By Data Encoded In Video Signal (e.g., Vbi Data) Patents (Class 725/20)
  • Patent number: 11936958
    Abstract: A processor may automatically generate one or more transcripts based on a media context. The processor may append at least one of the one or more transcripts to the media. The processor may modify the at least one of the one or more transcripts based on an adjustment to a weight factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jian Dong Yin, Wen Wang, Zhuo Cai, Rong Fu, Hao Sheng, Kang Zhang
  • Patent number: 11863817
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling implementation of dynamic content modification. The disclosure provides for using at least one steganographically-encoded timestamp in a media stream transmitted to a media client as a basis to determine a transmission delay for media-stream transmission to the media client, and for providing the determined transmission delay as a basis to facilitate control over whether to have the media client implement dynamic content modification. In addition, the disclosure provides for receiving respectively from each of various media clients a report indicating transmission delay determined for the media client based on such steganographically-encoded timestamp data, and using the transmission delays for the media clients to establish a dynamic-content-modification footprint that could be used to control whether, where, and to what extent dynamic content modification will be applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Ropke, Shashank C. Merchant, John S. Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 11856262
    Abstract: An example method can comprise receiving content for presentation at a user device. The content can comprise a plurality of sections, and each section can comprise a video portion and an audio portion. The user device can also receive content metadata regarding one or more features of the content, where the features of the content comprise one or more candidate sections of the content for modification. The user device can apply one or more rules to the received content based on the content metadata to modify one or more of the audio portion and the video portion of at least one section of the content, creating modified content, and can cause presentation of the modified content on a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Galen Trevor Gattis, Weston Schmidt, James Chan, Michael Thomason
  • Patent number: 11784737
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed selectively generating and storing hashed reference signatures. An example method disclosed herein determining whether watermark coverage of a first media segment satisfies a dropout constraint, the first media segment corresponding to a first monitoring time interval of a media source feed and, when the watermark coverage of the first media segment does not satisfy the dropout constraint hashing first media signatures associated with the first media segment to generate corresponding first hashed signatures and generating first reference data for the first media segment, the first reference data including the first hashed signatures and the first media signatures. The example method further includes, when the watermark coverage of the first media segment satisfies the dropout constraint, generating second reference data for the first media segment, the second reference data including the first media signatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: James Petro, Dan Nelson, Deborah Cross, Raghuram Ranganathan
  • Patent number: 11736746
    Abstract: A method and system for using steganographically-encoded time information as a basis to control when a client carries out a content-related action. The client processes for presentation one or more linear media streams, each defining a respective time sequence of frames of media content, and at least one of the streams being steganographically encoded with at least one watermark at a respective time-point within the linear media stream, the watermark encoding a timestamp of the respective time-point within the linear media stream according to a server clock. The client extracts the timestamp from the watermark and computes a time offset based on a difference between the extracted timestamp and a current time according to a client clock. And the client uses the computed time offset as a basis to determine when the client should carry out a content-related action in a given one of the one or more linear media streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Ropke, John S. Stavropoulos, Shashank C. Merchant
  • Patent number: 11736749
    Abstract: This application discloses an interactive service processing method and system, a device, and a storage medium, and belongs to the field of computer technologies. The method includes acquiring a video stream and interactive information corresponding to the video stream, the interactive information comprising an interactive timestamp and interactive data; determining a transmission mode corresponding to the interactive information, the transmission mode comprising one of transmission based on a network channel and transmission with a video stream fragment as a medium; transmitting the video stream to a target terminal; and transmitting the interactive information to the target terminal based on the transmission mode corresponding to the interactive information, the target terminal being configured to process interactive service on the video stream according to the interactive timestamp and the interactive data in the interactive information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Yanzhong Yang, Guanghui Ren, Ming An, Peng Chen, Chong Yuan, Dan Wang, Yudong Jin, Xiaochuan Cui, Haibin Sun, Hongyu Liu, Wei Wang
