Abstract: In an exemplary method, an agent facility associated with an access device and a user is maintained, data representative of one or more rules associated with the user is also maintained, at least one environmental factor of the user is detected, and a predefined action is performed with the agent facility in response to the detected environmental factor and in accordance with at least one of the rules. In another exemplary method, a virtual entity configured to electronically represent one or more traits is maintained, electronic interaction by the virtual entity with at least one user is facilitated, at least one environmental factor of the user is detected; and at least one parameter defining the virtual entity is adjusted in accordance with the at least one detected environmental factor.

Abstract: In an exemplary method, data representative of a user profile associated with a user is maintained, a social networking interaction between the user and at least one other user is facilitated, and the social networking interaction between the user and the at least one other user is controlled based on information contained within the user profile and in accordance with a selectable mode.

Abstract: An exemplary method includes receiving data representative of a content instance over a network from an access device associated with a user, storing the data representative of the content instance, providing the user with an interface configured to allow the user to define at least one access rule corresponding to the content instance, the at least one access rule based on at least one user profile and at least one access device profile, receiving a communication from another access device over the network, and performing a predefined action related to the content instance in response to the communication and in accordance with the at least one access rule.

Abstract: An exemplary method includes receiving data representative of a content instance over a network from an access device associated with a user, storing the content instance, encrypting the content instance in response to a command initiated by the user, providing a key configured to facilitate decryption of the encrypted content instance, transmitting data representative of the encrypted content instance to a requesting access device, receiving data representative of a request to access the key from the requesting access device over the network, and performing a predefined action related to the key in response to the request and in accordance with at least one access rule, the at least one access rule based on at least one of a user profile and an access device profile.

Abstract: An emergency shepherd service includes at least one communications facility configured to provide communication services to at least one communication device in a service area and a notification subsystem including at least one processor and a computer readable medium with instructions. The instructions may be configured to cause the processor to receive information relevant to an affected area and identify at least one communication facility associated with the affected area based on a predetermined knowledge of a site of the communication facility. The instructions may be further configured to cause the processor to discover at least one communication device associated with the communication facility, determine that the communication device should be notified about the information, and send a message based on the information to the communication device.

Abstract: In an exemplary method, mobile device attribute data is received from a plurality of mobile devices over a network. The mobile device attribute data includes location data representative of a plurality of geographic locations associated with the mobile devices. The method further includes selectively aggregating the mobile device attribute data and generating traffic condition data based at least in part on the mobile device attribute data. The traffic condition data is representative of at least one traffic condition. In certain embodiments, the mobile devices include mobile telephones and the network includes a mobile telephone network. In certain embodiments, the traffic condition data is real time data. In certain embodiments, at least a portion of the traffic condition data is provided for access over the network.

Abstract: An exemplary system includes a media content processing subsystem configured to provide a program guide including a matrix of cells associated with a plurality of media content instances, and a selector object within the program guide. The selector object is configured to select one of the cells such that the cells in the matrix include a selected cell and at least one unselected cell. The subsystem is further configured to provide at least one image object within the at least one unselected cell. The image object represents the media content instance associated with the unselected cell. In certain embodiments, the image object includes a video content stream. The subsystem is further configured to provide a graphical user interface to a display for presentation to a user, the graphical user interface including at least a portion of the program guide and the image object.

Abstract: An exemplary system includes a media content processing subsystem configured to provide a program guide graphical user interface having at least a first viewing pane and a second viewing pane to a display for presentation to a user, provide a selector object within the first viewing pane, and provide a list of content channels within the first viewing pane. When one content channel of the list of content channels is located within the selector object, the media content processing subsystem is further configured to provide within the second viewing pane a vertically oriented time axis and a vertically oriented list of at least one media content instance entry corresponding to at least one media content instance available via the one content channel during a time period represented by the time axis.

Abstract: An exemplary system includes a media content processing subsystem configured to provide a program guide including a matrix of cells associated with a plurality of media content instances, and a condensed program guide including a condensed matrix of a subset of the cells and at least one interstitial symbol representing at least one of the cells excluded from the condensed matrix. In certain embodiments, the media content processing subsystem is configured to provide a graphical user interface to a display for presentation to a user, the graphical user interface including at least a portion of the condensed program guide. In certain embodiments, the graphical user interface includes a visual indicator of the interstitial symbol indicating a matrix position of a cell excluded from the condensed matrix. In certain embodiments, the interstitial symbol is spatially insubstantial in the condensed matrix.

