Abstract: A television receiving device includes an operating mode determining unit and a power supply control unit. The operating mode determining unit is configured to determine an operating mode of the television receiving device. The power supply control unit is configured to automatically turn off the television receiving device when a default time elapses. The power supply control unit is further configured to change the default time to a modified time that is shorter than the default time based on the operating mode determined by the operating mode determining unit.

Abstract: A remote control device comprising a display, a receiver module, and a detection module. The receiver module is configured to receive, from a set-top box device, information about content currently displayed on a screen connected to the set-top box device, and configured to display the information on the display. The detection module is in communication with the display. The detection module is configured to determine a button that is pressed on the remote control device, and configured to display an output on the display corresponding to the button and indicating that the button has been pressed.

Abstract: Auditing systems and methods detect access authorization of a media device for a service during an audit. An exemplary embodiment receives an audit trigger at a media device communicating the service to a media presentation device, determines whether the media device is authorized to communicate the service to the media presentation device, and communicates a security watermark from the media device to the media presentation device. The security watermark is displayed on a display of the media presentation device and indicates authorization to access the service to an auditor performing the audit.

Abstract: Efficient channel surfing in a compressed frame television system is provided by receiving and storing compressed frames representing unwatched channels. Then, when a viewer selects one of the unwatched channels for viewing, the corresponding compressed frame is retrieved from memory and is displayed until a sufficient number of frames are received for that channel to provide for normal viewing of that channel. Corresponding audio clips may also be stored in memory and retrieved and played when the corresponding channel is selected for viewing. Program data may also be stored for unwatched channels for later retrieval and display. Preferably, one tuner/decoder pair is utilized to display programs for selected channels, while a second tuner/decoder pair is utilized to capture and store compressed frames for unwatched channels.

Abstract: A broadcast signal receiving apparatus receives a plurality of transport streams and uses conditional access provided by an external adapter. The broadcast signal receiving apparatus includes a pre-processor operable to extract a part of information, by elementary stream unit, from each of the plurality of transport streams by receiving a filtering condition from the external adapter and performing filtering on the plurality of transport streams according to the filtering condition. The broadcast signal receiving apparatus also includes a multiplexer, an output interface, an input interface, and a demultiplexer. The external adapter is detachable from the broadcast signal receiving apparatus, and includes a conditional access descrambler that descrambles transport stream packets in the multiplexed data that are protected by conditional access with a packet identifier specified by the controller in the broadcast signal receiving apparatus.

Abstract: A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing a broadcast program are provided. The apparatus includes: a signal processing unit which generates an audio/video (A/V) file, an application file, and a first electronic program guide (EPG) file by appropriately processing a plurality of A/V signals, application information, and EPG information, respectively, which are included in an input broadcast program transport stream; a synchronization unit which receives the A/V file, the application file, and the first EPG file from the signal processing unit, generates storage information for the A/V file and storage information for the application file, and converts the first EPG file into a second EPG file comprising the storage information for the A/V file and the storage information for the application file; and a storage unit which stores the A/V file, the application file, and the second EPG file.

Abstract: This invention discloses a method for displaying advertisements transmitted to a user unit, the method includes receiving, at the user unit, at least one advertisement tagged with a delay tag indicating whether display of the at least one advertisement can be delayed and only if the delay tag allows delaying display of the at least one advertisement, storing the at least one advertisement at the user unit, retrieving the at least one advertisement and displaying the at least one advertisement. A billing system for reporting a commercial broadcast to a multiplicity of users is also disclosed.

Abstract: An image displaying apparatus and an image processing apparatus are provided. The image displaying apparatus comprises a signal receiver unit, a signal processor unit, a display unit, a signal output unit, and a control unit. The signal receiver unit receives a broadcast signal or a signal provided from a signal source. The signal processor unit processes the received signal. The display unit displays the processed signal. The signal output unit comprises an output terminal configured to output the received signal, and a signal converter configured to convert the processed signal. The control unit controls the signal, provided from the signal receiver unit, to be outputted to the external device by using the signal output unit.

Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus for providing additional information by using an extension subtitle file including an inverse multiplexing unit to separate video and audio data from a multimedia file input by a data input unit, an XML parser to parse a caption data file and an additional information data file input by the data input unit, video and audio data processing units to decode the video and audio data input by the inverse multiplexing unit, and convert the decoded video and audio data into predetermined video and audio signals, a caption processing unit to process the caption data parsed and input by the XML parser, an additional information data processing unit to process the additional information data file parsed and input by the XML parser, and to generate user interface information based on the processed additional information, and a data output unit to display the processed video, audio, caption and user interface information.