  • Patent number: 11589109
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling implementation of dynamic content modification. The disclosure provides for using at least one steganographically-encoded timestamp in a media stream transmitted to a media client as a basis to determine a transmission delay for media-stream transmission to the media client, and for providing the determined transmission delay as a basis to facilitate control over whether to have the media client implement dynamic content modification. In addition, the disclosure provides for receiving respectively from each of various media clients a report indicating transmission delay determined for the media client based on such steganographically-encoded timestamp data, and using the transmission delays for the media clients to establish a dynamic-content-modification footprint that could be used to control whether, where, and to what extent dynamic content modification will be applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Ropke, Shashank C. Merchant, John S. Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 11470364
    Abstract: A method and system for using steganographically-encoded time information as a basis to control when a client carries out a content-related action. The client processes for presentation one or more linear media streams, each defining a respective time sequence of frames of media content, and at least one of the streams being steganographically encoded with at least one watermark at a respective time-point within the linear media stream, the watermark encoding a timestamp of the respective time-point within the linear media stream according to a server clock. The client extracts the timestamp from the watermark and computes a time offset based on a difference between the extracted timestamp and a current time according to a client clock. And the client uses the computed time offset as a basis to determine when the client should carry out a content-related action in a given one of the one or more linear media streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Ropke, John S. Stavropoulos, Shashank C. Merchant
  • Patent number: 11462213
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus to realize more natural dialog between users and a system, the information processing apparatus including: a control unit that selects a feedback mode in response to a speech style of a user from among a plurality of modes in accordance with information related to recognition of speech of the user. The plurality of modes include a first mode in which implicit feedback is performed and a second mode in which explicit feedback is performed. Provided is an information processing method including: selecting, by a processor, a feedback mode in response to a speech style of a user from among a plurality of modes in accordance with information related to recognition of speech of the user. The plurality of modes include a first mode in which implicit feedback is performed and a second mode in which explicit feedback is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mari Saito
  • Patent number: 11388483
    Abstract: In this application, methods of facilitating serving advertisements to users are described. Methods of the inventive subject matter allow for delivery of advertisement videos, both in the form of commercials and in the form of product placement, such that users can interact with one or more buttons that are included in an interactive overlay on the advertisement video. Buttons in an interactive overlay can prompt a user to provide an input to a client to bring about a desired effect, e.g., to make a purchase or to request more information. Interaction with a button does not cause an interruption in any video content that includes an interactive overlay prompting a user for input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: MARTELL BROADCASTING SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Carey Ray Martell, Akim Angelo Anastopoulo
  • Patent number: 11277658
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, and computer readable medium that include accessing a frame buffer of a graphics processing unit (GPU), analyzing, in the frame buffer of the GPU, a frame representing a section of a stream of displayed data that is being displayed by an apparatus, identifying a reference patch that includes a unique identifier associated with an available area in which secondary digital content is insertable in the displayed data that is being displayed by the apparatus, decoding the encoded data of the unique identifier, retrieving the secondary digital content from the remote device based on the unique identifier, and overlaying the secondary digital content into the displayed data in accordance with the available area, the screen position, and the size identified by the unique identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: BEAM, INC.
