Tag data is created from in-band data in a media content item by a remote location while the media content item is being broadcasted by a content provider and received by the remote location. The tag data identifies locations in the media content item which enables media devices to accurately jump to particular locations in the media content item based on the tag data.
H04N 21/43 - Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronizing decoder's clock; Client middleware
G06F 16/70 - Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of video data
G06F 16/901 - Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
H04N 21/2343 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 21/432 - Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk
H04N 21/4545 - Input to filtering algorithms, e.g. filtering a region of the image
H04N 21/845 - Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/8352 - Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates involving content or source identification data, e.g. UMID [Unique Material Identifier]
A method and apparatus for performing an integrated search is provided. An interface is provided that allows users to search and select any data related to a searchable term. Searchable terms may comprise titles of content, actors, and tags. Upon receiving results from the initial search, the user progresses through the initial search by selecting a result from the initial search and conducting a further search of that selection. The search may progress through many layers of searching in order to find information useful to the user and the user may perform actions based upon results of the search. The search implements a display with two columns, the first column displaying selectable data, and the second column displaying results to the selected data. The search is further customizable based upon a privacy level selected by the user.
G06F 16/78 - Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
G06F 16/9537 - Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/63 - Control signaling between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/242 - Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References]
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/2747 - Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/6587 - Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands or viewpoint selection
H04N 21/232 - Content retrieval operation within server, e.g. reading video streams from disk arrays
H04N 21/239 - Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. prioritizing client requests
H04N 21/2665 - Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
H04N 21/462 - Content or additional data management e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end or controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabi
3.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING VIDEO METADATA TO ASSOCIATE ADVERTISEMENTS THEREWITH
A system for using metadata from a video signal to associate advertisements therewith, comprising (i) a segmentation system to divide the video signal into video clips, (ii) a digitizing system for digitizing the video clips, (iii) a feature extraction system for extracting audio and video features from each video clip, associating each audio feature with respective video clips, associating each video feature with respective video clips, and saving the audio and video features into an associated metadata file, (iv) a web interface to the feature extraction system for receiving the video clips, and (v) a database, wherein video signals and associated metadata files are stored and indexed, wherein the associated metadata file is provided when a video player requests the corresponding video signal, enabling selection of a relevant advertisement for presentment in conjunction with respective video clips based on the associated audio and video features of the respective video clip.
H04N 21/2668 - Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. by inserting targeted commercials into a video stream based on end-user profiles
G11B 27/28 - Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording
G06F 16/587 - Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 9/87 - Regeneration of colour television signals
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 21/84 - Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors
H04H 60/37 - Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
H04H 60/59 - Arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups or of video
G11B 27/32 - Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
H04N 21/254 - Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server or rights management server
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
G06F 16/58 - Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
H04N 21/234 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/434 - Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams or extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream
H04N 21/462 - Content or additional data management e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end or controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabi
H04N 21/845 - Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
H04H 60/07 - Arrangements for generating broadcast information; Arrangements for generating broadcast-related information with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time; Arrangements for simultaneous generation of broadcast information and broadcast-related information characterised by processes or methods for the generation
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
G06F 16/40 - Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data
H04N 21/478 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application
H04H 60/61 - Arrangements for services using the result of monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups or
G06F 16/71 - Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
H04H 60/73 - Systems specially adapted for using specific information, e.g. geographical or meteorological information using meta-information
H04N 7/16 - Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
H04N 21/439 - Processing of audio elementary streams
H04N 21/266 - Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system or merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
H04N 21/835 - Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates
H04H 60/27 - Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
H04H 60/58 - Arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups or of audio
H04N 9/82 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only
A method and apparatus for highlighting a program listing in a set of program listings based on selection criteria. The selection criteria may indicate that the a broadcaster has agreed to pay a service provider in return for the service provider ensuring that a program listing, corresponding to the program of the broadcaster, is highlighted in a program page that displays a set of program listings, such as television program listings. If there are multiple program listings, listed in a program page, that are to be highlighted, then details of the respective contracts may be used to determine which program listing to highlight. Such details may include the total contract value, a ratio of contract value-to-page view, and/or the time of contract formation.
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/485 - End-user interface for client configuration
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/431 - Generation of visual interfaces; Content or additional data rendering
H04N 21/466 - Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
INTERRUPTING PRESENTATION OF CONTENT DATA TO PRESENT ADDITIONAL CONTENT IN RESPONSE TO REACHING A TIMEPOINT RELATING TO THE CONTENT DATA AND NOTIFYING A SERVER
System for present content. The system includes means for receiving a set of timepoints relating to a content data and means for generating display signals based on the content data. The system also includes means for sending display signals to a display device that represent the content data and means for notifying a server over the Internet, that a timepoint among the set of timepoints has been reached in the content data. The system also includes means for receiving, from the server, via the Internet, an identification of one or more particular additional content and in response to receiving the identification of the one or more particular additional content from the server, means for interrupting presentation of the content data; and presenting the one or more particular additional content. The system further includes means for resuming, presentation of the content data after presenting the one or more particular additional content.
H04L 67/02 - Protocols based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
H04L 67/10 - Protocols in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/4363 - Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a IEEE 1394 or Bluetooth® network
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/8547 - Content authoring involving timestamps for synchronizing content
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
6.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CREATING AND SHARING CUSTOMIZED MULTIMEDIA SEGMENTS
Multimedia content segment identified by users may be shared among media devices and media device users. Media content segment metadata is generated based on one or more identified media content item segments identified in one or more media content items. The media content segment metadata may include, but is not limited to, information indicating segment start and stop times, information about the particular media content item (e.g., title, actors, original air date), and other user-provided descriptive information. A link for the media content segment metadata may be posted for display on a webpage and which enables other users to access the media content segment metadata.
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/25 - Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication or learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/2668 - Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. by inserting targeted commercials into a video stream based on end-user profiles
H04N 21/2743 - Video hosting of uploaded data from client
H04N 21/475 - End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. PIN [Personal Identification Number] or preference data
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
A method and apparatus for secure transfer and playback of multimedia content enables the secure transfer of multimedia content from a digital video recorder (DVR) to a personal computer (PC) and further to a handheld device. A DVR determines which devices on a Local Area Network (LAN) are authorized to share and/or retrieve content from the DVR. The DVR receives a connection request from a PC on the LAN, authorizes the connection request and establishes a secure connection between the DVR and the PC. Once the secure connection is established, the DVR receives a request for multimedia content from the PC, prepares the multimedia content for transfer and transfers the multimedia content to the PC.
H04N 9/804 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback involving pulse code modulation of the colour picture signal components
G06F 3/0481 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
G06F 3/04817 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance using icons
G11B 27/32 - Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/4227 - Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
H04N 21/431 - Generation of visual interfaces; Content or additional data rendering
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/4402 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display
H04N 21/4405 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving video stream decryption
H04N 21/4408 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/454 - Content filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
H04N 21/4722 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content for requesting additional data associated with the content
H04N 21/478 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/63 - Control signaling between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
H04N 21/6543 - Transmission by server directed to the client for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
H04N 21/2343 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements
H04N 21/4367 - Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
H04N 21/21 - Server components or server architectures
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
A system and method for navigating digital media assets including a navigation system configured to receive a search query in response to a user input and process the search query by applying the search query to a search index of digital media asset conventional and time-based metadata and determining search results of titles of and start points in time within digital media assets that satisfy the search query. The navigation system may then display the search results to the user through the user interface. The search results may be displayed in a hierarchical format, wherein the title of the digital media asset is displayed and upon selecting the title of the digital media asset, the start points in time within that digital media asset are displayed or played as a video to the user through the user interface.
A method and apparatus for displaying branded video tags. An advertiser provides additional content associated with broadcast advertising content to a service provider that downloads the additional content to a digital video recorder (DVR). The service provider inserts command tags into the content that are intercepted by the DVR and interpreted as commands that instruct the DVR to perform specific actions when the DVR receives the stream from a broadcaster. The DVR intercepts and translates any tags inserted into the content stream while the DVR is playing the content stream. Tags can cause the DVR to display a branded video tag to the user which is a displayed icon that requests an interaction by the user and has an advertiser’s logo(s) displayed in its vicinity.
H04N 9/804 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback involving pulse code modulation of the colour picture signal components
G06F 3/0481 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
G06F 3/04817 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance using icons
G11B 27/32 - Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/4227 - Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
H04N 21/431 - Generation of visual interfaces; Content or additional data rendering
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/4402 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display
H04N 21/4405 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving video stream decryption
H04N 21/4408 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/454 - Content filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
H04N 21/4722 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content for requesting additional data associated with the content
H04N 21/478 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/63 - Control signaling between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
H04N 21/6543 - Transmission by server directed to the client for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
H04N 21/2343 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements
H04N 21/4367 - Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
H04N 21/21 - Server components or server architectures
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
A method for interpreting messages, user-defined alert conditions, voice commands and performing an action in response is described. A method for annotating media content is described. A method for presenting additional content associated with media content identified based on a fingerprint is described. A method for identifying that an advertisement portion of media content is being played based on a fingerprint derived from the media content is described. A method of one media device recording particular media content automatically in response to another media device recording the particular media content is described. A method of concurrently playing media content on multiple devices is described. A method of publishing information associated with recording of media content is described. A method of deriving fingerprints by media devices that meet an idleness criteria is described. A method of loading, modifying, and displaying a high definition frame from a frame buffer is described. A method of recording or playing media content identified based on fingerprints is described.
