Comcast Cable Communications, LLC

Tivo Corporation

Nbcuniversal Media, LLC

Danial E Holden

Austin J Vrbas

Michael D McMahon

Yasser Fouad Syed

Aljit Joy

Ross Gilson

Weidong Mao

Gregory Allen Broome

Mark David Francisco

Virgil Boyette Urquhart

Neal Roberts

Robert Baker

Mike Harrell

Michael D Mcmahon

Sheau Bao Ng

Thomas Bause Mason

Cherie Arabia

Cherie Cremer

A stereoscopic production solution, e.g., for live events, that provides 3D video asset distribution to multiple devices and networks is described. In some embodiments, live or recorded 3D video content may be accessible by different service providers with different subscribers/users and protocols across a network of the content provider. A first video signal corresponding to a first video feed for one eye of a viewer may be received and a second video signal corresponding to a second video feed for the second eye of the viewer may be received. The first video signal and the second video signal may be encoded. The encoded first video signal and the encoded second video signal may be transmitted independently over a network. The two video signals may be received and frame synced at an off-site location for eventual rendering to a display device.

Distribution of multiple signals of video content independently over a network

An apparatus, method, and system are provided for binding application data associated with an application with content asset data associated with a content asset. In some embodiments, capacity or bandwidth for each of the application data and the content asset data may be allocated in accordance with one or more profiles. The one or more profiles may include horizontal aspects, vertical aspects, linear and non-linear aspects, and the like. In some embodiments, the binding may take place at a content provider location in accordance with early binding practices, at a central location in accordance with late binding practices, and/or at a user equipment device in accordance with user binding practices.

Managing data

A method and system is presented for utilizing an automation server and/or a traffic control manager in the content origination workflow to control a multiplexer, data carousel, and/or packager of an interactive television (iTV) system to synchronize the content (audio, video) with the interactive application data. Further, other aspects provide methods and systems for network ad insertion to generate iTV enhanced advertisements by placing a local ad splicer in the network to allow for splicing of both iTV enhanced advertisements and splicing of iTV applications into an MPEG-2 transport stream.

Linear interactive television data insertion

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described herein for providing alternate content in place of other content based on an issue associated with receiving the other content. The alternate content may be an advertisement associated with the other content. Output of the other content may resume once the issue is resolved and/or after output of the alternate content has concluded.

Non-temporal advertising

Methods and systems for providing content are disclosed. Content (e.g., video content, multimedia content, etc.) may be synchronized between devices. The synchronized content can be associated with different content items (e.g., audio content, closed caption content, commentary content, etc.) between different devices, such as user devices, content devices, and the like.

Methods and systems for providing content

Advertisement user feedback data may be collected and provided to an advertisement decision engine. Advertisements may be presented to users via various electronic media such as digital television, Internet, software, etc., and advertisement feedback user interfaces may be provided to users in connection with such advertisements. An advertisement feedback user interface may be provided via the same electronic medium and device as the corresponding advertisements, or via a different electronic medium and/or device. User feedback data regarding electronic advertisements, as well as additional related data, may be received and provided to one or more advertisement decision engines. An advertisement decision engine may use the advertisement user feedback data to determine a future advertisement to be presented to one or more users at an advertisement insertion opportunity identified in one or more various electronic media.

Content feedback and customization

Systems and methods of adaptive streaming are discussed. Transcoded copies of a source stream may be aligned with one another such that the independently specified portions of each transcoded stream occur at the same locations within the content. These transcoded copies may be produced by one or more transcoders, whose outputs are synchronized by a delay adjuster. A fragmenter may use the synchronized and aligned streams to efficiently produce fragments suitable for use in adaptive streaming.

System and method for synchronizing timing across multiple streams

Aspects of the disclosure relate to control of consumption of content in an appliance. The content can include linear programming and non-linear assets. Such control can permit (i) changing a channel in the appliance (e.g., a CPE without upstream functionality) and thus selecting a linear-programming asset, a non-linear asset, and so forth, and (ii) controlling consumption of such assets. In one aspect, a device with upstream network connectivity can control the consumption of media in the appliance. The device can leverage data management and control functionality of a service provider network to acquire information related to assets available for consumption and to transmit asset requests to the service provider network, which can transmit content and signaling to the appliance in accordance at least in part with the asset request, thus controlling media consumption in the appliance.

Indirect control of content consumption

Content may be received at an edge location in one format, but delivered to a terminal on an access network in another format. The received content may be transcoded at the edge location. The transcoded content may be stored, or immediately delivered. The transcoded content may be fragmented prior to storage. Multiple copies of the transcoded content may be maintained in multiple formats. These formats may be aligned with one another such that delivery of the content can include delivering portions of the content in one format and other portions of the content in another format.

Delivering content in multiple formats

A video transrater, and a transrater system and method. The transrater system and method may select an optimal bit rate from among a plurality of available bit rates in order to obtain a particular video quality and/or format.

System, device and method for transrating file based assets

Content intended for delivery to one or more consuming users may be recorded by a content distribution system. The recording or archival of the content may allow users to retrieve the content at a later time without providing specific instructions to record the content. Storage of the content may include retrieving programming information describing the content and storing the information in association with the content. In one or more arrangements, descriptive data for content may be generated based on user feedback. Additionally or alternatively, content storage may include fragmentation of the content into a number of segments or segments of a specified size. Content may further be paused and resumed between multiple devices, taking into account the capabilities and compatibilities of the devices and a network through which the content is to be delivered.

Growing community of inventors

Englewood, CO, United States of America

Danial E Holden