Patents by Inventor Weidong Mao
Weidong Mao 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: 12289496Abstract: A method and system for delivering content is provided. In one example, responsive to a request by a client device identifying a video program, the system is configured to determine different first and second network paths for delivery of the video program from a content source; deliver the video program via the first network path to the client device; and responsive to a change in status of the video program being delivered via the first network path, deliver the video program via the second network path to the client device.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2023Date of Patent: April 29, 2025Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: Weidong Mao, Phillip Gabler
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Publication number: 20250119598Abstract: An encoder may determine one or more encoding characteristics associated with a content segment of a content asset. The one or more encoding characteristics may comprise an estimated bitrate required for transmission of the content segment over a network. The one or more encoding characteristics associated with the content segment may be inserted into a portion of an other content segment, such as into a header of the other content segment. The content segment and the other content segment may be configured for linear transmission, such as using adaptive bitrate streaming. When the other content segment is received at a playback device prior to the content segment, the playback device may use the one or more encoding characteristics of the content segment embedded in the header of the other content segment to determine one or more playback characteristics of the content segment.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2024Publication date: April 10, 2025Inventors: Alexander GILADI, Weidong MAO
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Publication number: 20250089189Abstract: A foldable display device includes a first frame, a second frame, a rotating shaft assembly, a flexible heat sink and a flexible circuit board. The flexible heat sink and the flexible circuit board passes through the rotating shaft assembly, and the rotating shaft assembly includes a shaft seat, a door plate, a first support plate, and a second support plate. Two opposite ends of the flexible heat sink are connected to the first frame and the second frame, and two opposite ends of a part of the flexible heat sink in the rotating shaft assembly are respectively fastened to a first fastening surface that is of the first support plate and that faces the shaft seat and a second fastening surface that is of the second support plate and that faces the shaft seat.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2022Publication date: March 13, 2025Inventors: Weihua Mao, Weidong Yu, Jianqing Sheng, Yi Xu, Bo Wu, Bo Huang
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Publication number: 20250080758Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for encoding a scene of media content based on visual elements of the scene. A scene of media content may comprise one or more visual elements, such as individual objects in the scene. Each visual element may be classified based on, for example, the motion and/or identity of the visual element. Based on the visual element classifications, scene encoder parameters and/or visual element encoder parameters for different visual elements may be determined. The scene may be encoded using the scene encoder parameters and/or the visual element encoder parameters.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2024Publication date: March 6, 2025Inventors: Weidong Mao, Alexander Giladi
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Publication number: 20250071304Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for encoding media content based on an ending delay of first media content and a startup delay of second media content. Second media content may be configured for transmission after first media content in a media content stream. The first media content may be associated with an ending delay corresponding to transmission and/or decoding of frames of the first media content. The second media content may be associated with a starting delay corresponding to transmission and/or decoding of frames of the second media content. The first media content and the second media content may be encoded using different encoding formats. Based on comparing the ending delay and starting delay to a threshold, encoding parameters may be selected, one or more frames may be removed from the first media content and/or the second media content, and/or buffers of one or more devices may be adjusted.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2024Publication date: February 27, 2025Inventors: Srinath V. Ramaswamy, Weidong Mao, Jason Press
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Publication number: 20250055900Abstract: Systems and methods for delivering content to user equipment are described. The content may be delivered using Internet Protocol (IP) delivery, Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) delivery, or another delivery format. For example, the system may receive content including a plurality of segments. The system may use manifest data to identify each of the plurality of segments. The system may also use the manifest data to generate index data for the plurality of segments, and the index data may be delivered to user devices with the plurality of segments. In some aspects, the system may use location information (e.g., timestamps, such as program clock references) for one or more data packet of the one of the plurality of segments to generate location information for other data packets.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2024Publication date: February 13, 2025Inventors: James Barkley, Weidong Mao
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Publication number: 20250039480Abstract: Per-segment parameters for content delivery are described herein. A manifest file for a segment and a parameter file for the segment may be sent to a user device. The parameter file may indicate one or more time ranges each corresponding to a parameter value. Requests for content segments based on the manifest file and the parameter file may be received. The user device may access the parameter file to determine a time range of the one or more time ranges into which a start time of a particular segment falls. The user device may determine a parameter value as corresponding to the determined time range. The user device may then generate a request to include the determined parameter value.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2024Publication date: January 30, 2025Inventors: Alexander Giladi, Weidong Mao, Jiang Xu
