Abstract: A television program guide is displayed having a station identifier portion in a first location. A determination is made as to when a user navigates in the television program guide between past programs and future programs. In response to the user navigating in the television program guide between the past programs and the future programs, the station identifier portion is changed to a second location.

Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects, a notification of an incoming phone call is received from a phone system. An indication of the incoming phone call is presented to a user, and the user can control the incoming phone call in different manners. The user can request to delay routing the incoming phone call to voicemail, to route the incoming phone call to voicemail without further delay, and to stop ringing of one or more phone handsets of the phone system. One or more of these control requests can be input by the user via a mobile phone and/or a television system.

Abstract: Embodiments related to delivering a video stream to a requesting viewer are disclosed. In one example embodiment, a video stream is delivered by receiving a request for the video stream from a requesting device, the request including the requesting viewer's identity, assembling a list of selected video content items for display to the requesting viewer, the selected video items being selected from a plurality of video items based on the identity of the requesting viewer and a viewing interest profile comprising the requesting viewer's viewing interests, and sending the video stream for display, the video stream including one or more of the selected video items.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed that relate to providing commentary for video content. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a method comprising receiving and storing an input of commentary data from each of a plurality of commentary input devices, and also, for each input of commentary data, receiving and storing identification metadata identifying a commentator, for each input of commentary data, synchronization metadata that synchronizes the commentary data with the associated media content item is received and stored. The method further comprises receiving a request from a requesting media presentation device for commentary relevant to a specified media content item and a specified user, identifying relevant commentary data based upon social network information for the specified user, and sending the relevant commentary data to the requesting client device.

Abstract: Embodiments related to selecting advertisements for display to targeted viewers are disclosed. In one example embodiment, an advertisement is selected by, for each of a plurality of advertisements, aggregating a plurality of emotional response profiles from a corresponding plurality of prior viewers of the advertisement to form an aggregated emotional response profile for the advertisement, wherein each of the emotional response profiles comprises a temporal record of a prior viewer's emotional response to the advertisement. The method further includes identifying a group of potentially positively correlated viewers for the targeted viewer, filtering the aggregated emotional response profiles based on the group of potentially positively correlated viewers, selecting a particular advertisement from the plurality of advertisements based on a correlation of the filtered aggregated emotional response profiles, and sending the particular advertisement for display to the targeted viewer.

Abstract: Embodiments related to distributing an identity of a video item being presented on a video presentation device within a video viewing environment to applications configured to obtain content related to the video item are disclosed. In one example embodiment, an identity is transmitted by determining an identity of the video item currently being presented on the video presentation device and responsive to a trigger, transmitting the identity of the video item to a receiving application while the video item is being presented on the video presentation device.

Abstract: In embodiments of dynamic media asset delivery, a media asset can be requested from a content distributor for playback at a client device. The client device can receive the media asset over a communication network, and receive a request to playback the media asset for viewing as the media asset is being received. The client device can then playback the media asset for viewing in a display format, where a quality of the display format is based at least in part on a time duration between when the media asset is requested and when the request to playback the media asset for viewing is received.

Abstract: Dynamic media asset delivery is described. In embodiments, a request for a media asset can be received from a client device. A transmission rate of a communication network is determined to deliver the media asset to the client device. The client device can be monitored to determine whether the media asset is initiated for playback at the client device. The media asset is then communicated to the client device in a highest quality display format as can be delivered according to the transmission rate of the communication network and whether the media asset is initiated for playback at the client device.

Abstract: Seamless channel changing in a digital-television-based entertainment network can be implemented, for example, by providing an intra frame to a client device upon a change to a new channel even when the broadcast video data is previously compressed. In an exemplary implementation, a method includes: receiving a stream of broadcast video data that is encoded; continuously decoding the stream of broadcast video data into successive decoded images; and transmitting, responsive to a channel change message received from a client device, an intra frame that has been encoded from a decoded image of the successive decoded images. Other exemplary implementations are described herein.

Abstract: Content signaturing is provided by a display device comprising one or more source inputs, where each source input is configured to receive a content signal from a corresponding content source. The display device further comprises a content identification module to send sample information derived from each received content signal to a signature processor and to receive from the signature processor content information for each corresponding content source. The display device further comprises a user interface module to produce a unified user interface including a menu option for each content source, where each menu option includes content information identified via the content identification module for the corresponding content source. The display device further comprises a display to visually present the unified user interface.

