units.

Abstract: Both fingerprinting and watermark decoding processes are applied to received items of audio-visual content. Further processing is applied as well. This further processing depends on output data from the watermark decoding process, and can cause two items of seemingly-identical audio-visual content to be further-processed in different ways.

Abstract: Self-checkout technologies for retail stores are improved by incorporation of enhanced fraud detection arrangements. For example, if a shopper enters an item on a self-checkout tally, while positioned at a location remote from the normal stock location for that item, a responsive action may be taken Likewise, if a shopper enters the same item on a self-checkout tally twice, at widely separated times, a responsive action may be taken. These responsive actions can include dispatching a store clerk to assist the shopper, or increasing a risk score that is repeatedly re-calculated during the shopper's visit. A great variety of other features and arrangements (e.g., powering arrangements for mobile phones in shopping carts) are also detailed.

Abstract: Methods and arrangements involving portable devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, are disclosed. One particular arrangement concerns a software program that is launched following detection of audio content performed by a first musical artist. A phone can be provided with plural such software programs, tailored to respond to different types of detected content. Another aspect of the disclosed technology enables a creator of content to select software with which that creator's content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to accessing computer resources by sensing audio with a microphone.

Abstract: Novel arrangements are detailed involving delivery of entertainment content, and commercial sponsorship of such content. Some arrangements enable viewers to control presentation of advertising in video, e.g., selecting what commercials are to be presented—if any, and also their order and timing. Ad presentation can also be made dependent on context. Other arrangements ensure that advertising is actually rendered, and is not skipped-over. In still other aspects, entertainment content that is now offered on a paid basis is made available for free to certain viewers. For example, viewers may receive free content as a perk for earlier patronage of certain content sponsors. Fees charged to advertisers can be tied to measured consumer responses (e.g., to correlated increases in sales of advertised products), or to the demographics of the responding viewers (e.g., engagement of affluent consumers merits higher fees). A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Abstract: The present technology concerns cell phones and other portable devices, and more particularly concerns use of such devices in connection with media content (electronic and physical) and with other systems (e.g., televisions, digital video recorders, and electronic program directories). In certain arrangements, identification of audio or visual content to which the user is being exposed is determined—in part—using information about one or more other people who are known to be present with the user. Information about the user's current location, or about the user's previous activities, can also be used in inferring the identity of content to which the user is currently being exposed. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Abstract: An illustrative implementation of the technology includes three primary components: a desktop application, a mobile phone application, and connections to retailer inventory and pricing APIs (e.g., for Walmart and/or Best Buy). The experience begins with the consumer going to an online retailer's website (e.g., Amazon) to search for a product. The desktop application automatically searches for product matches using the APIs of affiliated retailers. If matches and near-matches of the product are found, the product name, model, price, and local availability at affiliate locations is shown. With a mobile phone camera-scan of the product page, relevant information is transferred to the consumer's phone. From there, the consumer can interact with the options on the mobile phone to be directed to the nearby brick and mortar store of choice carrying that product at the price they want. Along the way, the retailer can present offers and additional product information directly to the consumer.

Abstract: The disclosure relates, e.g., to media processing methods and arrangements.

Abstract: The present technology concerns improvements to smart phones and related sensor-equipped systems. Some embodiments involve spoken clues, e.g., by which a user can assist a smart phone in identifying what portion of imagery captured by a smart phone camera should be processed, or identifying what type of image processing should be conducted. Some arrangements include the degradation of captured content information in accordance with privacy rules, which may be location-dependent, or based on the unusualness of the captured content, or responsive to later consultation of the stored content information by the user. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Abstract: The present technology concerns cell phones and other portable devices, and more particularly concerns use of such devices in connection with media content (electronic and physical) and with other systems (e.g., televisions, digital video recorders, and electronic program directories). Some aspects of the technology allow users to easily transfer displayed content from cell phone screens onto a television screens for easier viewing, or vice versa for content portability. Others enable users to participate interactively in entertainment content, such as by submitting plot directions, audio input, character names, etc., yielding more engaging, immersive, user experiences. Still other aspects of the technology involve a program directory database, compiled automatically from information reported by network nodes that watch and identify content traffic passing into (and/or out of) networked computers. By identifying content resident at a number of different repositories (e.g.

