Abstract: A television channel scan method involves successively scanning a sample number of channels within a first television channel plan to determine whether or not any channel was detected by sequentially tuning the channels at a tuner. If at least one channel is detected in the first television channel plan: then retrieving a map for all channels in the first television channel plan, and selecting all channels within the first television channel plan as channels available for a user to tune. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: An identity of a person proximate to a display device is determined by an identity profile controller. The identity profile controller determines whether a configured viewing profile exists for the person. Upon determining that the configured viewing profile exists for the person, the identity profile controller instructs a bezel display controller to display a profile identifier associated with the configured viewing profile via a two-dimensional light-emitting diode (LED) array located within a bezel of the display device outside of the display area of the display. The identity profile controller automatically adjusts display device settings for the display device based upon the configured viewing profile. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A television channel scan method involves successively scanning a sample number of channels within a first television channel plan to determine whether or not any channel was detected by sequentially tuning the channels at a tuner. If at least one channel is detected in the first television channel plan: then retrieving a map for all channels in the first television channel plan, and selecting all channels within the first television channel plan as channels available for a user to tune. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: In accord with embodiments and implementations consistent with the present invention, rather than perform a full scan of every frequency to find a channel, the tuner is programmed to find a reasonable sample of channels. For example, the tuner can search for at least two or three channels to determine the frequency plan of the channels (by virtue of detection of at least one channel) and then use one of the known plans to directly identify the frequency map. The process can then step quickly through each frequency, without optimizing or fine tuning each channel, to determine the existence of a channel. With this process the number of tunable channels is found quicker and the initial setup time is shortened. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A method for identifying video content consistent with certain embodiments involves, selecting a plurality pixels using a pixel selection algorithm, the pixels being selected to provide a repeatable selection of pixels in a selected frame in the video content; establishing a scene signature by: extracting a characteristic of each selected pixel that can be represented in a digital form for each pixel, and generating a digital stream by concatenating the digital form for the extracted characteristic of each pixel; transmitting the scene signature to an identification device for comparison with scene signatures in a database having a plurality of video content items to identify the video content; and receiving either the identification of the video content or an indication that no video content is uniquely identified by the scene signature. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A television consistent with certain implementations has a display system having a display frame refresh rate R. A frame synchronizer transmitter transmits a signal used to synchronize frame refreshes for a left and right eye images of shutter glasses, where a sequence of left and right eye images to the shutter glasses defines one image cycle. A video processor that alters at least one image per image cycle so that at least one of the images to at least one eye of at least one of the shutter glasses is synchronized to a display frame that has been altered by the video processor. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A television receiver device consistent with certain embodiment is controlled by a remote controller has an infrared receiver that receives control signals from the remote controller. An infrared transmitter transmits signals from the television to the remote controller. A processor, upon receipt of a control signal from the remote controller sends a challenge signal to the remote controller in order to obtain a reply from the remote controller. Upon receipt of a reply to the challenge, the processor determines if the reply is correct and if so, executes the command associated with the control signal, wherein if the reply is incorrect, the command is not executed. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A method of acquiring data associated with a television program consistent with certain embodiments involves acquiring information that identifies a currently playing television program; receiving a command from a user interface that selects an image forming a portion of a frame of video displayed on the television, wherein said frame of video is a portion of the television program; accessing a specified web site that contains a database of metadata associated with television programs via the Internet; querying the specified web site for metadata associated with the image by providing the image along with the information that identifies the currently playing television program; receiving a response from the specified web site that provides metadata associated with the image; and displaying at least a portion of the metadata. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A method of transmitting a Video-on-Demand (VOD) program involves at a service provider head-end, separating VOD program data into first and second parts; transmitting the first part over a communication network to a recipient receiver for storage at a storage device as cached speculative data, where the transmitting is carried out as a data push when the communication network has available bandwidth to permit such transmitting and without regard for any order having been received for the VOD program to be sent to the receiver; receiving an order for the VOD program to be sent to the receiver; and streaming the second part to the receiver for reassembly into the VOD program at the receiver by combining the second part as it is streamed with the cached speculative data. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: In certain embodiments consistent with the invention, a method of associating a controlled device with a remote controller device involves providing a controlled device with a near field communication (NFC) module; providing a remote controller device with a near field communication (NFC) module; bringing the remote controller device into close enough proximity to the controlled device to establish an NFC communication link; communicating secret data between the remote controller device and the controlled device to establish an association between the remote controller device and the controlled device so that commands from the remote controller device to the controlled device will be accepted. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: In accord with embodiments and implementations consistent with the present invention, rather than perform a full scan of every frequency to find a channel, the tuner is programmed to find a reasonable sample of channels. For example, the tuner can search for at least two or three channels to determine the frequency plan of the channels (by virtue of detection of at least one channel) and then use one of the known plans to directly identify the frequency map. The process can then step quickly through each frequency, without optimizing or fine tuning each channel, to determine the existence of a channel. With this process the number of tunable channels is found quicker and the initial setup time is shortened. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: In accord with embodiments and implementations consistent with the present invention, rather than perform a full scan of every frequency to find a channel, the tuner is programmed to find a reasonable sample of channels. For example, the tuner can search for at least two or three (generalized as N) channels to determine the frequency plan of the channels (by virtue of detection of at least one channel) and then use one of the known plans to directly identify the frequency map. The process can then step quickly through each frequency, without optimizing or fine tuning each channel, to determine the existence of a channel. With this process the number of tunable channels is found quicker and the initial setup time is shortened.