    Inventors: Dharmendra Etwaru, Mike Sutcliff
  • Patent number: 11234293
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for providing low data rate broadcast services. Different types of broadcast packets are detected among data packets received an external network. The different types broadcast packets contain different a different broadcast content. When a particular type of broadcast packet is detected, a transmit data rate is selected and Walsh codes are assigned for achieving the transmit data rate. Data packets corresponding to the broadcast packets are compressed, and at least one RLC block containing the compressed data packets is created. The RLC blocks are transmitted from a satellite using the assigned Walsh codes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: HUGHES NETWORK SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventor: Channasandra Ravishankar
  • Patent number: 10924629
    Abstract: Techniques for automated content validation are provided. In some examples, a media file and a metadata file associated with a title of the media file may be received. One or more scene paragraphs may be identified based at least in part on information in the metadata file. Scenes may be identified at least in part by using a transformer model implemented in a neural network. One or more scene files may be generated from the media file. One or more characters in a scene file of the one or more scene files may be identified. A match score may be determined, based at least in part on an association of the scene file to a scene paragraph of the plurality of scene paragraphs. A validity criterion may be determined for the title associated with the media file based at least in part on the match score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Christian Garcia Siagian, Christian Ciabattoni, Yang Yu, Yik Pui Suen, Ryan Barlow Dall, Ritesh Pase, Ramakanth Mudumba
  • Patent number: 10841482
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention disclose a method for generating recommendation to include advertisement substance in a photographic area. The method includes one or more processors identifying a photographic area of a camera. The method further includes determining whether the photographic area of the camera includes advertisement substance. The method further includes determining a modification to settings of the camera based on a positioning and focus of the advertisement substance within the photographic area of the camera. The method further includes determining a score corresponding to an image frame that applies the determined modification to the settings of the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sarbajit K. Rakshit, Kuntal Dey, Pramod Vadayadiyil Raveendran
  • Patent number: 10740306
    Abstract: A method and system for partitioning large objects for use by an application in a computing environment is described. The large object to be uploaded is analyzed in view of a desired partition size. The desired partition size may be selected by a customer system to generate a partition plan. The partition plan includes instructions identifying multiple partitions to be individually uploaded by respective execution modules. The system splits or partitions the original object into smaller, easier to manage partitions to be processed by the application running in the computing environment. The instructions defining the partitions are distributed to individual computing services for generating and uploading the partitions to the storage accessible by the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Zoran Ivanovic
  • Patent number: 10581539
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and processor readable media are disclosed for detection of signal quality problems and errors in digital radio broadcast signals. First monitoring equipment is located in an over-the-air coverage area of a first radio station. Second monitoring equipment is located in an over-the-air coverage area of a second radio station. The first and second monitoring equipment are configured to receive digital radio broadcast signals from the respective first and second radio stations. A computing system is configured to receive data from the first monitoring equipment and the second monitoring equipment, the data being indicative of one or more attributes of a digital radio broadcast signal received at respective monitoring equipment. The computing system analyzes received data to detect a signal quality problem or error in the digital radio broadcast signals received at the first and second monitoring equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Ibiquity Digital Corporation
    Inventors: Desmond S Fuller, Paul Venezia, Harvey Chalmers
  • Patent number: 10489795
    Abstract: The effectiveness of advertisements with respect to a group of panelists is measured. Based on the results of such analysis, advertisements and/or variants thereof are selected for presentation to consumers. Effectiveness of advertisements may be measured by detecting exposure to advertisements, and then monitoring panelist behavior following exposure to an advertisement. A group of panelists may be a representative sample of a larger population, so that observations of panelist behavior can be used as a basis for making decisions regarding presentation of advertisements to a larger audience having characteristics similar to those of the panelists. Once the relative effectiveness for various audiences has been determined, advertisements can be selected for presentation to individual consumers or to groups of consumers, so as to maximize effectiveness. Such analysis and selection may be performed substantially in real-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Mark D. Klein, Jason Browne, Craig Dougal Paterson
  • Patent number: 10410673
    Abstract: An embeddable video capturing, processing and conversion application for embedding a video capturing, processing, and conversion application component into third-party applications such as Web applications running in Web browsers or mobile applications running on mobile computing devices. The embeddable video capturing, processing and conversion application generally includes a client computing device 10, a code location 20, an application location 30, a video source location 40, a video target location 50, an application outlet 60, and an embeddable video capturing, processing, and conversion application 70.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: CLIPCHAMP IP PTY LTD
    Inventor: Soeren Balko
  • Patent number: 10289815
