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).

  • Media Content Redirection
    Publication number: 20180338165
    Abstract: A content delivery server may allow users to redirect browsed content from one system to another. A user may install or activate a plug-in to a browser, such as an Internet browser, and the plug-in may be linked to the user's account on another service. As the user browses content from the browser, the user may select a command to cause the browsed content to be delivered to the other service, ingested by the other service, and made available to the user from the other service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Mark Swan, Weidong Mao, Sree Kotay, Mark Vickers, Mohsin Roowalla, Chris Kennedy
  • Network Recorder Buffer
    Publication number: 20180316960
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Inventors: Todd Walker, Bruce Bradley, Thomas Day, Robert Gaydos, John Leddy, Weidong Mao
  • Policy based transcoding
    Patent number: 10015560
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for providing video content in response to requests in a content delivery system with more speed and efficiency. In some aspects, network monitoring devices may gather content specific and network performance metrics, from user devices and content delivery components, to provide input to a computing device for deciding whether to store or delete different versions of the same or different items of content. The decision may be based on a policy which may include a weighted score based on a combination of usage and network efficiency scores. In other aspects, methods and systems are provided to initially provide to a user device a stored version of a content item, and then switch, as needed, to a different version of the content item using on-demand transcoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Weidong Mao, Jason Press
  • Dynamic Distribution of Media Content Assets For A Content Delivery Network
    Publication number: 20180184132
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, methods, and software for using a network to efficiently distribute media content assets from a virtually unlimited content library and/or other storage to a plurality of client devices, as well as bi-directional local content sharing between head ends, and dynamic distribution and generation of media content assets within the network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventor: Weidong Mao
  • Network recorder buffer
    Patent number: 9998783
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Todd Walker, Bruce Bradley, Thomas Day, Robert Gaydos, John Leddy, Weidong Mao
  • Content segment detection and replacement
    Patent number: 9967301
    Abstract: Methods and systems for providing content are disclosed. One method can comprise receiving a request for content comprising at least a first segment. The method can also comprise determining an expiration condition of the first segment, and replacing the first segment with a second segment based on the expiration condition. The method can also comprise providing the second segment to a user or a device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
    Inventors: David Andrew O'Hare, Weidong Mao, Elad Nafshi, Mark Andrew Vickers, Gregory Allen Broome, Sree Kotay
  • Delivery of multimedia components according to user activity
    Patent number: 9948573
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media may be configured for establishing at least one session for delivery of multimedia. In an aspect, a first transmission of data fragments of a first component and a second transmission of data fragments of a second component may be transmitted and synchronized for presentation. If an inactivity event is detected the session may be maintained while reducing bandwidth consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Anthony Werner, Weidong Mao, Sree Kotay
  • Packaging Content for Delivery
    Publication number: 20180063217
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: James Barkley, Weidong Mao
  • Media content redirection
    Patent number: 9900628
    Abstract: A first device may request that multimedia content be made available on a second device. The first device may send the request to a server. The server mat notify the second device of the multimedia content. Based on how quickly the server receives a request, from the second device, for the content, the server mat determine how to ingest the multimedia content from a content source. The server mat ingest the multimedia content in full or in part prior to sending the multimedia content to the second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Swan, Weidong Mao, Sree Kotay, Mark Vickers, Mohsin Roowalla, Chris Kennedy
  • Control Plane Architecture for Multicast Cache-Fill
    Publication number: 20180048918
    Abstract: A multicast content delivery system can use both multicast and unicast streams to efficiently use available bandwidth to deliver content. Available multicast content can be identified to gateways serving consumption devices, and the gateways can receive requests for unicast content deliver, but honor the requests with multicast group sessions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Jorge Salinger, Weidong Mao
  • SEGMENTED ENCRYPTION FOR CONTENT DELIVERY
    Publication number: 20180034789
    Abstract: Techniques for encrypting content in a content distribution network are disclosed. The content distribution network may comprise a number of national and local sites, and a number of hubs at each local sites. A content segment encrypting device may be operative at a local site to encrypt and cache segments of content. The segment encrypting device may provide the segments to streaming devices that encode content for delivery downstream to network or user devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventors: Robert Gaydos, Weidong Mao, James Barkley
  • Media Content Redirection
    Publication number: 20170339435
    Abstract: A content delivery server may allow users to redirect browsed content from one system to another. A user may install or activate a plug-in to a browser, such as an Internet browser, and the plug-in may be linked to the user's account on another service. As the user browses content from the browser, the user may select a command to cause the browsed content to be delivered to the other service, ingested by the other service, and made available to the user from the other service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Mark Swan, Weidong Mao, Sree Kotay, Mark Vickers, Mohsin Roowalla, Chris Kennedy
  • Dynamic Content Packaging
    Publication number: 20170302732
    Abstract: To be accessed on different media players, requested content must be delivered in a format that is supported by the requesting device. A dynamic content packager for encrypting and packaging requested content for different requesting devices at the time of consumption is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Weidong Mao, Sree Kotay
  • Dynamic distribution of media content assets for a content delivery network
    Patent number: 9769504
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, methods, and software for using a network to efficiently distributing media content assets from a virtually unlimited content library and/or other storage to a plurality of client devices, as well as bi-directional local content sharing between head ends, and dynamic distribution and generation of media content assets within the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Weidong Mao
  • POLICY BASED TRANSCODING
    Publication number: 20170264968
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for providing video content in response to requests in a content delivery system with more speed and efficiency. In some aspects, network monitoring devices may gather content specific and network performance metrics, from user devices and content delivery components, to provide input to a computing device for deciding whether to store or delete different versions of the same or different items of content. The decision may be based on a policy which may include a weighted score based on a combination of usage and network efficiency scores. In other aspects, methods and systems are provided to initially provide to a user device a stored version of a content item, and then switch, as needed, to a different version of the content item using on-demand transcoding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Weidong Mao, Jason Press
  • Dynamic generation of media content assets for a content delivery network
    Patent number: 9729901
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, methods, and software for using a network to efficiently distributing media content assets from a virtually unlimited content library and/or other storage to a plurality of client devices, as well as bi-directional local content sharing between head ends, and dynamic distribution and generation of media content assets within the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Weidong Mao
  • Control plane architecture for multicast cache-fill
    Patent number: 9693079
    Abstract: A multicast content delivery system can use both multicast and unicast streams to efficiently use available bandwidth to deliver content. Available multicast content can be identified to gateways serving consumption devices, and the gateways can receive requests for unicast content deliver, but honor the requests with multicast group sessions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Jorge Salinger, Weidong Mao
  • Proximity dependent content delivery
    Patent number: 9609364
    Abstract: To be accessed on different media players, requested content must be delivered in a format that is supported by the requesting device. A dynamic content packager for encrypting and packaging requested content for different requesting devices at the time of consumption is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Weidong Mao, Sree Kotay
  • Delivering Content
    Publication number: 20160323606
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for delivery of one or more channels of programming in an IP network. An edge gateway device may retrieve segments of programming, based on information in a manifest file, and output the segments via multicast to one or more edge devices. Advertising content may be inserted, or replaced if already present, before the segments are multicast. Segments encoded at various bit rates may be available for retrieval. Segments may be selected for retrieval based in part on a quality indicator associated with each segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Weidong Mao, Robert Gaydos
  • Dynamic content packaging in a content delivery system
    Patent number: 9456226
    Abstract: To be accessed on different media players, requested content must be delivered in a format that is supported by the requesting device. A dynamic content packager for encrypting and packaging requested content for different requesting devices at the time of consumption is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Inventors: Weidong Mao, Sree Kotay