Patents by Inventor Spencer Shanson
Spencer Shanson 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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Publication number: 20240098324Abstract: Systems and methods are configured to manage streaming video content. A first time length specification for a content pod is accessed. If a determination is made that a response to a request for ancillary content of a duration corresponding to the first time length of the content pod includes ancillary content of insufficient duration to populate the first time length of the content pod, the content pod time length is reduced. Ancillary content items associated with the response to the request are streamed to a user device as part of a streaming channel comprising primary content having scheduled start times. A primary content item, having a scheduled start time, is streamed to the user device after the items of ancillary content, and earlier than the scheduled start time of the item of primary content.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2023Publication date: March 21, 2024Inventors: Spencer Shanson, Pavlo Kalmykov Vasilievich, Jonathan Michael Jesperson, Adrian Chiu, Bryan Randall Fish, Jonathan Jovan Gwiazda, Sonia Priya Hashim
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Publication number: 20240056627Abstract: An aspect of the disclosure related to methods and systems configured to detect that an item of streaming primary video content associated with a channel of scheduled streaming content is designated to be streamed to a device. Ancillary content is identified. Alternative versions of respective sections of the ancillary content are identified. Metadata corresponding to the alternative versions of ancillary content, metadata corresponding to the item of primary video content, and/or metadata corresponding to the channel are used in selecting a first section from among the alternative versions of a given section. The ancillary content, including the selected first section from among the alternative versions is streamed to the device immediately before, during, or immediately after the item of streaming video content. The alternative versions may be transcoded to generate multiple encoded iterations of respective alternative versions and the encoded versions are stored in a tree data structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2022Publication date: February 15, 2024Inventors: Steven Ernest Riedl, Spencer Shanson
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Patent number: 11849165Abstract: Systems and methods are configured to manage streaming video content. A first time length specification for a content pod is accessed. If a determination is made that a response to a request for ancillary content of a duration corresponding to the first time length of the content pod includes ancillary content of insufficient duration to populate the first time length of the content pod, the content pod time length is reduced. Ancillary content items associated with the response to the request are streamed to a user device as part of a streaming channel comprising primary content having scheduled start times. A primary content item, having a scheduled start time, is streamed to the user device after the items of ancillary content, and earlier than the scheduled start time of the item of primary content.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2022Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: Pluto Inc.Inventors: Spencer Shanson, Pavlo Kalmykov Vasilievich, Jonathan Michael Jesperson, Adrian Chiu, Bryan Randall Fish, Jonathan Jovan Gwiazda, Sonia Priya Hashim
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Publication number: 20230247237Abstract: The exemplary embodiments relate to devices, systems and methods for a streaming service to provide fast video stream startup at a user device. The streaming service may determine that a video stream for on-demand content is to be provided to the user device and is to include multiple subclips corresponding to the on-demand content and a dynamic content insertion opportunity (DCIO). A first set of multimedia data is transmitted to the user device that corresponds to a first subclip of the on-demand content. When a predetermined condition corresponding to the DCIO is satisfied, a second set of multimedia data is transmitted to the user device that includes multimedia data corresponding to at least the multiple subclips.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2023Publication date: August 3, 2023Inventors: Spencer SHANSON, Matt TRETIN, Ivan ZUBOK, Pavlo KALMYKOV, Edwin RODRIGUEZ
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Patent number: 11659213Abstract: The exemplary embodiments relate to devices, systems and methods for a streaming service to provide fast video stream startup at a user device. The streaming service may determine that a video stream for on-demand content is to be provided to the user device and is to include multiple subclips corresponding to the on-demand content and a dynamic content insertion opportunity (DCIO). A first set of multimedia data is transmitted to the user device that corresponds to a first subclip of the on-demand content. When a predetermined condition corresponding to the DCIO is satisfied, a second set of multimedia data is transmitted to the user device that includes multimedia data corresponding to at least the multiple subclips.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: VIACOM INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Spencer Shanson, Matt Tretin, Ivan Zubok, Pavlo Kalmykov, Edwin Rodriguez
