Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes receiving video content comprising a first data portion comprising parameters that control a visual appearance of frames of video content presented by a content-presentation device. The content-presentation device is communicatively coupled to a light unit that is (i) present in a viewing area of the content-presentation device and (ii) configured to provide ambient light in the viewing area. The method also includes extracting, from the received video content, a second data portion, separate from the first data portion, specifying one or more light control parameters that a controller associated with the light unit is configured to interpret as instructions for controlling the light unit. The method also includes transmitting the extracted second data portion to the controller to facilitate the controller controlling the light unit according to the specified one or more light control parameters.

Abstract: A user equipment (UE) may monitor a channel for wireless communication associated with a first radio access technology (RAT) during one or more of a first active duration or a first inactive duration. The UE may operate in a first power mode during the first inactive duration. The UE may monitor the channel for wireless communication associated with a second RAT during one or more of a second active duration or a second inactive duration. The UE may operate during the second inactive duration in one or more of the first power mode or a second power. The UE may operate according to the first mode or the second mode based on the monitoring of the channel associated with the first RAT and the second RAT.

Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) obtaining, by a computing system, video data representing video content; (ii) analyzing, by the computing system, the video data to identify an event that is a subject of the video content; (iii) using, by the computing system, the identified event as a basis to select audio content; and (iv) performing, by the computing system, an operation that facilitates editing the video content to include the selected audio content.

Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) receiving, by a computing system and from an input device associated with the computing system, a command to map a customized gesture with a particular action of a plurality of actions that a media player is configured to perform; (ii) in response to receiving the command, monitoring, by the computing system and using a camera, a viewing environment of the media player to detect performance by a person of the customized gesture; and (iii) in response to detecting performance of the customized gesture: generating, by the computing system, a classification for use by the computing system for detecting the customized gesture, and storing, by the computing system, in memory, mapping data that correlates the detected customized gesture with the particular action.

Abstract: A method for provisioning a group of devices with control-group data defining one or more functional interrelationships between the devices. The method includes providing a GUI defining an online application marketplace, the GUI specifying multiple applications available for download, each application including a different respective set of control-group data defining a different respective set of one or more functional interrelationships. Further, the method includes receiving user input selecting a given one of the applications, the selected application defining given control-group data defining a given set of one or more functional interrelationships. And the method includes responsively (i) downloading the selected application and (ii) provisioning the devices of the group with the given set of control-group data, the provisioning establishing the given set of one or more functional interrelationships between the devices of the group.

Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) receiving, from one or more cameras in a viewing environment of a content-presentation device, video of a user performing a fitness exercise in the viewing environment; (ii) using the received video and a skeletal detection model to estimate skeletal movement of the user; (iii) generating a synthetic video representing the user moving according to the estimated skeletal movement; (iv) based on a comparison of the estimated skeletal movement with predefined reference skeletal movement representing desired skeletal movement for the fitness exercise, and while the user is performing the fitness exercise, continually calculating a metric representing a difference between the estimated skeletal movement and the reference skeletal movement; and (v) causing the content-presentation device to concurrently display the generated synthetic video, a reference video representing the reference skeletal movement, and an indication of the metric.

Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) obtaining, by a computing system, structured data; (ii) generating, by the computing system using a natural language generator, a textual description of the structured data; (iii) transforming, by the computing system using a text-to-speech engine, the textual description of the structured data into synthesized speech; and (iv) generating, by the computing system using the synthesized speech, a synthetic video comprising the synthesized speech.

Abstract: In one aspect, disclosed is an example method for use in connection with a media-presentation device having an associated presentation area, the method including: (i) obtaining presentation area data associated with the presentation area; (ii) determining that the obtained presentation area data satisfies each and every condition of a condition set; (iii) responsive to at least determining that the obtained presentation area data satisfies each and every condition of the condition set, identifying an upcoming media segment insertion point within a media program; and (iv) facilitating the media-presentation device outputting for presentation a media segment starting at the identified media segment insertion point within the media program.

Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) obtaining a set of user attributes for a user of a content-presentation device; (ii) based on the set of user attributes, obtaining structured data and determining a textual description of the structured data; (iii) transforming, using a text-to-speech engine, the textual description of the structured data into synthesized speech; and (iv) generating, using the synthesized speech and for display by the content-presentation device, a synthetic video of a targeted advertisement comprising the synthesized speech.

Abstract: A method and system for dynamically controlling operation of a first device, the first device being configurable to respond to receipt of primitive user input (e.g., push of a button on the first device) by carrying out a control action with respect to one or more second devices. An example method includes detecting a context state such as time of day and/or location of the first device. Further, the example method includes, using the detected context state as a basis to control what control action the first device will take in response to the first device receiving the primitive user input, such as which second device the first device will control in response to receiving the primitive user input and/or controlling what operational state of a second device the first device will control in response to receiving the primitive user input.

