Patents by Inventor John S. Stavropoulos

John S. Stavropoulos has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240107115
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling implementation of dynamic content modification. The disclosure provides for using at least one steganographically-encoded timestamp in a media stream transmitted to a media client as a basis to determine a transmission delay for media-stream transmission to the media client, and for providing the determined transmission delay as a basis to facilitate control over whether to have the media client implement dynamic content modification. In addition, the disclosure provides for receiving respectively from each of various media clients a report indicating transmission delay determined for the media client based on such steganographically-encoded timestamp data, and using the transmission delays for the media clients to establish a dynamic-content-modification footprint that could be used to control whether, where, and to what extent dynamic content modification will be applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Ropke, Shashank C. Merchant, John S. Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 11863817
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling implementation of dynamic content modification. The disclosure provides for using at least one steganographically-encoded timestamp in a media stream transmitted to a media client as a basis to determine a transmission delay for media-stream transmission to the media client, and for providing the determined transmission delay as a basis to facilitate control over whether to have the media client implement dynamic content modification. In addition, the disclosure provides for receiving respectively from each of various media clients a report indicating transmission delay determined for the media client based on such steganographically-encoded timestamp data, and using the transmission delays for the media clients to establish a dynamic-content-modification footprint that could be used to control whether, where, and to what extent dynamic content modification will be applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Ropke, Shashank C. Merchant, John S. Stavropoulos
  • Publication number: 20230336796
    Abstract: A method and system for using steganographically-encoded time information as a basis to control when a client carries out a content-related action. The client processes for presentation one or more linear media streams, each defining a respective time sequence of frames of media content, and at least one of the streams being steganographically encoded with at least one watermark at a respective time-point within the linear media stream, the watermark encoding a timestamp of the respective time-point within the linear media stream according to a server clock. The client extracts the timestamp from the watermark and computes a time offset based on a difference between the extracted timestamp and a current time according to a client clock. And the client uses the computed time offset as a basis to determine when to carry out a content-related action in a given one of the one or more linear media streams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Ropke, John S. Stavropoulos, Shashank C. Merchant
  • Patent number: 11792493
    Abstract: The disclosure provides for use of watermarking as a basis control abandonment of dynamic content modification. Upon detecting of the occurrence of a trigger event for causing a content presentation device to abandon a dynamic content modification with respect to a media stream being delivered to the content presentation device, an entity encodes into the media stream an abandonment-watermark interpretable by the content presentation device to cause the content presentation device to abandon the dynamic content modification. The content presentation device then detects the abandonment-watermark in the media stream being received by the content presentation device and in response to the abandonment-watermark, abandons the dynamic content modification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: ROKU, INC.
    Inventor: John S. Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 11736746
    Abstract: A method and system for using steganographically-encoded time information as a basis to control when a client carries out a content-related action. The client processes for presentation one or more linear media streams, each defining a respective time sequence of frames of media content, and at least one of the streams being steganographically encoded with at least one watermark at a respective time-point within the linear media stream, the watermark encoding a timestamp of the respective time-point within the linear media stream according to a server clock. The client extracts the timestamp from the watermark and computes a time offset based on a difference between the extracted timestamp and a current time according to a client clock. And the client uses the computed time offset as a basis to determine when the client should carry out a content-related action in a given one of the one or more linear media streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Ropke, John S. Stavropoulos, Shashank C. Merchant
  • Publication number: 20230247240
    Abstract: A method and system for dynamically watermarking media content based on transport-stream metadata, to facilitate action by a downstream entity. An intermediary in a media-distribution path could receive a transport stream carrying media content and carrying metadata that is not watermarked in the media content. The intermediary could then obtain from the transport stream the metadata that is not watermarked in the media content and could modify the media content at least by encoding into the media content a watermark that represents the obtained metadata. And the intermediary could then output at least the modified media content for transmission to a downstream entity. The downstream entity could thus obtain from the watermark in the media content the metadata and could use the metadata to facilitate carrying out one or more useful actions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Shashank C. Merchant, Benjamin J. Ropke, John S. Stavropoulos
  • Publication number: 20230171463
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling implementation of dynamic content modification. The disclosure provides for using at least one steganographically-encoded timestamp in a media stream transmitted to a media client as a basis to determine a transmission delay for media-stream transmission to the media client, and for providing the determined transmission delay as a basis to facilitate control over whether to have the media client implement dynamic content modification. In addition, the disclosure provides for receiving respectively from each of various media clients a report indicating transmission delay determined for the media client based on such steganographically-encoded timestamp data, and using the transmission delays for the media clients to establish a dynamic-content-modification footprint that could be used to control whether, where, and to what extent dynamic content modification will be applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2023
