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5524results about "Electrical cable transmission adaptation" patented technology

System and method for scheduling broadcast of and access to video programs and other data using customer profiles

InactiveUS6088722AMinimize memory requirementFacilitate text retrievalTelevision system detailsAnalogue secracy/subscription systemsTelevision systemData source
PCT No. PCT / US95 / 15429 Sec. 371 Date Dec. 24, 1997 Sec. 102(e) Date Dec. 24, 1997 PCT Filed Nov. 29, 1995 PCT Pub. No. WO96 / 17467 PCT Pub. Date Jun. 6, 1996A system and method for scheduling the receipt of desired movies and other forms of data from a network, which simultaneously distributes many sources of such data to many customers, as in a cable television system. Customer profiles are developed for the recipient describing how important certain characteristics of the broadcast video program, movie, or other data are to each customer. From these profiles, an "agreement matrix" is calculated by comparing the recipient's profiles to the actual profiles of the characteristics of the available video programs, movies, or other data. The agreement matrix thus characterizes the attractiveness of each video program, movie, or other data to each prospective customer. "Virtual" channels are generated from the agreement matrix to produce a series of video or data programming which will provide the greatest satisfaction to each customer. Feedback paths are also provided so that the customer's profiles and / or the profiles of the video programs or other data may be modified to reflect actual usage, and so that the data downloaded to the customer's set top terminal may be minimized. Kiosks are also developed which assist customers in the selection of videos, music, books, and the like in accordance with the customer's objective profiles.
Owner:FRED HERZ PATENTS

Program guide on a remote control display

A remote control for operating a consumer electronic device. The remote control device may comprise a housing providing a mounting for a visual display and a keyboard including a plurality of keys; electrical circuitry in the housing including a microprocessor, at least one of an IR or RF receiver circuit coupled to the microprocessor, keyboard circuitry coupled between the microprocessor and the keyboard, a memory coupled to the microprocessor, and at least one of an IR or RF transmitter circuit coupled to the microprocessor. Program guide software is stored in the memory and executable by the microprocessor for causing to be displayed on the visual display, upon actuation of one or more of the keys, a program guide, advertising and / or other content contained in a data set received by the receiver.
Owner:LOGITECH EURO SA

Method, system and computer program product for producing and distributing enhanced media downstreams

A multimedia production and distribution system collects or assembles a media production (such as, a news program, television programming, or radio broadcast) from a variety of sources, including television stations and other media hosting facilities. The media production is categorized and indexed for retrieval and distribution across a wired or wireless network, such as the Internet, to any client, such as a personal computer, television, or personal digital assistant. A user can operate the client to display and interact with the media production, or select various options to customize the transmission or request a standard program. Alternatively, the user can establish a template to generate the media production automatically based on personal preferences. The media production is displayed on the client with various media enhancements to add value to the media production. Such enhancements include graphics, extended play segments, opinion research, and URLs. The enhancements also include advertisements, such as commercials, active banners, and sponsorship buttons. An advertisement reporting system monitors the sale and distribution of advertisements within the network. The advertisements are priced according to factors that measure the likelihood of an advertisement actually being presented or viewed by users most likely to purchase the advertised item or service. The advertisement reporting system also collects metrics to invoice and apportion income derived from the advertisements among the network participants, including a portal host and / or producer of the content.
Owner:PARKER VISION INC

Method and apparatus for the free licensing of digital media content

A system and method for displaying digital media files with compulsory advertisement files is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a user interface, a media file decryptor, an ad manager, an intersplicer, and a media player. The user interface receives input from a user indicating the selection of media files to be presented. The media file decryptor receives and decrypts the selected media files. The ad manager receives and manages ad files from an ad file source. The intersplicer combines the media files with the ad files by providing control signals to the media player, causing the media player to present the ad files with the selected media files. Various embodiments of the invention facilitate the wide distribution of media content in a way that allows the free use of media properties, on demand, with direct consumer exchange capabilities, while at the same time enabling compensation to copyright holders.
Owner:PIRANHA MEDIA DISTRIBUTION LLC

Media playlist management and viewing remote control

According to this invention, a user may capture a media link on any PC and perform this capture function at any physical location, then save the media link in a playlist, and subsequently play the media located at the media link on a TV server. The TV server may be controlled from a local device—typically a PC or a handheld remote control. Playlists may be maintained on a Web playlist function. Software on a local controller device can then select a media link from a Web playlist through the Internet, and the Web playlist function can then pass that link to a local TV server, thus avoiding the need for the controller device and the TV server to communicate through a LAN. Additionally, a playlist may include targeted advertisements shown physically adjacent to related playlist items.
Owner:ZOTT JOSEPH A +2