Abstract: A methods and systems are provided for presenting one or more topic specific portals. A portal may present various content relating to a common topic. The content may be episodes of a television show, movies, products, games, songs, images, and general information about the topic. The topic may be the television show, a movie studio, an actor, a company, or a particular genre or theme. A service provider may deliver the portal in an interactive programming guide sent to the set top boxes of its subscribers. The portal may be interactive such that subscribers may order or watch the content presented on the portal. A content provider may create or edit the portals and send the portals to the service provider. The delivery of the portal to the service provider by the content provider may be through an application programming interface.

Abstract: In an exemplary system, a content hub subsystem is selectively and communicatively coupled to a plurality of access devices. At least a subset of the access devices is associated with a predefined group of users. The content hub subsystem is configured to receive data representative of content from at least one of the access devices associated with the predefined group of users, map the content to the predefined group of users, and provide data representative of the content to the access devices associated with the predefined group of users. Each of the access devices associated with the predefined group of users is configured to generate at least one interactive graphical object representative of the content, and generate and present a graphical user interface including the interactive graphical object.

Abstract: In an exemplary system, a plurality of access devices comprising at least a first access device and a second access device is selectively and communicatively coupled to a profile management subsystem. The profile management subsystem is configured to maintain profile data representing a feature set of at least one of the plurality of access devices, receive a profile request signal representing a request for profile data corresponding to the second access device from the first access device, and transmit the requested profile data to the first access device in response to the profile request signal. The first access device is configured to transmit content to the second access device in accordance with a feature set represented by the profile data corresponding to the second access device.

Abstract: A media database stores a number of media content items associated with a real-life field of competitive activity. A user database stores information about a plurality of entities involved in the real-life field of competitive activity, including indications of a number of the plurality of entities that are entities of interest. An event database stores event information identifying an event related to the real-life field of competitive activity, identifying at least one portion of one of said number of media content items as associated with the event, and identifying at least one of the plurality of entities associated with the event. A manager communicatively coupled to the media database, user database and event database, determines whether the event has occurred based on the event information, determines whether the event is associated with any of the number of entities of interest, and generates a highlight message.

Abstract: A user database includes information concerning at least one entity of interest. A program database includes multimedia content information associated with items of multimedia content and including a temporal interval during which the items of multimedia content are available. A presentation scheduling facility is communicatively coupled to the user database and the program database. The presentation scheduling facility is configured to determine a number of items of multimedia content that are associated with the at least one entity of interest based on the information concerning the at least one entity of interest and the multimedia content information, and configured to provide a scheduling screen containing identifications of the determined number of items of multimedia content.

Abstract: An exemplary system includes a content processing subsystem configured to record at least a subset of a media content program, the media content program including at least one commercial segment. The content processing subsystem is further configured to provide a commercial free status indicator to an output device for presentation to a user when a sufficient sub-portion of the media content program has been recorded to enable commercial free playback of the media content program.

Abstract: An exemplary system includes a content processing subsystem configured to record at least a subset of a media content program and detect a defective portion of the recorded media content program that failed to be properly recorded. The content processing subsystem is further configured to provide a recording status indicator to an output device for presentation to a user, the recording status indicator identifying the defective portion of the recorded media content program. In certain implementations, the content processing subsystem is further configured to heal at least a subset of the defective portion of the recorded media content program and provide a healing status indicator to the output device for presentation to the user, the healing status indicator identifying the healed portion of the recorded media content program.

Abstract: Interactive program guide data is received and elements to be included in an interactive program guide are generated based at least in part on the interactive program guide data. Each of the elements is positioned in a graphical user interface with respect to each of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis.

Abstract: In one of many possible embodiments, a system includes a content provider subsystem providing media content over a closed media network and an open network. At least a subset of the media content provided over the closed media network is provided over the open network. The system further includes a user access subsystem communicatively connected to the closed media network and the open network. The user access subsystem is configured to access the media content over the closed media network and the open network and to process and provide at least a component of the accessed media content for presentation to a user. The user access subsystem includes a content processing device configured to decode the media content accessed over the closed media network and an expansion content processing device configured to decode the media content accessed over the open network.

Abstract: An exemplary system includes a media content processing subsystem configured to provide a program guide graphical user interface (“GUI”) to a display for presentation to a user, the program guide GUI including a portion of a program guide. The media content processing subsystem is further configured to provide at least one navigation tool to the display for presentation in the program guide GUI, the navigation tool including a plurality of selectable options for navigating the program guide. The media content processing subsystem is further configured to detect a user selection of one of the selectable options and initiate a navigation to a location in the program guide based on the selected option. In certain embodiments, the navigation tool includes at least one of a time-based navigation tool and a channel navigation tool.