Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090187938 | Service Substitution Techniques - Service substitution techniques are described. In an implementation, a substitution table is derived that specifies one or more service substitutions to be performed for content and that specifies particular geographic locations to perform at least one service substitution. One or more communications are formed to be streamed over a packet-switched network to a client that is to perform the at least one service substitution. The one or more communications include the substitution table and the content that corresponds to the at least one service substitution. | 07-23-2009 |
20100251278 | MEASUREMENT AND REPORTING OF SET TOP BOX INSERTED AD IMPRESSIONS - Methods are disclosed for measuring ad impressions and receiving feedback on local ad assets inserted into a video transport stream at the set top box level. Each set top box stores the number of times an ad asset is inserted into an ad avail, along with a variety of other information relating to the playback of the ad asset. This measurement data is aggregated and sent to the ad decision service. In order to balance bandwidth usage, each set top box may report its measurement data to the ad decision service at a different time interval that is randomly selected. As it is desirable to receive the data in a timely manner, the random intervals may be confined so that all measurement data is reported within a predefined time period, such as for example over a twelve hour period. | 09-30-2010 |
20100251289 | ADVERTISEMENT INSERTION DECISIONS FOR SET TOP BOX MANAGEMENT OF ADVERTISEMENTS - Methods are disclosed for inserting local ad assets into a video transport stream at the set top box level. The media advertising platform of the present system works in conjunction with existing platforms, such as an advertising decision service and a media platform. The present system further includes a client resident on end user set top boxes. In general, the present system operates by pre-caching advertisements to a set top box or boxes within a household or elsewhere. Each set top box is also assigned to particular groups, based on characteristics of the user of that set top box. Group membership information is also sent to the set top box and stored. The present system sends the set top box a decision matrix based on group memberships to allow the set top box to select and insert an ad asset targeted to the specific set top box. | 09-30-2010 |
20110164753 | Digital Rights Management For Media Streams - This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling application of digital rights management (DRM) to media streams. In one embodiment, three license levels are used to protect numerous television channels without undue use of computing resources. | 07-07-2011 |
20120144412 | MEDIA ASSET VOTING - In embodiments of media asset voting, a voting application is executed at a controllable device to interface the controllable device with portable devices via a wireless network. The voting application may be initiated at the controllable device by one of the portable devices. A request can be communicated from the controllable device to the portable devices to initiate each of the portable devices sending a user-selected vote for media asset selection at the controllable device. The controllable device receives the user-selected votes from one or more of the portable devices, and the voting application can aggregate each received vote to determine voting results. A media asset can then be selected at the controllable device based on the voting results. Alternatively or in addition, the voting results can be displayed for viewing on a display device that corresponds to the controllable device. | 06-07-2012 |
20120159338 | MEDIA NAVIGATION VIA PORTABLE NETWORKED DEVICE - Embodiments are disclosed that relate to navigation in a media consumption environment. One embodiment provides, on a portable networked device, a method comprising receiving media metadata from a server via a network, wherein the media metadata corresponds to media content available for viewing. The method further comprises displaying on a display of the portable networked device a user interface presenting the media metadata, receiving a user input via the user interface selecting a media item, and in response, sending a request for the media item to a media rendering device. | 06-21-2012 |
20140259047 | PROXIMITY DETECTION BY MOBILE DEVICES - A method includes initiating, by a processor of a device, a listening session including listening for a message from a mobile device and receiving the message from the mobile device via a microphone of the device, the message including configuration data for a network, and in response to receiving the message from the mobile device, initiating an access session with the network using the configuration data. In some implementations, the device is coupled to a media player. The media player may be a television. The configuration data may include at least one of an identifier for the network or a password for the network. In some implementations, the initiating occurs only after the device fails to connect to any network. In some implementations, the message is encoded in a sub-sonic signal. | 09-11-2014 |
20140281471 | SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND MEDIA FOR MANAGING AN ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM - Systems, methods, and media for managing an entertainment system are provided. In some implementations, systems for managing an entertainment system are provided, the systems comprising: at least one hardware processor configured to: detect a first instruction; select a component of the entertainment system; determine a first state of the component; store an indication of the first state; detect a second instruction; retrieve the indication of the first state; generate a third instruction based on the indication of the first state; and transmit the third instruction to the component of the entertainment system. | 09-18-2014 |
20140282695 | SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND MEDIA FOR PRESENTING ADVERTISEMENTS - Systems, methods, and media for presenting advertisements are provided. In some implementations, systems for presenting advertisements are provided, the systems comprising: at least one hardware processor that: receives media content containing a video portion and/or an audio portion; determines whether a watermark is embedded in at least one of the video portion and/or the audio portion of the media content; and if it is determined that the watermark is embedded in the at least one of the video portion and/or the audio portion of the media content: identifies a payload in the watermark; receives an advertisement selected at least in part based on the payload; and causes the advertisement to be presented instead of the media content. | 09-18-2014 |
20140344689 | SYSTEM FOR UNIVERSAL REMOTE MEDIA CONTROL IN A MULTI-USER, MULTI-PLATFORM, MULTI-DEVICE ENVIRONMENT - A system enables universal remote media control across multiple platforms, devices, and users. A protocol allows a media controller (such as computer or mobile device) to have access to running activities (such as a television show playing on a media player). The protocol does not require installation of a specific platform application, or a specific user-login/pairing of the media controller with the media player. The system receives commands from a media controller device using a common interface, provides the commands to a remote media player, loads new media content into the media player, based on the commands, and receives state notifications from the media player. The commands and the state notifications include a namespace and a message payload represented as a two-element script array. Another user or device can control the media player using the common interface, for example provided by a browser application on the media controller device. | 11-20-2014 |
20140362293 | SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND MEDIA FOR PRESENTING MEDIA CONTENT - Systems, methods, and media for presenting media content are provided. In some implementations, a system for presenting media content is provided, the system comprising: a hardware processor that is programmed to: establish a connection with a media playback device; respond to a discovery request from a computing device presenting a media content item; establish a persistent communication channel with the computing device over a network in response to a request from the computing device to establish the persistent communication channel; receive identifying information of the media content item being presented by the computing device and identifying information of a source of the media content item being presented by the computing device; request the media content item from the identified source of the media content item as a stream of media content; and cause the media content item to be presented using the media playback device. | 12-11-2014 |