System and method of selective media content access through a recommednation engine

A personalized entertainment and information platform (Sphere) which provides personalized content delivery across different platforms and modes of delivery. A personal media device (e.g., PC, television, and so forth) interacts with a control server configured for accessing media content and metadata over the Internet. In response to input from the user and the history of user media selection and viewing, a prioritized recommendation list is generated and queued for downloading. The associated content is then downloaded automatically to the personal media device, without the need of user interaction. At this time the user can access the downloaded content immediately without a lengthy delay in waiting for content downloading. It will be appreciated that content such as shows and movies in HD format are of significant size (e.g., up to 50 GB) which would require significant download time, and tie up network and system resources.
Owner:SONY CORP +1

Multi server, interactive, video-on-demand television system utilizing a direct-access-on-demand workgroup

An interactive television system that renders on-demand interactive multimedia services for a community of users. The interactive multimedia is delivered to each user on a TV or on a LAN-node (Local-Area-Network) computer through an "interactive TV channel" created and controlled by a Channel-processor, which can be implemented as either a PC or a high-end workstation. The system employs a direct-access on-demand workgroup server. It is equipped with the primary on-demand multimedia data base stored on a hard disk subsystem that is connected directly to the Channel-processors through an internal workgroup link. Using a no-overhead server technology, the connected workgrouped Channel-processors can all concurrently retrieve and process the data directly from the hard disk subsystem without resorting to a stand-alone server system for data retrieving and downloading. The system also employs peer-to-peer workgroup connectivity, so that all of the workgrouped Channel-processors that are connected to the workgroup server through the internal workgroup link, can communicate with one another.
Owner:HWANG IVAN CHUNG SHUNG

Method and apparatus for creation, distribution, assembly and verification of media

A method and apparatus for creation, distribution, assembly and verification of media, including one embodiment, media is transmitted to a receiver where the receiver assembles the media into programming. In another embodiment, media is transmitted to the receiver from a plurality of sources. In a further embodiment, a source of media performs a tagging operation to associate sets of tags with elements of the stream of media. In various embodiments, different combinations of look-and-feel, content and other tags are associated with the media stream. In an additional embodiment, tagging of the media stream is performed at the receiver. A user at the receiver may also provide data about the user to the receiver. In yet another embodiment, the receiver uses the tags to assemble the media into a program. In still further embodiments of the invention, various Royalty Only Aggregate Revenues or “ROAR” models and apparatus are disclosed.
Owner:NTECH PROPERTIES

Advertising methods for advertising time slots and embedded objects

Disclosed is a process for an advertising bidding system in which advertisers can bid on advertising time slots or enhanced ads that can be inserted in either prerecorded or live television programming. A high degree of flexibility is provided by allowing embedded ads to be purchased and displayed in a very short time period. This allows TV broadcasters to increase revenues and allows advertisers to have more flexibility in advertising. Objects can be inserted in the display video broadcast using enhancements such as by using mark-up language overlay pages or by video combination techniques. The effect of these ads can be evaluated for advertising campaigns.
Owner:ROKU INCORPORATED

Network manager for cable television system headends

A novel network manager for use with a cable television system headend capable of monitoring and managing headend components and set top terminals in a television delivery system is described. The invention relates to methods and apparatus that manage and coordinate the reception of various programming and control signals at a headend. The invention manages and coordinates the storage of such signals for intelligent selection and distribution to set top terminals. The invention makes use of a receiver or set of receivers, a work station, a program control information processing component, a network management CPU, databases, control software and an instruction memory. The invention uses these components to manage and monitor certain headend components, such as signal reception equipment, an authorization component, a file server, MPEG decoders, a digital buffer with frame repeat and channel modulators. The invention is particularly useful in processing and responding to upstream information and subscriber communications received from set top terminals. In so doing, the invention accommodates various system services, including (1) near video on demand (NVOD), (2) virtual video on demand (VVOD), (3) video on demand (VOD), (4) interactive program services, (5) program suggestion features, (6) advertisement targeting, (7) generation of standard and custom menus, and (8) data spooling and text overlaying.
Owner:COMCAST IP HLDG I

Method and system for providing targeted advertisements

A method and system for providing targeted advertisements over a networked media delivery system, especially interactive television networks, the system comprising tracking and storing viewer selections, analyzing the selections, and delivering targeted advertisements that appeal to the particular subscriber making the selections, the system including a merge processor, a file server, a profile processor, and a broadcast server contained in a head end in communication with a plurality of set-top boxes through a distribution network. Based on a subscriber's viewing habits and account information, the present invention delivers different, customized advertisements to different viewers watching the same program or channel. The present invention delivers the advertisements as either still frame bit maps or as video streams advertisement insertion in a playlist or a broadcast media program.
Owner:ALPHONSO