Abstract: A method for distributed maintenance of operational data among a plurality of devices including a first group of functionally interrelated devices that are provisioned with a same set of control-group data as each other, the control-group data (i) identifying the devices of the first group, (ii) defining one or more functional interrelationships between the devices of the first group, (iii) indicating an operational state of at least one device of the first group, and (iv) being usable by the devices of the first group as a basis to control operation of the devices of the first group. A given device of the first group detects a change to the control-group data provisioned at the given device, and responsive to the detecting, the change gets propagated from the given device to each other device of the first group, to synchronize the control-group data among the devices of the first group.

Abstract: In one aspect, an example method in connection with a shared content viewing session in which multiple users are receiving and viewing respective instances of the same media content in a synchronized manner is disclosed. The example method includes (i) detecting that each of the multiple users respectively exhibits a threshold extent of physical reaction around the same time; (ii) responsive to the detecting, for each of the multiple users, generating and/or storing respective visual content representing that user's physical reaction; (iii) generating a visual content composition that includes at least the generated and/or stored visual content for each of the multiple users; and (iv) outputting for presentation, the generated visual content composition.

Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes: (i) a computing system obtaining media content; (ii) the computing system extracting from the obtained media content, audio content; (iii) the computing system using at least the extracted audio content to obtain sentiment data associated with the audio content; (iv) the computing system using the obtained sentiment data as a basis to modify a video content component of the media content, thereby generating a modified version of the media content; and (v) the computing system outputting for presentation the generated modified media content.

Abstract: A method for provisioning a group of devices with control-group data defining one or more functional interrelationships between the devices. The method includes providing a GUI defining an online application marketplace, the GUI specifying multiple applications available for download, each application including a different respective set of control-group data defining a different respective set of one or more functional interrelationships. Further, the method includes receiving user input selecting a given one of the applications, the selected application defining given control-group data defining a given set of one or more functional interrelationships. And the method includes responsively (i) downloading the selected application and (ii) provisioning the devices of the group with the given set of control-group data, the provisioning establishing the given set of one or more functional interrelationships between the devices of the group.

Abstract: A method and system for collecting context information in response to prediction of an emergency event. A cloud-based computing system could determine that an emergency event is predicted to impact a customer premises at an upcoming time. Responsive to that determination, and before the upcoming time, the cloud-based computing system could then cause or more on-premises computing devices at the customer premises to collect and report context information, such as a count of people present at the customer premises and/or an operational state of one or more utilities or other systems at the customer premises, that may assist in responding to the emergency event. Further, the cloud-based computing system could select a given such device at the customer premises to function as a coordinating device to work with one or more other devices at the customer premises to collect and report the context information.

Abstract: A method and a system for using crowdsourcing as a basis to predict and respond to emergency impact. An example method includes (i) a computing system receiving emergency-state reporting provided by multiple customer premises in a region, (ii) the computing system determining, based on the received emergency-state reporting provided by the multiple customer premises in the region, that a region-wide emergency situation exists in the region, and (iii) the computing system taking action, in response to the determining, based on the emergency-state reporting provided by the multiple customer premises in the region, that the region-wide emergency situation exists in the region.

Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) receiving, by a computing system and from an input device associated with the computing system, a command to map a customized gesture with a particular action of a plurality of actions that a media player is configured to perform; (ii) in response to receiving the command, monitoring, by the computing system and using a camera, a viewing environment of the media player to detect performance by a person of the customized gesture; and (iii) in response to detecting performance of the customized gesture: generating, by the computing system, a classification for use by the computing system for detecting the customized gesture, and storing, by the computing system, in memory, mapping data that correlates the detected customized gesture with the particular action.

Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) receiving, from a content-distribution system, video comprising a watermark; (ii) extracting the watermark from the video; (iii) based on the extracted watermark, determining a content-creation attribute of the video that indicates a process by which the video was created, wherein the determining comprises using the watermark to select the content-creation attribute from among a set of two or more content-creation attributes comprising organically-generated video and synthetically-generated video; and (iv) in response to determining the content-creation attribute of the video, causing a content-presentation device to perform an action.

Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) obtaining a first segment of video content; (ii) outputting for presentation, the obtained first segment; (iii) after outputting for presentation the obtained first segment, causing a user to be prompted for user-input data; (iv) receiving user-input data provided in response to the prompting; (v) using at least the received user-input data to synthetically generate a second segment of the video content, wherein the generated second segment is static, non-interactive content; and (vi) outputting for presentation, the generated second segment.

Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) obtaining video that depicts an area across multiple frames of the video, wherein the area is part of a scene of the video, and wherein the area is suitable for having an object inserted therein; (ii) detecting the area within the obtained video and determining area characteristic data associated with the detected area; (iii) determining scene attribute data associated with the scene; (iv) using at least the determined area characteristic data and the determined scene attribute data as a basis to select an object from among a set of multiple candidate objects; (v) inserting into the detected area the selected object to generate video that is a modified version of the obtained video; and (vi) outputting for presentation the generated video.