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
G06F 16/41 - Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
G06Q 30/0242 - Determining effectiveness of advertisements
G06Q 50/00 - Systems or methods specially adapted for specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism
G11B 27/32 - Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
H04N 21/422 - Input-only peripherals, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
H04N 5/765 - Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
H04N 5/782 - Television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape
H04N 21/4415 - Acquiring end-user identification using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning
H04N 9/79 - Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording
H04N 21/8358 - Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates involving watermark
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
A media content management system that enables users to manage media content collections is disclosed. A media device is configured to receive requests to create media content collections for particular media content and, in response, to retrieve information related to the media content, and to generate one or more interfaces displaying information about created media content collections. In an embodiment, retrieving information related to a media content may include determining, for one or more episodes of the media content, whether the episode is available from various content sources, including both broadcast and broadband content sources. By enabling a media device to automatically retrieve and present information related to the availability of media content episodes across any number of different broadcast and broadband sources, users can more easily interact with and view information about particular media content of interest to the users.
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/231 - Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers or prioritizing data for deletion
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
Enhanced trick-play modes for video content that is being streamed to a client from a server are described. In an embodiment, the enhanced trick-play modes are provided with relatively low latency and high quality using trick-play optimization techniques for a streaming environment, avoiding the need to stream the entire contents of the portions through which the viewer is In fast forwarding. By employing sophisticated selection criteria of which parts of the content to download at what time, the quality of the playback experience is improved versus that which would conventionally be possible when using a simple sequential frame data download. The streaming client maintains a cache of nearby significant frames, such as nearby key frames, in forward and/or reverse directions of the current playback position, without having to download the entire portions of the video stream in which the significant frames reside. The trick-play modes utilize these frames.
In an embodiment, a flick motion is detected on a touch screen interface of a first device. In response to detecting the flick motion: data associated with the flick motion is identified and transmitted to a second device. The data may be automatically displayed in response to detecting the flick motion.
G06F 3/04883 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
H04W 4/21 - Services signalling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel for social networking applications
G06F 3/0488 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/4786 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application e-mailing
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04L 67/1095 - Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
H04L 67/04 - Protocols specially adapted for terminal portability
14.
IDENTIFYING MULTIMEDIA ASSET SIMILARITY USING BLENDED SEMANTIC AND LATENT FEATURE ANALYSIS
Methods and system for determining a similarity relationship between a plurality of digital assets and a target digital asset comprises creating a normalized semantic feature vector associated with a search query, discovering the target asset based on the normalized semantic feature vector, generating a normalized latent feature vector associated with the target asset, comparing the normalized semantic feature vector with semantic feature vectors for each of the digital assets to generate a semantic comparison value, comparing the normalized target latent feature vector with latent feature vectors for each of the digital assets to generate a latent comparison value, blending the semantic comparison vector value with the latent feature comparison vector value to create a target comparison value for each of the digital assets, and reporting the digital assets having the highest target comparison values to the user or group of users.
Multimedia content segment identified by users may be shared among media devices and media device users. Media content segment metadata is generated based on one or more identified media content item segments identified in one or more media content items. The media content segment metadata may include, but is not limited to, information indicating segment start and stop times, information about the particular media content item (e.g., title, actors, original air date), and other user-provided descriptive information. A link for the media content segment metadata may be posted for display on a webpage and which enables other users to access the media content segment metadata.
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/25 - Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication or learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/2668 - Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. by inserting targeted commercials into a video stream based on end-user profiles
H04N 21/2743 - Video hosting of uploaded data from client
H04N 21/475 - End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. PIN [Personal Identification Number] or preference data
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
Voice-based input is used to operate a media device and/or to search for media content. Voice input is received by a media device via one or more audio input devices and is translated into a textual representation of the voice input. The textual representation of the voice input is used to search one or more cache mappings between input commands and one or more associated device actions and/or media content queries. One or more natural language processing techniques may be applied to the translated text and the resulting text may be transmitted as a query to a media search service. A media search service returns results comprising one or more content item listings and the results may be presented on a display to a user.
G06F 16/40 - Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data
Voice-based input is used to operate a media device and/or to search for media content. Voice input is received by a media device via one or more audio input devices and is translated into a textual representation of the voice input. The textual representation of the voice input is used to search one or more cache mappings between input commands and one or more associated device actions and/or media content queries. One or more natural language processing techniques may be applied to the translated text and the resulting text may be transmitted as a query to a media search service. A media search service returns results comprising one or more content item listings and the results may be presented on a display to a user.
G06F 16/40 - Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data
Voice-based input is used to operate a media device and/or to search for media content. Voice input is received by a media device via one or more audio input devices and is translated into a textual representation of the voice input. The textual representation of the voice input is used to search one or more cache mappings between input commands and one or more associated device actions and/or media content queries. One or more natural language processing techniques may be applied to the translated text and the resulting text may be transmitted as a query to a media search service. A media search service returns results comprising one or more content item listings and the results may be presented on a display to a user.
G06F 16/40 - Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data
Techniques for real-time audience measurement are provided. The techniques include instant message protocol in a DVR environment to obtain real-time audience measurement data to modify the scheduled recording time of a media content in real-time, to bookmark in real-time, and to gather audience ratings on commercials and viewership in real-time.
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/466 - Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04H 60/31 - Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
H04H 60/33 - Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
H04H 60/46 - Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for recognising users' preferences
H04H 20/40 - Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
H04H 60/61 - Arrangements for services using the result of monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups or
H04H 60/73 - Systems specially adapted for using specific information, e.g. geographical or meteorological information using meta-information
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
20.
Systems and methods for applying privacy preferences of a user to an electronic search system
Systems and methods are provided for, in response to determining that a user has not elected to opt into (or that the user has elected to opt out of) the privacy policy, using limited functionality of an electronic search system to select data items from a set of candidate data items to be transmitted using a first selection criteria (which is not based on personal information of the user). The system and methods may be further configured to, in response to determining that the user has elected to opt into (or that the user has elected not to opt out of) the privacy policy, access personal information of the user, and use full functionality of the electronic search system to select data items from the same set of candidate data items based at least in part on the accessed personal information about the user.
G06F 16/78 - Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
G06F 16/9537 - Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/63 - Control signaling between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/242 - Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References]
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/2747 - Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/6587 - Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands or viewpoint selection
H04N 21/232 - Content retrieval operation within server, e.g. reading video streams from disk arrays
H04N 21/239 - Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. prioritizing client requests
H04N 21/2665 - Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
H04N 21/462 - Content or additional data management e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end or controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabi
21.
Interrupting presentation of content data to present additional content in response to reaching a timepoint relating to the content data and notifying a server
System for present content. The system includes means for receiving a set of timepoints relating to a content data and means for generating display signals based on the content data. The system also includes means for sending display signals to a display device that represent the content data and means for notifying a server over the Internet, that a timepoint among the set of timepoints has been reached in the content data. The system also includes means for receiving, from the server, via the Internet, an identification of one or more particular additional content and in response to receiving the identification of the one or more particular additional content from the server, means for interrupting presentation of the content data; and presenting the one or more particular additional content. The system further includes means for resuming, presentation of the content data after presenting the one or more particular additional content.
H04N 21/234 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/4363 - Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a IEEE 1394 or Bluetooth® network
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/8547 - Content authoring involving timestamps for synchronizing content
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
G06F 1/3203 - Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
G06Q 30/02 - Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
In an embodiment, a flick motion is detected on a touch screen interface of a first device. In response to detecting the flick motion: data associated with the flick motion is identified and transmitted to a second device. The data may be automatically displayed in response to detecting the flick motion.
G06F 3/04883 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
H04W 4/21 - Services signalling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel for social networking applications
G06F 3/0488 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/4786 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application e-mailing
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04L 67/1095 - Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
H04L 67/04 - Protocols specially adapted for terminal portability
23.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DYNAMICALLY CREATING HYPERLINKS ASSOCIATED WITH RELEVANT MULTIMEDIA CONTENT
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for dynamically creating hyperlinks associated with relevant multimedia content in a computer network. A hyperlink generation module receives an electronic text file from a server. The module searches the text file to identify keywords present in the file. Once the keywords have been identified, a database is queried to identify multimedia content that is related to the keywords. Generally, multimedia content is associated with metadata to enable efficient searching of the multimedia content. Typically, the multimedia content is contextually relevant to both the identified keywords and text file. One or more hyperlinks corresponding to the keywords are then generated and inserted into the text file. The hyperlinks provide pointers to the identified multimedia content. After insertion into the text file, the hyperlinks may be clicked by a user or viewer of the file to retrieve and display the identified multimedia content.
A method and apparatus for an adaptive search user interface is provided. An interface is provided that returns search results upon receiving each alphanumeric character of a search query term. Correlations of prefixes of alphanumeric characters and search results selected from previous searches are stored in a correlation matrix. Based upon the correlations in the correlation matrix, relevance rankings for search results with respect to the prefixes of alphanumeric characters are updated. Search results may be grouped based upon one or more common traits. Relevance rankings are also updated based upon the rate of change of selections recorded for a search result.
