Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.

Arjun Baskaran

Saurabh Gorecha

Padmakumar Rajan

Srirama R Kalidindi

Enrique Ruiz-Velasco

Shafiq Kassam

Japan A Mehta

Brian Edward Bond

Sankar Ram Dhanabalan

Mariappan Chellam

Donald H Relyea

Dongchen Wang

Michael Patrick Ruffini

George Masao Higa

Ruchir Rodrigues

Armando Paul Stettner

Harpal Singh Bassali

Syed Mohasin Zaki

Vijay Senthil Angayarkanni

Kunthunathan Virushabadoss

Akhil Malhotra

Aarif Mohamed Hussain

Harshi Agrawal

Subramanyam Manda

Nazeer Mahaboobjan

Mark W Phillips

A method, apparatus, and system are disclosed for controlling a set-top box based on natural input from a user through various types of devices. Input devices are used to collect sensor data that represents natural user input for controlling the set-top box. The sensor data is parsed in order to identify the natural user input, and a user interface event is generated based on the natural user input. The user interface event is one that is supported by the set-top box. The user interface event is subsequently communicated to the set-top box.

Method, apparatus, and system for implementing a natural user interface

A system receives, from a first user device associated with a giver, a request for a video-on-demand (VOD) gift, wherein the request identifies a recipient and a VOD selection. The system creates a billing event corresponding to the VOD gift, for an account associated with the giver, and generates a coupon code for the VOD gift. The coupon code is associated with the identified recipient and the VOD selection. The system sends, to a second user device associated with the recipient, an indication of the VOD gift that includes the coupon code. The system receives, from a third user device associated with the recipient, the coupon code and provides, to the third user device, information to enable access to VOD content corresponding to the coupon code.

Video on demand gifting

A method, apparatus, and system for providing improved EPGs are described. An availability, at a set-top box, of a media stream is determined, wherein the media stream includes one or more of a first plurality of programs associated with a subscriber. One or more electronic program guides indicating a second plurality of programs associated with the subscriber based on the availability of the media stream are accessed, wherein each of the second plurality of programs are accessible to the set-top box via a data stream that is separate from the media stream and the second plurality of programs includes at least one program of the first plurality of programs. Scheduling information associated with the one or more electronic program guides based on the availability of the media stream is retrieved via the data stream.

Method, apparatus, and system for providing electronic program guide changes during outages in a media stream

A method includes receiving a request, associated with a user profile, for an integrated video guide for a video service. The integrated video guide is time based, and the video service includes broadcast video content and video service selected video content. The video service selected video content is provided via unicast or multicast. The method includes identifying basic video channels that are provided to all subscribers of the video service, and identifying user selected channels that are provided based on the user profile. Broadcast channels that are included in the user selected channels are identified. Online channels that are included in the user selected channels are also identified. The method also includes presenting the basic video channels, the broadcast channels, and the online channels in a same manner in the integrated video guide.

Integrated video content

A device may include one or more processors. The one or more processors may be configured to receive user input via a user interface and provide an appearance of selecting a channel, via a content presentation device connected to the device, without actually selecting the channel when the user input requests a particular program channel. The one or more processors may also be configured to display interactive program guide data at the content presentation device when the user input requests an interactive program guide and when the device is disconnected from a network from which the device received the interactive program guide data.

Kiosk set-top-box

A device may include a communication interface configured to receive programming information and index data associated with the programming information from a service provider multicast over a plurality of channels. The device may also include logic configured to request address information from the service provider, receive the address information, wherein the address information includes a first multicast address, and join a first multicast group corresponding to the first multicast address, wherein the first multicast group is associated with the index data. The logic may also be configured to receive, via the communication interface, the index data, identify a second multicast address associated with at least some of the programming information, join a second multicast group corresponding to the second multicast address, and receive, via the communication interface, at least some of the programming information.

