Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to perform audio sensor selection in an audience metering device are disclosed. An example apparatus includes at least two audio sensors to receive audio at an audience metering device and a selection tester to identify a plurality of audio sensor configurations supported by the audience metering device, the plurality of audio sensor configurations identifying respective gain values to be applied to the plurality of audio sensors. The selection tester is further to select one of the first one of the audio sensor configurations or the second one of the audio sensor configurations based on a comparison of a first quality metric and a second quality metric. The example apparatus further includes a media identifier to identify audio received at the audience metering device using the selected one of the audio sensor configurations.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of using video viewer interaction data as input to a measurement engine which then calculates: demographic level and aggregate level (a) household reach for advertisements and video content based on user defined reach periods, (b) One-minute, Thirty-minute, and Sixty-minute channel viewing metrics, and (c) One-minute, Thirty-minute, and Sixty-minute aggregate viewing metrics, all based on second-by-second household level viewing activity. Also shows creation of Commercial Schedule Cumulative Audience, Impressions for Reach Periods, Demographic Group Impressions, Average Audience, Average Audience Share, Average Rating, Households Using Television, and Households Using Television Percent using household level data. Works with IP and linear video delivery. Together these metrics provide detailed information on customer viewing behavior which can be used to drive business decisions for service providers, advertisers, and content producers.

Abstract: A refrigerator including a main body including a storage room, a door coupled to the main body and rotatable in front of a side of the storage room, and including a display on a front surface of the door, a camera disposed to capture the storage room, and a processor configured to acquire an augmented-reality object corresponding to a food included in an image captured by the camera using a trained artificial intelligence model, to control the display to display the acquired augmented-reality object and the captured image as being overlapped with each other, and based on a user input being acquired while the acquired augmented-reality object is displayed, to provide a response to the user input based on the acquired augmented-reality object. The refrigerator can utilize an artificial intelligence model trained according to at least one of machine learning, neural network or deep learning algorithm.

Abstract: The described embodiments transfer an activity from a source electronic device to a companion electronic device. The source electronic device receives activity information describing an activity performed in a first application at the source electronic device, determines an activity identifier for the activity information, and broadcasts an activity advertisement comprising the activity identifier. Upon receiving the activity advertisement, the companion electronic device determines whether a second application that is associated with the first application is available at the companion electronic device. If the second application is available, the companion electronic device requests extended activity data from the source electronic device. The source electronic device responds by sending extended activity data from the first application to the companion electronic device.

Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for configuring an edge router of a communication provider network, the edge router coupled to communicate with a plurality of media streaming playback devices. Based at least in part on an indication of characteristics associated with the plurality of media streaming playback devices, a first multicast join for the edge router is configured to the communication provider network such that one or more media servers delivers a first plurality of media streams to the edge router via the communication provider network. Based at least in part on an indication of a request for an additional media stream not included in the first plurality of media streams, a second multicast join for the edge router is configured to the communication provider network such that the one or more media servers delivers the additional media stream to the edge router via the communication provider network.

Abstract: Examples relate to a method, a computer program, an apparatus and a system for determining information related to an audience of an audio-visual content program. The method comprises monitoring at least a subset of the audience. The method further comprises determining the information related to the audience based on the monitored subset of the audience. The information related to the audience comprises measured metrics for the subset of the audience. The method further comprises determining at least one conversion factor based on a relationship between a property value measured within at least one previously monitored audience subsets and the corresponding property value of the previous audience. The at least one conversion factor indicates a relationship between a property measured within the monitored subset of the audience and at least one property of the audience. The method further comprises estimating the at least one property of the audience based on the at least one conversion factor.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for a network-based media device upgrading system. An embodiment operates by receiving a fetch command from a first instance of an application executing locally on a host device. The fetch command is provided to a media device executing a second instance of the application. At the host device, metadata corresponding to the file that was retrieved by the media device is received. A rendering command is determined from the first instance of the application corresponding to displaying the interface including the fetched file as indicated by the metadata. The rendering command is provided to the media device that is configured to display the interface of the application responsive to executing the rendering command.

