Patents by Inventor Neill A. Kipp

Neill A. Kipp 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).

  • Patent number: 11102521
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for fault tolerant network storage and delivery of recorded content. Two or more network digital video recorders may each receive a plurality of requests to record, archive, and/or play back content items, such as television programs. Each network digital video recorder may receive capacity reports of statistics such as storage and/or bandwidth from one or more other network digital video recorders. At least one of the network digital video recorders may determine whether, based on a network capacity, to record, archive, and/or playback content items. The methods, systems, and apparatuses may accommodate equipment failures that lead to partitions between network digital video recorders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Neill Kipp, Martin Trang, Jiang Xu
  • Publication number: 20210227269
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing the storage and delivery of recorded content in a network digital video recorder (DVR) system are disclosed. A plurality of requests to record a program may be received, wherein the program may comprise a plurality of segments. A segment from the plurality of segments may be determined to be copied to a first storage. A copy of the segment may be received from a second storage and a plurality of copies of the segment may be created in the first storage from the copy of the segment received from the second storage. The quantity of the plurality of copies of the segment may be equal to the quantity of the plurality of requests to record the program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: David Arbuckle, Jason Burgess, Neill Kipp, Richard Fliam
  • Patent number: 11038962
    Abstract: Methods and systems for managing data and transmission of content are disclosed. A computing device may receive a request for content. The computing device may determine data associated with the requested content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Neill A. Kipp, Jan R. van Doorn, Richard J. Fliam
  • Publication number: 20210168414
    Abstract: Playback devices may receive video content and an age of a playlist associated with the video content. A playback device may use the age of the playlist to schedule output of video fragments of the video content. The playback device may adjust the output of the video content until an actual output time of a video fragment is substantially the same as the scheduled output time for the video fragment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventor: Neill Kipp
  • Patent number: 10924787
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for synchronizing playback of segmented video content across multiple video playback devices are described herein. In example implementations, a video server provides, to one or more playback devices, an age of a playlist for the video content. A particular playback device receives fragments of the video content from the video server and schedules the video fragments for playback. If the actual playback time of a video fragment is not aligned with its scheduled playback time, then video fragment is modified, e.g., by adding video frames to or removing video frames from the video fragment. Modification of the video fragments continues until the actual playback times of the video fragments synchronize with their respective scheduled playback times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Neill Kipp
  • Publication number: 20210014574
    Abstract: Methods and systems for using text data in content presentation and content search are disclosed. Text data and a plurality of video frames can be extracted from a content program and stored in a database. Extracted text data can be divided into a plurality of text segments. The plurality of text segments and the plurality of video frames can be presented in the form of an electronic book or guide. In addition, the content program can be divided into a plurality of content segments and stored in the database. The plurality of content segments and the plurality of text segments can be associated by time indices. A user can identify one or more content segments in the database by a query, and notifications can be sent according to the query.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Inventors: Jamie Batmanglidj, Neill Kipp, Justin Riggert, Joseph Kiok
  • Publication number: 20200314177
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for adjusting capacity in a networking environment. A networking system comprising clients, servers, load balancers, and/or other devices may expand and contract network capacity as needed. When expanding network capacity, load balancers may instruct client devices to connect to servers that are part of the expanded network. When network capacity is reduced, a server and/or a load balancer my instruct client devices to close a connection with a first server and establish a connection with a second server. Client devices may seamlessly begin using the connection with a second server without having to wait for a connection timeout with the first server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Neill Kipp, Joseph Kiok
  • Patent number: 10791346
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing the storage and delivery of recorded content in a network digital video recorder (DVR) system are disclosed. A plurality of requests to record a program may be received, wherein the program may comprise a plurality of segments. A segment from the plurality of segments may be determined to be copied to a first storage. A copy of the segment may be received from a second storage and a plurality of copies of the segment may be created in the first storage from the copy of the segment received from the second storage. The quantity of the plurality of copies of the segment may be equal to the quantity of the plurality of requests to record the program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: David Arbuckle, Jason Burgess, Neill Kipp, Richard Fliam
  • Publication number: 20200275138
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for fault tolerant network storage and delivery of recorded content. Two or more network digital video recorders may each receive a plurality of requests to record, archive, and/or play back content items, such as television programs. Each network digital video recorder may receive capacity reports of statistics such as storage and/or bandwidth from one or more other network digital video recorders. At least one of the network digital video recorders may determine whether, based on a network capacity, to record, archive, and/or playback content items. The methods, systems, and apparatuses may accommodate equipment failures that lead to partitions between network digital video recorders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Neill Kipp, Martin Trang, Jiang Xu
  • Patent number: 10645457
    Abstract: Methods and systems for using text data in content presentation and content search are disclosed. Text data and a plurality of video frames can be extracted from a content program and stored in a database. Extracted text data can be divided into a plurality of text segments. The plurality of text segments and the plurality of video frames can be presented in the form of an electronic book or guide. In addition, the content program can be divided into a plurality of content segments and stored in the database. The plurality of content segments and the plurality of text segments can be associated by time indices. A user can identify one or more content segments in the database by a query, and notifications can be sent according to the query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Jamie Batmanglidj, Neill Kipp, Justin Riggert, Joseph Kiok
  • Publication number: 20200099729
