Abstract: A device and method with query device allocation. The method includes receiving, via a user interface of an electronic computing device, a user query, obtaining an initial result and determining a cognitive load of a user of the electronic computing device based on a characteristic from a sensor. The method further includes comparing the cognitive load to a cognitive load threshold, transmitting the initial result to an operator device when the cognitive load exceeds the cognitive load threshold, receive, from the operator device or another device, a revised result and outputting the revised result via the user interface.

Abstract: A content interaction system and method allow a user to simultaneously interact with a piece of content using four senses (sound, sight, taste and smell) of the user. In one embodiment, the content interaction system may have a plurality of devices wherein the user may integrate one or more of the devices together.

Abstract: A content interaction system and method allow a user to simultaneously interact with a piece of content using three senses (sound, sight and smell) of the user. In one embodiment, the content interaction system may have a plurality of devices wherein the user may integrate one or more of the devices together.

Abstract: This present disclosure describes a system and methods for integrated multistreaming of media with graphical overlays. At least one method includes a multistream service and graphical overlays hosted by a server infrastructure; a user configuring both the multistream service and graphical overlays on the server infrastructure; a user playing video games on a computer, using broadcasting software to authenticate with the server infrastructure; the broadcasting software capturing video of the user's computer session; the software retrieving the user's custom graphical overlay from the server infrastructure, encoding the video signal and graphical overlay; the software using the same aforementioned authentication to upload the encoded video to a multistream service, and the multistream service streaming the user's encoded video simultaneously to multiple streaming services.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to model on/off states of media presentation devices based on return path data are disclosed. An apparatus includes a distribution generator to: generate a first cumulative probability distribution indicative of actual durations of panel tuning segments; and generate a second cumulative probability distribution indicative of modeled durations of modeled tuning segments, the modeled tuning segments corresponding to modified lengths of the panel tuning segments. The apparatus also includes an RPD tuning information analyzer to analyze RPD tuning information reported from an RPD device. The apparatus further includes a set-on time calculator to estimate a set-on time for a media set associated with the RPD device, the set-on time indicative of a period of time when the media set is powered on, the set-on time estimated based on the RPD tuning information and the first and second cumulative probability distributions.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed herein that provides a multi-device, multi-screen experience where original content, other content, and associated data can interact and flow between a primary display device and one or more secondary devices. More particularly, the system and method disclosed herein provides for the delivery and management of digital media content to an end user by providing the multi-device, multi-screen experience where original content, other content, and associated data can interact and flow between devices. The system and method enables an individual to create a virtually universal home commerce and monitoring ecosystem by integrating a device into their home Wi-Fi and content consumption systems.

Abstract: Systems and processes are disclosed for controlling television user interactions using a virtual assistant. In an example process, a virtual assistant can interact with a television set-top box to control content shown on a television display. Speech input for the virtual assistant can be received from a device with a microphone. The speech input can comprise a query associated with content shown on the television display. A user intent of the query can be determined based on one or more of the content shown on the television display and a viewing history of media content. A result of the query can be caused to be displayed based on the determined user intent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for proximity service discovery are disclosed.

Abstract: A display method of a display apparatus includes: obtaining at least one set of viewing position parameters; determining a target display area within an active area of the display apparatus according to the at least one set of viewing position parameters; and displaying images in the target display area.

Abstract: A method, system or device includes one or more sensors for measuring a multimodal metric, a memory having computer instructions, and one or more processors operatively coupled to the one or more sensors and the memory. The one or more processors when executing computer instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations such as analyzing the multimodal metric to provide an analysis and determine a receptivity to a message, and delivering or receiving or presenting the message at a period of time when the receptivity is over a predetermined threshold based on the analysis. Receptivity to a message can be measured in many different ways including the use of the one or more sensors such one or more microphones used for determining a cognitive load of a recipient.

Abstract: A content interaction system and method allow a user to simultaneously interact with a piece of content using three, four or five senses (such as sound, sight and smell in one example) of the user. In one embodiment, the content interaction system may have a plurality of devices wherein the user may integrate one or more of the devices together.

