Abstract: A virtual meeting service receives a request from a participant through a computing device to join a virtual meeting. The request includes an identifier, which the virtual meeting service uses to identify one or more policies of the virtual meeting. The virtual meeting service, upon identifying these one or more policies, evaluates the one or more policies to determine whether to enable the computing device to be used to allow the participant to join the virtual meeting. If the virtual meeting service determines that the participant can join the virtual meeting, the virtual meeting service transmits a request to a telecommunications channel to connect the computing device to the virtual meeting, allowing the participant to join the virtual meeting.

Abstract: A computing device can be utilized to submit content to a collaboration service for posting on a collaboration channel. In response to receiving a posting request, the collaboration service identifies a context associated with the request. The context might include the location of the computing device submitting the request, the authenticated identity of the user submitting the request, or access rights associated with the content to be posted. The collaboration service can utilize the context to identify one or more collaboration channels to which the content can be posted. The user might be permitted to select one or more of the identified channels. Once the content has been posted to the selected channel, or channels, the collaboration service can utilize the context to perform other actions such as, but not limited to, initiating a communications session between authorized users of the collaboration channel to which the content was posted.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an enhanced user media viewing experience in a shared viewing environment. A content sharing system is provided in which one digital video recording device controls the presentation of the same video content and optionally the acquiring of that video content on disparately located digital video recording devices. Various communications devices (e.g., VOIP devices, web cameras, instant messaging, etc.) are used to facilitate interactions between viewers at the disparately located locations. User-generated commentary, whether live via the communication devices or pre-recorded, is presented while a viewer is viewing a particular piece of video content and can be synchronized to be presented at a particular time in the video.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for using reverse rating to determine the monetary value of consumption of services measured by one or more meters. A plurality of consumption readings associated with a second time may be received from a set of meters tracking consumption by a consumer. Consumption rates may be determined for the meters based on the received consumption readings and on initial consumption values from a first time prior to the second time. A monetary liability function may be determined for the consumer based on the consumption rates and a plurality of rating functions associated with the meters. A third time may be calculated based on the monetary liability function at which a monetary target is reached by the meters. The monetary target may be a monetary cap on consumption by the meters, or a monetary commitment value.

Abstract: Extensible video insertion control is described. In embodiments, a media asset is received to render as video for display. Mapped video data is also received that identifies object insertion spaces in the media asset. A selectable display object is received that conforms to an object insertion space in a scene of the media asset. A composite video is then generated that includes the selectable display object inserted for display in the scene of the media asset at the object insertion space.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that manages media content. The disclosed system includes a component that synchronizes with a multimedia player that is in communication with the component. The component upon synchronization automatically determines an amount of storage space available on the handheld device and based at least in part on this available space, the component substitutes a first media presentation persisted on the storage space with a second media presentation retrieved from a media storage farm.

Abstract: A license to use content (e.g., a movie, song, application, etc.) is provided to a consumer. The license allows for use of the content by the device the consumer is using (e.g., logged into) and devices near the device the consumer is using. For example, a first computing device obtains a license to restricted content. A second computing device obtains a copy of the restricted content; however, the second computing device is not licensed to use the content and may not be able to access the content because the content is encrypted or otherwise restricted. The first computing device is brought into proximity with the second computing device. In response to detecting that the first computing device is in proximity with the second computing device, the second computing device is provided with legal access to the restricted content. The second computing device can then decrypt (or otherwise access) and play the content.

Abstract: A tuning device uses a counter mode encryption cipher to encrypt counters associated with media content in order to protect the media content when it is sent to requesting device or controller. The encrypted counters are decrypted in order to consume the media content. The controller may send particular direction to the tuning device as to how the media content, encrypted counters, and other associated data are sent to the controller.

Abstract: A license to use content (e.g., a movie, song, application, etc.) is provided to a consumer. The license allows for use of the content by the device the consumer is using (e.g., logged into) and devices near the device the consumer is using. For example, a first computing device obtains a license to restricted content. A second computing device obtains a copy of the restricted content; however, the second computing device is not licensed to use the content and may not be able to access the content because the content is encrypted or otherwise restricted. The first computing device is brought into proximity with the second computing device. In response to detecting that the first computing device is in proximity with the second computing device, the second computing device is provided with legal access to the restricted content. The second computing device can then decrypt (or otherwise access) and play the content.