    Abstract: Methods and systems for managing content are disclosed. As an example, a plurality of content fragment of a content asset may be generated and a plurality of time stamps may be associated with each of the plurality of fragments. A first time stamp may indicate a time a respective one of the plurality of fragments was generated and a second time stamp may represent an event time associated with one or more events of the network. As such, at least a portion of the plurality of content fragments may be transmitted to each of a plurality of content packagers, wherein at least the second time stamp associated with each of the plurality of fragments facilitates the alignment of the plurality of content packagers with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Neill KIPP, Yasser SYED
  • Patent number: 10587902
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for fault tolerant network storage and delivery of recorded content. Two or more network digital video recorders may each receive a plurality of requests to record, archive, and/or play back content items, such as television programs. Each network digital video recorder may receive capacity reports of statistics such as storage and/or bandwidth from one or more other network digital video recorders. At least one of the network digital video recorders may determine whether, based on a network capacity, to record, archive, and/or playback content items. The methods, systems, and apparatuses may accommodate equipment failures that lead to partitions between network digital video recorders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Neill Kipp, Martin Trang, Jiang Xu
  • Publication number: 20190394274
    Abstract: Methods and systems for managing data and transmission of content are disclosed. A computing device may receive a request for content. The computing device may determine data associated with the requested content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: Neill A. Kipp, Jan R. van Dorn, Richard J. Fliam
  • Patent number: 10382550
    Abstract: Methods and systems for managing data and transmission of content are disclosed. One method can comprise receiving a first request from a first computing device via a network. An index can be received from a first storage medium in response to the first request. The index can be stored in a second storage medium. The first storage medium is located in the network upstream from the second storage medium relative to the first computing device. A second request can be received from one or more of the first computing device and a second computing device via the network. The index can be retrieved from the second storage medium in response to the second request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Neill A. Kipp, Jan R. van Doorn, Richard J. Fliam
  • Patent number: 10334006
    Abstract: Methods and systems for managing content are disclosed. As an example, a plurality of content fragment of a content asset may be generated and a plurality of time stamps may be associated with each of the plurality of fragments. A first time stamp may indicate a time a respective one of the plurality of fragments was generated and a second time stamp may represent an event time associated with one or more events of the network. As such, at least a portion of the plurality of content fragments may be transmitted to each of a plurality of content packagers, wherein at least the second time stamp associated with each of the plurality of fragments facilitates the alignment of the plurality of content packagers with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Neill Kipp, Yasser Syed
  • Publication number: 20190149855
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for synchronizing playback of segmented video content across multiple video playback devices are described herein. In example implementations, a video server provides, to one or more playback devices, an age of a playlist for the video content. A particular playback device receives fragments of the video content from the video server and schedules the video fragments for playback. If the actual playback time of a video fragment is not aligned with its scheduled playback time, then video fragment is modified, e.g., by adding video frames to or removing video frames from the video fragment. Modification of the video fragments continues until the actual playback times of the video fragments synchronize with their respective scheduled playback times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventor: Neill Kipp
  • Publication number: 20190090005
    Abstract: A content distributor in a content distribution system may be configured to encode each frame of a content asset individually and separately from a plurality of other frames of the content asset. Each frame of the content asset may be encoded to a plurality of pixel resolutions and may be transmitted using an Internet Protocol (IP) network such that the frame is available for playback by at least one user device. Each frame of the content asset may be placed in one or more buffers where it may be requested by a user device for playback through a content delivery network. The content distributor may be configured to generate a manifest that contains a list of specific network locations (e.g., URL's) for each pixel resolution of the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Neill Kipp, Cory Zachman
  • Publication number: 20190058902
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for fault tolerant network storage and delivery of recorded content. Two or more network digital video recorders may each receive a plurality of requests to record, archive, and/or play back content items, such as television programs. Each network digital video recorder may receive capacity reports of statistics such as storage and/or bandwidth from one or more other network digital video recorders. At least one of the network digital video recorders may determine whether, based on a network capacity, to record, archive, and/or playback content items. The methods, systems, and apparatuses may accommodate equipment failures that lead to partitions between network digital video recorders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Applicant: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Neill Kipp, Martin Trang, Jiang Xu
  • Publication number: 20180270511
    Abstract: Disclosed are various systems and methods for fault tolerant video packaging and transmission. A video packager may receive one or more video content transmissions from a transcoder, and may identify deficient segments, packets, or other portions of the video content transmission. The video packager may also maintain or have access to a default video output that is free of the identified deficiencies. For example, the default video output can include one or more segments of video data comprising a blank or solid color frame, or a still image. The deficient data may be determined based on validation parameters. If the validation parameters are satisfied, the received data is packaged and transmitted. Otherwise, the default video output is packaged to replace deficient portions, and transmitted instead of the received video content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Neill Kipp, Michael Reedell, Blake Orth
  • Patent number: 10021438
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for synchronizing playback of segmented video content across multiple video playback devices are described herein. In example implementations, a video server provides, to one or more playback devices, an age of a playlist for the video content. A particular playback device receives fragments of the video content from the video server and schedules the video fragments for playback. If the actual playback time of a video fragment is not aligned with its scheduled playback time, then video fragment is modified, e.g., by adding video frames to or removing video frames from the video fragment. Modification of the video fragments continues until the actual playback times of the video fragments synchronize with their respective scheduled playback times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Neill Kipp