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Patent number: 12210485Abstract: Methods and system for content delivery, access, and storage are disclosed. In one aspect, an example method can comprise receiving a content item. The content item can comprise a plurality of fragments. An example method can comprise determining an identifier for each of the plurality of fragments, and generating an index file comprising the determined identifiers. An example method can comprise associating the index file with the content item. Additionally, an example method can comprise storing the content item and the index file. An example method can also comprise performing a de-duplication operation. For example, the de-duplication operation can be performed on one or more unique files to create a master file.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2021Date of Patent: January 28, 2025Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: Weidong Mao, Elad Nafshi, Mark A. Vickers, Gregory A. Broome, Sree Kotay, Bruce Bradley
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Publication number: 20250024032Abstract: Methods and systems for masking artifacts are disclosed. A frame of a video content item may be received. Based on removing at least a portion of high-frequency spatial information from the frame, the frame may be encoded. Based on at least one of data associated with the video content item or network condition data, data indicative of one or more film grain parameters may be determined. The encoded frame and the data indicative of the one or more film grain parameters may be sent to a device. The device may be configured to decode the encoded frame, generate a film grain based on the one or more film grain parameters, and modify the decoded frame based on the film grain.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2024Publication date: January 16, 2025Inventors: Dan GROIS, Alexander GILADI, Weidong MAO
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Patent number: 12200276Abstract: An encoder may determine one or more encoding characteristics associated with a content segment of a content asset. The one or more encoding characteristics may comprise an estimated bitrate required for transmission of the content segment over a network. The one or more encoding characteristics associated with the content segment may be inserted into a portion of an other content segment, such as into a header of the other content segment. The content segment and the other content segment may be configured for linear transmission, such as using adaptive bitrate streaming. When the other content segment is received at a playback device prior to the content segment, the playback device may use the one or more encoding characteristics of the content segment embedded in the header of the other content segment to determine one or more playback characteristics of the content segment.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2024Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: Alexander Giladi, Weidong Mao
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Publication number: 20250008118Abstract: A media file may comprise a plurality of frames, each frame having a header that stores systems level information associated with the media file. A first portion of a frame that comprises the systems level information and a second portion of the frame that comprises the media content itself may be determined for one or more frames of the media file. A compressed header may be generated that comprises a subset of the systems level information associated with the media content of the frame. The compressed header may be generated by removing or compressing information that is determined to be redundant across the frames. The compressed header, as well as information for reconstructing the first frame based on the compressed header, may be sent to a device instead of the first portion of the frame, thereby reducing transmission bandwidth and storage requirements of the media file.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2024Publication date: January 2, 2025Inventors: Alexander GILADI, Weidong MAO, Blake ORTH
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Patent number: 12160458Abstract: Systems and methods for delivering content to user equipment are described. The content may be delivered using Internet Protocol (IP) delivery, Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) delivery, or another delivery format. For example, the system may receive content including a plurality of segments. The system may use manifest data to identify each of the plurality of segments. The system may also use the manifest data to generate index data for the plurality of segments, and the index data may be delivered to user devices with the plurality of segments. In some aspects, the system may use location information (e.g., timestamps, such as program clock references) for one or more data packet of the one of the plurality of segments to generate location information for other data packets.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2023Date of Patent: December 3, 2024Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: James Barkley, Weidong Mao
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Patent number: 12120319Abstract: A media file may comprise a plurality of frames, each frame having a header that stores systems level information associated with the media file. A first portion of a frame that comprises the systems level information and a second portion of the frame that comprises the media content itself may be determined for one or more frames of the media file. A compressed header may be generated that comprises a subset of the systems level information associated with the media content of the frame. The compressed header may be generated by removing or compressing information that is determined to be redundant across the frames. The compressed header, as well as information for reconstructing the first frame based on the compressed header, may be sent to a device instead of the first portion of the frame, thereby reducing transmission bandwidth and storage requirements of the media file.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2020Date of Patent: October 15, 2024Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: Alexander Giladi, Weidong Mao, Blake Orth