Abstract: A media client device may receive an electronic programming guide (EPG) including channel identifiers for a plurality of Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) channels and a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) channels. The media client device may receive a first tuning request including a first channel identifier from the EPG, and may provide, to a second device, a first request for a source Universal Resource Locator (URL). The media client device may receive, from the second device, a source URL, wherein the source URL includes data indicating that the source URL corresponds to an IP channel and may provide the source URL to a third device via a first IP communication session. The media client device may receive via the first IP communication session, and from the third device, content segments associated with the IP channel and may provide, to a fourth device, the content segments for display.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a quality of experience (QoE) prediction application computes a visual quality score associated with a stream of encoded video content. The QoE prediction application also determines a rebuffering duration associated with the stream of encoded video content. Subsequently, the QoE prediction application computes an overall QoE score associated with the stream of encoded video content based on the visual quality score, the rebuffering duration, and an exponential QoE model. The exponential QoE model is generated using a plurality of subjective QoE scores and a linear regression model. The overall QoE score indicates a quality level of a user experience when viewing reconstructed video content derived from the stream of encoded video content.

Abstract: A quality information collecting system acquiring video data distributed in response to a viewing request and collecting quality-related information regarding video viewing from a viewing client playing back a video includes a quality information control functional unit configured to determine whether or not to request the viewing client having made a viewing request to report quality-related information, based on a network communication situation in which the video data is distributed, and a quality information collecting and analysis functional unit configured to receive, in accordance with a determination of the quality information control functional unit, the quality-related information transmitted from the viewing client.

Abstract: There is provided a system including a memory and a processor configured to stream a media content for playback to a first media device for viewing by a first user, receive, while streaming the media content, an input from the first media device indicating an insertion point in the media content selected by the first user for inserting a contextual message provided by the first user, receive the contextual message from the first media device, stream the media content for playback to a second media device for viewing by a second user, and deliver the contextual message to the second media device for viewing by the second user when streaming the media content to the second media device reaches the insertion point.

Abstract: Methods and supporting systems collect data associated with interactive videos user engagement and dynamically adapt an interactive video application and/or interactive video content and detect anomalous behaviors based on the data.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing community driven content includes at least one sensor for recording sensor data, a network interface, a memory, and a processor connected to the sensor, the network interface, and the memory. The processor is configured to record usage history for engagement with the apparatus by a first user over a period of time and receive the sensor data from the at least one sensor for actions by the first user over the period of time. The processor determines user preferences for the first user based on the usage history and the sensor data, and determines whether a second user is available for interaction with the first user. The processor then outputs the suggested action, at a predetermined time, to at least one connected display device or audio device.

Abstract: Systems and techniques are disclosed for statistically associating mobile devices and non-mobile devices with geographic areas. One of the methods includes for each selected mobile device of a plurality of mobile devices, receiving latitude-longitude pairs for the selected mobile device, the latitude-longitude pairs corresponding to a location of the selected mobile device during a time period. The plurality of latitude-longitude pairs are organized into clusters, with the clusters corresponding to geographic regions visited by the selected mobile device during the time period. A score is calculated for each cluster, the score representing a likelihood that a user of the selected mobile device resides in a household within the cluster. A location of the user's household is identified to be within one of the geographic areas corresponding to the cluster having the highest score. The mobile device is associated with the geographic area having the highest score.