Abstract: The present invention is an integrated set-top box. In one embodiment, the up-stream path and the down-stream path are integrated on a common semiconductor substrate. The down-stream path can include a TV tuner and a digital receiver portion that is integrated on the common semiconductor substrate with a power amplifier of the up-stream path. In another embodiment, the TV tuner is implemented on a first semiconductor substrate and the digital receiver portion and the power amplifier are configured on a second semiconductor substrate. However, the two substrates are mounted on a common carrier so that the set-top box appears to be a single chip configuration to the user.

Abstract: A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.

Abstract: A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.

Abstract: The invention consists of a process for receiving and for screening audiovisual transmissions broadcast by a network. The transmissions consisting of events and of short transmissions possessing a distinctive element, these short transmissions being broadcast by services identifiable by this distinctive element. At a certain moment specified by the broadcaster, a sequence is transmitted on the network, it is replaced at the level of the display of the receiver by another sequence extracted from a service broadcasting short transmissions. The choice of this service is made at the receiver level. To avoid the appearance of a black screen between the network's transmitted sequences and the short transmissions, the receiver dispatches a filler transmission to the screen. The invention also consists of a digital television receiver for implementing the process.

Abstract: Various embodiments of apparatus and/or methods are described for skipping, filtering and/or replacing content from an audio/video stream using text data associated with the audio/video stream. The text data is processed using location information that references a segment of the text data of the first audio/video stream to identify a location within the first audio/video stream. The location within the first audio/video stream is utilized to identify portions of the audio/video stream that are to be skipped during presentation. The portions of the audio/video stream that are to be skipped are filtered from the audio/video stream, and some of the skipped portions of the audio/video stream are replaced with substitute content. The filtered video stream, including the substitute content, is outputted for presentation to a user.

Abstract: A channel remapping pre-notification (RPN) message is transmitted in each of multiple frequencies prior to movement of data associated with one or more virtual channels to one or more different frequencies. The RPN message is also sent prior to transmission of a Virtual Channel Table (VCT) reflecting channel movement. If a receiving device is unable to find data associated with a selected channel subsequent to the channel movement, the stored RPN information can be used to identify a new frequency for that selected channel.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media content processor having a controller adapted to detect an event associated with recorded media content derived from one among a plurality of media content sources, select a communication device of a subscriber of the media content processor, retrieve a portion of the recorded media content, generate a notice describing the event, and transmit the notice with the portion of the recorded media content to the communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A server (101) streams data coded by inter-frame prediction. The server (101) comprises: a transmission data generator (116) for causing an independently decodable key frame to be added with at least one difference frame following the key frame to create data of one transmission unit, and generating a buffering key frame added with information on the data of one transmission unit, the information including a frame number; and an output unit (114) for transmitting, with transmission timing of the key frame, a buffering key frame generated with a key frame that should be transmitted with the transmission timing, and transmitting an arbitrary frame with transmission timing of the difference frame. This can reduce buffering time for switching a terminal to play a stream between a plurality of terminals, allowing the switching to be done smoothly.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a global pause function in a broadcast multimedia system during a pause mode including an input module having an incoming timestamp counter for providing a time-based marker value to mark when each incoming packet arrives from a tuner and an outgoing timestamp counter for providing a time-based marker value for each outgoing packet to a receiver(s), the outgoing counter being configured for controlling when to release each outgoing packet to the receiver(s). At least one global memory device is provided for storing each received packet. The input module is configured to stop the outgoing counter from incrementing in response to activation of a global pause signal for the duration of the pause mode. Data flow to all of the receiver(s) is simultaneously and automatically stopped when a pause mode is enabled.

Abstract: An audio data spread spectrum embedding and detection method is presented. For each audio frame, a noise sequence is chosen according to the data to be embedded. Then, a spectrum of a chosen noise sequence is shaped by a spectrum of a current audio frame and subtracted from a current frame's spectrum. During detection, a detector is used on a watermarked audio frame to first whiten the watermarked audio frame. Detection scores are then computed against two competing Adaboost learning models. A detected bit is chosen according to the model with a maximum detection score.

Abstract: A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.

Abstract: A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.

Abstract: A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.

Abstract: An Internet protocol low noise block downconverter (IP LNB) assembly, within a satellite reception assembly, may be operable to determine location information and/or time information of the IP LNB assembly, via a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) module in the IP LNB assembly. The IP LNB assembly may provide services based on the determined location information and/or the determined time information of the IP LNB assembly. The IP LNB assembly may communicate the determined location information and/or the determined time information to a wireless communication device for determining location information of the wireless communication device. The IP LNB assembly may determine location information of a wireless source device, based on the determined location, information and the determined time information of the IP LNB assembly along with a plurality of other location information and a plurality of corresponding other time information associated with a plurality of other IP LNB assemblies.

Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects of the referencing data in triggers from applications, a device can store multiple triggers for media content. For each of these triggers, a check is made as to whether a presentation of media content satisfies a criteria portion of the trigger. When the presentation satisfies the criteria portion, one or more actions in a payload portion of the trigger are performed. Additionally, data in the triggers can be referenced by applications executing on the device. These applications include applications that are launched as part of the one or more actions when the criteria portion of a trigger is satisfied, as well as other applications executing on the device.

Abstract: Enhanced television broadcasts including triggers with expires attributes may be utilized in a variety of situations where the expires attribute may adversely affect the utilization of the trigger. For example, in situations where the broadcast is recorded, playback may be enabled even after the trigger expiration. Similarly, local affiliates or FNOCs may rebroadcast enhanced television content by adjusting the expires attributes of the original trigger.

Abstract: A filtering method and system. The method includes receiving by a computer processor an audio/video data file and filtering data. The computer processor analyzes the filtering data with respect to the audio/video data file and retrieves specified audio/video data portions comprising data objects within frames of the audio/video data file. The computer processor removes gaps existing in the audio/video data file and receives tags comprising instructions for presenting video data of the audio/video data file, audio data of the audio/video data file, and the specified audio/video data portions. The computer processor stores the video data in a first layer of a multimedia file, the audio data in a second layer of the multimedia file, and the specified audio/video data portions in additional layers of the multimedia file. Each of the first layer, the second layer, and the additional layers comprises a tag layer comprising the tags.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for receiving and displaying cellular television content. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a wireless communication device for establishing a connection to a wireless telecommunications network and for receiving video content over the connection. The apparatus includes a processor for receiving the cellular television content and the television signal. The processor generates a signal for display on a video display screen from the television signal and the video content. A video display screen is also provided in the apparatus for displaying the signal. The apparatus may also include a remote control interface and a remote control device that includes a keypad for establishing a wireless telephone call through the apparatus over the wireless telecommunications network.

Abstract: A virtual set-top box (vSTB) for executing a middleware component, designed originally for use with the physical STB, including emulating hardware capabilities of the physical STB to process IPTV content received over a connection for presenting the IPTV content on a display of the electronic device.

Abstract: A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.

Abstract: A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of sending commands to a VOD server, e.g. using RTSP, which is local to the client, said commands comprising a reference to the relative current position. The current relative position is maintained by the receiver on the basis of PTS received in the MPEG stream, without sending a request to the server or relying on the existence of a descriptor in the stream that can be used to deal with jumps in PTS included in the stream.

Abstract: A set-top box for receiving radio and television signals is disclosed in which there is the presence of at least one unit (2) for receiving a signal (S) and at least one unit (3) for sending the received and processed signal (S?) to an image and/or sound broadcasting apparatus (4) such as a television set, radio set, PC, iPOD, and any other existing and/or achievable apparatus; means for processing the signal (S) converts said signal (S)—into the signal (S?) to be sent through a circuit (5) adapted to allow passage towards the broadcasting apparatus' (4) of information, data, promotions or advertising depending on suitable scheduling of said circuit.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a digital broadcast reception apparatus that allows a stable viewing even if a reception environment changes along with a movement. In the present invention, based on current position information indicating a current position detected by a current position detection section and broadcast area information stored in a broadcast area information storage section, a search-mode switching control section instructs a tuning control section to select a diversity operation mode if the current position is close to a boundary of a broadcast area, and select an independent reception operation mode if the current position is not close to the boundary of the broadcast area. In the diversity operation mode, a first system and a second system are tuned to the same physical channel, and cooperate with each other to demodulate a digital broadcast signal and a make an output through a diversity process.

Abstract: Ad insertion includes providing a multimedia applications gateway that is connected to an access gateway for an end user device and receiving, at the multimedia applications gateway via the access gateway, multimedia program content. The multimedia applications gateway converts the program content from a program media source into a first communication having an open standards protocol recognized by the end user device. The ad insertion also includes receiving directly, at the multimedia applications gateway from an advertising media source, multimedia advertising content. The multimedia applications gateway converts the multimedia advertising content into a second communication having the open standards protocol. The second communication is stored in a local memory of the multimedia applications gateway.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor communicatively coupled to a remote controller by way of a wireless interface. The media processor can have a controller to wirelessly transmit to the remote controller provisioning information stored in the media processor for restoring at least a portion of the provisioning information stored in the media processor. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A method and a device for supplying a decoder with data stream such as compressed video signal including both non-predictive and predictive data frames of a common data type. A device comprising a decoder for service data is provided with (1012, 1020) a specific frame that is a predictive frame indicating substantially no changes in the service data in relation to a possible previous service data frame supplied. A service data buffer is monitored (1014) and in case it's at least near an underflow condition according to a number of predetermined criteria (1016), the decoder is fed with the specific frame in order to prevent the decoder from being disturbed due to a lack of timely provided proper input data (1018).

