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).

  • Publication number: 20160261659
    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: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: David Andrew O'Hare, Weidong Mao, Elad Nafshi, Mark Andrew Vickers, Gregory Allen Broome, Sree Kotay
  • Publication number: 20160234348
    Abstract: Methods and systems for delivering content are disclosed. An example method can comprise receiving, at a gateway device located at a user network, packetized data asset via a packet switched network. The gateway device can convert the packetized data asset to a non-packetized data asset, and transmit the non-packetized data asset via a non-packet switched network to a computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Weidong Mao, Mark Francisco
  • Patent number: 9392335
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, system and computer-readable medium are provided for generating one or more segments associated with content. The segments may include fragments that may correspond to portions of the content. The segments and/or the fragments may be included in a playlist, and may be based at least in part on a user selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Allen Broome, Joseph Kiok, John Leddy, Brian Field, Eric Rosenfeld, Weidong Mao, Sree Kotay
  • Patent number: 9319443
    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: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: David Andrew O'Hare, Weidong Mao, Elad Nafshi, Mark Andrew Vickers, Gregory Allen Broome, Sree Kotay
  • Publication number: 20160105477
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to control of consumption of content in an appliance. The content can include linear programming and non-linear assets. Such control can permit (i) changing a channel in the appliance (e.g., a CPE without upstream functionality) and thus selecting a linear-programming asset, a non-linear asset, and so forth, and (ii) controlling consumption of such assets. In one aspect, a device with upstream network connectivity can control the consumption of media in the appliance. The device can leverage data management and control functionality of a service provider network to acquire information related to assets available for consumption and to transmit asset requests to the service provider network, which can transmit content and signaling to the appliance in accordance at least in part with the asset request, thus controlling media consumption in the appliance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Danial Holden, Michael D. McMahon, Gregory Allen Broome, Weidong Mao, Ross Gilson
  • Publication number: 20160057495
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Weidong Mao, Phillip Gabler
  • Publication number: 20160007053
    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: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventor: Weidong Mao
  • Patent number: 9219947
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to control of consumption of content in an appliance. The content can include linear programming and non-linear assets. Such control can permit (i) changing a channel in the appliance (e.g., a CPE without upstream functionality) and thus selecting a linear-programming asset, a non-linear asset, and so forth, and (ii) controlling consumption of such assets. In one aspect, a device with upstream network connectivity can control the consumption of media in the appliance. The device can leverage data management and control functionality of a service provider network to acquire information related to assets available for consumption and to transmit asset requests to the service provider network, which can transmit content and signaling to the appliance in accordance at least in part with the asset request, thus controlling media consumption in the appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Danial Holden, Michael D. McMahon, Gregory Allen Broome, Weidong Mao, Ross Gilson
  • Publication number: 20150288733
    Abstract: According to some aspects, methods and systems may include receiving, by computing device from one or more client devices, a plurality of requests for one or more content items formatted in a first format and determining whether to multicast the one or more content items based on a data structure configured with one or more conditions associated with multicasting content. The methods and systems may also include transmitting, to the one or more client devices, the one more content items via one or more multicast streams if the requests meet a first condition of the one or more conditions. The methods and systems may also include formatting the one or more content items in a second format prior to the transmitting if network resources fail to meet a second condition of the one or more conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Weidong Mao, John G. Bevilacqua
  • Patent number: 9124523
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Weidong Mao, Phillip Gabler
  • Publication number: 20150242500
    Abstract: An archive model can be used for managing networked storage of recorded content, such as network DVR (digital video recorder) content. Content may be initially recorded to an active storage device, with individual duplicate copies recorded for each requesting user, and subsequently archived to an archive storage device. For playback, the content can be reconstituted into the active storage device prior to delivery to the requesting user. Content can be predictively reconstituted in anticipation of user needs, and the reconstitution capacity of the system can be dynamically reallocated for load balancing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Todd Walker, Bruce Bradley, Thomas Day, Robert Gaydos, John Leddy, Weidong Mao
  • Patent number: 9055085
    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: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Weidong Mao
  • Publication number: 20150120961
    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: January 7, 2015
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Weidong Mao, Sree Kotay
  • Patent number: 9003462
    Abstract: An archive model can be used for managing networked storage of recorded content, such as network DVR (digital video recorder) content. Content may be initially recorded to an active storage device, with individual duplicate copies recorded for each requesting user, and subsequently archived to an archive storage device. For playback, the content can be reconstituted into the active storage device prior to delivery to the requesting user. Content can be predictively reconstituted in anticipation of user needs, and the reconstitution capacity of the system can be dynamically reallocated for load balancing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Todd Walker, Bruce Bradley, Thomas Day, Robert Gaydos, John Leddy, Weidong Mao
  • Publication number: 20150006752
    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: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: David Andrew O'Hare, Weidong Mao, Elad Nafshi, Mark Andrew Vickers, Gregory Allen Broome, Sree Kotay
  • Publication number: 20140280688
    Abstract: Methods and systems for managing data are disclosed. One method can comprise storing first data locally relative to a user device and storing second data remotely relative to the user device. The first data and the second data can relate to the same content. The method can also comprise generating a manifest comprising location information relating to the first data and the second data and receiving a request for transmission of one or more of the first data and the second data based upon the manifest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Weidong Mao, Elad Nafshi, Mark Andrew Vickers, Gregory Allen Broome, Sree Kotay, Bruce Bradley
  • Publication number: 20140280869
    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: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Anthony Werner, Weidong Mao, Sree Kotay
  • Publication number: 20140283120
    Abstract: Methods and systems for managing data assets and rights thereto are disclosed. One method can comprise generating an access token representing access rights of one or more users or device. A request for access to data can be received from the one or more users and the request can be granted or denied based upon the access rights of the one or more users. The access token can be modified based upon granting or denying the request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Weidong Mao, Elad Nafshi, Mark Andrew Vickers, Gregory Allen Broome, Sree Kotay
  • Publication number: 20140258449
    Abstract: Disclosed systems and methods relate to segmented delivery of content. In one aspect, the segmentation process allows discrete segments of content to be moved through a content delivery network for reconstitution at an edge device. In addition, aspects of the disclosure provide for personalized delivery of content (e.g., advertising, etc.) to each end user and for bandwidth optimization by delivering format specific content based on the capability of an end user device. In yet other aspects, the methods and systems disclosed herein may support time-shifted viewing of live programming options and for adaptive bit rate transmission of content to user devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Dan Holden, Weidong Mao, Anthony Werner
  • Publication number: 20140237534
    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: February 12, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Jorge Salinger, Weidong Mao