While a stream device is streaming a media program from a multimedia device to a client device, the streaming device may be configured to send a first portion of the media program to the client device, where the first portion is transcoded from a first format into a second different format and adapted for a first playing mode of the client device. The streaming device may be configured to receive an indication of a user command from the client device specifying a second different playing mode of the client device. The streaming device may be configured to send a second different portion of the media program to the client device, where the second portion is transcoded from the first format to the second format and adapted for the second playing mode of the client device.
H04N 21/2343 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements
H04N 21/2387 - Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/4363 - Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a IEEE 1394 or Bluetooth® network
H04N 21/4367 - Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
H04L 65/612 - Network streaming of media packets for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio for unicast
H04L 65/613 - Network streaming of media packets for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio for the control of the source by the destination
G06F 21/62 - Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
H04N 21/254 - Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server or rights management server
26.
Interrupting presentation of content data to present additional content in response to reaching a timepoint relating to the content data and notifying a server
System for present content. The system includes means for receiving a set of timepoints relating to a content data and means for generating display signals based on the content data. The system also includes means for sending display signals to a display device that represent the content data and means for notifying a server over the Internet, that a timepoint among the set of timepoints has been reached in the content data. The system also includes means for receiving, from the server, via the Internet, an identification of one or more particular additional content and in response to receiving the identification of the one or more particular additional content from the server, means for interrupting presentation of the content data; and presenting the one or more particular additional content. The system further includes means for resuming, presentation of the content data after presenting the one or more particular additional content.
H04N 21/234 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/8547 - Content authoring involving timestamps for synchronizing content
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
27.
Interrupting presentation of content data to present additional content in response to reaching a timepoint relating to the content data and notifying a server
System for present content. The system includes means for receiving a set of timepoints relating to a content data and means for generating display signals based on the content data. The system also includes means for sending display signals to a display device that represent the content data and means for notifying a server over the Internet, that a timepoint among the set of timepoints has been reached in the content data. The system also includes means for receiving, from the server, via the Internet, an identification of one or more particular additional content and in response to receiving the identification of the one or more particular additional content from the server, means for interrupting presentation of the content data; and presenting the one or more particular additional content. The system further includes means for resuming, presentation of the content data after presenting the one or more particular additional content.
H04N 21/234 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/8547 - Content authoring involving timestamps for synchronizing content
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
A method and apparatus for highlighting a program listing in a set of program listings based on selection criteria. The selection criteria may indicate that the a broadcaster has agreed to pay a service provider in return for the service provider ensuring that a program listing, corresponding to the program of the broadcaster, is highlighted in a program page that displays a set of program listings, such as television program listings. If there are multiple program listings, listed in a program page, that are to be highlighted, then details of the respective contracts may be used to determine which program listing to highlight. Such details may include the total contract value, a ratio of contract value-to-page view, and/or the time of contract formation.
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/485 - End-user interface for client configuration
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/431 - Generation of visual interfaces; Content or additional data rendering
H04N 21/466 - Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
Interrupting presentation of content data to present additional content in response to reaching a timepoint relating to the content data and notifying a server
System for present content. The system includes means for receiving a set of timepoints relating to a content data and means for generating display signals based on the content data. The system also includes means for sending display signals to a display device that represent the content data and means for notifying a server over the Internet, that a timepoint among the set of timepoints has been reached in the content data. The system also includes means for receiving, from the server, via the Internet, an identification of one or more particular additional content and in response to receiving the identification of the one or more particular additional content from the server, means for interrupting presentation of the content data; and presenting the one or more particular additional content. The system further includes means for resuming, presentation of the content data after presenting the one or more particular additional content.
H04N 21/234 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/8547 - Content authoring involving timestamps for synchronizing content
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
30.
Method and apparatus for secure transfer and playback of multimedia content
A method and apparatus for secure transfer and playback of multimedia content enables the secure transfer of multimedia content from a digital video recorder (DVR) to a personal computer (PC) and further to a handheld device. A DVR determines which devices on a Local Area Network (LAN) are authorized to share and/or retrieve content from the DVR. The DVR receives a connection request from a PC on the LAN, authorizes the connection request and establishes a secure connection between the DVR and the PC. Once the secure connection is established, the DVR receives a request for multimedia content from the PC, prepares the multimedia content for transfer and transfers the multimedia content to the PC.
H04N 21/2343 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements
H04N 9/804 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback involving pulse code modulation of the colour picture signal components
G06F 3/0481 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
G06F 3/04817 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance using icons
G11B 27/32 - Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/4227 - Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
H04N 21/431 - Generation of visual interfaces; Content or additional data rendering
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/4402 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display
H04N 21/4405 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving video stream decryption
H04N 21/4408 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/454 - Content filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
H04N 21/4722 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content for requesting additional data associated with the content
H04N 21/478 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/63 - Control signaling between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
H04N 21/6543 - Transmission by server directed to the client for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
H04N 21/4367 - Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
H04N 21/21 - Server components or server architectures
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
H04N 5/775 - Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
H04N 5/781 - Television signal recording using magnetic recording on disks or drums
H04N 7/088 - Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band with signal insertion during the vertical blanking interval the inserted signal being digital
H04N 9/82 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only
H04N 9/83 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only the recorded chrominance signal occupying a frequency band under the frequency band of the recorded brightness signal
Voice-based input is used to operate a media device and/or to search for media content. Voice input is received by a media device via one or more audio input devices and is translated into a textual representation of the voice input. The textual representation of the voice input is used to search one or more cache mappings between input commands and one or more associated device actions and/or media content queries. One or more natural language processing techniques may be applied to the translated text and the resulting text may be transmitted as a query to a media search service. A media search service returns results comprising one or more content item listings and the results may be presented on a display to a user.
G06F 16/40 - Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data
According to one aspect, a DVR sends a user's contact information over a network to a third party. Upon determining that a television program or advertisement contains a special tag that is associated with a third party, the DVR displays, to the user, a prompt that invites the DVR user to allow the DVR to send the user's contact information to the third party. If the user gives permission for the DVR to send the contact information to the third party, then the DVR sends the contact information to the third party (e.g., over the Internet).
H04N 21/475 - End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. PIN [Personal Identification Number] or preference data
H04N 21/431 - Generation of visual interfaces; Content or additional data rendering
H04N 21/4725 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content for requesting additional data associated with the content using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots
H04N 21/478 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application
H04N 21/437 - Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/462 - Content or additional data management e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end or controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabi
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
G11B 27/30 - Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on the same track as the main recording
33.
MULTIMEDIA CONTENT SEARCH AND RECORDING SCHEDULING SYSTEM
Techniques described herein enable searching for multimedia content and for downloading or scheduling the recording of the multimedia content. The multimedia content may have been previously stored on one or more databases. The client device may download or schedule the recording of multimedia content in one step, for example, in one touch. When desired multimedia content is not available, the multimedia content is added to the client device's wish list. When the client device's does not have a wish list, the client device's wish list may be created on the spot. During the scheduling of the recording, a tag associated with the multimedia content is checked to determine whether the multimedia content is live or delayed. When the tag indicates the multimedia content is live or delayed, the client device prompts with a suggestion to add extra time to the end of the recording of the multimedia content.
G06F 16/78 - Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
G06F 16/9537 - Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/63 - Control signaling between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/242 - Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References]
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/2747 - Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/6587 - Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands or viewpoint selection
H04N 21/232 - Content retrieval operation within server, e.g. reading video streams from disk arrays
H04N 21/239 - Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. prioritizing client requests
H04N 21/2665 - Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
H04N 21/462 - Content or additional data management e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end or controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabi
A media content management system that enables users to manage media content collections is disclosed. A media device is configured to receive requests to create media content collections for particular media content and, in response, to retrieve information related to the media content, and to generate one or more interfaces displaying information about created media content collections. In an embodiment, retrieving information related to a media content may include determining, for one or more episodes of the media content, whether the episode is available from various content sources, including both broadcast and broadband content sources. By enabling a media device to automatically retrieve and present information related to the availability of media content episodes across any number of different broadcast and broadband sources, users can more easily interact with and view information about particular media content of interest to the users.
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/231 - Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers or prioritizing data for deletion
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
One or more window characteristics of at least one window displayed on a primary display device are displayed at a remote display device. User input is received at the remote display device to modify the one or more window characteristics of the at least one window displayed on the primary display device. The one or more modified window characteristics for the at least one window displayed on the primary display device are transmitted from the remote display device to the primary display device.
G06F 3/0484 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
G06F 3/048 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
G06F 3/04883 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
36.
Method and apparatus for creating and sharing customized multimedia segments
Multimedia content segment identified by users may be shared among media devices and media device users. Media content segment metadata is generated based on one or more identified media content item segments identified in one or more media content items. The media content segment metadata may include, but is not limited to, information indicating segment start and stop times, information about the particular media content item (e.g., title, actors, original air date), and other user-provided descriptive information. A link for the media content segment metadata may be posted for display on a webpage and which enables other users to access the media content segment metadata.