Abstract: Content signaturing is provided by a display receiver device comprising one or more source inputs, where each source input is configured to receive a content signal from a corresponding content source. The display receiver device further comprises a content identification module to send sample information derived from each received content signal to a signature processor and to receive from the signature processor content information for each corresponding content source, the content information for a particular content source indicating a content item embodied by the content signal received from that particular content source. The display receiver device further comprises an association module to associate the content item corresponding to the particular content source with one or more associated content items not corresponding to the particular content source.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing fluid turbulence in a flexible pipe are disclosed. The method includes the steps of urging an elongate roll of liner material along a bore region provided by an inner surface of an innermost layer of a flexible pipe body, and at least partially unfurling the roll of liner material thereby extending the roll of liner material radially outwardly in the bore region into an abutting relationship against the inner surface of the carcass.

Abstract: The invention comprises a system of wearable devices that collectively allow for the continuous, non-invasive, measurement and monitoring of blood pressure, without the use of an inflatable cuff. The system incorporates: 1) An optical module, which is comprised of a coherent source of light, a semi-transparent hologram, microscope optics for viewing the interference pattern developed between the illuminated hologram and arterial blood, a spatial light modulator (SLM), and processing electronics with Bluetooth capability that facilitates digitization and wireless transmission of the fringe pattern to, 2) a personal digital assistant (PDA) that is worn on a waist belt. The PDA and associated software allow for continuous calculation and monitoring of real-time arterial blood pressure from the digitized fringe patterns received. The system further comprises 3) a personal computer (PC) with wireless capacity and connection to the internet.

Abstract: Techniques to adjust clock approximations are described, which may be used to synchronize content output at a client. In an implementation, timestamps derived from a universal time source are allocated to respective program clock reference (PCR) timestamps in content received by a network operator during an interval of time to form ordered pairs of timestamps. An approximation is computed of a plurality of the ordered pairs of timestamps for the interval and the approximation is adjusted using an ordered pair of timestamps taken from a previous approximation.

Abstract: Selective content loading based on complexity is provided by a method of selectively loading content which includes receiving markup data at a client computing device and determining a markup weight for the markup data at the client computing device. The method further includes determining if the markup weight is less than a threshold value at the client computing device. The method further includes, if the markup weight is less than the threshold value, loading the markup data at the client computing device, and if the markup weight is not less than the threshold value, not allowing the markup data to load at the client computing device.

Abstract: Accelerated channel change (ACC) strategies are described for supplying a client module with media information by transitioning between a first delivery of media information provided by first delivery functionality and a second delivery of media information provided by second delivery functionality without exceeding prescribed data rate limitations. The first delivery functionality can represent server-based functionality for delivering a unicast stream of media information at a data rate (or maximum data rate) of some excess amount over the nominal rate of delivery, starting at a selected location within the media information. The second delivery functionality can represent any functionality for delivering the media information at the data rate (or maximum data rate) of the nominal rate of delivery. A join interval separates the first delivery at the excess rate and the second delivery at the nominal rate.

Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects, a trigger corresponding to media content is retrieved from a storage device. The trigger includes a time-shift parameter identifying how much playback of the media content can be time-shifted while keeping the trigger valid. A determination is made, based at least in part on a current time and the time-shift parameter, whether the trigger is valid during playback of the media content.

Abstract: Dynamic media asset delivery is described. In embodiments, a request for a media asset can be received from a client device. A transmission rate of a communication network is determined to deliver the media asset to the client device. The client device can be monitored to determine whether the media asset is initiated for playback at the client device. The media asset is then communicated to the client device in a highest quality display format as can be delivered according to the transmission rate of the communication network and whether the media asset is initiated for playback at the client device.

Abstract: Media asset interactive search is described. In embodiments, successive keypad number inputs are received that each correlate to multiple characters of one or more different languages. The successive keypad number inputs form an accumulating search key as they are received. A database is searched for a sequence of characters that correlate to the accumulating search key after each successive keypad number input is received. A list of matching terms can then be generated where the matching terms include the sequence of characters, and the list of matching terms narrows with each successive keypad number input. Additionally, the list of the matching terms can be ordered based on a scoring system.

Abstract: This document describes tools capable of enabling television consumer devices to launch applications using triggers. A trigger may act to save limited resources on a television consumer device by triggering launch of an application not stored on the television consumer device. A trigger may include a payload portion and a criteria portion. When criteria in the criteria portion is satisfied by the playback of media content, an action in the payload portion is performed. In one embodiment, the tools enable a television consumer device to associate a trigger with a piece of media content. Responsive to playing back the piece of media content, the trigger launches an application that associates additional triggers with the piece of media content.