Abstract: An example apparatus includes a data parser to extract an identifier and a cookie identifier from a message received at a first server of a first Internet domain from a client device, the cookie identifier associated with the first Internet domain, the identifier identifying at least one of the client device or a user of the client device to a second server in a second Internet domain outside the first Internet domain, a memory to store the identifier in association with the cookie identifier in an identifier-to-cookie map, a processor to associate demographic information corresponding to the identifier with an impression logged at the first server in association with the cookie identifier, the associating based on accessing the memory to identify that the cookie map stores the identifier with the cookie identifier, and a report generator to send the demographic information to the second server.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving a bid request that indicates a television channel associated with a video stream requested by an end user device and that includes ad space information associated with an ad space of the video stream, where the video stream being requested is an Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming service that provides scheduled content. Context information can be accessed according to the television channel and according to a time associated with the ad space, where the context information describes the video stream and is generated by a context server. An auction is performed to obtain bid responses, where the auction provides bidders with context data that is representative of at least a portion of the context information, and where selection of the candidate bid responses enables a determination of a creative for the ad space of the video stream. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described to address deficiencies in conventional biometric devices by dynamically enabling and disabling a biometric device based on the content the user is viewing. The media guidance application may utilize a device enablement rule, which has content criteria. If the content criteria is satisfied, the media guidance application may enable or disable a biometric device in accordance with the device enablement rule.

Abstract: A communication quality adjusting system includes: an environment information acquiring unit that acquires environment information representing an environment, in which a receiver is placed, and having an effect on a communication state of the receiver; a criterion determining unit that determines a criterion associating a communication state of the receiver and a reception form used when the receiver receives content in accordance with the environment information acquired by the environment information acquiring unit; and a distribution unit that performs control such that the receiver receives video content in the reception form corresponding to the communication state of the receiver on the basis of the criterion determined by the criterion determining unit.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for a USB-based media device upgrading system. An embodiment operates by receiving a fetch command from a first instance of an application executing locally on a host device physically connected to media device. The fetch command is provided to a media device executing a second instance of the application. At the host device, metadata corresponding to the file that was retrieved by the media device is received. A rendering command is determined from the first instance of the application corresponding to displaying the interface including the fetched file as indicated by the metadata. The rendering command is provided to the media device that is configured to display the interface of the application responsive to executing the rendering command.

Abstract: A method of processing image data at a server is provided. Image data from one or more images is received at a preprocessing network comprising a set of inter-connected learnable weights, the weights being dependent upon one or more display settings of a display device. The image data is processed using the preprocessing network to generate a plurality of output pixel representations corresponding to different display settings of the display device. The plurality of output pixel representations are encoded to generate a plurality of encoded bitstreams. At least one selected bitstream is transmitted from the server to the display device, wherein the at least one encoded bitstream is selected on the basis of the one or more display settings of the display device.

Abstract: Techniques for content generation are provided. A plurality of discriminative terms is determined based at least in part on a first plurality of documents that are related to a first concept, and a plurality of positive exemplars and a plurality of negative exemplars are identified using the plurality of discriminative terms. A first machine learning (ML) model is trained to classify images into concepts, based on the plurality of positive exemplars and the plurality of negative exemplars. A second concept related to the first concept is then determined, based on the first ML model. A second ML model is trained to generate images based on the second concept, and a first image is generated using the second ML model. The first image is then refined using a style transfer ML model that was trained using a plurality of style images.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. An example apparatus includes: a comparator to compare a target rating to a computed rating to determine a comparison result, the computed rating determined based on a seed panel, the seed panel including monitored panelists associated with return path data; a seed panelist data adjuster to adjust the seed panel based on the comparison result to reduce an error between the target rating and the computed rating; and a household data adjuster to add tuning without viewing data to households of the adjusted seed panel, the tuning without viewing data for a first one of the households to represent monitored data corresponding to a media presentation device of the first one of the households being on while a media output device in communication with the media presentation device is off.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, communicating with a server via a first type of communication path to obtain permission to provide media content, that is stored locally at a device, to another device; and responsive to obtaining the permission from the server, providing at least some of the media content to the another device, the media content being provided to the another device via a second type of communication path that is different from the first type of communication path. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosure provide methods and content consumption devices that enable a scene, for example a 360° scene, that is larger (i.e. has more pixels in at least one dimension) than a display format of the content consumption device to be displayed. Constituent scene views are received individually by the content consumption device, for example as broadcasts, and are combined, for example stitched together, at the content consumption device to output a part of the scene that fits in the display format. The part of the scene (and hence the required constituent streams) to be displayed are determined by a signal, for example a navigational input from a user, enabling the user to navigate in the scene.