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/25 - Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication or learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/2668 - Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. by inserting targeted commercials into a video stream based on end-user profiles
H04N 21/2743 - Video hosting of uploaded data from client
H04N 21/475 - End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. PIN [Personal Identification Number] or preference data
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
Methods and apparatuses for presenting menus to DVR users and users of other media playback devices are described. After a DVR (or other media device) has finished playing a recorded television program (or other content), or in response to other specified events, the DVR presents a screen which comprises a menu. In addition to or in alternative to “save” and “delete” options, the menu comprises one or more options. Each of these other options may correspond to a separate item. For example, a user's selection of such an option may cause the DVR to display or play certain content on the user's television set. Additionally, or alternatively, these other options, when selected by a user, may cause the DVR to display a user interface through which the user can actually interact with content, such as an item that was featured or referenced in the television program that the user was just watching.
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
G06Q 30/02 - Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
H04N 21/432 - Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk
H04N 21/4335 - Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/458 - Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules
A client determines that a user is attempting to access media program recommendations. In response to the determination, the client attempts to collect media program recommendations to be presented to the user. Media program recommendations may be derived locally by the client, by the client and a multimedia device locally connected with the client, by the client and one or more additional devices, etc. In some embodiments, in response to receiving a query from the client, one or more recipient devices or servers identify media program recommendations in a plurality of trending categories. The media program recommendations may be selected based at least in part on EPG data and audience research and measurement data. The media program recommendations collected by the client are presented to the user for further exploration. The client may be one of mobile phones, tablet computers, etc.
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
A method and apparatus for performing an integrated search is provided. An interface is provided that allows users to search and select any data related to a searchable term. Searchable terms may comprise titles of content, actors, and tags. Upon receiving results from the initial search, the user progresses through the initial search by selecting a result from the initial search and conducting a further search of that selection. The search may progress through many layers of searching in order to find information useful to the user and the user may perform actions based upon results of the search. The search implements a display with two columns, the first column displaying selectable data, and the second column displaying results to the selected data. The search is further customizable based upon a privacy level selected by the user.
G06F 16/78 - Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
G06F 16/9537 - Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/63 - Control signaling between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/242 - Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References]
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/2747 - Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/6587 - Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands or viewpoint selection
H04N 21/232 - Content retrieval operation within server, e.g. reading video streams from disk arrays
H04N 21/239 - Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. prioritizing client requests
H04N 21/2665 - Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
H04N 21/462 - Content or additional data management e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end or controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabi
40.
In-band data recognition and synchronization system
A method and apparatus for recognizing and synchronizing to in-band data at a multimedia device is provided. A content stream includes in-band data. The in-band data is processed and in-band data pattern data associated with the content stream are created. Metadata are attached to the event identification data. The event identification data are provided to multimedia devices which receive broadcasted multimedia content streams containing video programs with in-band data. The in-band data are processed and compared to the event identification data. If a match occurs, the multimedia device uses the metadata to perform specified actions.
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/236 - Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator ] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream
H04N 21/434 - Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams or extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream
H04H 20/31 - Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information by a single channel using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
H04H 60/73 - Systems specially adapted for using specific information, e.g. geographical or meteorological information using meta-information
H04N 21/431 - Generation of visual interfaces; Content or additional data rendering
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/458 - Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/84 - Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors
H04N 21/845 - Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04H 60/13 - Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
H04H 60/27 - Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
H04N 5/765 - Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
H04N 5/85 - Television signal recording using optical recording on discs or drums
H04N 5/907 - Television signal recording using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories
H04N 9/82 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only
Tag data is created from in-band data in a media content item by a remote location while the media content item is being broadcasted by a content provider and received by the remote location. The tag data identifies locations in the media content item which enables media devices to accurately jump to particular locations in the media content item based on the tag data.
H04N 21/43 - Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronizing decoder's clock; Client middleware
G06F 16/70 - Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of video data
H04N 21/2343 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements
H04N 21/432 - Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk
H04N 21/4545 - Input to filtering algorithms, e.g. filtering a region of the image
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
G06F 16/901 - Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 21/845 - Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
H04N 21/8352 - Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates involving content or source identification data, e.g. UMID [Unique Material Identifier]
Techniques for real-time DVR programming employ secure instant message protocol in a DVR environment. An embodiment sends an instant message to the DVR which causes the DVR to open a new secure connection with the service provider for synchronizing data on the DVR with updated programming data from the service provider. Another embodiment uses an already established connection with an instant message server for synchronizing data on the DVR with updated programming data from the service provider.
H04N 21/458 - Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules
H04N 21/237 - Communication with additional data server
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/43 - Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronizing decoder's clock; Client middleware
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
An analytics platform configured to create clusters of media content consumers and to automatically generate human-readable, text labels that describe each of the created clusters is disclosed. An analytics platform may use any of a number of clustering algorithms to group a population of media content consumers into a set of user clusters based on viewing history data, user profile data, and/or any other data associated with the consumers. Furthermore, the analytics platform may be configured to create, based on the viewing history data and/or other data associated with a selected sample of users from each cluster, a text label for each cluster. For example, if viewing history data for a population of users includes channel and genre identifiers associated with media content items accessed by users of the population, a generated text label may provide an indication of channels and/or genres popular with users of each particular cluster.
In an embodiment, a flick motion is detected on a touch screen interface of a first device. In response to detecting the flick motion: data associated with the flick motion is identified and transmitted to a second device. The data may be automatically displayed in response to detecting the flick motion.
G06F 3/04883 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
H04W 4/21 - Services signalling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel for social networking applications
G06F 3/0488 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/4786 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application e-mailing
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04L 67/1095 - Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
H04L 67/04 - Protocols specially adapted for terminal portability
45.
Interrupting presentation of content data to present additional content in response to reaching a timepoint relating to the content data and notifying a server
Systems and methods include receiving, at a server, a content data and a set of timepoints relating to the content data and storing, by the server, the set of timepoints in a database. The method also includes sending, by the server, the content data and the set of timepoints to a portable device, generating, at the portable device, display signals based on the content data and sending display signals, by the portable device, to a display device that represent the content data. The method also includes receiving, by the server, a notification from the portable device over the internet. The notification indicates that the content data has reached a first time associated with a first timepoint of the set of timepoints. The method further includes sending, from the server, via the Internet, an identification of one or more particular additional content; interrupting, by the portable device, presentation of the content data and presenting the one or more particular additional content and after presenting the one or more particular additional content, resuming, by the portable device, presentation of the content data.
H04N 21/234 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/4363 - Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a IEEE 1394 or Bluetooth® network
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/8547 - Content authoring involving timestamps for synchronizing content
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
G06F 1/3203 - Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
G06Q 30/02 - Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
H04L 67/02 - Protocols based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
H04L 67/10 - Protocols in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network
46.
Interrupting presentation of content data to present additional content in response to reaching a timepoint relating to the content data and notifying a server
System for present content. The system includes means for receiving a set of timepoints relating to a content data and means for generating display signals based on the content data. The system also includes means for sending display signals to a display device that represent the content data and means for notifying a server over the Internet, that a timepoint among the set of timepoints has been reached in the content data. The system also includes means for receiving, from the server, via the Internet, an identification of one or more particular additional content and in response to receiving the identification of the one or more particular additional content from the server, means for interrupting presentation of the content data; and presenting the one or more particular additional content. The system further includes means for resuming, presentation of the content data after presenting the one or more particular additional content.
H04N 21/234 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/4363 - Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a IEEE 1394 or Bluetooth® network
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/8547 - Content authoring involving timestamps for synchronizing content
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
G06F 1/3203 - Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
G06Q 30/02 - Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
H04L 67/02 - Protocols based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
H04L 67/10 - Protocols in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network
A method for interpreting messages, user-defined alert conditions, voice commands and performing an action in response is described. A method for annotating media content is described. A method for presenting additional content associated with media content identified based on a fingerprint is described. A method for identifying that an advertisement portion of media content is being played based on a fingerprint derived from the media content is described. A method of one media device recording particular media content automatically in response to another media device recording the particular media content is described. A method of concurrently playing media content on multiple devices is described. A method of publishing information associated with recording of media content is described. A method of deriving fingerprints by media devices that meet an idleness criteria is described. A method of loading, modifying, and displaying a high definition frame from a frame buffer is described. A method of recording or playing media content identified based on fingerprints is described.
G06Q 30/02 - Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
G06F 16/41 - Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
G06Q 30/0242 - Determining effectiveness of advertisements
G06Q 50/00 - Systems or methods specially adapted for specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism
G11B 27/32 - Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
H04N 21/422 - Input-only peripherals, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
H04N 5/765 - Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
H04N 5/782 - Television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape
H04N 21/4415 - Acquiring end-user identification using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning
H04N 9/79 - Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording
H04N 21/8358 - Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates involving watermark
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04M 3/493 - Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries
A user may establish a reservation for content that is not currently available to the user via a group of sources, including broadcast, streaming, and/or download sources. For example the a user may establish a reservation to record a broadcast of specific content that is currently not scheduled for broadcast. As another example, the user may establish a reservation for the purpose of alerting the user once a new movie becomes available through a subscription streaming service. Based on a reservation, the service provider and/or the user's media playback device may monitor content availability data for one or more sources. When the content is indicated as available, the user may be so informed. The content may then be streamed or downloaded, or a recording of the content may be scheduled. Additionally, or alternatively, the content may be automatically scheduled for recording or download.
G06F 16/335 - Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
G06F 16/787 - Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
G06F 3/0482 - Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/462 - Content or additional data management e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end or controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabi
49.
