Dish Technologies L.l.c.

Echostar Technologies International Corporation

Echostar Technologies Corporation

Nagrastar LLC

Christopher Boyd Tirpak

Steven Michael Casagrande

Danny Jean Minnick

Robert Drew Major

Max Stephen Gratton

David A Kummer

Neil T Marten

Gregory Duval

Keith Gerhards

Various systems, devices and methods automatically identify advertisements or other portions of television or other media content prior to broadcast using automated content analysis. Information about identified content may be used for any number of different purposes, including advertisement identification; advertisement replacement; second screen browsing or augmentation of identified content; tracking of times or places that ads or other content are viewed; and many others.

Automated identification of video program content

Methods, systems and devices to stream media content are described. A user interface is presented to a user via a media device. When the media device has determined that an interaction with the user interface has occurred (e.g., the user has begun scrolling through a list, or has performed a keyword search), the media device requests, from a media content source, a subset of first media content based on the interaction with the user interface and prior to selection of the first media content via the user interface. The subset of first media content is then displayed in response to the selection of the first media content.

Systems and methods for pre-caching media content

Systems, methods, and computer program products for determining network characteristics are provided. The network characteristics may be used to facilitate changes to how content is delivered over a network, such as to avoid network congestion, to provide improved throughput, or to provide a good (or better) user experience, such as when streaming media. For example, the network characteristics may be determined, in part, by tracking domain name resolution requests by using specially formulated domain names that require resolution at an authoritative name server.

Content delivery optimization using adaptive and dynamic DNS

Systems and methods for providing a mechanism for a computer user to seamlessly and readily access information that may be supplied by a number of different sources.

Context-sensitive information presentation

A television set top box (STB) or similar receiver device uses information obtained from a wireless interface to automatically detect when the device has been moved to a different location. The device may initially obtain a list of wi-fi zones or in-range wireless devices that can be quantified or stored for later comparison. If the device later finds that the original zones/devices are no longer present or that substantial numbers of new zones/devices are present, then the device can recognize that it has been moved to a new location. The device may respond to the detected location change by disabling premium content, by reporting back to a security service, by simply recording the change in location, or by taking other actions as appropriate.

Detecting illicit viewing of premium content through location detection by a television receiver device

Described herein are methods and systems for automatically selecting television channels for display on one or more televisions based on the viewing preferences of the viewers. The viewers can enter their viewing preferences in a database through a user interface that a controller can access. The controller can receive, for a premises (e.g., a sports bar), a list of viewers. Based on the viewing preferences of the list of viewers, the controller can determine a single or a ranked list of television channels for display on the televisions. If there are multiple televisions, the controller can assign each of the televisions a television channel from the ranked list based on the ranking. The controller can send an instruction to the STB controlling the television(s) to set the assigned television channel to the assigned television.

Sports bar mode automatic viewing determination

Systems and methods for pre-caching media content in response to user-system interaction

The various examples described herein generally provide systems and methods for generating a hybrid electronic programming guide (EPG) that includes both broadcast content and other types of content, such as over-the-top (OTT) content. In examples, broadcast content may be content provided by a satellite, terrestrial, or cable television provider. Other types of content, e.g., the OTT content, may be content that is delivered over an open network, such as the Internet. In examples, a secure processor may be employed to determine if a subscriber is authorized to access the OTT content based on subscription information received via a broadcast transmission.

Hybrid electronic program guide

Methods, systems and devices for organizing media content are provided. One method includes receiving a request, via a user interface presented to a user, to compile a requested plurality of episodes of a selected media content. The availability of the requested plurality of episodes are determined from at least two types of media content sources. The requested plurality of episodes are then compiled (e.g., recorded via a digital video recorder or located within a streaming service). A user interface is then presented to the user, including a series-order arrangement of the requested plurality of episodes.

Systems and methods for compiling and organizing multiple episodes of media content series

A home automation data storage system is provided that can include a plurality of home automation components, each component including a storage device. The system can also include a controller database for storing control data for the home automation system. The system can also include an electronic device communicatively coupled to the plurality of home automation components, the controller database, and a computing device, the electronic device having programming instructions that cause the electronic device to receive data from the computing device, store at least a portion of the data in the storage device of a component from the plurality of home automation components, and store information associating the storage device of the component and the at least a portion of the data in the controller database.

Growing community of inventors

Monument, CO, United States of America

Christopher Boyd Tirpak