Abstract: An audio playback system receives digitally watermarked audio programming and distributes it to audio speakers in a venue, enabling a variety of location and product dependent services to be delivered to mobile devices in the venue. Mobile devices sense audio from speakers and decode digital identifying information, including characteristics to distinguish audio sources. The mobile device communicates with a networked computer to provide the identifying information, which in turn, triggers an alert for output on the mobile device.

Abstract: An audio watermark signal is associated audio host signal, but is provided separately. When the audio host signal is rendered, a user can control whether—and how strongly—the watermark signal is also rendered. The specification details a great variety of other technologies —most relating to audio and image content, and/or portable devices (e.g., smartphones).

Abstract: Methods and arrangements involving portable devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, are disclosed. One arrangement enables a creator of content to select software with which that creator's content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. Another arrangement utilizes the camera of a smartphone to identify nearby subjects, and take actions based thereon. Others rely on near field chip (RFID) identification of objects, or on identification of audio streams (e.g., music, voice). Some of the detailed technologies concern improvements to the user interfaces associated with such devices. Others involve use of these devices in connection with shopping, text entry, sign language interpretation, and vision-based discovery. Still other improvements are architectural in nature, e.g., relating to evidence-based state machines, and blackboard systems. Yet other technologies concern use of linked data in portable devices—some of which exploit GPU capabilities.

Abstract: A smart phone senses audio, imagery, and/or other stimulus from a user's environment, and acts autonomously to fulfill inferred or anticipated user desires. In one aspect, the detailed technology concerns phone-based cognition of a scene viewed by the phone's camera. The image processing tasks applied to the scene can be selected from among various alternatives by reference to resource costs, resource constraints, other stimulus information (e.g., audio), task substitutability, etc. The phone can apply more or less resources to an image processing task depending on how successfully the task is proceeding, or based on the user's apparent interest in the task. In some arrangements, data may be referred to the cloud for analysis, or for gleaning. Cognition, and identification of appropriate device response(s), can be aided by collateral information, such as context. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Abstract: Metadata determines treatment of content by automated systems, including “user generated content” web sites. The metadata may be conveyed with the content or may be determined by other techniques, including systems based on digital watermarking or content fingerprinting. In some arrangements, treatment depends on the temporal length of a content excerpt that matches a pre-existing work. In others, treatment depends on popularity—either of the content, or a pre-existing work from which it was derived. A great variety of other factors and contexts can also be considered. Automated tools to preliminarily identify possible “fair use” can be realized; further determination may be made by human evaluators (including crowd-source approaches).

Abstract: The disclosure relates to accessing computer resources by sensing audio with a microphone.

Abstract: A system is provided that allows a user to select a pay program for purchase from a program guide. The program guide determines whether the selected program is part of a package of pay programs. If the selected program is part of a package, information regarding the package is provided to the user so that the user may decide whether to purchase the package. If the selected program is part of several packages, information for all packages is provided. The system automatically sets reminders for packages containing repetitive programming. The system monitors whether the user has watched any of the programs in such packages. When the user watches a program from the package, the remaining reminders are cancelled. If a user does not watch any programs in a package of any type, purchase of the package is cancelled and the user is provided with the opportunity to reschedule.

Abstract: Arrangements involving portable devices (e.g., smartphones and tablet computers) are disclosed. One arrangement enables a content creator to select software with which that creator's content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. Another utilizes a device camera to identify nearby subjects, and take actions based thereon. Others rely on near field chip (RFID) identification of objects, or on identification of audio streams (e.g., music, voice). Some technologies concern improvements to the user interfaces associated with such devices. For example, some arrangements enable discovery of both audio and visual content, without any user requirement to switch modes. Other technologies involve use of these devices in connection with shopping, text entry, and vision-based discovery. Still other improvements are architectural in nature, e.g., relating to evidence-based state machines, and blackboard systems. Yet other technologies concern computational photography.

Abstract: The present technology concerns improvements to smart phones and related sensor-equipped systems. Some embodiments relate to smart phone-assisted commuting, e.g., by bicycle. Some involve novel human-computer interactions, e.g., using tactile grammars—some of which may be customized by users. Others involve spoken clues, e.g., by which a user can assist a smart phone in identifying what portion of imagery captured by a smart phone camera should be processed, or identifying what type of image processing should be conducted. Some arrangements include the degradation of captured content information in accordance with privacy rules, which may be location-dependent, or based on the unusualness of the captured content, or responsive to later consultation of the stored content information by the user. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.