Method and apparatus for displaying branded video tags
A method and apparatus for displaying branded video tags. An advertiser provides additional content associated with broadcast advertising content to a service provider that downloads the additional content to a digital video recorder (DVR). The service provider inserts command tags into the content that are intercepted by the DVR and interpreted as commands that instruct the DVR to perform specific actions when the DVR receives the stream from a broadcaster. The DVR intercepts and translates any tags inserted into the content stream while the DVR is playing the content stream. Tags can cause the DVR to display a branded video tag to the user which is a displayed icon that requests an interaction by the user and has an advertiser's logo(s) displayed in its vicinity.
H04N 9/804 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback involving pulse code modulation of the colour picture signal components
G06F 3/0481 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
H04N 21/239 - Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. prioritizing client requests
G06F 3/04817 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance using icons
G11B 27/32 - Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/4227 - Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
H04N 21/431 - Generation of visual interfaces; Content or additional data rendering
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/4402 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display
H04N 21/4405 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving video stream decryption
H04N 21/4408 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/454 - Content filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
H04N 21/4722 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content for requesting additional data associated with the content
H04N 21/478 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/63 - Control signaling between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
H04N 21/6543 - Transmission by server directed to the client for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
H04N 21/4367 - Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
H04N 21/21 - Server components or server architectures
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
H04N 5/775 - Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
H04N 5/781 - Television signal recording using magnetic recording on disks or drums
H04N 7/088 - Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band with signal insertion during the vertical blanking interval the inserted signal being digital
H04N 9/82 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only
H04N 9/83 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only the recorded chrominance signal occupying a frequency band under the frequency band of the recorded brightness signal
In an embodiment, a flick motion is detected on a touch screen interface of a first device. In response to detecting the flick motion: data associated with the flick motion is identified and transmitted to a second device. The data may be automatically displayed in response to detecting the flick motion.
G06F 3/0488 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
H04W 4/21 - Services signalling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel for social networking applications
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/4786 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application e-mailing
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04L 29/08 - Transmission control procedure, e.g. data link level control procedure
51.
GENERATED MESSAGING TO VIEW CONTENT ON MEDIA DEVICES
Techniques, systems, and methods are disclosed to generate messaging to view content on media devices based on predictive factors. Information may be received to trigger one or more predictive factors and then generate a candidate set of offers to view content at a media device based on the information. Based on the one or more predictive factors, confidence values may be determined for each offer in the candidate set of offers. The candidate set of offers may be ranked based on the associated confidence values. Subsequently, presentation of at least one offer of the candidate set of offers may be caused to display in a user interface screen on the media device based on the ranking.
H04N 21/25 - Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication or learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
A method and apparatus for highlighting a program listing in a set of program listings based on selection criteria. The selection criteria may indicate that the a broadcaster has agreed to pay a service provider in return for the service provider ensuring that a program listing, corresponding to the program of the broadcaster, is highlighted in a program page that displays a set of program listings, such as television program listings. If there are multiple program listings, listed in a program page, that are to be highlighted, then details of the respective contracts may be used to determine which program listing to highlight. Such details may include the total contract value, a ratio of contract value-to-page view, and/or the time of contract formation.
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/485 - End-user interface for client configuration
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/431 - Generation of visual interfaces; Content or additional data rendering
H04N 21/466 - Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
Multimedia content segment identified by users may be shared among media devices and media device users. Media content segment metadata is generated based on one or more identified media content item segments identified in one or more media content items. The media content segment metadata may include, but is not limited to, information indicating segment start and stop times, information about the particular media content item (e.g., title, actors, original air date), and other user-provided descriptive information. A link for the media content segment metadata may be posted for display on a webpage and which enables other users to access the media content segment metadata.
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/25 - Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication or learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/2668 - Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. by inserting targeted commercials into a video stream based on end-user profiles
H04N 21/2743 - Video hosting of uploaded data from client
H04N 21/475 - End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. PIN [Personal Identification Number] or preference data
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
A client determines that a user is attempting to access media program recommendations. In response to the determination, the client attempts to collect media program recommendations to be presented to the user. Media program recommendations may be derived locally by the client, by the client and a multimedia device locally connected with the client, by the client and one or more additional devices, etc. In some embodiments, in response to receiving a query from the client, one or more recipient devices or servers identify media program recommendations in a plurality of trending categories. The media program recommendations may be selected based at least in part on EPG data and audience research and measurement data. The media program recommendations collected by the client are presented to the user for further exploration. The client may be one of mobile phones, tablet computers, etc.
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
Techniques for real-time DVR programming employ secure instant message protocol in a DVR environment. An embodiment sends an instant message to the DVR which causes the DVR to open a new secure connection with the service provider for synchronizing data on the DVR with updated programming data from the service provider. Another embodiment uses an already established connection with an instant message server for synchronizing data on the DVR with updated programming data from the service provider.
H04N 21/458 - Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/237 - Communication with additional data server
H04N 21/43 - Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronizing decoder's clock; Client middleware
H04N 21/6543 - Transmission by server directed to the client for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
Tag data is created from in-band data in a media content item by a remote location while the media content item is being broadcasted by a content provider and received by the remote location. The tag data identifies locations in the media content item which enables media devices to accurately jump to particular locations in the media content item based on the tag data.
H04N 21/43 - Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronizing decoder's clock; Client middleware
G06F 16/70 - Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of video data
G06F 16/901 - Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/4545 - Input to filtering algorithms, e.g. filtering a region of the image
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/8352 - Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates involving content or source identification data, e.g. UMID [Unique Material Identifier]
H04N 21/2343 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 21/432 - Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk
H04N 21/845 - Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
Enhanced trick-play modes for video content that is being streamed to a client from a server are described. In an embodiment, the enhanced trick-play modes are provided with relatively low latency and high quality using trick-play optimization techniques for a streaming environment, avoiding the need to stream the entire contents of the portions through which the viewer is fast forwarding. By employing sophisticated selection criteria of which parts of the content to download at what time, the quality of the playback experience is improved versus that which would conventionally be possible when using a simple sequential frame data download. The streaming client maintains a cache of nearby significant frames, such as nearby key frames, in forward and/or reverse directions of the current playback position, without having to download the entire portions of the video stream in which the significant frames reside. The trick-play modes utilize these frames.
A method and apparatus for secure transfer of previously broadcasted content enables the secure transfer of previously broadcasted content between DVRs on a computer network.
H04N 9/804 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback involving pulse code modulation of the colour picture signal components
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/21 - Server components or server architectures
H04N 21/4367 - Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
H04N 21/6543 - Transmission by server directed to the client for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording
H04N 21/63 - Control signaling between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/478 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application
H04N 21/4722 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content for requesting additional data associated with the content
H04N 21/454 - Content filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/4408 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
H04N 21/4405 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving video stream decryption
H04N 21/4402 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/431 - Generation of visual interfaces; Content or additional data rendering
H04N 21/4227 - Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
G11B 27/32 - Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
G06F 3/0481 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
59.
Remotely configuring windows displayed on a display device
One or more window characteristics of at least one window displayed on a primary display device are displayed at a remote display device. User input is received at the remote display device to modify the one or more window characteristics of the at least one window displayed on the primary display device. The one or more modified window characteristics for the at least one window displayed on the primary display device are transmitted from the remote display device to the primary display device.
G06F 3/0484 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
G06F 3/048 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
G06F 3/0488 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
A method for generating and maintaining hierarchical tags with community-based ratings is provided. Tags for media streams are organized into a hierarchical format. Users may select tags from the hierarchical tag database that describes a particular multimedia content. If the user is unable to locate a desired tag, the user may submit a new tag. Upon submission of the new tag, a librarian approves the tag before storing and placing the tag in the hierarchical tag database. Users are also able to rate the quality of the association between the tag and the multimedia content. If a tag is rated low, the tag may be removed from the hierarchical tag database. If the tag is rated highly, display of the tag in a list of tags becomes more prominent.
Techniques for real-time audience measurement are provided. The techniques include instant message protocol in a DVR environment to obtain real-time audience measurement data to modify the scheduled recording time of a media content in real-time, to bookmark in real-time, and to gather audience ratings on commercials and viewership in real-time.
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/466 - Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04H 60/31 - Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
H04H 60/33 - Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
H04H 60/46 - Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for recognising users' preferences
H04H 20/40 - Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
H04H 60/61 - Arrangements for services using the result of monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups or
H04H 60/73 - Systems specially adapted for using specific information, e.g. geographical or meteorological information using meta-information
A method and apparatus for performing an integrated search is provided. An interface is provided that allows users to search and select any data related to a searchable term. Searchable terms may comprise titles of content, actors, and tags. Upon receiving results from the initial search, the user progresses through the initial search by selecting a result from the initial search and conducting a further search of that selection. The search may progress through many layers of searching in order to find information useful to the user and the user may perform actions based upon results of the search. The search implements a display with two columns, the first column displaying selectable data, and the second column displaying results to the selected data. The search is further customizable based upon a privacy level selected by the user.
G06F 16/78 - Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
G06F 16/9537 - Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/63 - Control signaling between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/242 - Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References]
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/2747 - Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/6587 - Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands or viewpoint selection
H04N 21/232 - Content retrieval operation within server, e.g. reading video streams from disk arrays
H04N 21/239 - Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. prioritizing client requests
H04N 21/2665 - Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
H04N 21/462 - Content or additional data management e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end or controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabi
63.
