The Directv Group, Inc.

Digital Networks North America, Inc.

Christopher Dow

Adam Briggs

Tai-Ming Chen

Chuang-Chun Liu

Bruce A Garcia

Jateen P Parekh

Philippe Pignon

Patrick M Ellis

Oleg Varshansky

Chris Coley

The present invention provides for gathering and aggregating data related to the functionality of digital video recorders (DVRs) and transmitting updated instructions to the DVRs. During its operation, a DVR gathers data that is relevant to the detection of commercials such as luminance values, commercial patterns, and user input and stores this information in its internal storage. A central server receives updated instructions from administrators and generates new instructions in response to data aggregated from individual DVRs. The central server transmits the updated instructions to remote DVRs.

System and method for aggregating commercial navigation information

Systems and methods for providing enhanced navigation of stored digital video content based upon an event index. Includes generation and storage of an event index, as well as navigation based on events in the event index. An example system is embodied in a digital video recorder that detects and stores black field and silent frame events for use in locating commercial groups. The commercial groups may be skipped or otherwise navigated based upon data pointers linking the stored events to corresponding locations in the video data file.

System and method for indexing commercials in a video presentation

Systems and methods for providing enhanced navigation of stored digital video content based upon a content-based index. Includes generation and storage of an index, as well as navigation based on the segments defined by the index. An example system is embodied in a digital video recorder that generates an index for locating commercial groups interleaved with program content in a video presentation recorded from a television broadcast. The commercial groups may be viewed without the intervening program content or otherwise navigated based upon information in the index and one or navigation functions. Example user interfaces and several navigation functions are also provided.

System and method for navigation of indexed video content

Systems and methods for providing enhanced navigation of stored digital video content based upon an event index. Includes generation and storage of an event index, as well as navigation based on events in the event index. An example system is embodied in a digital video recorder that detects and stores black field and silent frame events for use in locating commercial groups. The commercial groups may be skipped or otherwise navigated based upon data pointers linking the stored events to corresponding locations in the video data file. Generation of the event index may involve comparing a luminance value for each frame to a luminance threshold value for a video presentation. The luminance threshold value may be based upon a transition point between a first group of luminance values corresponding to video content and a second group of luminance values corresponding to transition events, such as black fields.

System and method for improved blackfield detection

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Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Christopher Dow