Abstract: A cognitive information processing system environment which includes a plurality of data sources, at least one of the plurality of data sources comprising a blockchain data source having associated blockchain data; a cognitive inference and learning system coupled to receive the data from the plurality of data sources to provide cognitively processed data, the cognitive inference and learning system performing a learning operation to improve the cognitively processed data over time, the learning operation being based at least in part on the blockchain data from the blockchain data source; and, a destination, the destination receiving the cognitively processed data.

Abstract: A computer-implementable method for cognitive information processing comprising: receiving data from a plurality of data sources, at least one of the plurality of data sources comprising a blockchain data source having associated blockchain data; processing the data from the plurality of data sources to provide cognitively processed data; performing a learning operation to improve the cognitively processed data over time, the learning operation being based at least in part on the blockchain data from the blockchain data source; and, providing the cognitively processed data to a destination.

Abstract: Techniques where a computing device such as a smart phone can be leveraged to facilitate ratings data capture through a set top box (“STB”) associated with a content subscription service such as satellite television are described. In an exemplary embodiment, STB channel data can be communicated to the computing device via a personal area network (“PAN”) connection such as Bluetooth. The computing device in turn can forward the STB channel data to a remote server over a wide area network (“WAN”).

Abstract: Techniques for conditional presentation of auxiliary information are provided. In one example, a computer-implemented method comprises determining, by a device operatively coupled to a processor, feedback information for a user in response to a media presentation, wherein the feedback information is indicative of a mental state of the user during presentation of the media presentation. The computer-implemented method can further comprise determining content of the media presentation associated with the mental state of the user, and determining auxiliary information about the content based on the mental state of the user. The computer-implemented method can further comprise providing, by the device, the content to a user device during the presentation of the media presentation and for rendering at the user device in association with presentation of the content.

Abstract: A display device includes a display, a viewer identification unit, and a personal information display controller. The display displays content. The viewer identification unit identifies a viewer who is viewing the content. The personal information display controller causes, in a case where the degree of interest of the viewer in the content has reached a predetermined value or more, the content and pre-registered personal information of the viewer to be displayed on the display.

Abstract: Method, device, and storage medium for generating a GIF file. The method for generating a GIF file includes: obtaining an image set including a plurality of images; selecting at least two images from the image set, content of each of the at least two images satisfying a preset similarity condition, and a difference between photographing times of any two of the at least two images not exceeding a preset time threshold; and generating a GIF file according to the at least two images.

Abstract: A system and method for providing multisession 360° immersive video services in a network portion having a dedicated bandwidth capacity. In one embodiment, a bandwidth optimization method is operative to determine respective bandwidth allocations for the video sessions responsive to receiving an indication of the dedicated bandwidth capacity, a plurality of weights corresponding to the video sessions and a plurality of bitrate caps configured for the video sessions. Respective bandwidth allocations may be provided to a tile selection process configured to select tiles for a corresponding video session on a frame-by-frame basis from a plurality of tile-encoded bitrate representations of a media input stream associated with the video session, wherein each tile-encoded bitrate representation is provided with a separate video quality.