Interrupting presentation of content data to present additional content in response to reaching a timepoint relating to the content data and notifying a server
A portable device includes solid-state memory, an Ethernet and/or wireless network connection, and an HDMI. The portable device receives content guide data from a first server and displays a content guide on a display. In response to a user's selection of a content item, the portable device requests the content item over the Internet from a second server. The portable device receives the content item, stores the content item in solid-state memory, generates display signals that represent the content item, and sends the display signals to a display. The second server may match the content item with relevant advertisements based on keywords associated with the content item and the advertisements. The second server may send selected advertisement URLs to the portable device. Using the URLs, the portable device may obtain the advertisements over the Internet and cause the display to display the advertisements in conjunction with the content item.
H04N 21/234 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs
G06Q 30/02 - Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/4363 - Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a IEEE 1394 or Bluetooth® network
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/8547 - Content authoring involving timestamps for synchronizing content
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
G06F 1/3203 - Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
H04L 29/08 - Transmission control procedure, e.g. data link level control procedure
64.
User interface for viewing targeted segments of multimedia content based on time-based metadata search criteria
A system and method for navigating digital media assets including a navigation system configured to receive a search query in response to a user input and process the search query by applying the search query to a search index of digital media asset conventional and time-based metadata and determining search results of titles of and start points in time within digital media assets that satisfy the search query. The navigation system may then display the search results to the user through the user interface. The search results may be displayed in a hierarchical format, wherein the title of the digital media asset is displayed and upon selecting the title of the digital media asset, the start points in time within that digital media asset are displayed or played as a video to the user through the user interface.
Methods and system for determining a similarity relationship between a plurality of digital assets and a target digital asset comprises creating a normalized semantic feature vector associated with a search query, discovering the target asset based on the normalized semantic feature vector, generating a normalized latent feature vector associated with the target asset, comparing the normalized semantic feature vector with semantic feature vectors for each of the digital assets to generate a semantic comparison value, comparing the normalized target latent feature vector with latent feature vectors for each of the digital assets to generate a latent comparison value, blending the semantic comparison vector value with the latent feature comparison vector value to create a target comparison value for each of the digital assets, and reporting the digital assets having the highest target comparison values to the user or group of users.
Voice-based input is used to operate a media device and/or to search for media content. Voice input is received by a media device via one or more audio input devices and is translated into a textual representation of the voice input. The textual representation of the voice input is used to search one or more cache mappings between input commands and one or more associated device actions and/or media content queries. One or more natural language processing techniques may be applied to the translated text and the resulting text may be transmitted as a query to a media search service. A media search service returns results comprising one or more content item listings and the results may be presented on a display to a user.
G06F 16/00 - Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
G06F 16/40 - Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data
In an embodiment, a flick motion is detected on a touch screen interface of a first device. In response to detecting the flick motion: data associated with the flick motion is identified and transmitted to a second device. The data may be automatically displayed in response to detecting the flick motion.
G06F 3/0488 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
H04W 4/21 - Services signalling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel for social networking applications
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/4786 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application e-mailing
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04L 29/08 - Transmission control procedure, e.g. data link level control procedure
68.
Multimedia content search and recording scheduling system
Techniques described herein enable searching for multimedia content and for downloading or scheduling the recording of the multimedia content. The multimedia content may have been previously stored on one or more databases. The client device may download or schedule the recording of multimedia content in one step, for example, in one touch. When desired multimedia content is not available, the multimedia content is added to the client device's wish list. When the client device's does not have a wish list, the client device's wish list may be created on the spot. During the scheduling of the recording, a tag associated with the multimedia content is checked to determine whether the multimedia content is live or delayed. When the tag indicates the multimedia content is live or delayed, the client device prompts with a suggestion to add extra time to the end of the recording of the multimedia content.
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
G06F 16/78 - Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
H04N 21/239 - Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. prioritizing client requests
H04N 21/232 - Content retrieval operation within server, e.g. reading video streams from disk arrays
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
G06F 16/955 - Retrieval from the web using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
G06F 16/9537 - Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/63 - Control signaling between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/242 - Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References]
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/2747 - Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
H04N 21/6587 - Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands or viewpoint selection
H04N 21/2665 - Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
H04N 21/462 - Content or additional data management e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end or controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabi
Enhanced trick-play modes for video content that is being streamed to a client from a server are described. In an embodiment, the enhanced trick-play modes are provided with relatively low latency and high quality using trick-play optimization techniques for a streaming environment, avoiding the need to stream the entire contents of the portions through which the viewer is fast forwarding. By employing sophisticated selection criteria of which parts of the content to download at what time, the quality of the playback experience is improved versus that which would conventionally be possible when using a simple sequential frame data download. The streaming client maintains a cache of nearby significant frames, such as nearby key frames, in forward and/or reverse directions of the current playback position, without having to download the entire portions of the video stream in which the significant frames reside. The trick-play modes utilize these frames.
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
A method and apparatus for recognizing and synchronizing to in-band data at a multimedia device is provided. A content stream includes in-band data. The in-band data is processed and in-band data pattern data associated with the content stream are created. Metadata are attached to the event identification data. The event identification data are provided to multimedia devices which receive broadcasted multimedia content streams containing video programs with in-band data. The in-band data are processed and compared to the event identification data. If a match occurs, the multimedia device uses the metadata to perform specified actions.
H04N 21/236 - Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator ] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream
H04H 60/73 - Systems specially adapted for using specific information, e.g. geographical or meteorological information using meta-information
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/845 - Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04H 60/13 - Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
H04N 21/434 - Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams or extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream
H04H 20/31 - Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information by a single channel using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
H04N 21/431 - Generation of visual interfaces; Content or additional data rendering
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/458 - Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/84 - Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04H 60/27 - Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
H04N 5/765 - Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
H04N 5/85 - Television signal recording using optical recording on discs or drums
H04N 5/907 - Television signal recording using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories
H04N 9/82 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only
71.
Interrupting presentation of content data to present additional content in response to reaching a timepoint relating to the content data and notifying a server over the internet
A portable device includes solid-state memory, an Ethernet and/or wireless network connection, and an HDMI. The portable device receives content guide data from a first server and displays a content guide on a display. In response to a user's selection of a content item, the portable device requests the content item over the Internet from a second server. The portable device receives the content item, stores the content item in solid-state memory, generates display signals that represent the content item, and sends the display signals to a display. The second server may match the content item with relevant advertisements based on keywords associated with the content item and the advertisements. The second server may send selected advertisement URLs to the portable device. Using the URLs, the portable device may obtain the advertisements over the Internet and cause the display to display the advertisements in conjunction with the content item.
H04N 21/234 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/4363 - Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a IEEE 1394 or Bluetooth® network
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/8547 - Content authoring involving timestamps for synchronizing content
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
G06F 1/3203 - Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
G06Q 30/02 - Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
A method and apparatus for an adaptive search user interface is provided. An interface is provided that returns search results upon receiving each alphanumeric character of a search query term. Correlations of prefixes of alphanumeric characters and search results selected from previous searches are stored in a correlation matrix. Based upon the correlations in the correlation matrix, relevance rankings for search results with respect to the prefixes of alphanumeric characters are updated. Search results may be grouped based upon one or more common traits. Relevance rankings are also updated based upon the rate of change of selections recorded for a search result.
Managing metadata associated with a digital media asset includes selecting the digital media asset, displaying the digital media asset in a filmstrip format that presents one or more scenes from the digital media asset along a timeline, wherein each scene corresponds with an underlying point in time along the timeline, and wherein the digital media asset has a start time and an end time that define the timeline, displaying at least one track in timeline alignment with the film strip format wherein the at least one track corresponds with a type of metadata associated with the digital media asset, and displaying on the at least one track, one or more segments, wherein each segment has a start point and an end point along the timeline and wherein each respective segment represents a span of time in which the type of metadata occurs within the digital media asset.
A method and apparatus for secure transfer and playback of multimedia content enables the secure transfer of multimedia content from a digital video recorder (DVR) to a personal computer (PC) and further to a handheld device. A DVR determines which devices on a Local Area Network (LAN) are authorized to share and/or retrieve content from the DVR. The DVR receives a connection request from a PC on the LAN, authorizes the connection request and establishes a secure connection between the DVR and the PC. Once the secure connection is established, the DVR receives a request for multimedia content from the PC, prepares the multimedia content for transfer and transfers the multimedia content to the PC.