Abstract: A computer system for activating an event-based interactive device can be configured to receive, through a data input API, a unique device identifier. The unique device identifier may be associated with the event-based interactive device. Additionally, the system can be configured to receive user information associated with a user of the event-based interactive device. The system can classify event-based interactive devices into groups based upon the user information. Further, the system can be configured to transmit a command to at least one group of event-based interactive devices.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, articles of manufacture, and methods are disclosed for correcting systematic tuning defects. An example apparatus includes a defect analyzer to identify a suspect time window in tuning volume data of return path data reported by set top boxes. The example apparatus further includes a return path data transformer to identify a first return path data entry indicating a first set top box reported a first transition to an off state at a first time during the suspect time window and to modify the first return path data entry to (1) eliminate the first transition to the off state at the first time and (2) assign the first return path data entry a first duration to remain in an on state after the first time, where the first duration is determined based on monitoring data reported from media device meters monitoring media presentation devices.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed for generating and managing audio content, such as blogcast episodes. In accordance with one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided that includes operations performed by at least one processor including retrieving a plurality of stored snippets of media content related to a blogcast episode, the plurality of stored snippets of media content including one or more snippets of user-contributed content. The method also includes receiving snippet metric data associated with one or more snippets of user-contributed content. In addition, the method includes selecting two or more snippets of the plurality of stored snippets of media content including at least one snippet of user-contributed content and generating a blogcast episode comprising the two or more snippets of the plurality of snippets of media content.

Abstract: A method (100) of controlling playout of advertisement content during live video streaming at an end-user terminal comprising steps of: receiving (110) advertisement content from an advertisement server; receiving (112) live streamed video content from a content delivery network and playing out the video content; obtaining (114) at least one of image features and audio features of the video content during playout; calculating (116) a content importance rating of video content to be played out during a prediction time window based on said features; and postponing (118) playout of advertisement content scheduled to be played out during the prediction time window if the calculated content importance rating for the prediction time window is above a threshold value.

Abstract: Among other things, videos and commercials are downloaded to a mobile device for storage on the mobile device and later playout on the mobile device. The downloading includes downloading of metadata associated with the commercials and based on which the mobile device can select commercials for insertion into videos being played back to the user of the mobile device. The commercials to be downloaded are selected based on one or a combination of any two or more of the location of the user, the type of mobile device, and personally-identifiable information about a user of the mobile device.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for streaming content, and specifically browser content, across devices in a mesh network. This occurs by receiving, at a first mobile device in mesh network, instructions from a second mobile device in the mesh network, the instructions directing the first mobile device to load content from a website, where the instructions are sent based on the second mobile device loading the content from the website. The first mobile device receives the content from the website, loads/processes the website content, and displays the content. When the first mobile device receives a patch directed to modifications to a Document Object Model (DOM) in the content which occurred on the second mobile device, the first mobile device modifies the content on the first mobile device based on the patch.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for a window-metric rule for return path data (RPD). In some examples, a media monitor includes a count calculator to determine a first count of a number of devices in a first household that reported RPD for a first day. The example media monitor also includes an RPD selector to compare the first count to a current window-metric, the current window-metric associated with a window of time for the first household, the window of time associated with a content provider and having N number of days. The example RPD selector the RPD from the first household for the first day when the first count does not satisfy the current window-metric. The example media monitor also includes a report generator to generate a media exposure report using the RPD from the first household for the first day when the first count satisfies the current window-metric, independent of if the first household has heartbeat data available.