Abstract: A system and method for providing bitrate control for delivering media content to a plurality of virtual display (VD) screens presented in a virtual reality (VR) environment effectuated by a VR device of a subscriber based on detecting a movement in a point of view with respect the VD screens' placement within the VR environment, wherein each VD screen is configured to receive a media content channel. Responsive to detecting the movement, angular distance of each of the VD screens relative to a reference axis is computed. Weights to each of the media content channels may be assigned or updated based on the angular distance of the corresponding VD screens relative to the reference axis. Media content channels on the VD screens outside the subscriber's field of view may be time-shifted.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to count people are disclosed. Example people counting apparatus disclosed herein include a difference calculator to calculate a degree of similarity between a first characteristic dataset and a second characteristic dataset representative of face detections in images. Disclosed example people counting apparatus also include a limiter to store the first characteristic dataset and the second characteristic dataset in a plurality of characteristic datasets associated when the degree of similarity does not satisfy a threshold, and to store the first characteristic dataset in the plurality of characteristic datasets and discard the second characteristic dataset when the degree of similarity satisfies the threshold to limit a number of stored characteristic datasets. Disclosed example people counting apparatus further include a comparator to compare the plurality of characteristic datasets to each other to determine a number of unique faces in an environment during a first period of time.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to model on/off states of media presentation devices based on return path data are disclosed. An example method includes generating a modelled tuning segment distribution indicative of modelled durations of modelled tuning segments. The modelled tuning segments is based on panel tuning segments during which panelists were exposed to first media. The example method further includes obtaining return path data (RPD) tuning information reported from an RPD device. The RPD tuning information is indicative of a reported RPD tuning segment during which the RPD device was accessing second media. The example method also includes estimating a set-on time for a media set associated with the RPD device based on the RPD tuning information and the modelled tuning segment distribution. The set-on time is indicative of a period of time when the media set is powered on.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, detecting a first wearable device and a second wearable device in proximity of a display device and identifying a first user profile associated with the first wearable device and a second user profile associated with the second wearable device. Further aspects may include identifying a first set of media content preferences according to the first user profile and a second set of media content preferences according to the second user profile. Additional aspects may include providing a first filtered electronic programming guide to the first wearable device and providing a second filtered electronic programming guide to the second wearable device. The first filtered electronic programming guide indicates the first set of media content preferences and the second filtered electronic programming guide indicates the second set of media content preferences. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A mobile device analyzes data associated with media handled by a cast device connected to a display device. The mobile device causes control signals to be sent, via the one or more communication interfaces, to one of multiple different devices in a room to change an operational parameter associated with the one of the multiple different devices.

Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product conduct online visual searches through an augmented reality (AR) device having an optical see-through head mounted display (HMD). An apparatus identifies a portion of an object in a field of view of the HMD based on user interaction with the HMD. The portion includes searchable content, such as a barcode. The user interaction may be an eye gaze or a gesture. A user interaction point in relation to the HMD screen is tracked to locate a region of the object that includes the portion and the portion is detected within the region. The apparatus captures an image of the portion. The identified portion of the object does not encompass the entirety of the object. Accordingly, the size of the image is less than the size of the object in the field of view. The apparatus transmits the image to a visual search engine.

Abstract: A TV audience survey system for determining the TV viewing activities of a plurality of individuals in a household includes a master device and multiple tags, each tag assigned to an individual. After an individual logs into the system and starts watching the TV, the master device communicates with the corresponding tag repeatedly to accumulate data representing the individual's TV viewing activities. Such data can be used to determine when the individual stops watching the TV for an extended period of time without logging out of the system and when the household member remains watching the TV after logging or being logged out of the system. The master device then reports the accumulated data to a remote server, which uses the data to determine whether the individual complies with the logging protocol defined by the TV audience survey system and update the TV viewership data associated with this household.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for detecting events from ingested communication streams. A communication (e.g., audio) stream is ingested. A communication (e.g., audio) clip is selected from within the ingested communication stream. A clip score indicating a likelihood of the communication stream including event information is computed. Computing resources are allocated to further process the communication clip based on the clip score indicating that further processing is warranted. An event score is computed from event parameters extracted from the communication clip. An event is detect based on the event score.

Abstract: A method for recommending a multimedia resource is provided. The method includes acquiring user viewing data of a to-be-recommended multimedia resource in a playing trial run. The user viewing data includes at least user audio and video data and user video depth data. The method further includes analyzing the user viewing data to obtain user action data corresponding to the to-be-recommended multimedia resource, calculating a first user preference score of the to-be-recommended multimedia resource based on the user action data, acquiring a plurality of second user preference scores of a plurality of recommended multimedia resources, and recommending the to-be-recommended multimedia resource based on the first user preference score and the second user preference scores.

Abstract: A method of dynamically scoring implicit interactions can include receiving, by an interaction analysis server from an imaging system, a plurality of images of an environment captured in a period of time corresponding to display of a presentation, retrieving, by the interaction analysis server, content information corresponding to content of the presentation, and identifying, by a presence detector of the interaction analysis server, that a face appears in at least one image of the plurality of images. The method can further include matching, by a facial recognition system of the interaction analysis server, the face with a user identifier, retrieving, by a client device information retriever, client device information associated with the user identifier and corresponding to the period of time, and calculating, by a client device interaction score calculator, a client device interaction score based on one or more correspondences between the client device information and the content information.