H04N 9/804 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback involving pulse code modulation of the colour picture signal components
G06F 3/0481 - Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
G11B 27/32 - Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
H04N 5/765 - Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
H04N 5/85 - Television signal recording using optical recording on discs or drums
H04N 5/913 - Television signal processing therefor for scrambling
H04N 7/173 - Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
H04N 21/239 - Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. prioritizing client requests
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/4227 - Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
H04N 21/431 - Generation of visual interfaces; Content or additional data rendering
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/4402 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display
H04N 21/4405 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving video stream decryption
H04N 21/4408 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/454 - Content filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
H04N 21/4722 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content for requesting additional data associated with the content
H04N 21/478 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/63 - Control signaling between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
H04N 21/6543 - Transmission by server directed to the client for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
H04N 21/4367 - Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
H04N 21/21 - Server components or server architectures
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
H04N 5/775 - Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
H04N 5/781 - Television signal recording using magnetic recording on disks or drums
H04N 7/088 - Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band with signal insertion during the vertical blanking interval the inserted signal being digital
H04N 9/82 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only
H04N 9/83 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only the recorded chrominance signal occupying a frequency band under the frequency band of the recorded brightness signal
A media content pipeline architecture is described that enables media devices to efficiently receive, store, play, and stream media content. In general, a media content pipeline as described herein is configured to receive media content streams from one or more input sources, segment and store the media content streams into fixed-sized or variable-sized data buffers, encrypt the data stored in the buffers, and store the encrypted data in an in-memory buffer cache for further processing. The media content pipeline further may be configured to write the encrypted buffers stored in the in-memory buffer cache to a secondary storage device (e.g., a hard disk) in response to the occurrence of one or more defined operating conditions. The media content pipeline may enable a media device to efficiently receive and process media content data streams, write the media content data streams to storage, and stream the media content data to client devices.
G06F 21/85 - Protecting input, output or interconnection devices interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices
G06F 12/14 - Protection against unauthorised use of memory
H04L 29/06 - Communication control; Communication processing characterised by a protocol
H04L 29/08 - Transmission control procedure, e.g. data link level control procedure
G06F 21/10 - Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material
G06F 12/0866 - Addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means, e.g. caches for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
A method for interpreting messages, user-defined alert conditions, voice commands and performing an action in response is described. A method for annotating media content is described. A method for presenting additional content associated with media content identified based on a fingerprint is described. A method for identifying that an advertisement portion of media content is being played based on a fingerprint derived from the media content is described. A method of one media device recording particular media content automatically in response to another media device recording the particular media content is described. A method of concurrently playing media content on multiple devices is described. A method of publishing information associated with recording of media content is described. A method of deriving fingerprints by media devices that meet an idleness criteria is described. A method of loading, modifying, and displaying a high definition frame from a frame buffer is described. A method of recording or playing media content identified based on fingerprints is described.
G06Q 30/02 - Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
G06F 16/41 - Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
G06Q 30/06 - Buying, selling or leasing transactions
G06Q 50/00 - Systems or methods specially adapted for specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism
G11B 27/32 - Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
H04N 21/422 - Input-only peripherals, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
H04N 5/765 - Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
H04N 5/782 - Television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape
H04N 21/4415 - Acquiring end-user identification using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning
H04N 9/79 - Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording
H04N 21/8358 - Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates involving watermark
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04M 3/493 - Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries
First media segments for a first media program are recorded. The first media program is scheduled to start at a first start time and end at a first end time, whereas a second media program is scheduled to start at a second start time and end at a second end time, the first end time being after the second start time. It is determined whether the first media program and the second media program are on a same channel. If so, one or more shared media segments, one of which is before all other shared media segments in the shared media segments and begins no later than the first time, are recorded. A first media program object is generated to represent a first recording of the first media program, and includes references to the first media segments and the shared media segments.
H04N 21/458 - Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules
H04N 5/782 - Television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape
H04N 21/432 - Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/434 - Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams or extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/845 - Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 5/765 - Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
H04N 21/00 - Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/462 - Content or additional data management e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end or controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabi
78.
Generated messaging to view content on media devices
Techniques, systems, and methods are disclosed to generate messaging to view content on media devices based on predictive factors. Information may be received to trigger one or more predictive factors and then generate a candidate set of offers to view content at a media device based on the information. Based on the one or more predictive factors, confidence values may be determined for each offer in the candidate set of offers. The candidate set of offers may be ranked based on the associated confidence values. Subsequently, presentation of at least one offer of the candidate set of offers may be caused to display in a user interface screen on the media device based on the ranking.
H04N 21/25 - Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication or learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/466 - Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
79.
GENERATED MESSAGING TO VIEW CONTENT ON MEDIA DEVICES
Techniques, systems, and methods are disclosed to generate messaging to view content on media devices based on predictive factors. Information may be received to trigger one or more predictive factors and then generate a candidate set of offers to view content at a media device based on the information. Based on the one or more predictive factors, confidence values may be determined for each offer in the candidate set of offers. The candidate set of offers may be ranked based on the associated confidence values. Subsequently, presentation of at least one offer of the candidate set of offers may be caused to display in a user interface screen on the media device based on the ranking.
Managing metadata associated with a digital media asset includes selecting the digital media asset, displaying the digital media asset in a filmstrip format that presents one or more scenes from the digital media asset along a timeline, wherein each scene corresponds with an underlying point in time along the timeline, and wherein the digital media asset has a start time and an end time that define the timeline, displaying at least one track in timeline alignment with the film strip format wherein the at least one track corresponds with a type of metadata associated with the digital media asset, and displaying on the at least one track, one or more segments, wherein each segment has a start point and an end point along the timeline and wherein each respective segment represents a span of time in which the type of metadata occurs within the digital media asset.
According to one aspect, a DVR sends a user's contact information over a network to a third party. Upon determining that a television program or advertisement contains a special tag that is associated with a third party, the DVR displays, to the user, a prompt that invites the DVR user to allow the DVR to send the user's contact information to the third party. If the user gives permission for the DVR to send the contact information to the third party, then the DVR sends the contact information to the third party (e.g., over the Internet).
H04N 21/4725 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content for requesting additional data associated with the content using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots
H04N 21/462 - Content or additional data management e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end or controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabi
H04N 21/478 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application
H04N 21/475 - End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. PIN [Personal Identification Number] or preference data
H04N 21/431 - Generation of visual interfaces; Content or additional data rendering
G11B 27/30 - Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on the same track as the main recording
H04N 21/437 - Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
Voice-based input is used to operate a media device and/or to search for media content. Voice input is received by a media device via one or more audio input devices and is translated into a textual representation of the voice input. The textual representation of the voice input is used to search one or more cache mappings between input commands and one or more associated device actions and/or media content queries. One or more natural language processing techniques may be applied to the translated text and the resulting text may be transmitted as a query to a media search service. A media search service returns results comprising one or more content item listings and the results may be presented on a display to a user.
Input media data with an input playing speed is received and divided into input media data subsets. A first rate of audio utterance is determined for a first input media data subset in the media data subsets. A second different rate of audio utterance is determined for a second input media data subset in the media data subsets. Audio output media data is generated with an output playing speed at which audio utterance in the audio output media data is played at a preferred rate of audio utterance. The audio output media data comprises (a) a first output audio media data subset generated based on the preferred rate, the first rate, and the first input media data subset and (b) a second output audio media data subset generated based on the preferred rate, the second rate, and the second input media data subset.
H04N 21/238 - Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams
H04N 21/647 - Control signaling between network components and server or clients; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. controlling the quality of the video stream, by dropping packets, protecting content from unauthorised alteration within the network, monitoring of network load or bridging bet
Techniques for real-time DVR programming employ secure instant message protocol in a DVR environment. An embodiment sends an instant message to the DVR which causes the DVR to open a new secure connection with the service provider for synchronizing data on the DVR with updated programming data from the service provider. Another embodiment uses an already established connection with an instant message server for synchronizing data on the DVR with updated programming data from the service provider.
H04N 21/458 - Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/237 - Communication with additional data server
H04N 21/43 - Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronizing decoder's clock; Client middleware
H04N 21/6543 - Transmission by server directed to the client for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
Techniques described herein enable a service to receive search requests from client systems and perform an integrated search across databases containing informational data for broadcast content and broadband content. The service receives the search request from the client device and formulates a query for at least one broadband database and at least one partner broadcast database. The service queries each broadband database with a compatible query that the service creates using information regarding the type of database queries each partner's database requires. Partners pay the service provider a fee for placing data in the database or for having their database searched by the service. The service formats the data received from the searches of the databases into a user interface screen that is presentable by the client device. The screen information instructs the client device on how it should respond to any key presses by the user.
G06F 16/78 - Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
G06F 16/9537 - Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/4788 - Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification or shopping application communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04N 21/63 - Control signaling between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/242 - Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References]
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/2747 - Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/6587 - Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands or viewpoint selection
H04N 21/232 - Content retrieval operation within server, e.g. reading video streams from disk arrays
H04N 21/239 - Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. prioritizing client requests
H04N 21/2665 - Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
H04N 21/462 - Content or additional data management e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end or controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabi
Enhanced trick-play modes for video content that is being streamed to a client from a server are described. In an embodiment, the enhanced trick-play modes are provided with relatively low latency and high quality using trick-play optimization techniques for a streaming environment, avoiding the need to stream the entire contents of the portions through which the viewer is fast forwarding. By employing sophisticated selection criteria of which parts of the content to download at what time, the quality of the playback experience is improved versus that which would conventionally be possible when using a simple sequential frame data download. The streaming client maintains a cache of nearby significant frames, such as nearby key frames, in forward and/or reverse directions of the current playback position, without having to download the entire portions of the video stream in which the significant frames reside. The trick-play modes utilize these frames.
Techniques for real-time audience measurement are provided. The techniques include instant message protocol in a DVR environment to obtain real-time audience measurement data to modify the scheduled recording time of a media content in real-time, to bookmark in real-time, and to gather audience ratings on commercials and viewership in real-time.