Abstract: A method of obtaining metadata associated with an element of television programming involves instructing an access device to generate and communicate a signal to a control device suitable for driving a display, wherein the signal contains metadata suitable for rendering on a display device in a visual representation; receiving the signal and storing a representation of the video frame; processing the video frame using OCR to extract enough information to identify an element of television programming content from the video frame; processing the video frame to extract sufficient information to identify an element of television programming content from the video frame; and retrieving metadata associated with the identified element of television programming content from a television programming content source of metadata. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A translation transceiver device consistent with certain embodiments has a 60 GHz band receiver for receiving SD type device compatible transmissions. A demodulator demodulates the SD type transmissions. A decoder decodes the demodulated SD type transmissions into received data. An AD type encoder encodes the received data to produce AD type transmitter compatible data. An AD type modulator modulates the AD type transmitter compatible data, and an AD type 60 GHz band transmitter transmits the modulated AD type transmitter compatible data. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A television consistent with certain implementations has a display system having a display frame refresh rate R. A frame synchronizer transmitter transmits a signal used to synchronize frame refreshes for a left and right eye images of shutter glasses, where a sequence of left and right eye images to the shutter glasses defines one image cycle. A video processor that alters at least one image per image cycle so that at least one of the images to at least one eye of at least one of the shutter glasses is synchronized to a display frame that has been altered by the video processor. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: High definition (HD) video may be sent from, e.g., a laptop computer on a table in a room to a video projector mounted on the ceiling using a 60 GHz high capacity (2.5 Gbps) wireless link. At this frequency and data rate, the signal is so short range and directional that low power may be used and the video may be transmitted in an uncompressed form such that so much data is transmitted each second that bootlegging the content is essentially untenable. No wiring between the HD video source and the HD video display is necessary.

Abstract: A configured display mode is determined for a two-dimensional light-emitting diode (LED) array located within a bezel of the display device outside of the display area of the display. Information associated with the configured display mode is retrieved for the two-dimensional LED array. The information associated with the configured display mode is displayed via the two-dimensional LED array. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: An identity of a person proximate to a display device is determined by an identity profile controller. The identity profile controller determines whether a configured viewing profile exists for the person. Upon determining that the configured viewing profile exists for the person, the identity profile controller instructs a bezel display controller to display a profile identifier associated with the configured viewing profile via a two-dimensional light-emitting diode (LED) array located within a bezel of the display device outside of the display area of the display. The identity profile controller automatically adjusts display device settings for the display device based upon the configured viewing profile. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A recording method consistent with certain embodiments involves monitoring an output from a video source for video signals encoded in a first format; detecting a frame synchronization signal in the video signal; and responsive to detecting the frame synchronization signal in the video, beginning a recording process. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A communication device consistent with certain implementations has a coaxial cable having length and first and second ends. The coaxial cable further has a central conductor, a dielectric insulator surrounding the central conductor, and an electric shield conductor surrounding the dielectric insulator. The dielectric insulator serves as a dielectric waveguide having a characteristic impedance Z at an operating frequency range. A termination for electrical energy coupled into or out of the dielectric insulator at approximately the characteristic impedance Z at the operating frequency range to utilize the dielectric insulator as a waveguide for transmission of signals along the length of the coaxial cable, and wherein the center conductor is further used to communicate an electrical signal between the first and second ends. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.