Abstract: In a technique for directing network traffic to distribute client service requests among a set of service clusters of a service network, capacity and performance information is regularly obtained for the service clusters and provided to a trained reinforcement-learning (RL) model that integrates learned request-distribution and reward information for the service network. The RL model is operated to regularly update recommendation values for directing the client service requests to the service clusters, and updated recommendation values are regularly provided to a traffic director which directs network traffic at least partly based on the regularly provided updated recommendation values. The traffic director may be realized by a Domain Name System (DNS) server, having an ability to select among candidate service clusters based on weight values reported by the RL model.

Abstract: Advertising content is provided to a user. A set top box that is located in a first environment receives a first signal from a user device located in the first environment, wherein the first signal is encoded with commerce-related information. The set top box conveys the commerce-related information via a digital communication network to a server system located in a second environment. The server system utilizes the commerce-related information to select advertising information pertaining to the commerce-related information, and then communicates the advertising information to a device from which the user of the user device located in the first environment can access the advertising information.

Abstract: A user equipment (UE) includes a location sensing mechanism, a memory for storing identity of a plurality of location co-ordinates visited by a user of the user equipment, a processor for determining preferences corresponding to the user based on the stored locations and a transceiver for communicating the preferences.

Abstract: Viewers of video on demand (“VOD”) programs are automatically presented with Emergency Alert System (“EAS”) information during an invocation of the EAS system. A VOD Support System receives notification of an EAS event and directs EAS information to be stored in a VOD Server. The VOD Support System then invokes a function in the VOD Server, causing the VOD server to suspend all active VOD streams and, instead, stream out the EAS information comprising a preamble and emergency information identified by the VOD Support System. Upon completion of streaming this information, the VOD Server will automatically resume each of the VOD programs previously suspended. VOD viewers watching a VOD session that is interrupted by an EAS test are thus automatically returned to their VOD programming at the point where their program was interrupted.

Abstract: Viewers of video on demand (“VOD”) programs are automatically presented with Emergency Alert System (“EAS”) information during an invocation of the EAS system. A VOD Support System receives notification of an EAS event and directs EAS information to be stored in a VOD Server. The VOD Support System then invokes a function in the VOD Server, causing the VOD server to suspend all active VOD streams and, instead, stream out the EAS information comprising a preamble and emergency information identified by the VOD Support System. Upon completion of streaming this information, the VOD Server will automatically resume each of the VOD programs previously suspended. VOD viewers watching a VOD session that is interrupted by an EAS test are thus automatically returned to their VOD programming at the point where their program was interrupted.

Abstract: A video on-demand (“VOD”) system receives a request for a VOD program, thereby generating a VOD session for the viewer. The VOD system generates a dynamic playlist incorporating at least one advertisement, where the playlist is provided to the VOD server, causing said VOD server to stream the playlist to the viewer. Upon suspension of viewing the VOD program by the viewer, the VOD system terminates the VOD session. Upon receiving a subsequent request from the viewer for the same VOD program, a second VOD session is established by the VOD system with a second dynamic playlist incorporating at least one other advertisement. The VOD system streams the program beginning at the same point in the program where the original interruption occurred.