Advertising with video ad creatives

The serving of advertisements with (e.g., on) video documents may be improved in a number of ways. For example, a system may (a) accept information defining at least one ad spot associated with at least one instance of an video document, (b) accept offers to have advertisements served in the ad spot(s), and (c) arbitrate among competing advertisements, using at least the offers, to determine at least one advertisement to be served in that ad spot(s). As another example, a system may (a) accept relevance information for an advertisement, (b) determine at least one video document using the accepted relevance information, (c) present information about the video document(s) to an advertiser associated with the advertisement, and (d) accept, from the advertiser, an offer to have its advertisement served with at least one of the video document(s) accepted. As yet another example, a system may (a) accept relevance information for an video document, (b) determine a plurality of advertisements relevant to the video document using the relevance information and serving constraints of the advertisements, and (c) select at least one of the determined relevant advertisements to be served with the video document. Examples of video documents include video files published on the Internet, television programs, live or recorded talk shows, video-voice mail, segments of an video conversation, etc.
Owner:GOOGLE LLC

Apparatus and methods for broadcast monitoring

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for editing the content of a broadcast programming signal to provide a proprietary program signal that has been tailored to the preferences of an individual monitoring the broadcast programming signal. Accordingly, the systems and methods of the invention offer computer-integrated television monitoring.
Owner:TIVO SOLUTIONS INC

Interactive television system with custom video-on-demand menus based on personal profiles

An interactive television system is provided in which a user can use an interactive television application to access and request media-on-demand programming. The interactive television application may display customized interface display screens that include video-on-demand programs and categories that may be of particular interest to the user. These programs and categories of interest may be based on the user's personal profile. Once a list of programs and categories based on a user's personal profile is generated, one or more of these programs may be incorporated in a menu interface template to generate a video-on-demand menu customized for the user.
Owner:UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES

Movie studio-based network distribution system and method

Digital content files containing entertainment media such as movies, TV shows, and the like are distributed from at least one content source primarily responsible for the original creation of the media to subscribers over a network system. The content source is connected over at least one content source network to a plurality of distribution partners, and each distribution partner is connected with a selected group of subscribers over an access network. A requested digital content file is distributed from the content source to a subscriber in a network distribution path comprising at least the content source network, the distribution partner associated with the subscriber, and the second network. A profile information package containing subscriber preferences is transmitted from the subscriber to the content source by way of a proxy over the network distribution path, and the profile information package is stored at the content source.
Owner:VERIMATRIX INC

Method and apparatus for delivery of targeted video programming

A system residing preferably in a television set-top box monitors the television watching habits of one or more viewers and creates one or more profiles for each viewers descriptive of various characteristics of each viewers, including television watching preferences and demographics. The set-top box is able to select among various available video programming segments to create customized and / or targeted video programs for delivery to the viewer or viewers as a linear program. The customized linear video programs may include targeted content, advertising, and other video programming.
Owner:THOMSON LICENSING SA

Set top terminal for television delivery system

A viewer interface for a television program delivery system is described. The innovation relates to methods and devices for viewer pathways to television programs. Specifically, the interface involves hardware and software used in conjunction with a television at the viewer home to create a user friendly menu based approach to television program access. The device is particularly useful in a program delivery system with hundreds of programs and a data signal carrying program information. The disclosure describes menu generation and menu selection of television programs.
Owner:COMCAST IP HLDG I

Card for a set top terminal

An apparatus for upgrading a viewer interface for a television program delivery system (200) is described. The invention relates to methods and devices for viewer pathways to television programs and services. Specifically, the apparatus involves hardware and software used in conjunction with the interface and a television at the viewer home to create a user friendly menu based approach to accessing programs and services. The apparatus is particularly useful in a program delivery system (200) with hundreds of programs and a data signal carrying program information. The disclosure describes menu generation and menu selection of television programs.
Owner:COMCAST IP HLDG I

System and data management and on-demand rental and purchase of digital data products

A system for handling data and transactions involving data through the use of a virtual transaction zone, which virtual transaction zone removes the dependency of such transaction on the delivery medium of the product. The invention may reside and operate on a variety of electronic devices such as televisions, VCRs, DVDs, personal computers, WebTV, any other known electronic recorder / player, or as a stand alone unit. The transaction zone also provides a mechanism for combining mediums, data feeds, and manipulation of those feeds. The transaction zone also provides a mechanism for controlling the content, delivery, and timing of delivery of the end consumer's product.
Owner:LEWIS WILLIAM H