Abstract: A computer program product is provided for predicting ad spend for a specific media program aired or streamed on a specific network at a specific date and time using a database of media program data that includes known ad spend for a subset of media programs, and viewership data for each of the media programs, including total viewership and viewership ratings. Each of the media programs is identified by its respective network, and date and time of airing or streaming. A random forest model is trained to predict ad spend using variables that are identified as being correlated with ad spend. The trained random forest model is then used to predict ad spend for a specific media program that is aired or streamed on a specific network at a specific date and time, and which has an unknown ad spend.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and protocols for a media management application to be used by a supervisor to monitor, manage, and control what a subject is watching, listening to, or interacting with on a media delivery device. A media interaction application executes on a media delivery device and is configured to collect media interaction data based on tracked user interactions with media content on the media delivery device. A remote media management application executes on a portable electronic device and is configured to monitor the media interaction data and further configured to issue media management instructions to the media interaction application. A communications broker executes on a first network server and is configured to provide secure communications between the media interaction application and the remote media management application.

Abstract: Embodiments described include systems and methods for generating and displaying live objects for network applications. Live objects may be created from applications (apps) that are served from and/or hosted on one or more servers, such as web applications and software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications, and shared with one or more recipients. The objects may be loaded or accessed as if they were normal network applications, and the recipients may see the latest or “live” version of content as shown to the live object creator, including user- or device-specific data of the creator, under full access policy control, without requiring access to credentials of the live object creator.

Abstract: Systems and methods for inferring user traits based on indirect questions. Indirect questions may be generated based on one or more triggers. The answers to the indirect questions provide cues to a system as to whether a user has one or more attributes associated with a trait. This information may be used to personalize a computing device.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method incorporating machine learning (e.g., a support vector machine) for predicting worldwide box office performance of a film prior to its release date, wherein the predicted performance determination is based upon a total audience size relative to a corresponding movie production budget. Total audience size estimate relative to movie production budget is based upon objective likely patterns of competitive dynamics on a particular date, without reliance upon potentially-misleading subjective evaluations.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for operating a ferroelectric memory cell or cells are described. A cell may be written with a value that is intended to convey a different logic state than may typically be associated with the value. For example, a cell that has stored a charge associated with one logic state for a time period may be re-written to store a different charge, and the re-written cell may still be read to have the originally stored logic state. An indicator may be stored in a latch to indicate whether the logic state currently stored by the cell is the intended logic state of the cell. A cell may, for example, be re-written with an opposite value periodically, based on the occurrence of an event, or based on a determination that the cell has stored one value (or charge) for a certain time period.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for enabling incremental reach for an advertising campaign, across multiple screens/channels. In some embodiments, a base TV/media plan is uploaded, and targeted exposed viewers are monitored. Unexposed target viewers are identified. Additional media channels that unexposed viewers use are found. Unexposed viewers are matched with pricing and media avails from one or more media directories. Media avails are then analyzed along with incremental on-target impressions. Targeted avails for unexposed viewers are then determined, based on lowest incremental cost and largest incremental reach are added to a current cross-screen plan. An analysis to find new unexposed viewers is then re-run to determine the next-most cost effective avails. The above steps are repeated or looped until a selected advertisement budget has been allocated. User interface embodiments for these methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a method, including: receiving, at an information handling device, an indication to resume a media stream; determining, using a processor, a stoppage period associated with the media stream; identifying, based at least in part on the stoppage period, a resume point in the media stream; and resuming, based on the identifying, the media stream from the resume point. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Abstract: A system and method to analyze the effectiveness of advertisements of presented content. The advertisements include advertisements for which the behavior desired by the advertiser is to drive a viewer to perform a certain action, such as to watch particular television program content. The system determines if an advertisement is effective by correlating exposure to presented advertisements with the subsequent presentation of content that was promoted in the advertisements. To perform the analysis, the system collects tune data from set top boxes, digital video recorders (DVRs), or other component capable of storing tune data related to the content presented on an associated display component.