    Abstract: Methods, computer program products, and systems are set forth herein and can include examining a video file using content of an authorship attribution database, the authorship attribution database including one or more authorship attribution video file record; and determining authorship attribution of the video file based on the examining. The authorship attribution database can include one or more authorship attribution video file record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Romelia H. Flores, Christian E. Loza, Olivia G. Loza, Tomyo G. Maeshiro
  • Patent number: 10275579
    Abstract: Methods, computer program products, and systems are set forth herein and can include examining a video file using content of an authorship attribution database, the authorship attribution database including one or more authorship attribution video file record; and determining authorship attribution of the video file based on the examining. The authorship attribution database can include one or more authorship attribution video file record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Romelia H. Flores, Christian E. Loza, Olivia G. Loza, Tomyo G. Maeshiro
  • Patent number: 10200434
    Abstract: Pre-roll markers are encoded into media content at determined locations to provide a specified amount of pre-roll time before supplemental content is to be provided in place of the primary content of the media file. The supplemental content can be any appropriate content, as may relate to promotional or information content relevant in some way to the primary content or a viewer of the primary content. A marker such as a SCTE-104 message can be received with the media input and translated to a SCTE-35 message during the encoding process. The video stream can be buffered by an amount corresponding to a determined pull-up time such that the SCTE-35 marker, when received to the multiplexer, can be placed into the transport stream at the appropriate location. When received, the marker can provide sufficient notice to prepare the supplemental content to be displayed at the injection point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Trevor Wells
  • Patent number: 10104420
    Abstract: A content provider transmits instructions to a content receiver to record multiple instances of content. The instances of content are included in the same frequency band of a broadcast transmitted by the content provider via a first communication link and scrambled utilizing the same control word. The content provider determines to supplement the multiple instances of content and transmits an instruction to record a supplemental instance of content from a second content provider via a second communication link. The content receiver receives the instructions and accordingly receives, descrambles, and stores the multiple instances of content and the supplemental instance of content. In some implementations, the first communication link may be a satellite communication link and the second communication link may be a different type of communication link such as a terrestrial broadcast communication link and/or an Internet protocol communication link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: DISH Technologies, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Steven Michael Casagrande
  • Patent number: 10074013
    Abstract: Video and corresponding metadata is accessed. Events of interest within the video are identified based on the corresponding metadata, and best scenes are identified based on the identified events of interest. A video summary can be generated including one or more of the identified best scenes. The video summary can be generated using a video summary template with slots corresponding to video clips selected from among sets of candidate video clips. Best scenes can also be identified by receiving an indication of an event of interest within video from a user during the capture of the video. Metadata patterns representing activities identified within video clips can be identified within other videos, which can subsequently be associated with the identified activities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Newman, Adam Silver
  • Patent number: 10057718
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to associate geographic locations with user devices. An example apparatus includes a beacon handler to: extract source identifying information from a beacon transmitted from a user device to an audience measurement entity in response to the user device accessing a webpage, and extract media identifying information from the beacon; a location identifier to, in response to detecting that the source identifying information indicates that the beacon was received from a mobile network query a location service of a provider of the mobile network to retrieve a location associated with the user device; and a location mapper to store the location in association with the media identifying information to credit an impression of the media identifying information to the location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Steven J. Splaine, Arun Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 9991980
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for tracking a sequence of events associated with a digital recording device are disclosed. An example method involves monitoring data conveyed via a data bus communicatively coupled to a processor and a data storage device associated with the digital media device. The example method also involves identifying event information associated with the digital media device based on the data and identifying the viewing information based on the event information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventor: Charles Clinton Conklin
  • Patent number: 9986288
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to measure exposure to streaming media are disclosed. An example method includes capturing an image of a video presented by a media device. Video metadata is extracted from the image. The video metadata is converted to an ID3 metadata format. The ID3 formatted metadata is transmitted to a central facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Jan Besehanic
  • Patent number: 9866904
    Abstract: Interaction recognition of a television content interaction device is discussed herein. An embodiment operates by receiving, by at least one processor, interaction data from a receiver, wherein the receiver is configured to receive interaction data; determining, by at least one processor, an interaction from the interaction data; storing, by at least one processor, the determined interaction; selecting, by at least one processor, a content modification based upon the determined interaction; and modifying, by at least one processor, content streamed to the receiver according to the selected content modification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: ROKU, INC.