H04H 20/40 - Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
H04H 60/31 - Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
H04H 60/33 - Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04H 60/46 - Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for recognising users' preferences
H04H 60/61 - Arrangements for services using the result of monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups or
H04H 60/73 - Systems specially adapted for using specific information, e.g. geographical or meteorological information using meta-information
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/466 - Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
A method and apparatus for a digital video recorder (DVR) video editing system provides a user interface and video editing environment for content stored on a DVR's storage device. A visual progress indicator is displayed over the program content that the user has selected to edit. The user moves a position indicator within a cache bar in the visual progress indicator that indicates how much of the program content has been stored on the storage device. The user can delete sections of the program content. The user can also add other recorded program content into the program content. The deleted sections and added content are highlighted in the cache bar by colors that are different from the normal color used for the cache bar.
H04N 9/804 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback involving pulse code modulation of the colour picture signal components
H04N 5/85 - Television signal recording using optical recording on discs or drums
H04N 9/83 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only the recorded chrominance signal occupying a frequency band under the frequency band of the recorded brightness signal
Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for allowing multiple distinct and diverse wireless services (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Radio Frequency for Consumer Electronics (RF4CE), ZigBee, etc.) to share common frequencies while utilizing a single set of antennas. Among other potential benefits, the techniques may permit the sharing of common frequencies amongst multiple services with reduced (or no) interference amongst the services relative to conventional designs, which, depending on the embodiment, may increase performance, improving manufacturability, save design and material cost, and so forth. According to one embodiment, a multi-input directional coupler printed circuit may be implemented for multiple wireless services. This device may include a single directional coupler with reduced or no loss, placed in series with two combiners that provide high isolation for wireless signals. The device may thus allow multiple wireless services with potentially different protocols to share the same or different frequency bands using a single antenna.
H04B 1/38 - Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
H04M 1/00 - Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
H04W 4/00 - Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
An analytics platform configured to create clusters of media content consumers and to automatically generate human-readable, text labels that describe each of the created clusters is disclosed. An analytics platform may use any of a number of clustering algorithms to group a population of media content consumers into a set of user clusters based on viewing history data, user profile data, and/or any other data associated with the consumers. Furthermore, the analytics platform may be configured to create, based on the viewing history data and/or other data associated with a selected sample of users from each cluster, a text label for each cluster. For example, if viewing history data for a population of users includes channel and genre identifiers associated with media content items accessed by users of the population, a generated text label may provide an indication of channels and/or genres popular with users of each particular cluster.
Techniques for real-time audience measurement are provided. The techniques include instant message protocol in a DVR environment to obtain real-time audience measurement data to modify the scheduled recording time of a media content in real-time, to bookmark in real-time, and to gather audience ratings on commercials and viewership in real-time.
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
Voice-based input is used to operate a media device and/or to search for media content. Voice input is received by a media device via one or more audio input devices and is translated into a textual representation of the voice input. The textual representation of the voice input is used to search one or more cache mappings between input commands and one or more associated device actions and/or media content queries. One or more natural language processing techniques may be applied to the translated text and the resulting text may be transmitted as a query to a media search service. A media search service returns results comprising one or more content item listings and the results may be presented on a display to a user.
A client determines that a user is attempting to access media program recommendations. In response to the determination, the client attempts to collect media program recommendations to be presented to the user. Media program recommendations may be derived locally by the client, by the client and a multimedia device locally connected with the client, by the client and one or more additional devices, etc. In some embodiments, in response to receiving a query from the client, one or more recipient devices or servers identify media program recommendations in a plurality of trending categories. The media program recommendations may be selected based at least in part on EPG data and audience research and measurement data. The media program recommendations collected by the client are presented to the user for further exploration. The client may be one of mobile phones, tablet computers, etc.
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
A DVR sends, over the Internet, to a server, information that indicates a set of programs. The information also may indicate a ranking of the programs in the set relative to each other. In response to receiving the information from the DVR, the server determines a “to do” list of programs that the DVR should record as those programs are broadcasted in the future. The “to do” list indicates recording times and channels for each program. The server sends the “to do” list back to the DVR over the Internet. The DVR receives the “to do” list over the Internet and stores the “to do” list. As the programs on the “to do” list are broadcasted, the DVR automatically records those programs at the list-specified times and on the list-specified channels. The DVR stores those programs on the DVR's hard disk drive for later viewing by the DVR user.
H04N 21/458 - Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/4335 - Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions
H04N 5/765 - Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
H04N 7/173 - Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/41 - Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 9/79 - Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 5/782 - Television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape
H04N 5/783 - Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
H04N 5/913 - Television signal processing therefor for scrambling
H04N 9/82 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only
H04N 21/274 - Storing end-user specific content or additional data in response to end-user request
A first request for a first content stream is received by a media device. In response to receiving the first request, the media device causes video playing of the first content stream. A second request for a second content stream is received by the media device. In response to receiving the second request, the media device causes output of an audio stream from the second content stream in place of an audio stream of the first content stream while the first content stream is being displayed.
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 21/218 - Source of audio or video content, e.g. local disk arrays
H04N 21/439 - Processing of audio elementary streams
H04N 21/8545 - Content authoring for generating interactive applications
96.
Systems and methods for dynamically creating hyperlinks associated with relevant multimedia content
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for dynamically creating hyperlinks associated with relevant multimedia content in a computer network. A hyperlink generation module receives an electronic text file from a server. The module searches the text file to identify keywords present in the file. Once the keywords have been identified, a database is queried to identify multimedia content that is related to the keywords. Generally, multimedia content is associated with metadata to enable efficient searching of the multimedia content. Typically, the multimedia content is contextually relevant to both the identified keywords and text file. One or more hyperlinks corresponding to the keywords are then generated and inserted into the text file. The hyperlinks provide pointers to the identified multimedia content. After insertion into the text file, the hyperlinks may be clicked by a user or viewer of the file to retrieve and display the identified multimedia content.
A media content management system that enables users to manage media content collections is disclosed. A media device is configured to receive requests to create media content collections for particular media content and, in response, to retrieve information related to the media content, and to generate one or more interfaces displaying information about created media content collections. In an embodiment, retrieving information related to a media content may include determining, for one or more episodes of the media content, whether the episode is available from various content sources, including both broadcast and broadband content sources. By enabling a media device to automatically retrieve and present information related to the availability of media content episodes across any number of different broadcast and broadband sources, users can more easily interact with and view information about particular media content of interest to the users.
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/231 - Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers or prioritizing data for deletion
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
Techniques for real-time DVR usage and reporting enable using instant message protocol in a DVR environment to obtain real-time DVR usage data and to report data reflecting such usage in real-time. An example of DVR usage data comprises data reflecting that a viewer is viewing a video program which is R-rated. Another example of DVR usage data comprises a viewer entering a password, such as a kids zone password, to exit kids zone operational mode.
H04N 21/242 - Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References]
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/437 - Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server
H04N 21/442 - Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed or the storage space available from the internal hard disk
H04N 21/454 - Content filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
H04N 5/782 - Television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape
H04N 21/43 - Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronizing decoder's clock; Client middleware
A data storage management and scheduling system schedules the recording, storing, and deleting of television and Web page program material on a client system storage medium. The invention accepts as input a prioritized list of program viewing preferences which is compared with a database of program guide objects which indicate when programs of interest are actually broadcast. A schedule of time versus available storage space is generated that is optimal for the viewer's explicit or derived preferred programs. The preferred programs include television broadcast programs and Universal Resource Locators (URLs). The viewer may request that certain programs be captured, which results in the highest possible priority for those programs, or express preferences using appurtenances provided through the viewer interface. Preferences may additionally be inferred from viewing patterns. The invention correlates an input schedule that tracks the free and occupied time slots for each input source with a space schedule that tracks all currently recorded programs and the programs that have been scheduled to be recorded in the future, to schedule new programs to record and resolve recording conflicts. A program is recorded if at all times between when the recording would be initiated and when it expires, sufficient space is available to hold it. All scheduling conflicts are resolved as early as possible. A background scheduler schedules each preferred program in turn until the list of preferred programs is exhausted or no further opportunity to record is available.
H04N 21/4335 - Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions
100.
Interrupting presentation of content data to present additional content in response to reaching a timepoint relating to the content data and notifiying a server over the internet
A portable device includes solid-state memory, an Ethernet and/or wireless network connection, and an HDMI. The portable device receives content guide data from a first server and displays a content guide on a display. In response to a user's selection of a content item, the portable device requests the content item over the Internet from a second server. The portable device receives the content item, stores the content item in solid-state memory, generates display signals that represent the content item, and sends the display signals to a display. The second server may match the content item with relevant advertisements based on keywords associated with the content item and the advertisements. The second server may send selected advertisement URLs to the portable device. Using the URLs, the portable device may obtain the advertisements over the Internet and cause the display to display the advertisements in conjunction with the content item.
H04N 21/234 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/8547 - Content authoring involving timestamps for synchronizing content
G06Q 30/02 - Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
H04N 21/44 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
H04N 21/858 - Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object or by creating a hotspot
H04N 21/4363 - Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a IEEE 1394 or Bluetooth® network
H04L 29/08 - Transmission control procedure, e.g. data link level control procedure
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/262 - Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission or generating play-lists
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance