Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080270800 | Adjustment of clock approximations - Techniques to adjust clock approximations are described, which may be used to synchronize content output at a client. In an implementation, timestamps derived from a universal time source are allocated to respective program clock reference (PCR) timestamps in content received by a network operator during an interval of time to form ordered pairs of timestamps. An approximation is computed of a plurality of the ordered pairs of timestamps for the interval and the approximation is adjusted using an ordered pair of timestamps taken from a previous approximation. | 10-30-2008 |
20090077255 | ACCELERATED CHANNEL CHANGE IN RATE-LIMITED ENVIRONMENTS - Accelerated channel change (ACC) strategies are described for supplying a client module with media information by transitioning between a first delivery of media information provided by first delivery functionality and a second delivery of media information provided by second delivery functionality without exceeding prescribed data rate limitations. The first delivery functionality can represent server-based functionality for delivering a unicast stream of media information at a data rate (or maximum data rate) of some excess amount over the nominal rate of delivery, starting at a selected location within the media information. The second delivery functionality can represent any functionality for delivering the media information at the data rate (or maximum data rate) of the nominal rate of delivery. A join interval separates the first delivery at the excess rate and the second delivery at the nominal rate. In that period, the first delivery functionality can provide media information at a join interval data rate. The join interval data rate, if it is below the nominal data rate, will cause the client module to miss packets of media information. The client module can receive these missing packets by issuing retry requests to the first delivery functionality or to some other entity. The client module can determine the excess amount available by investigating the amount of missing information that occurs at different data rates; or the excess amount can be defined in advance. | 03-19-2009 |
20090161769 | SEAMLESS DIGITAL CHANNEL CHANGING - Seamless channel changing in a digital-television-based entertainment network can be implemented, for example, by providing an intra frame to a client device upon a change to a new channel even when the broadcast video data is previously compressed. In an exemplary implementation, a method includes: receiving a stream of broadcast video data that is encoded; continuously decoding the stream of broadcast video data into successive decoded images; and transmitting, responsive to a channel change message received from a client device, an intra frame that has been encoded from a decoded image of the successive decoded images. Other exemplary implementations are described herein. | 06-25-2009 |
20090313666 | Television Content Management for Clients - Techniques to manage television content for clients are described. In an implementation, a call is formed to an application programming interface (API) to include an identifier of a client that requested television content and a network address via which the television content is accessible. Whether the television content is to be streamed to the client is managed based on an answer that is received responsive to the call; and includes a result of a determination of whether the client is permitted to consume the television content from the network address. | 12-17-2009 |
20090319470 | Triggers for Time-Shifted Content Playback - In accordance with one or more aspects, a trigger corresponding to media content is retrieved from a storage device. The trigger includes a time-shift parameter identifying how much playback of the media content can be time-shifted while keeping the trigger valid. A determination is made, based at least in part on a current time and the time-shift parameter, whether the trigger is valid during playback of the media content. | 12-24-2009 |
20090319603 | CONTENT MANAGEMENT USING A WEBSITE - Content management using a website is described. In an implementation, one or more computer readable media include instructions that are executable to provide an option, via a website, that is selectable by a first user though interaction with a website to specify that a second user is permitted, through interaction with the website, to cause content to be recorded locally at a client of the first user. | 12-24-2009 |
20090320061 | Advertising Based on Keywords in Media Content - In accordance with one or more aspects, a trigger including both a criteria portion and a payload portion is accessed, the criteria portion identifying one or more criteria that includes a keyword, and the payload portion identifying one or more actions for presenting advertising content. Data corresponding to media content being presented is also accessed, and a check is made as to whether the data satisfies the one or more criteria. The one or more actions are performed in response to the data satisfying the one or more criteria. The trigger associating the advertising content with the keyword can be received in exchange for compensation. | 12-24-2009 |
20100159893 | User-Controlled Routing of Phone Calls to Voicemail - In accordance with one or more aspects, a notification of an incoming phone call is received from a phone system. An indication of the incoming phone call is presented to a user, and the user can control the incoming phone call in different manners. The user can request to delay routing the incoming phone call to voicemail, to route the incoming phone call to voicemail without further delay, and to stop ringing of one or more phone handsets of the phone system. One or more of these control requests can be input by the user via a mobile phone and/or a television system. | 06-24-2010 |
20100192182 | ANIMATED STATION IDENTIFIER IN PROGRAM GUIDES - A television program guide is displayed having a station identifier portion in a first location. A determination is made as to when a user navigates in the television program guide between past programs and future programs. In response to the user navigating in the television program guide between the past programs and the future programs, the station identifier portion is changed to a second location. | 07-29-2010 |
20100211988 | MANAGING RESOURCES TO DISPLAY MEDIA CONTENT - This document describes tools capable of enabling a media device to assign available resources to media content prior to receiving a request to display that media content. In one embodiment, the tools determine a next media content to be requested and available resources on a media device to display that next content. The tools may assign the available resources to the next page of media content prior to receiving a request to display the next page of media content. | 08-19-2010 |
20100215340 | Triggers For Launching Applications - This document describes tools capable of enabling television consumer devices to launch applications using triggers. A trigger may act to save limited resources on a television consumer device by triggering launch of an application not stored on the television consumer device. A trigger may include a payload portion and a criteria portion. When criteria in the criteria portion is satisfied by the playback of media content, an action in the payload portion is performed. In one embodiment, the tools enable a television consumer device to associate a trigger with a piece of media content. Responsive to playing back the piece of media content, the trigger launches an application that associates additional triggers with the piece of media content. | 08-26-2010 |
20100325130 | MEDIA ASSET INTERACTIVE SEARCH - Media asset interactive search is described. In embodiments, successive keypad number inputs are received that each correlate to multiple characters of one or more different languages. The successive keypad number inputs form an accumulating search key as they are received. A database is searched for a sequence of characters that correlate to the accumulating search key after each successive keypad number input is received. A list of matching terms can then be generated where the matching terms include the sequence of characters, and the list of matching terms narrows with each successive keypad number input. Additionally, the list of the matching terms can be ordered based on a scoring system. | 12-23-2010 |
20100325193 | DYNAMIC MEDIA ASSET DELIVERY - Dynamic media asset delivery is described. In embodiments, a request for a media asset can be received from a client device. A transmission rate of a communication network is determined to deliver the media asset to the client device. The client device can be monitored to determine whether the media asset is initiated for playback at the client device. The media asset is then communicated to the client device in a highest quality display format as can be delivered according to the transmission rate of the communication network and whether the media asset is initiated for playback at the client device. | 12-23-2010 |
20120210015 | DYNAMIC MEDIA ASSET DELIVERY - In embodiments of dynamic media asset delivery, a media asset can be requested from a content distributor for playback at a client device. The client device can receive the media asset over a communication network, and receive a request to playback the media asset for viewing as the media asset is being received. The client device can then playback the media asset for viewing in a display format, where a quality of the display format is based at least in part on a time duration between when the media asset is requested and when the request to playback the media asset for viewing is received. | 08-16-2012 |
20130133006 | ANIMATED STATION IDENTIFIER IN PROGRAM GUIDES - A television program guide is displayed having a station identifier portion in a first location. A determination is made as to when a user navigates in the television program guide between past programs and future programs. In response to the user navigating in the television program guide between the past programs and the future programs, the station identifier portion is changed to a second location. | 05-23-2013 |