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Ropke, Shashank C. Merchant, John S. Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 11653044
    Abstract: A method and system for dynamically watermarking media content based on transport-stream metadata, to facilitate action by a downstream entity. An intermediary in a media-distribution path could receive a transport stream carrying media content and carrying metadata that is not watermarked in the media content. The intermediary could then obtain from the transport stream the metadata that is not watermarked in the media content and could modify the media content at least by encoding into the media content a watermark that represents the obtained metadata. And the intermediary could then output at least the modified media content for transmission to a downstream entity. The downstream entity could thus obtain from the watermark in the media content the metadata and could use the metadata to facilitate carrying out one or more useful actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Shashank C. Merchant, Benjamin J. Ropke, John S. Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 11632597
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling dynamic content modification such as dynamic advertisement insertion. An example method includes detecting presence of an emergency-alert audio tone in a media stream accessible to a media client, and responsively causing the media client to abandon a dynamic content modification, such as to forgo a planned dynamic content modification or to discontinue an in-progress dynamic content modification. This method could occur while the media client is processing a given media stream for presentation, and the method could include detecting presence of the emergency-alert audio tone in the given media stream or alternatively in another media stream accessible to the media client. And in the latter case, the method could further involve causing the media client to switch from processing the given media stream for presentation to instead processing the other media stream for presentation, which could facilitate presenting of an associated emergency alert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: ROKU, INC.
    Inventor: John S. Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 11589109
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling implementation of dynamic content modification. The disclosure provides for using at least one steganographically-encoded timestamp in a media stream transmitted to a media client as a basis to determine a transmission delay for media-stream transmission to the media client, and for providing the determined transmission delay as a basis to facilitate control over whether to have the media client implement dynamic content modification. In addition, the disclosure provides for receiving respectively from each of various media clients a report indicating transmission delay determined for the media client based on such steganographically-encoded timestamp data, and using the transmission delays for the media clients to establish a dynamic-content-modification footprint that could be used to control whether, where, and to what extent dynamic content modification will be applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Ropke, Shashank C. Merchant, John S. Stavropoulos
  • Publication number: 20230007320
    Abstract: A method and system for using steganographically-encoded time information as a basis to control when a client carries out a content-related action. The client processes for presentation one or more linear media streams, each defining a respective time sequence of frames of media content, and at least one of the streams being steganographically encoded with at least one watermark at a respective time-point within the linear media stream, the watermark encoding a timestamp of the respective time-point within the linear media stream according to a server clock. The client extracts the timestamp from the watermark and computes a time offset based on a difference between the extracted timestamp and a current time according to a client clock. And the client uses the computed time offset as a basis to determine when the client should carry out a content-related action in a given one of the one or more linear media streams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Ropke, John S. Stavropoulos, Shashank C. Merchant
  • Publication number: 20220417572
    Abstract: A method and system for dynamically watermarking media content based on transport-stream metadata, to facilitate action by a downstream entity. An intermediary in a media-distribution path could receive a transport stream carrying media content and carrying metadata that is not watermarked in the media content. The intermediary could then obtain from the transport stream the metadata that is not watermarked in the media content and could modify the media content at least by encoding into the media content a watermark that represents the obtained metadata. And the intermediary could then output at least the modified media content for transmission to a downstream entity. The downstream entity could thus obtain from the watermark in the media content the metadata and could use the metadata to facilitate carrying out one or more useful actions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Shashank C. Merchant, Benjamin J. Ropke, John S. Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 11470364
    Abstract: A method and system for using steganographically-encoded time information as a basis to control when a client carries out a content-related action. The client processes for presentation one or more linear media streams, each defining a respective time sequence of frames of media content, and at least one of the streams being steganographically encoded with at least one watermark at a respective time-point within the linear media stream, the watermark encoding a timestamp of the respective time-point within the linear media stream according to a server clock. The client extracts the timestamp from the watermark and computes a time offset based on a difference between the extracted timestamp and a current time according to a client clock. And the client uses the computed time offset as a basis to determine when the client should carry out a content-related action in a given one of the one or more linear media streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Ropke, John S. Stavropoulos, Shashank C. Merchant
  • Patent number: 11463751