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Patent number: 12075100Abstract: Per-segment parameters for content delivery are described herein. A manifest file for a segment and a parameter file for the segment may be sent to a user device. The parameter file may indicate one or more time ranges each corresponding to a parameter value. Requests for content segments based on the manifest file and the parameter file may be received. The user device may access the parameter file to determine a time range of the one or more time ranges into which a start time of a particular segment falls. The user device may determine a parameter value as corresponding to the determined time range. The user device may then generate a request to include the determined parameter value.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2023Date of Patent: August 27, 2024Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: Alexander Giladi, Weidong Mao, Jiang Xu
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Patent number: 12047631Abstract: A network digital video recording (nDVR) system may take into account the capabilities of a requesting user's local DVR when managing network recordings. The user's local DVR may include a temporary buffer that is normally used to record what the DVR is tuned to, and may be used for local trickplay functionality such as pausing live television. The nDVR features described herein may track the usage of the user's temporary DVR buffer, and use that in determining what to stream in response to a user's playback request. The nDVR system can also determine if the user's local DVR has an unused tuner at a time of a program recording, and can instruct the user's local DVR to also tune to the program.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2020Date of Patent: July 23, 2024Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: Todd Walker, Bruce Bradley, Thomas Day, Robert Gaydos, John Leddy, Weidong Mao
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Patent number: 12034952Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for encoding media content based on an ending delay of first media content and a startup delay of second media content. Second media content may be configured for transmission after first media content in a media content stream. The first media content may be associated with an ending delay corresponding to transmission and/or decoding of frames of the first media content. The second media content may be associated with a starting delay corresponding to transmission and/or decoding of frames of the second media content. The first media content and the second media content may be encoded using different encoding formats. Based on comparing the ending delay and starting delay to a threshold, encoding parameters may be selected, one or more frames may be removed from the first media content and/or the second media content, and/or buffers of one or more devices may be adjusted.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2022Date of Patent: July 9, 2024Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: Srinath V. Ramaswamy, Weidong Mao, Jason Press
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Publication number: 20240205467Abstract: An encoder may determine one or more encoding characteristics associated with a content segment of a content asset. The one or more encoding characteristics may comprise an estimated bitrate required for transmission of the content segment over a network. The one or more encoding characteristics associated with the content segment may be inserted into a portion of an other content segment, such as into a header of the other content segment. The content segment and the other content segment may be configured for linear transmission, such as using adaptive bitrate streaming. When the other content segment is received at a playback device prior to the content segment, the playback device may use the one or more encoding characteristics of the content segment embedded in the header of the other content segment to determine one or more playback characteristics of the content segment.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2024Publication date: June 20, 2024Inventors: Alexander GILADI, Weidong MAO
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Publication number: 20240179204Abstract: Systems and methods for delivering content to user equipment are described. The content may be delivered using Internet Protocol (IP) delivery, Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) delivery, or another delivery format. For example, the system may receive content including a plurality of segments. The system may use manifest data to identify each of the plurality of segments. The system may also use the manifest data to generate index data for the plurality of segments, and the index data may be delivered to user devices with the plurality of segments. In some aspects, the system may use location information (e.g., timestamps, such as program clock references) for one or more data packet of the one of the plurality of segments to generate location information for other data packets.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2023Publication date: May 30, 2024Inventors: James Barkley, Weidong Mao
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Patent number: 11985337Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for encoding a scene of media content based on visual elements of the scene. A scene of media content may comprise one or more visual elements, such as individual objects in the scene. Each visual element may be classified based on, for example, the motion and/or identity of the visual element. Based on the visual element classifications, scene encoder parameters and/or visual element encoder parameters for different visual elements may be determined. The scene may be encoded using the scene encoder parameters and/or the visual element encoder parameters.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2022Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLCInventors: Weidong Mao, Alexander Giladi
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Publication number: 20240107026Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses may encode a media content item based on metadata from previous encoding. The encoding may also generate encoding metadata, which may comprise a qualitative or quantitative characterization of the encoded media content item. A prediction engine may, based on this metadata, determine new encoding settings for the same or a different video resolution. The prediction engine may cause an encoded media content item to be stored and may cause encoding of the media content item using the new encoding settings.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Inventors: Weidong Mao, Alexander Giladi, Alex Balk