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Publication number: 20230153867Abstract: The exemplary embodiments relate to implementing a mechanism that is configured to select and insert a video advertisement into a video stream that is to be provided to a user device by a streaming service. This may include receiving a request for a video stream from a user device. In response to the request, transmitting a first portion of the video stream to the user device and determining that second a portion of the video stream is to include multiple video advertisements. One or more video advertisements may be selected from a database that includes a set of video advertisements that were previously removed from a further video stream. The one or more video advertisements may then be inserted into the video stream. The second portion of the video stream is then transmitted to the user device.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 19, 2023Publication date: May 18, 2023Inventors: Spencer SHANSON, Jonathan GWIAZDA, Adrian CHIU, Nikolay LEBEDEV, Indira GHOSH
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Publication number: 20230101680Abstract: Systems and methods are configured to manage streaming video content. A first time length specification for a content pod is accessed. If a determination is made that a response to a request for ancillary content of a duration corresponding to the first time length of the content pod includes ancillary content of insufficient duration to populate the first time length of the content pod, the content pod time length is reduced. Ancillary content items associated with the response to the request are streamed to a user device as part of a streaming channel comprising primary content having scheduled start times. A primary content item, having a scheduled start time, is streamed to the user device after the items of ancillary content, and earlier than the scheduled start time of the item of primary content.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2022Publication date: March 30, 2023Inventors: Spencer Shanson, Pavlo Kalmykov Vasilievich, Jonathan Michael Jesperson, Adrian Chiu, Bryan Randall Fish, Jonathan Jovan Gwiazda, Sonia Priya Hashim
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Patent number: 11593846Abstract: The exemplary embodiments relate to implementing a mechanism that is configured to select and insert a video advertisement into a video stream that is to be provided to a user device by a streaming service. This may include receiving a request for a video stream from a user device. In response to the request, transmitting a first portion of the video stream to the user device and determining that second a portion of the video stream is to include multiple video advertisements. One or more video advertisements may be selected from a database that includes a set of video advertisements that were previously removed from a further video stream. The one or more video advertisements may then be inserted into the video stream. The second portion of the video stream is then transmitted to the user device.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2020Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: VIACOM INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Spencer Shanson, Jonathan Gwiazda, Adrian Chiu, Nikolay Lebedev, Indira Ghosh
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Patent number: 11533527Abstract: Systems and methods are configured to manage streaming video content. A first time length specification for a content pod is accessed. If a determination is made that a response to a request for ancillary content of a duration corresponding to the first time length of the content pod includes ancillary content of insufficient duration to populate the first time length of the content pod, the content pod time length is reduced. Ancillary content items associated with the response to the request are streamed to a user device as part of a streaming channel comprising primary content having scheduled start times. A primary content item, having a scheduled start time, is streamed to the user device after the items of ancillary content, and earlier than the scheduled start time of the item of primary content.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2021Date of Patent: December 20, 2022Assignee: Pluto Inc.Inventors: Spencer Shanson, Pavlo Kalmykov Vasilievich, Jonathan Michael Jesperson, Adrian Chiu, Bryan Randall Fish, Jonathan Jovan Gwiazda, Sonia Priya Hashim
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Publication number: 20220046302Abstract: Systems and methods are configured to manage streaming video content. A first time length specification for a content pod is accessed. If a determination is made that a response to a request for ancillary content of a duration corresponding to the first time length of the content pod includes ancillary content of insufficient duration to populate the first time length of the content pod, the content pod time length is reduced. Ancillary content items associated with the response to the request are streamed to a user device as part of a streaming channel comprising primary content having scheduled start times. A primary content item, having a scheduled start time, is streamed to the user device after the items of ancillary content, and earlier than the scheduled start time of the item of primary content.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2021Publication date: February 10, 2022Inventors: Spencer Shanson, Pavlo Kalmykov Vasilievich, Jonathan Michael Jesperson, Adrian Chiu, Bryan Randall Fish, Jonathan Jovan Gwiazda, Sonia Priya Hashim