Abstract: A system comprises television equipment and a number of portable electronic devices. The television equipment includes a large display and control circuitry. The control circuitry receives media content and media guidance data for display on the display. The control circuitry also includes communication components for communicating with the portable electronic devices. The portable electronic devices are operable for displaying video and communicating with the television equipment.

Abstract: A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform operations, for example, including determining a first correlation value between a behavior of a first audience member and a subject matter being presented at a display processor, wherein the subject matter being presented at the display is observable by the first audience member. A second correlation value is determined between the behavior of the first audience member and a characteristic of an environment in a vicinity of the display and the first audience member. Responsive to the second correlation value exceeding the first correlation value, a determination is made as to whether a present channel selection resulting from user input initiated by the first audience member is responsive to the characteristic of the environment influencing the audience member more than the subject matter being presented at the display. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system or a method is provided to detect crowd sentiments and/or reactions to music, movies, films, performances, speeches, and other presentations. In particular, various types of crowd sensors may be set up in a venue where presentations take place to detect and measure the audience's various reactions to the presentations. The crowd sensors may detect the crowd's reactions to a particular presentation, such as a song, and also may detect the crowd's reactions to various portions of the presentation, such as various parts of the song. The crowd's reactions and sentiment in response to the presentation may be used to analyze crowd sentiment for the presentation or for various parts of the presentation. Further, the system may analyze the crowd's sentiment to establish emerging trends in the type of presentation, such as emerging trends in Hip Hop music, merging trends in romantic films, or the like.

Abstract: A pedestrian alert system supported on a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or a wearable computing device which is employed by a user to engage in various activities, is configured to provide visual, auditory, or haptic alerts when the system uses location sensing and map data to determine the user's proximity to a pedestrian street crossing. The alert attracts the user's attention by having the user perform an explicit action to dismiss the alert before being able to continue with the activities on the device. Operations are suspended for applications rendering content on the device display (e.g., a touch screen), user inputs are disabled, and the display may be blurred, dimmed, obscured, or otherwise deactivated. The pedestrian alert system can take a snapshot of application state prior to suspension so that the applications can gracefully resume operations without disruption once the alert is manually or automatically dismissed.

Abstract: Techniques for conditional presentation of auxiliary information are provided. In one example, a computer-implemented method comprises determining, by a device operatively coupled to a processor, feedback information for a user in response to a media presentation, wherein the feedback information is indicative of a mental state of the user during presentation of the media presentation. The computer-implemented method can further comprise determining content of the media presentation associated with the mental state of the user, and determining auxiliary information about the content based on the mental state of the user. The computer-implemented method can further comprise providing, by the device, the content to a user device during the presentation of the media presentation and for rendering at the user device in association with presentation of the content.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for using a mobile device to remotely control a desktop application that was configured for use with a pointing device. During operation, the system receives at a mobile device, from a user, a connection request to connect to a desktop application executing on a remote device. In response to the connection request, the system establishes a remote control session between the mobile device and the remote device. Next, the system receives, at the mobile device, a video stream from a first camera coupled to the mobile device. The system then analyzes the video stream, at the mobile device, to identify a gesture made by the user. Next, the system identifies, at the mobile device, a pointing device command corresponding to the gesture. Finally, the system sends the pointing device command to the desktop application executing on the remote device.

Abstract: A display system includes a plurality of terminals and a head mounted display. The head mounted display performs wireless communication with the plurality of terminals. The head mounted display includes a main controller and a display controller. The main controller detects a line-of-sight direction of a user. The main controller specifies a single terminal out of the plurality of terminals based on the detected line-of-sight direction of the user. The display controller causes at least one setting screen of the terminal specified by the main controller to be displayed such as to be viewable to the use.

