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).
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Patent number: 11102521Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 28, 2020Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: Neill Kipp, Martin Trang, Jiang Xu
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Publication number: 20210227269Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2020Publication date: July 22, 2021Inventors: David Arbuckle, Jason Burgess, Neill Kipp, Richard Fliam
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Patent number: 11038962Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 27, 2019Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: Neill A. Kipp, Jan R. van Doorn, Richard J. Fliam
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Publication number: 20210168414Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2021Publication date: June 3, 2021Inventor: Neill Kipp
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Patent number: 10924787Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 12, 2018Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventor: Neill Kipp
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Publication number: 20210014574Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2020Publication date: January 14, 2021Inventors: Jamie Batmanglidj, Neill Kipp, Justin Riggert, Joseph Kiok
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Publication number: 20200314177Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2019Publication date: October 1, 2020Inventors: Neill Kipp, Joseph Kiok
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Patent number: 10791346Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 4, 2015Date of Patent: September 29, 2020Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: David Arbuckle, Jason Burgess, Neill Kipp, Richard Fliam
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Publication number: 20200275138Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2020Publication date: August 27, 2020Inventors: Neill Kipp, Martin Trang, Jiang Xu
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Patent number: 10645457Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 4, 2015Date of Patent: May 5, 2020Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: Jamie Batmanglidj, Neill Kipp, Justin Riggert, Joseph Kiok
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Publication number: 20200099729Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 6, 2019Publication date: March 26, 2020Inventors: Neill KIPP, Yasser SYED
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Patent number: 10587902Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 19, 2018Date of Patent: March 10, 2020Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: Neill Kipp, Martin Trang, Jiang Xu
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Publication number: 20190394274Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2019Publication date: December 26, 2019Inventors: Neill A. Kipp, Jan R. van Dorn, Richard J. Fliam
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Patent number: 10382550Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 11, 2016Date of Patent: August 13, 2019Assignee: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLCInventors: Neill A. Kipp, Jan R. van Doorn, Richard J. Fliam
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Patent number: 10334006Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 29, 2016Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: Neill Kipp, Yasser Syed
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Publication number: 20190149855Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2018Publication date: May 16, 2019Inventor: Neill Kipp
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Publication number: 20190090005Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2017Publication date: March 21, 2019Inventors: Neill Kipp, Cory Zachman
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Publication number: 20190058902Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2018Publication date: February 21, 2019Applicant: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: Neill Kipp, Martin Trang, Jiang Xu
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Publication number: 20180270511Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2017Publication date: September 20, 2018Inventors: Neill Kipp, Michael Reedell, Blake Orth
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Patent number: 10021438Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 9, 2015Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventor: Neill Kipp