    Inventor: Sylvain René Yves Louboutin
  • Patent number: 9584858
    Abstract: A system and method for analyzing the viewing behavior of end users that are viewing video content to determine the likely presence of one or more advertisements being viewed and to assess the viewers who stop viewing during the course of such advertisements. The system periodically or continuously receives tune data reflecting the viewing behavior of end users, analyzes the cumulative viewing behavior reflected by the received tune data, and delivers a report of the analysis to advertisers, agencies, media sellers, or other parties that are interested in measuring the effectiveness of advertisements on end users. The analysis by the system can be done over multiple different types of content-distribution platforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: RENTRAK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Vinson, Maria Loper, Amir Yazdani, Bruce Goerlich
  • Patent number: 9515904
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to monitor streaming media content are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein to monitor streaming media content comprises extracting first metering data from media content to be provided to a content presentation device via a transport stream, the first metering data identifying at least one of the media content or a source of the media content, combining the first metering data with second metering data obtained independently of the media content, the combined metering data not being decodable by a meter associated with the content presentation device, and transcoding the combined metering data to form transcoded metering data having a format decodable by the meter associated with the content presentation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jan Besehanic, Arun Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 9438850
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for identifying importance of scenes or moments in video content relative to one another. Closed captioning data is extracted from a video content feature. A textual analysis of the closed captioning data is performed. The importance level of scenes can be ranked with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeromey Russell Goetz
  • Patent number: 9282369
    Abstract: Disclosed example methods to determine a time offset between a first media signature having a first sequence of first data pairs and a second media signature having a second sequence of second data pairs include comparing ones of the first data pairs in the first sequence with ones of the second data pairs in the second sequence to determine original time differences between respective combinations of the ones of the first data pairs and the ones of the second data pairs. Such example methods also include scaling and truncating the original time differences to determine scaled time differences between respective combinations of the ones of the first data pairs and the ones of the second data pairs. Such example methods further include determining a histogram comprising bins representative of the scaled time differences, and selecting a histogram bin to correspond to the time offset between the first and second signatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Kevin Keqiang Deng
  • Patent number: 9219559
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for audience measurement. An example method includes identifying at least one of a media device, an operation command, or a person in response to a voice command. The voice command is spoken by a user to control the media device. The example method includes collecting audience measurement data related to at least one of the media device, the person, or the user. The example method includes associating the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person with the audience measurement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Francis Gavin McMillan
  • Patent number: 9209917
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for metering the presentation of computer-based media presentation are disclosed. An example disclosed method performed by a computer that is configured to execute an operating system and a media presentation program comprises modifying the media presentation program to re-direct a function call made to the operating system by the media presentation program, and processing the re-directed function call to determine media presentation information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: James Lawrence Donald, David Howell Wright
  • Patent number: 9208158
    Abstract: A method for providing content syndication to subscribers including receiving one or more content items from a plurality of information sources. One or more tags are assigned to the one or more content items, the one or more tags indicating a taxonomy of the one or more content items. One or more keywords associated with the one or more content items and a media type of the one or more content items are identified. The one or more content items are indexed with the one or more tags, the one or more keywords, and the media type. The method further includes retrieving the one or more content items based on the one or more tags, the one or more keywords, and the media type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: CFE MEDIA LLC
    Inventors: Steven Michael Rourke, Erich Michael Specht
  • Patent number: 9201959
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for identifying importance of scenes or moments in video content relative to one another. Closed captioning data is extracted from a video content feature. A textual analysis of the closed captioning data is performed. The importance level of scenes can be ranked with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeromey Russell Goetz
  • Patent number: 9204178
