Dish Technologies L.l.c.

Echostar Technologies Corporation

Dish Network LLC

Echostar Technologies International Corporation

Echostar Corporation

Echostar Communications Corporation

Echostar Satellite, LLC

Danny Jean Minnick

David A Kummer

Luke VanDuyn

Mark Templeman

Keith Gerhards

Max Stephen Gratton

Edmund F Petruzzelli

Yunfeng Yang

Daniel L Rudolph

Jay P Carlson

Christopher Boyd Tirpak

Germar Schaefer

Seth Byerley

Manuel Novoa, Iii

Alan Terry Pattison

John D Hamrick, Jr

Michael Cavanaugh

Rui Ding

Matthew Coburn

Charles W Ergen

John D Barbieri

James Matthew White

Gowtham Ram Ramkumar

Robert F Percival

Mi Chen

John S Todd

Luke Vanduyn

Michael Steinert

Melissa Pangilinan

Douglas E McGary

Jean McAuliffe

William Volkman

Karen Michelle Taxier

Embodiments detect updates to digital video broadcast (DVB) service information (SI), and forcing off-schedule updates to local meta-programming data (MPD) of a customer premises appliance in response to the update, where appropriate. For example, embodiments detect an SI update for at least one DVB content service being provided via a DVB network and determine whether a stream update descriptor in the SI is asserted. Detected assertion triggers an automatic off-schedule MPD update, including assigning a tuner to obtain updated provider MPD via an MPD service, and rebuilding local MPD based on the updated provider MPD. The local MPD is usable by the customer premises appliance to populate a meta-programming user interface (e.g., an electronic program guide) by which to display descriptive information about at least some of the plurality of DVB content services.

Forced update of meta-programming data using digital video broadcast service information

Systems, apparatus, and methods are described for responding to inoperative commands on a server device. In some embodiments, the disclosed technology facilitates pausing of content being played on a device without creating a bookmark of the location in the content at which the content was paused. In response to receiving the request to pause the content from playing, the server device generates a pause instruction to pause the content from playing. Upon expiry of a timeout interval, the server device automatically transforms the pause instruction into a stop instruction, which when executed causes stopping the content from playing. In some embodiments, the server device detects an user interaction event, prior to expiry of the timeout interval. Non-limiting examples of the user interaction may be shutting down the server device, switching from the content to a live broadcast program, switching from the content to another content, or exiting from the content.

Methods and apparatus for responding to inoperative commands

Improved technical functionality is provided to dynamically select and seamlessly play advertisements immediately before playing of a recorded program upon selection of the recorded program for playing, or upon other detected events and conditions associated with the set-top-box (STB) or user. In some embodiments, this is performed by using metadata which may be delivered to and stored on a digital video recorder (DVR) prior to recording the program, providing a technical solution to enable opportunities for additional advertisement impressions. Playing of the advertisement may also or instead occur upon the recorded program finishing playing. Thus, the technical solution provides the additional opportunity for the content creator and/or the satellite television or cable service provider to sell advertising spots in addition to those already sold for breaks within the recorded program.

Systems and methods for playing media assets stored on a digital video recorder

A computerized system for guaranteed advertisement impressions recognizes an identifier of a media content segment (e.g., an advertisement) to be played before playing of a recorded program as a result of selection of or initiation of playing a recorded program. In some embodiments, the system recognizes an identifier of a media content segment at or during initiation of playing the of the media content segment, or during playback of a media content stream including a recorded program. In in response to the recognition of the identifier, the system ignores (or disables the remote control sending), for a predetermined time period, all commands to skip or fast forward through all or part of the media content segment.

Systems and methods to generate guaranteed advertisement impressions

A mobile device includes a first display portion, a second display portion and a graphics processor. The first display portion is viewable while the second display portion is obscured when the mobile device is in a retracted configuration. Both display portions are viewable when the mobile device is in an expanded configuration. The graphics processor may be coupled to each display portion and configured to generate a first image for display on: the first display portion when the mobile device is in the retracted configuration; at least one of the display portions while the mobile device is in the expanded configuration; and at least one of the display portions while the mobile device transitions between the retracted configuration and the expanded configuration. The second display portion may be a flexible display material, such as an OLED display and with the first display portion may be a single sheet OLED display.

Mobile device with an expandable screen

Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and/or methods are described for presenting relevant programming information. A viewing action of an audiovisual event is detected on a receiving device. Data associated with the viewed audiovisual event is then retrieved. The retrieved data includes at least receiving device information and audiovisual event information. The retrieved data is then stored in a historical viewing database, and at least one scoring table is generated from the data in the historical viewing database. Programming information for a plurality of candidate audiovisual events that are available to be viewed is then organized based at least in part on the at least one scoring table and a selected time, and the organized programming information is output to a presentation device.

Systems, methods and apparatus for presenting relevant programming information

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

Embodiments described herein provide various techniques for backing up and restoring data and programs at television receiver devices. In some embodiments, various types of data stored locally by television receiver devices may be backed up by uploading the data to a television provider server, cloud-based storage system, and/or other remote storage locations. In the event of a device failure, or other rebuilt or reinstallation process at the television receiver, a receiver set-up process may be implemented to retrieve the receiver backup data from the backup server, and to initiate various set-up processes in which the replacement receiver may use the backup data to implement the various configuration preferences and settings on the new device, re-create the DVR timers, establish new network connections, configure the home device/appliance settings, and the like, automatically based on the receiver backup data.

Online backup and restoration of television receiver storage and configuration data

Described are systems and methods for providing improved indoor reception of OTA (Over-the-Air) broadcast signals. The systems described include antenna systems with one or more network interfaces for providing a transport stream received by an antenna to a network.

Indoor over the air antenna systems

A first index to a media content item and a second index to the media content item are stored on a media device. Each first index specifies a location in the media content item at which user input was received to skip a portion of the media content item. Each second index specifies a location in the media content item at which user input was received to resume playback of the media content item. A skip start index for the media content item is identified based on the first indexes. A skip end index for the media content item is identified based on the second indexes. A request for playback of an instance of the media content item is received. The instance of the media content item can be played skipping a portion of the instance of the media content item between the skip start and skip end indexes.

Media content skipping

Various arrangements for recording multiple television channels are presented. A plurality of sets of television channels may be identified. An interface may be output for presentation, the interface presenting indications of each of the plurality of sets of television channels and a plurality of input elements associated with the plurality of sets of television channels. User input may be received via one or more of the plurality of input elements indicative of one or more sets of television channels of the plurality of sets of television channels to be recorded. Dates and times at which the one or more sets of television channels are to be recorded may be determined. The one or more sets of television channels may be recorded at the determined dates and the determined times.

Recording of multiple television channels

Growing community of inventors

Castle Rock, CO, United States of America

Danny Jean Minnick