Arris Enterprises LLC

Google Inc.

General Instrument Corporation

Andrew Wireless Systems Gmbh

Arris International IP Ltd

Alfonso Martinez Smith

Faisal Ishtiaq

Benedito J Fonseca, Jr

Anthony J Braskich

Stephen P Emeott

Renxiang Li

Paul C Davis

Benedito J Fonseca

Loren J Rittle

Douglas A Kuhlman

Joshua B Hurwitz

Hiren M Mandalia

Andrew J Aftelak

Krunal S Shah

Kevin Lynn Baum

Michael L Needham

Venugopal Vasudevan

Narayanan Venkitaraman

Jehan Wickramasuriya

Bhavan Gandhi

Faramak Vakil

Dragan Boscovic

Ashley B Novak

Isselmou Ould Dellahy

Andrew Aftelak

Jr Fonseca Benedito J

Particular embodiments provide a system to determine ad segments in a video asset to enable subsequent ad replacement in video programs. The system is included in a multiple service operator (MSO) system that broadcasts video programs via a broadcast schedule. The MSO may not know the location of the ad segments in the video asset. To determine the ad segments, the MSO uses a classifier to classify video program segments and advertisements in the video asset. The classifier may be integrated with an nDVR system. By integrating with the nDVR system, particular embodiments may determine user behavior information, such as trick play commands, from the nDVR system. The classifier may use the user behavior information to detect ad segments in the video asset. In one embodiment, the classifier may fuse outputs from different detectors to detect and validate ad segments in the video program.

Video classification using user behavior from a network digital video recorder

A method for creating derivative advertisements is provided. The method includes identifying a visual element based on an analysis of a primary advertisement asset such that the visual element is representative of a branding message provided within the primary advertisement. The method also includes identifying a call-to-action (CTA) data element based on the analysis and creating a derivative advertisement asset having the visual element and CTA data element. A system and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing software for executing the method are also provided.

Creating derivative advertisements

A method of video segment detection within a transport stream of a video asset is provided. Boundaries of candidate video segments of interest (i.e., advertisements, sports highlights, news highlights, content summaries, etc.) within a video asset are detected with a media analysis detector and are separately detected based on statistical models generated from historic transport control event data collected from a population of viewers of the video asset. The above referenced information concerning the candidate video segments of interest is used to identify beginning and end boundaries of selected candidate video segments within the transport stream. A transcoder is provided with parameters corresponding to the selected candidate video segments and performs group of pictures (GOP) and chunk boundary alignment of chunks of the transport stream with the boundaries of the selected candidate video segments. A system and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are also disclosed.

Video segment detection and replacement

A method and apparatus determine a multimedia representation for a multimedia asset. The method includes receiving a multimedia asset request for a multimedia asset at a multimedia representation broker. The multimedia asset request is received from a specific client device. The multimedia asset request includes client device information about the specific client device. The method determines, at the multimedia representation broker, a multimedia representation for user in providing the multimedia asset to the specific client device based on the client device information and based on media representations appropriate for a client device context of the specific client device. The method outputs multimedia representation information corresponding to the multimedia asset for the specific client device based on the determined multimedia representation.

Method and apparatus for determining a multimedia representation for a multimedia asset delivered to a client device

Particular embodiments detect a solid color frame, such as a black frame, that may include visible content other than the solid color in a portion of the frame. These frames may conventionally not be detected as a solid color frame because of the visible content in the portion of the frame. However, these solid color frames may be 'functional' black or white frames, in that the solid color frames are performing the function of the solid color frame even though the frames include the visible content. The visible content may be content that may always be displayed on the screen even if the video content is transitioning to an advertisement. Particular embodiments use techniques to detect the functional solid color frames even when visible content appears in the solid color frames. Particular embodiments use color layout information and edge distribution information to detect solid color frames.

Detection of solid color frames for determining transitions in video content

A method receives video content and metadata associated with video content. The method then extracts features of the video content based on the metadata. Portions of the visual, audio, and textual features are fused into composite features that include multiple features from the visual, audio, and textual features. A set of video segments of the video content is identified based on the composite features of the video content. Also, the segments may be identified based on a user query.

Content based video content segmentation

Particular embodiments provide supplemental content that may be related to video content that a user is watching. A segment of closed-caption text from closed-captions for the video content is determined. A first set of information from the segment of closed-caption text, such as terms may be extracted. Particular embodiments use an external source that can be determined from a set of external sources. To determine the supplemental content, particular embodiments may extract a second set of information from the external source. Because the external source may be more robust and include more text than the segment of closed-caption text, the second set of information may include terms that better represent the segment of closed-caption text. Particular embodiments thus use the second set of information to determine supplemental content for the video content, and can provide the supplemental content to a user watching the video content.

Processing segments of closed-caption text using external sources

A method () and apparatus () determine a multimedia representation for a multimedia asset. The method includes receiving () a multimedia asset request for a multimedia asset at a multimedia representation broker (). The multimedia asset request is received from a specific client device (). The multimedia asset request includes client device information about the specific client device (). The method determines (), at the multimedia representation broker (), a multimedia representation for use in providing the multimedia asset to the specific client device () based on the client device information and based on media representations appropriate for a client device context of the specific client device (). The method outputs () multimedia representation information corresponding to the multimedia asset for the specific client device () based on the determined multimedia representation.

A method of identifying a representative image of a video stream is provided. Similarity between video frames of a primary video stream relative to video frames of a different secondary video stream having similar content is evaluated and a video frame from the primary video stream having a greatest extent of similarity relative to a video frame of the secondary video stream is identified. The identified video frame is selected as an image representative of the primary video stream and may be used as an informative thumbnail image for the primary video stream. A video processing electronic device and at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon for performing the method are also provided.

Selection of thumbnails for video segments

A method intercepts correlation instructions related to a plurality of meta-content elements associated with a primary content. The primary content or the meta-content elements may have associated privacy rules. At least one meta-content element of the group is selected as having privacy protected information specified in the privacy rules. A set of meta-content items, of meta-content element, are determined that are subject to a correlation restriction based on evaluation of the privacy rules with respect to each meta-content item contained in the meta-content element, and the privacy rules for the set of meta-content items are enforced. The privacy rule enforcement may involve preventing execution of the correlation instructions, excluding the selected at least one meta-content element from a correlation based on the correlation instructions, excluding the set of meta-content items from a correlation based on the correlation instructions, or restricting access to a correlation result based on the correlation instructions.

Privacy manager for restricting correlation of meta-content having protected information based on privacy rules

A disclosed content rights management system defines a content usage policy via a conditional rule set contained in metadata. The conditional rule set is correlated to at least one second content. An access control manager determines, dynamically, access rights conferrable to a user device or a server, based on the content usage policy and user history parameters. The embodiments may confer limited access rights for a first activity by a user device, or by a server, with respect to the protected content and the second content, and block a second activity with respect to the protected content and the second content, in response to determining that the request for the second content, in conjunction with the user history parameters, does not comply with the conditional rule set for the second activity.

Content rights protection with arbitrary correlation of second content

Generating a sequential semantic representation and a resulting content item sequence or presentation is disclosed. A set of nodes and paths among the nodes are determined. Each node includes a corresponding a set of criteria. The paths define a relationship among the plurality of nodes. Transitional operators that define additional criteria for the nodes, are associated with the paths. Content items that include characteristics that are determined to match the corresponding set of criteria for at least one of the nodes are retrieved.

Growing community of inventors

Algonquin, IL, United States of America

Alfonso Martinez Smith