Abstract: Extensible video insertion control is described. In embodiments, a media asset is received to render as video for display. Mapped video data is also received that identifies object insertion spaces in the media asset. A selectable display object is received that conforms to an object insertion space in a scene of the media asset. A composite video is then generated that includes the selectable display object inserted for display in the scene of the media asset at the object insertion space.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that manages storage media associated with a plurality of disparate devices. The disclosed system can include a network of disparate devices wherein each device in the network can be associated with storage media. Additionally, the disclosed system can also include a component that identifies each device in the network, associates a likelihood that the device will periodically leave or rejoin the network, and utilizes the associated likelihood to construct a logical redundant pile of inexpensive disks comprising the storage media associated with the disparate devices.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that asynchronously disseminates multimedia content to disparate clients. The disclosed system can include a component that receives multimedia content supplied by a multimedia publisher, encrypts or applies a time sensitive lock to the received multimedia content, disseminates the encrypted or locked multimedia content to the disparate clients, and a time subsequent, generates and distributes to the disparate clients a counterpart to the time sensitive lock necessary to unlock and play the disseminated and encrypted or locked multimedia content on the clients.

Abstract: A modularized broadcast receiver driver architecture includes one or more control nodes, under control of a network module, that perform a series of one or more functions to receive a broadcast signal and extract content information from the signal. None of the multiple control nodes requires knowledge of the network type via which the signal is being received. Rather, a network module is aware of the network type and configures the control nodes to carry out their respective functions.

Abstract: The subject disclosure pertains to a multi-tasking interference system. A gatekeeper receives primary and secondary inputs, and a quantifier ascertains attention values associated with primary inputs and interruption values associated with secondary inputs. Attention values are ascertained based on attributes associated with primary inputs such as type or genre of media presentation, temporal location within media presentation, or a likelihood of impending commercials. Based on a comparison between attention values and interruption values the gatekeeper determines whether, when, and how to interrupt the primary input with the secondary input and accordingly thereafter interrupts the primary input with the secondary input based on the foregoing assessment.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide accurate EPG lineup construction and PVR scheduling for users, regardless of their geographic location. In accordance with the described embodiments, the guide retrieves and aggregates data from multiple available sources, particularly in-band scanning and EPG metadata download. Services are then identified and sorted into logically equivalent groups. Once the services are grouped, in accordance with one embodiment, an analysis is conducted the outcome of which is directed to selecting which services to use for tuning and which services to use for scheduling on a given channel/preset. In addition, various embodiments can, in an automated fashion, assign services to presets/channels, as well as provide a user interface and methods for editing a lineup, modifying tuning information and personalizing presets/channels.

Abstract: The present invention provides for an interface between two seemingly incompatible and different content protection systems. Accordingly, protected content may be transferred between the respective security kernels of a conditional access (CA) and digital rights management (DRM) systems, while maintaining security of the content and any associated protection information. The transfer and consumption of protected content and the associated content protection information may be achieved by temporarily or permanently binding the respective security kernels of the CA and DRM systems, transcribing content protection information, and potentially transcribing the content.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that effectuates selective viewing of multimedia audio and/or visual content. The disclosed system can include a component that obtains multimedia audio or visual content from a broadcast server, categorizes the multimedia audio or visual content, and associates index tags to categorized multimedia audio or visual content. The index tags are utilized to provide a facility to search or summarize the categorized multimedia audio or visual content, wherein the resultant searches and summarizations can be displayed on a display associated with the component.

Abstract: A modularized broadcast receiver driver architecture includes one or more control nodes, under control of a network module, that perform a series of one or more functions to receive a broadcast signal and extract content information from the signal. None of the multiple control nodes requires knowledge of the network type via which the signal is being received. Rather, a network module is aware of the network type and configures the control nodes to carry out their respective functions.

Abstract: The subject disclosure pertains to a multi-tasking interference system. A gatekeeper receives primary and secondary inputs, and a quantifier ascertains attention values associated with primary inputs and interruption values associated with secondary inputs. Attention values are ascertained based on attributes associated with primary inputs such as type or genre of media presentation, temporal location within media presentation, or a likelihood of impending commercials. Based on a comparison between attention values and interruption values the gatekeeper determines whether, when, and how to interrupt the primary input with the secondary input and accordingly thereafter interrupts the primary input with the secondary input based on the foregoing assessment.

Abstract: A computing system such as a Programmable Video Recorder (PVR) receives broadcast data and enhanced file-state data from a data source. The broadcast data may include multimedia data. The enhanced file-state data may include web-based data such as ATVEF data. The PVR buffers the broadcast data and the enhanced file-state data in a backing store that is associated with the PVR. The PVR also creates an index for indexing the enhanced file-state data so that, when the broadcast data is rendered, the correct file-state data can be located and rendered at the appropriate time with the broadcast data. The index may classify the enhanced file-state data by GUID, sequence number, and valid start and end times associated with corresponding broadcast data. The index may also include pointers for locating the enhanced file-state data from the buffer of the PVR.