Abstract: A system is provided for intelligent handset remote control. The system includes a processor on a handset and a remote control component. When executed by the processor, the remote control component stores a list of media network providers, determines a location associated with the handset, retrieves an index associated with a media presentation device based on the location, and maps each of the media network providers in the list with at most one entry in the index. The remote control component also presents the list of media network providers to a user interface for the handset as a list of selectable inputs, receives a selection of one of the list of selectable inputs via the user interface, and transmits a command to the media presentation device to present media based on an entry in the index that corresponds to the selection.

Abstract: A system may present video content with a data scroll on a video display device. The data scroll may include data scroll items that are automatically and consecutively presented on the video display device. Each of the data scroll items may include information associated with a particular topic. The system may receive a selection of a softkey corresponding to one of the data scroll items, retrieve, in response to receiving the selection of the softkey, additional content corresponding to the particular topic associated with the one of the data scroll items, and present the additional content on the video display device.

Abstract: A method and system for providing selected content displays to users of mobile electronic devices and more specifically to a method and system for broadcasters to provide a marketing portal presented in the form of displayed customized broadcaster content.

Abstract: A media presentation device converts media signals based on stored output settings. The media presentation device includes a sink-interaction port to at least partially receive device-specific information of a sink device, a data storage and a processor. The processor determines whether one of the plurality of at least partially stored device-specific information matches the received device-specific information of the sink device, and selects output settings corresponding to the stored device-specific information that matches the received device-specific information of the sink device for use in converting the media signals to an output format supported by the sink device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes storing a caption file including a set of visual representations of captions for a media program and a video file including video information for the media program. A server receives a request for the media program where the request is associated with a user device. The method determines the caption file and the video file for the media program based on the request. The server then sends visual representations of the captions from the caption file out of band with video information from the video file over a network to the user device. The user device is configured to overlay a visual representation of a caption over a portion of the video information.

Abstract: The current document is related to the equalization of digital communications signals, including GB 20600-2006 and ATSC digital television signals, and is directed to methods that initialize adaptive filters for processing payload data within equalizers. These methods may operate at a clock speed faster than the symbol transmission rate and are applicable to a multitude of digital communications standards and protocols. In certain implementations, the initialization method generates input records, from output of a pseudorandom number generator, and output records, from the output of a pseudorandom number generator and a channel estimate, that are decoupled from transmitted and received data and are used to adjust equalizer coefficients to an initialization setting suitable for processing payload data.

Abstract: When the user initiates the retrieval of the primary content information item by means of entering a user input into the data processing system, e.g. zapping a digital TV that switches channels upon receipt of the user input, he/she has to wait a noticeable time before the rendering and play-out of the primary content information item actually starts. The length of the delay is predicted, on the basis of which one or more secondary content items are rendered and played out to the user during this delay. The invention can also be used for bridging the waiting time in an online ordering system, when loading a program on a personal computer, and in an IMS-based IPTV network.

Abstract: A number of encryption system types utilized by subscriber terminal devices currently requesting tuning to a particular switched digital video (SDV) content selection is determined in response to each change in a number of the subscriber terminals requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection. SDV content associated with the particular SDV content selection is encrypted as either encrypted SDV content or multiply partially encrypted SDV content based upon the determined number of encryption system types beginning from a current play location indicated for the SDV content selection within an electronic program guide (EPG). Either the encrypted SDV content or the multiply partially encrypted SDV content is distributed as part of an outgoing SDV content stream to the subscriber terminals currently requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection.

Abstract: A method for delivering a stored message to a satellite radio receiver is disclosed. The method includes receiving a request to retrieve the message, receiving the message, encoding the message for satellite transmission, and transmitting the message for delivery to the satellite radio receiver.

Abstract: A protocol for wireless transmission of audio/video (A/V) information is provided. The protocol includes sending a request message from a requester to a responder for changing A/V format of an A/V stream transmission between the requester and the responder over a wireless communication medium. In reply to the request message, sending a response message from the responder to the requester for synchronizing the A/V format change. The requester and the responder changing the A/V format of the A/V stream in synchrony.

Abstract: A method and system for dynamic channel management of a television based on media center set-top box tuner availability. The method includes determining a last channel a television was tuned to prior to being turned off. Then it is determined whether the last channel is a radio frequency remodulated (RF-remodulated) channel. If the last channel is a RF-remodulated channel, then sending a signal to indicate that the television is on line with the RF-remodulated channel. If a tuner is not available for the television, then receiving an indication of a cable channel that was last RF-remodulated to the RF-remodulated channel for the television. Finally, changing the television to the cable channel.

Abstract: A visual display system for a set-top box is includes a source of event data, a light emitting diode display adapted to display event data to a user in a standby mode of operation ,and a main processor configured to receive event data and control the light emitting diode display in response to the received event data.

Abstract: A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.