Abstract: A method provides for greatly reducing the time required for humans and machines to review long periods of recorded surveillance video, obtain images with high spatial and temporal detail, and greatly reduce the amount of data required for review. An Internet-accessible camera continuously captures video and records it internally in one or more series of short “normal” files. Each series of normal files has a particular resolution and frame rate. Periodically, a time-lapse video is also created within the camera, from images from a number of most-recent files in a given series of normal files. A user interface enables viewing a sequence of time-lapse videos, pausing playback, and clicking over to a normal video file it was made from, to view images with greater temporal detail, and back again. The method includes multiple resolutions of normal files and multiple series of time-lapse videos with different durations and sample rates.

Abstract: An information presenting device (100) presents image information; an operative device (200) accepts a predetermined input operation during the presentation of the image information; a guide information managing device (300) stores date and time information indicating a date and a time at which the input operation is accepted, image specifying information specifying image information presented when the input operation is accepted, and guide destination information indicating a guide destination to which the user is guided is stored in a database in association with one another, the guide destination information being specified by the date and time information, and the image specifying information; and a guide device (400) presents the guide destination information in response to a request from the user.

Abstract: A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform operations, for example, including determining a first correlation value between a behavior of a first audience member and a subject matter being presented at a display processor, wherein the subject matter being presented at the display is observable by the first audience member. A second correlation value is determined between the behavior of the first audience member and a characteristic of an environment in a vicinity of the display and the first audience member. Responsive to the second correlation value exceeding the first correlation value, a determination is made as to whether a present channel selection resulting from user input initiated by the first audience member is responsive to the characteristic of the environment influencing the audience member more than the subject matter being presented at the display. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A broadcast audience interaction and feedback system may discover and activate a recording function of a portable device of a user to record audio and/or video of media content output by a media device in proximity to the user. The audio or video data may be used to identify the content by matching audio or video fingerprints or signatures of the data recorded by the portable device with separately generated signatures or fingerprints associated with the content. Additional entities may be automatically associated with the content via capturing of metadata or closed captioning data during the content, OCR of displayed text in the content, or detection of other such entities. In some implementations, the portable device may also capture feedback from the user, including cheering, applause, and laughter, as well as explicit questions or comments, voting choices, etc.

Abstract: A face clustering system for video face clustering in a video sequence, the system including an inherent supervision summarization device configured to collect group-level supervision and instance level supervision within a same chunklet based on a user input of face images for a person, a discriminative projection learning device configured to embed group constraints of the group-level supervision into a transformed space, and configured to generate an embedding space from the original image feature space, and a clustering device, in the embedding space, configured to execute pair-wise based clustering to cluster the video images into different clusters with the instance level supervision collected by the inherent supervision summarization device.

Abstract: A card recognition system comprises an imaging device configured to capture a raw image of at least a portion of a card, and a processor operably coupled with the imaging device. The processor is configured to perform an image processing analysis of the raw image to identify measurements of at least one of a rank area around a rank of the card, and a suit area around a suit of the card, and automatically generate a calibration file based, at least in part, on the image processing analysis. A card handling device comprises a card infeed, a card output, and a card recognition system. A method for tuning a card handling device comprises capturing a plurality of images from a deck of cards, storing the images in memory, analyzing the plurality of images for card identification information, and generating a calibration file including parameters associated with the card identification information.

Abstract: An intelligent monitoring system for care place is illustrated. The system includes a thermal camera capturing a thermal image of the care place; an image processing unit obtaining user's position and number of user according to region in which temperature is higher than a preset temperature in the thermal image; a temperature recording unit extracting and records user's temperature from the thermal image. When there is only one user, a abnormal event determining unit of the system determines whether an abnormal event occurs according to user's temperature changing rate. When there are several users, the abnormal event determining unit determines whether the abnormal event occurs according to both of the temperature changing rates of the users and an average temperature of the users. If the abnormal event occurs, the warning unit generates a warning signal.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for control of bandwidth reclamation in a content distribution network. In one embodiment, the invention provides a network operator or subscriber with the ability to disable or otherwise control reclamation in a switched digital video (SDV) network. A controller uses rules in determining whether to reclaim bandwidth. These rules designate certain carriers, content, devices and/or subscribers as high priority (or protected from reclamation). In one variant, the rules determine which subscribers are queried (“pinged”) in order to evaluate whether delivered content is actually being utilized by these subscribers. Alternatively, selected ones of the devices are configured so as to generate an automatic response to any ping messages. In another variant, the rules for disabling bandwidth reclamation are entered via user interaction with an application running on a client device and in communication with the controller via a network proxy, or with the SDV server directly.