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Publication number: 20220021915Abstract: The exemplary embodiments relate to devices, systems and methods for a streaming service to provide fast video stream startup at a user device. The streaming service may determine that a video stream for on-demand content is to be provided to the user device and is to include multiple subclips corresponding to the on-demand content and a dynamic content insertion opportunity (DCIO). A first set of multimedia data is transmitted to the user device that corresponds to a first subclip of the on-demand content. When a predetermined condition corresponding to the DCIO is satisfied, a second set of multimedia data is transmitted to the user device that includes multimedia data corresponding to at least the multiple subclips.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2021Publication date: January 20, 2022Inventors: Spencer SHANSON, Matt TRETIN, Ivan ZUBOK, Pavlo KALMYKOV, Edwin RODRIGUEZ
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Patent number: 11166055Abstract: The exemplary embodiments relate to devices, systems and methods for a streaming service to provide fast video stream startup at a user device. The streaming service may determine that a video stream for on-demand content is to be provided to the user device and is to include multiple subclips corresponding to the on-demand content and a dynamic content insertion opportunity (DCIO). A first set of multimedia data is transmitted to the user device that corresponds to a first subclip of the on-demand content. When a predetermined condition corresponding to the DCIO is satisfied, a second set of multimedia data is transmitted to the user device that includes multimedia data corresponding to at least the multiple subclips.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2020Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: VIACOM INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Spencer Shanson, Matt Tretin, Ivan Zubok, Pavlo Kalmykov, Edwin Rodriguez
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Publication number: 20210306685Abstract: The exemplary embodiments relate to devices, systems and methods for a streaming service to provide fast video stream startup at a user device. The streaming service may determine that a video stream for on-demand content is to be provided to the user device and is to include multiple subclips corresponding to the on-demand content and a dynamic content insertion opportunity (DCIO). A first set of multimedia data is transmitted to the user device that corresponds to a first subclip of the on-demand content. When a predetermined condition corresponding to the DCIO is satisfied, a second set of multimedia data is transmitted to the user device that includes multimedia data corresponding to at least the multiple subclips.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2020Publication date: September 30, 2021Inventors: Spencer SHANSON, Matt Tretin, Ivan Zubok, Pavlo Kalmykov, Edwin Rodriguez
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Publication number: 20210256569Abstract: The exemplary embodiments relate to implementing a mechanism that is configured to select and insert a video advertisement into a video stream that is to be provided to a user device by a streaming service. This may include receiving a request for a video stream from a user device. In response to the request, transmitting a first portion of the video stream to the user device and determining that second a portion of the video stream is to include multiple video advertisements. One or more video advertisements may be selected from a database that includes a set of video advertisements that were previously removed from a further video stream. The one or more video advertisements may then be inserted into the video stream. The second portion of the video stream is then transmitted to the user device.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2020Publication date: August 19, 2021Inventors: Spencer SHANSON, Jonathan GWIAZDA, Adrian CHIU, Nikolay LEBEDEV, Indira GHOSH
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Patent number: 10356447Abstract: Systems and methods enable the determination of a playback position of a video player. A request is received, at a system over a network from a user device, for an item of video content. Interstitial content is received. The interstitial content is segmented into segments and the segments are encrypted. A given decryption key is associated with a respective locator, such as a URL. A playlist manifest file is generated that includes locators corresponding to segments of the requested item of video content, segments of the interstitial content, and decryption keys for respective encrypted interstitial segments. The generated playlist manifest file is transmitted to the user device. A request for a first decryption key for an encrypted first interstitial segment is received, and based on the request, a playback position of the video player is determined. A corresponding message, indicating the playback position, may be transmitted to a remote destination.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2017Date of Patent: July 16, 2019Assignee: Pluto Inc.Inventor: Spencer Shanson