    Abstract: A method is performed by one or more devices in a provider network. The method includes providing, to a user device, selected media content (such as television content) from a group of content options available from different content providers. A user device tracks viewer selections and provides the viewer selections as device tracking data that includes a viewing history for the user device. The method includes receiving, from the user device, the device tracking data and generating a billing record, for a user account associated with the user device, that includes a billing amount calculated using the device tracking data. The method includes compiling tracking data from multiple user accounts, including the device tracking data associated with the billing record and calculating, based on the compiled tracking data, proportional revenue shares for the different content providers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
    Inventors: Siddharth Garg, Sambasiva R. Karnati
  • Patent number: 9124379
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to adjust signature matching results for audience measurement are disclosed. An example method to adjust a signature matching result associated with monitoring a media presentation disclosed herein comprises obtaining, from a monitoring device, an audio signature representative of the monitored media presentation, obtaining, from the monitoring device, an environmental characteristic associated with the audio signature, and adjusting the signature matching result using an adjustment value when the audio signature is determined to match a reference signature representative of reference media, the adjustment value being selected from a plurality of adjustment values based on the matched reference signature and the environmental characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Morris Lee
  • Patent number: 9094651
    Abstract: A system and method are described for using the video switching capabilities of a first video switching device to select one of a plurality of distinguishable probe signals. The selected probe signal is detected and a corresponding control signal for a second video switching device is generated. In one embodiment of the present invention, the analog video switching capabilities of an audio-video receiver are used to select one of the probe signals. Said embodiment then detects which probe signal was passed, generates an appropriate control signal, and transmits it to a device capable of switching both analog and digital video, like a digital television or a DVI-or HDMI-capable switcher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Inventors: Joseph M. Igoe, Patrick T. Igoe
  • Patent number: 9077460
    Abstract: A system measures interest levels of audience in a broadcast program and provides extra information based on the interest level. The system receives an AV signal of a broadcast program and supplementary content which contains broadcast program related information and a tag identifying the broadcast program. The supplementary content is combined with the AV signal to form a data-augmented signal which is subsequently modulated with a carrier signal to form a transmit signal for broadcasting to receivers. Each receiver extracts the supplementary content, computes interest levels and provides extra information based on the interest levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Krishnan Ramanathan, Gokul Ranganathan
  • Patent number: 9032429
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for identifying importance of scenes or moments in video content relative to one another. Closed captioning data is extracted from a video content feature. A textual analysis of the closed captioning data is performed. The importance level of scenes can be ranked with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeromey Russell Goetz
  • Patent number: 9027049
    Abstract: An automatic content recognition (ACR)-enabled connected TV device may be operable to present an overlay offering a coupon utilizing an ACR system, where the overlay may also be presented on a paired device. The ACR-enabled connected TV device may present information associated with a value of the coupon based on interaction with the presented overlay by the viewer. The value of the coupon may be determined based on a profile associated with the ACR-enabled connected TV device. The profile may be determined and maintained utilizing the ACR system. The viewer may obtain the coupon associated with the value information from a microsite assigned to the viewer. The viewer may share information on a link of the microsite with one or more other viewers. The value of the coupon may change when one or more of the other viewers click on the link of the microsite to obtain the coupon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Turner Braodcasting System, Inc.
    Inventors: Nishith Kumar Sinha, Donald Jude Loheide, Matthew Paul Giles, Karl-Christian Sebastian Wolff-Ingham, Paul Spencer Amsbary
  • Patent number: 9015742
    Abstract: Digital video signature apparatus and methods for use with video program identification systems are disclosed. The example apparatus and methods generate a signature associated with a video program. An example system includes a frame scanner to scan video frames associated with the video program. The frame scanner is to select a video frame based on a number of intra-coded macro blocks within the video frame. The example system also includes an intra-coded macro block extractor to extract intra-coded macro blocks from the video frame and a scaled image extractor to extract a scaled image from the intra-coded macro blocks. A signature generator is also included in the example system to calculate a plurality of centroids associated with video frame based on the scaled image and to form the signature based on the plurality of centroids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Kevin Deng
  • Patent number: 9015740
    Abstract: Example systems and methods to wirelessly meter audio/visual (A/V) devices are disclosed. A disclosed example method receives media content from an A/V source device, embeds a video overlay in the wirelessly received media content, and wirelessly transmits the media content and the video overlay to the wireless A/V device. The example method wirelessly receives audience identification information in response to the transmitted video overlay, and wirelessly receives audience behavior information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Arun Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 9009751