Abstract: A broadcast audience interaction and feedback system may discover and activate a recording function of a portable device of a user to record audio and/or video of media content output by a media device in proximity to the user. The audio or video data may be used to identify the content by matching audio or video fingerprints or signatures of the data recorded by the portable device with separately generated signatures or fingerprints associated with the content. Additional entities may be automatically associated with the content via capturing of metadata or closed captioning data during the content, OCR of displayed text in the content, or detection of other such entities. In some implementations, the portable device may also capture feedback from the user, including cheering, applause, and laughter, as well as explicit questions or comments, voting choices, etc.

Abstract: A sponsor of ads included in media content broadcast to devices by a media broadcast system for viewing by users can receive realtime feedback from users indicative of user evaluation of the presently broadcast and viewed ad. User devices anonymously acquire, process, analyze and broadcast user responses to broadcast ads viewed on the device, the responses preferably made with natural user gestures. User responses broadcast from the device are received by the media broadcast system. Ad sponsors may the customized the ad and/or future ads for the user based upon feedback and, if present, a user history profile. Broadcast ads can allow user to preselect desired ads by interacting with sponsor logos or icons presented on the device. Gesture data can be acquired, processed and broadcast to the media broadcast system for latent, incomplete, user responses, and for responses made during non-ad portions of the broadcast media.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus to collect and provide viewer feedback to broadcasts. According to one aspect of the present invention, a rating is generated for a broadcast by a server system. The rating is based at least in part on viewer feedback to the broadcast, and the rating indicates a likelihood of interest in the broadcast for potential subsequent viewers. According to another aspect of the present invention, the rating is provided from the server system to an entertainment system, and the broadcast can be selected for viewing at an entertainment system. In one embodiment, the viewer feedback is received at the entertainment system in response to a feedback questionnaire.

Abstract: A media access device such as, for example, a cable or satellite set top box (STB), a digital video recorder (DVR), a personal computer, and/or a digital media receivers automatically optimizes an order of content choices presented in a content listing, such as a program guide display, favorite channel display, and/or a recording listing display based on the past viewing and/or recording history of a current user.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system is provided, including a beamformer in communication with a transducer probe to acquire ultrasound image data for communication by a transceiver. An identity server can include a series of profiles each including a unique identifier of an external environment and a unique predefined system setting of the system. A tracking system can scan for a first tag having a unique identifier of a user of the system and for a second tag having a unique identifier of the patient. The identity server is operable to select a match of one of the series of profiles based on the acquired unique identifier and automatically communicate the profile to the transceiver for automatic activation of the system settings to the ultrasound imaging system.

Abstract: A display device, a remote control device for the display device, a method of controlling the display device, a method of controlling the remote control device, and a method of controlling a server includes collecting at least one piece of situation information or receiving at least one piece of situation information from a remote control device, determining a current state of a user based on the collected or received at least one piece of situation information, instructing the remote control device to output a notification signal corresponding to the current state of the user, and generating the control command according to the current state of the user and providing a sense-based image service to the user according to the control command.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward apparatus and methods including communication circuits for communicating between a plurality of compartments in a vehicle. An array of flexible cables provides signal-communication paths between the plurality of compartments in the vehicle, with each cable having a glass or silica core region for conveying optical signals, and communicating signals (electrical signals and optical signals) along at least one of the signal-communication paths and between the plurality of compartments in the vehicle. The apparatus and methods also include a plurality of circuits that communicate status-indication signals between locations along the array of flexible cables. The status-indication signals are communicated via the signal-communication paths in the flexible array of cables and are indicative of vehicle-travel modes for reporting a status of the vehicle in a mode relative to travel of the vehicle.