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Patent number: 10356480Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying, assembling, and transmitting content are described in the illustrative context of electronic program guides and program channels. A first system causes an interactive interstitial to be presented on a remote first device of a user in conjunction with a scheduled program. The first system determines if a second device of the user is available to receive an interstitial interaction request. At least partly in response to determining that the second device is available to receive an interstitial interaction request, the interstitial interaction request is presented via a client hosted on the second device. At least partly in response to determining that the user has provided an interaction via the second device, the interaction is stored in memory. Optionally, an interstitial is composed based at least in part on the user interaction. The composed interstitial is optionally displayed via the first device of the user in conjunction with a scheduled program.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2017Date of Patent: July 16, 2019Assignee: Pluto Inc.Inventors: Chan V. Hou, Thomas V. Ryan, Ilya Pozin, Matthew Brian Buchenroth, Thomas Edward Hale, Spencer Shanson, Kelly Ryan Littrell, Indira Ghosh
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Patent number: 10327037Abstract: Techniques for identifying, assembling, and transmitting content are described in the illustrative context of electronic program guides and program channels. An electronic program guide comprises a channel listing and channel program listings. Supplementary content slots are identified. A slot is associated with a time length and is scheduled during or after a scheduled program. A first item of supplementary content, associated with a first time length, is selected to be displayed during a first slot on a user device. In response to determining that the first time length content is less than the time length associated with the first slot, the underrun may be compensated for by causing subsequent primary content to be displayed on the user device at a time earlier than scheduled and a previously scheduled time length of a subsequent supplementary content slot may be extended to a first extended time length, with respect to the user.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2017Date of Patent: June 18, 2019Assignee: Pluto Inc.Inventors: Spencer Shanson, Thomas Edward Hale
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Publication number: 20190098344Abstract: Systems and methods enable the determination of a playback position of a video player. A request is received, at a system over a network from a user device, for an item of video content. Interstitial content is received. The interstitial content is segmented into segments and the segments are encrypted. A given decryption key is associated with a respective locator, such as a URL. A playlist manifest file is generated that includes locators corresponding to segments of the requested item of video content, segments of the interstitial content, and decryption keys for respective encrypted interstitial segments. The generated playlist manifest file is transmitted to the user device. A request for a first decryption key for an encrypted first interstitial segment is received, and based on the request, a playback position of the video player is determined. A corresponding message, indicating the playback position, may be transmitted to a remote destination.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2017Publication date: March 28, 2019Inventor: Spencer Shanson
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Publication number: 20180014076Abstract: Techniques for identifying, assembling, and transmitting content are described in the illustrative context of electronic program guides and program channels. An electronic program guide comprises a channel listing and channel program listings. Supplementary content slots are identified. A slot is associated with a time length and is scheduled during or after a scheduled program. A first item of supplementary content, associated with a first time length, is selected to be displayed during a first slot on a user device. In response to determining that the first time length content is less than the time length associated with the first slot, the underrun may be compensated for by causing subsequent primary content to be displayed on the user device at a time earlier than scheduled and a previously scheduled time length of a subsequent supplementary content slot may be extended to a first extended time length, with respect to the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2017Publication date: January 11, 2018Inventors: Spencer Shanson, Thomas Edward Hale
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Publication number: 20180014077Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying, assembling, and transmitting content are described in the illustrative context of electronic program guides and program channels. A first system causes an interactive interstitial to be presented on a remote first device of a user in conjunction with a scheduled program. The first system determines if a second device of the user is available to receive an interstitial interaction request. At least partly in response to determining that the second device is available to receive an interstitial interaction request, the interstitial interaction request is presented via a client hosted on the second device. At least partly in response to determining that the user has provided an interaction via the second device, the interaction is stored in memory. Optionally, an interstitial is composed based at least in part on the user interaction. The composed interstitial is optionally displayed via the first device of the user in conjunction with a scheduled program.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2017Publication date: January 11, 2018Inventors: Chan V. Hou, Thomas V. Ryan, Ilya Pozin, Matthew Brian Buchenroth, Thomas Edward Hale, Spencer Shanson, Kelly Ryan Littrell, Indira Ghosh