    Abstract: A method and system for dynamically watermarking media content based on transport-stream metadata, to facilitate action by a downstream entity. An intermediary in a media-distribution path could receive a transport stream carrying media content and carrying metadata that is not watermarked in the media content. The intermediary could then obtain from the transport stream the metadata that is not watermarked in the media content and could modify the media content at least by encoding into the media content a watermark that represents the obtained metadata. And the intermediary could then output at least the modified media content for transmission to a downstream entity. The downstream entity could thus obtain from the watermark in the media content the metadata and could use the metadata to facilitate carrying out one or more useful actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Shashank C. Merchant, Benjamin J. Ropke, John S. Stavropoulos
  • Publication number: 20220232296
    Abstract: The disclosure provides for use of watermarking as a basis control abandonment of dynamic content modification. Upon detecting of the occurrence of a trigger event for causing a content presentation device to abandon a dynamic content modification with respect to a media stream being delivered to the content presentation device, an entity encodes into the media stream an abandonment-watermark interpretable by the content presentation device to cause the content presentation device to abandon the dynamic content modification. The content presentation device then detects the abandonment-watermark in the media stream being received by the content presentation device and in response to the abandonment-watermark, abandons the dynamic content modification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventor: John S. Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 11343593
    Abstract: The disclosure provides for use of watermarking as a basis control abandonment of dynamic content modification. Upon detecting of the occurrence of a trigger event for causing a content presentation device to abandon a dynamic content modification with respect to a media stream being delivered to the content presentation device, an entity encodes into the media stream an abandonment-watermark interpretable by the content presentation device to cause the content presentation device to abandon the dynamic content modification. The content presentation device then detects the abandonment-watermark in the media stream being received by the content presentation device and in response to the abandonment-watermark, abandons the dynamic content modification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventor: John S. Stavropoulos
  • Publication number: 20220150601
    Abstract: Use of watermarking in a media stream as a trigger for carrying out a fingerprint-related action, such as starting to generate fingerprints of the media stream, increasing a rate of generation of fingerprints of the media stream, starting to report fingerprints of the media stream, requesting fingerprints, or engaging in a fingerprint comparison. In an implementation, a media client that is processing the media stream could detect the watermark in the media stream and could responsively carry out or cause to be carried out a fingerprint-related action. Or an entity in a media-distribution path along which the media stream flows to a media client could detect the watermark in the media stream and could responsively carry out or cause to be carried out a fingerprint-related action. Further, the watermark could be inserted into the media stream in the first place based on transport-stream carried metadata, among other possibilities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Shashank C. Merchant, John S. Stavropoulos, Benjamin J. Ropke, Steven M. Cormie
  • Publication number: 20220103895
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling implementation of dynamic content modification. The disclosure provides for using at least one steganographically-encoded timestamp in a media stream transmitted to a media client as a basis to determine a transmission delay for media-stream transmission to the media client, and for providing the determined transmission delay as a basis to facilitate control over whether to have the media client implement dynamic content modification. In addition, the disclosure provides for receiving respectively from each of various media clients a report indicating transmission delay determined for the media client based on such steganographically-encoded timestamp data, and using the transmission delays for the media clients to establish a dynamic-content-modification footprint that could be used to control whether, where, and to what extent dynamic content modification will be applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Ropke, Shashank C. Merchant, John S. Stavropoulos
  • Publication number: 20220030324
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling dynamic content modification such as dynamic advertisement insertion. An example method includes detecting presence of an emergency-alert audio tone in a media stream accessible to a media client, and responsively causing the media client to abandon a dynamic content modification, such as to forgo a planned dynamic content modification or to discontinue an in-progress dynamic content modification. This method could occur while the media client is processing a given media stream for presentation, and the method could include detecting presence of the emergency-alert audio tone in the given media stream or alternatively in another media stream accessible to the media client. And in the latter case, the method could further involve causing the media client to switch from processing the given media stream for presentation to instead processing the other media stream for presentation, which could facilitate presenting of an associated emergency alert.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventor: John S. Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 11234049
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling implementation of dynamic content modification. The disclosure provides for using at least one steganographically-encoded timestamp in a media stream transmitted to a media client as a basis to determine a transmission delay for media-stream transmission to the media client, and for providing the determined transmission delay as a basis to facilitate control over whether to have the media client implement dynamic content modification. In addition, the disclosure provides for receiving respectively from each of various media clients a report indicating transmission delay determined for the media client based on such steganographically-encoded timestamp data, and using the transmission delays for the media clients to establish a dynamic-content-modification footprint that could be used to control whether, where, and to what extent dynamic content modification will be applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Ropke, Shashank C. Merchant, John S. Stavropoulos