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, determining if a commercial contains one of metadata, close captioning information, recognizable speech in an audio component of the commercial, or a combination thereof. In response to determining that the commercial does not contain metadata, but does contain close captioning information, an advertised show is identified based on the close captioning information. Likewise, in response to determining that the commercial contains neither metadata, nor close captioning information, but does contain recognizable speech in an audio component of the commercial, the advertised show is identified based on the recognizable speech. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Scott White, James Cansler, Charles V. Scott
  • Patent number: 9003440
    Abstract: An automatic content recognition (ACR) enabled (ACR-enabled) connected TV device may be operable to present, utilizing ACR, an overlay starting at a time that is synchronized to an identified event in presented content. The overlay may comprise one or more messages associated with an online social network. The presented content may comprise a program, a movie, a game or a commercial. The one or more messages may be pre-generated, before presentation of the content, for presentation synchronized to the identified event during the presentation of the content. The one or more messages may be generate during broadcast or streaming of a program or a movie, and the presented content, which comprises the program or the movie, may be presented during a time-delayed playback. The ACR-enabled connected TV device may track, utilizing the ACR, how each of the presented one or more messages is actually being viewed and/or interacted with.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
    Inventors: Nishith Kumar Sinha, Donald Jude Loheide, Matthew Paul Giles
  • Patent number: 8997133
    Abstract: An automatic content recognition (ACR) enabled (ACR-enabled) connected TV device may be operable to collect viewing data, utilizing ACR. The viewing data may comprise viewer interaction information and/or content presentation information associated with the ACR-enabled connected TV device and/or a paired device. The ACR-enabled connected TV device may store the collected viewing data in the ACR-enabled connected TV device. The stored viewing data may be communicated to one or more network providers, by the ACR-enabled connected TV device, for determining customized services for the ACR-enabled connected TV device. The viewing data may be used to determine how to manage advertisements associated with the ACR-enabled connected TV device and/or at a network level associated with the one or more network providers. The viewing data may be used to determine user profiles. The viewing data may also be used to determine programming and/or advertisements targeted to the ACR-enabled connected TV device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
    Inventors: Nishith Kumar Sinha, Donald Jude Loheide, Matthew Paul Giles
  • Patent number: 8997158
    Abstract: A method of receiving a broadcast signal including a Non-Real-Time (NRT) Receiver Targeting service is disclosed herein. A method of receiving a broadcast signal including a Non-Real-Time (NRT) Receiver Targeting service, the method comprises receiving broadcast signal including first signaling information and second signaling information, identifying an NRT service based on the first signaling information, parsing a Receiver Targeting Descriptor from the second signaling information, determining validity of the NRT service or an NRT content based on a targeting_criterion_type_code included in the Receiver Targeting Descriptor, and downloading the NRT service or the NRT content when a receiver determines the NRT service or the NRT content to be valid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jong Yeul Suh, Kwan Suk Kim, Gomer Thomas, Jae Hyung Song, Jin Pil Kim, Ho Taek Hong, Joon Hui Lee
  • Patent number: 8990844
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing digital service signals includes a receiving module configured to receive contents having watermarks, where the watermarks are inserted in audio or video frames of the contents, the watermarks carry channel information related to the contents, and content information having URL information for additional data of the contents. An extracting module is configured to extract the watermarks from the audio or video frames, and an obtaining module is configured to obtain the additional data over an IP(Internet Protocol) network using the extracted watermarks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sejin Oh, Jongyeul Suh, Byungsun Park, Jinpil Kim, Kyoungsoo Moon, Seungjoo An, Kyungho Kim
  • Patent number: 8988495
    Abstract: A method for controlling an image display apparatus includes determining a type of a video signal included in an input signal, determining whether three-dimensional (3D) format information is included in the input signal, if the video signal is a 3D video signal, requesting 3D format information about the video signal to a server that stores 3D format information, if the input signal does not include the 3D format information about the video signal, and processing, upon receipt of 3D format information from the server in response to the 3D format information request, the video signal according to the 3D format information and displaying a 3D image based on the processed video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: LG Eletronics Inc.
    Inventor: Jeongsim Kim
  • Patent number: RE46124
    Abstract: A digital television transmitting system includes a frame encoder, a block processor, a group formatter, and a multiplexer. The frame encoder forms an enhanced data frame and encodes the data frame for error correction and for error detection. The block processor further encodes the encoded data frame at a rate of 1/2 or 1/4, and the group formatter divides the encoded data frame into a plurality of enhanced data blocks and maps the divided data blocks into a plurality of enhanced data groups, respectively. The multiplexer multiplexes the enhanced data groups with main data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Hyoung Gon Lee, In Hwan Choi, Kook Yeon Kwak, Byoung Gill Kim, Won Gyu Song, Sung Ryong Hong, Jong Moon Kim, Jae Hyung Kim, Jin Woo Kim