Playing video content with advertisement

Playing video content together with an advertisement is disclosed. A first message is sent to a video player server indicating a video content. A video player is instantiated to play the video content. A second message is initiated from the video player to an advertisement server. One or more advertisements is / are received from the advertisement server. The video content is played together with the one or more advertisements using the video player.
Owner:SITESCOUT PUBLISHER SOLUTIONS

Cross-platform predictive popularity ratings for use in interactive television applications

ActiveUS20070136753A1Good predictive popularity rating informationTelevision system detailsColor television detailsInteractive televisionTelevision equipment
Systems and methods for determining cross-platform predictive popularity ratings information are provided. An interactive television application operating on at least one predetermined platform, such as an online interactive application platform, may monitor user interactions with the interactive television application to obtain cross-platform data, which may be used to determine predictive popularity ratings information. The predictive popularity ratings information may then be distributed for use in at least one platform of a type different than the type of the predetermined platform, such as a user television equipment platform.
Owner:ROVI GUIDES INC

Content hosting and advertising systems and methods

In an exemplary system, a data store includes at least a subset of media content, media content attribute data associated with the media content, user profile data associated with at least one consumer having access to the media content, advertising content, and content matching data associated with the advertising content. An access module is communicatively coupled to an access device and configured to receive a request sent by the access device, the request being for access to a media content instance included in the media content. A matching module is configured to match at least one advertising content instance included in the advertising content to the media content instance based on the media content attribute data, user profile data, and content matching data. The access module is configured to provide the matched advertising content instance to the access device for user presentation.
Owner:VERIZON PATENT & LICENSING INC

Delivery and presentation of content-relevant information associated with frames of audio-visual programs

A method for delivery and presentation of content-relevant information associated with frames in an AV program enables TV viewers to retrieve information on the contents (for example, objects, items, concepts and the like) associated with a frame or a set of frames (video segments) when they watch TV or video programs. The information relevant to frame(s) is delivered to a STB or DVR by third-party service providers through back channels such as the Internet if the information of how to accurately access the frames pointed by STB users are delivered to the service providers, and the content-relevant information may be presented in the form of a GUI for the TV viewer.
Owner:SULL SANGHOON +3

System and method for identification and insertion of advertising in broadcast programs

A broadcast system and method for identification and insertion of advertising in broadcast programs includes receiving a broadcast data stream, identifying an advertisement in the broadcast data stream, and updating an advertisement schedule including information identifying the advertisement and a location of the advertisement within a program in the broadcast data stream. On playback, the advertisement or a replacement advertisement is inserted into the program at the location or at another location within the program.
Owner:VIDEO NETWORKS IP HLDG

Time-based graphical user interface for multimedia content

A graphical user interface (“GUI”) for a content management system is provided, such as to present information associated with various forms of multimedia content. In some situations, the GUI includes information presented simultaneously using at least first and second time scales, such as to provide relatively detailed information for content corresponding to a shorter time scale (e.g., to display content listings with details about content that corresponds to a time period at the shorter time scale) and to provide relatively limited information for content corresponding to a longer time scale (e.g., indications of other content of potential interest corresponding to times outside the time period of the shorter time scale). In addition, in some situations the relatively limited information for content corresponding to the longer time scale may be selectable by the user to provide various functionality related to that content.
Owner:VULCAN

Method and apparatus for delivering a virtual reality environment

This invention involves a virtual environment created through the combination of technologies. The invention employs the knowledge and experience of a Personal Assistant or Host, created through Artificial Intelligence applications, which assists and guides the user of the environment to products and / or services that they will most likely be interested in purchasing or requiring. The intelligent assistant's choices are based on its experiences with the specific user. The intelligent assistant communicates with the user by means of a speech recognition and speech synthesis device. This invention is an easy to use virtual reality environment that takes advantage of existing technologies and global communications networks such as the Internet without requiring any given degree of computer literacy. This invention includes a virtual intelligent assistant for each user which adapts to its user as it provides individualized guidance. The intelligent assistant or avatar projects human-like features and behaviors appropriate to the preferences of its user and appears as a virtual person to the user.
Owner:MISSION THE

Subscriber characterization system

A subscriber characterization system is presented in which the subscriber's selections are monitored, including monitoring of the time duration programming is watched, the volume at which the programming is listened to, and any available information regarding the type of programming, including category and sub-category of the programming. The characterization system can extract textual information related to the programming from closed captioning data, electronic program guides, or other text sources associated with the programming. The extracted information is used to form program characteristics vectors. The programming characteristics vectors can be used in combination with the subscriber selection data to form a subscriber profile. Heuristic rules indicating the relationships between programming choices and demographics can be applied to generate additional probabilistic information regarding demographics and programming and product interests.
Owner:PRIME RES ALLIANCE E LLC
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