Data distribution

A device may include a communication interface configured to receive a request from a client device, where the request identifies a first video on demand (VOD). The device may also include logic configured to identify capabilities associated with the client device, the capabilities including at least one of a decoding capability of the client device, a content protection scheme supported by the client device, or a transport protocol via which the client device can communicate, and forward the request for the VOD to a service provider associated with providing the first VOD. The logic may also be configured to receive a media stream from the service provider, the media stream corresponding to the first VOD, process the media stream in accordance with the identified capabilities, and forward the processed media stream to the client device.

Video on demand processing

Methods, devices, and storage mediums provide for selecting a remote control mode of operation for a mobile device to allow the mobile device to remotely control a program receiving device. Additionally, methods, devices, and storage mediums provide for a proxy service to allow the mobile device to remotely control a program receiving device, an over-the-top service to allow the mobile device to remotely control a program receiving device, and a direct link service to allow the mobile device to remotely control a program receiving device. Methods, devices, and storage mediums also provide for a notification protocol.

Remote control of program receiving devices

An approach is provided for simulating a connection to a head-end system to enable execution of content and features of a set-top box. A simulation platform stores a plurality of control data signals associated with a head-end system. In response to a determined loss of connectivity to the head-end system, the platform invokes a head-end simulation process using the control data signals, including timing information, dynamic data and channel map data.

Method and apparatus for simulating head-end connectivity on a set-top box

An interactive program system includes a device that receives program data and Enhanced TV Binary Interchange Format (EBIF) data associated with an interactive application; identifies the EBIF data; converts the EBIF data to a data format compatible with a user device; generates an EBIF notification based on the EBIF data; transmits the EBIF notification to the user device; and transmits the converted EBIF data to a network device. The user device communicates with the network device based on the EBIF notification and displays the converted EBIF data. The user device transmits input data to the network device and the network device provides interaction data to the device.

Interactive program system

Exemplary customer premises equipment ('CPE') diagnostic, recovery, and reporting systems and methods are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes a technical support server subsystem aggregating, over time, technical support data representing technical issues of CPE devices and operations performed to resolve the technical issues, identifying a subset of the technical support data, and providing the identified subset of the technical support data to a CPE device for local storage by the CPE device, locally stored technical support data configured to be used by the CPE device to self-recover from a future technical issue associated with the CPE device. In certain embodiments, the CPE device may be configured to function as a media server device and/or as an intermediary technical support device at a customer premises. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Customer premises equipment diagnostic, recovery, and reporting systems and methods

A computing device receives instructions, from a user, to send an email message and determines if the email message includes an attachment. When the email message does not include an attachment, the computing device conducts a scan of text of the email message for implications that an attachment should be included. When the email message includes an attachment, the computing device conducts a scan of the email text for implications of a particular type of attachment. The computing device provides, to the user, a notification when there is a positive result from the scan of the email text for implications that an attachment should be included or from the scan of the email text for implications of a particular type of attachment.

Email attachment helper

A system is configured to receive, from a user device, a request for video content and closed captioning content associated with the video content; obtain, based on the request, device information that identifies a first video format that is supported by the user device; obtain the video content and the closed captioning content, where the video content conforms to a second video format, and where the closed captioning content conforms to a text format; convert the video content from the second video format to the first video format and the closed captioning content from the text format to the first video format; and transmit the converted video content and the converted closed captioning to the user device, where the converted video content and the converted closed captioning content enable the user device to play the converted video content and the converted closed captioning content without modifying the user device.

Dynamic provisioning of closed captioning to user devices

An exemplary system includes a development subsystem configured to facilitate development of a software application and a simulation subsystem selectively and communicatively coupled to the development subsystem. The simulation subsystem is configured to emulate a plurality of processing device platforms, receive data representative of a selection of at least one of the plurality of processing device platforms, and simulate an execution of the software application by one or more processing devices associated with the at least one selected processing device platform.

Growing community of inventors

Chennai, India

Arjun Baskaran