Abstract: A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for identifying availability of media items is presented. A search query is received from a client device of a user. Instances of media items that satisfy the search query and that are available on content sources accessible to the client device of the user are identified. Aggregate information for the media items is determined based on the instances of the media items. The aggregate information for the media items is transmitted to the client device.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving a social platform inquiry from a client; analyzing a current responsibility score associated with the client; and recommending one or more social platforms based, at least in part, upon the current responsibility score associated with the client.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to impute media consumption behavior are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a localized event engine implemented with hardware or at least one processor to, in response to a difference satisfying a first threshold, determine that a first subset of tuning data exhibits local bias, the difference to be between (i) a first percentage of exposure minutes determined from the tuning data, and (ii) a second percentage of exposure minutes determined from viewing data, determine that a second subset of the viewing data represents heavy viewing in response to (1) a first number of households satisfying a second threshold and (2) a third percentage of exposure minutes satisfying a third threshold, and a localized event selector implemented with hardware or the at least one processor to impute the second subset of the viewing data for the first subset of the tuning data.

Abstract: Provided are devices, computer-program products, and methods for improved management of system resources in a matching system. For example, examples can increase the efficiency of system resource utilization by managing the duration that data related to video segments are retained based on data that takes into account an identified popularity of a video segment. The identified popularity can be determined by algorithms that take into account numbers of viewers who watched the video segment, ratings of the video segment, metrics derived from remote sources, or any other factor that can indicate likelihood that the video segment will be viewed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a computer-implemented method for serving content. A non-limiting example of the computer-implemented method includes identifying, using a processor, a first user and a second user among a group of users viewing a display. Next, the method includes examining, using the processor, known information about the first user and the second user. The method includes computing a content profile, using the processor, based on the known information about the first user and the second user. The method further includes selecting relevant content, using the processor, to display to the group based on the content profile and presenting, using the processor, the relevant content to the group of users.

Abstract: Aspects described herein describe providing content recommendations such as, for example, recommendations for video content. A content recommendation may be based on when content was previously consumed.

Abstract: A vehicle chatroom server includes at least one network interface configured to communicate with passenger terminals, at least one processor connected to communicate through the at least one network interface, and at least one memory storing code that is executed by the at least one processor to perform operations. The operations include obtaining passenger information and characterizing potential passenger discussion interests based on the passenger information. The operations identify a grouping of passengers who satisfy a common interest rule based on the potential passenger discussion interests. The operations then communicate with passengers in the grouping through a computerized chatbot module providing natural-language text and/or computer synthesized speech that is provided to the passengers in the grouping to invite to a discussion-focused chatroom hosted by the chatroom server. Related methods and computer program products are disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed are examples of systems, apparatus, devices, computer program products, and methods implementing aspects of a decentralized content fabric for publishing digital content to an overlay network. In some implementations, fabric nodes of the overlay network are implemented in an application layer differentiated from an internet protocol layer. A first fabric node is configured to: obtain a client request to publish a content object part to the overlay network; determine a target partition of the overlay network in which to store the content object part; send a network request to provide the content object part to a second one or more fabric nodes; obtain one or more messages indicating that the second one or more fabric nodes stores the target partition; and publish the content object part to the second one or more fabric nodes for storage.

Abstract: A system and method for effectuating fast channel change in an adaptive streaming environment. A plurality of adjacent channels may be predicted relative to a current streaming channel engaged by a client device. Upon prioritizing the adjacent channels, the client device may be configured to pre-fetch metadata and initialization information for a subset of the prioritized adjacent channels based on bandwidth conditions, video player buffer status, etc. When a channel is changed, the client device is operative to use the pre-fetched data to quickly obtain encoded media content at a select bitrate for rendering.

Abstract: An optimization platform system includes a network interface configured to communicate with a plurality user devices and a plurality of servers in a network; a processor communicatively coupled to the network interface; and memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to obtain network measurements including Quality of Service (QoS) measurements and one of measured Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements and inferred QoE measurements from the QoS measurements for one or more streams in the network, wherein each of the one or more streams has a type selected from a group consisting of a video stream, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call, a gaming stream, and an Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR) stream, and wherein the QoE measurements and the inferred QoE measurements of each of the one or more streams is based on the type of the respective stream, analyze the QoE measurements to determine poor QoE in the network, determine remedial actions in the network to repair the