Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.

Verizon and Redbox Digital Entertainment Services, LLC

Gaurav A Tanna

Fred Scheer

Jianxiu Hao

Jack Jianxiu Hao

Jian Huang

Diego Sebastian Rozensztejn

Ishan Awasthi

Gong Zhang

Xuefeng Yao

Okeno R Palmer

Gaurav D Mehta

Wei Xia

Fang Zhu

A device may receive a request to establish a virtual theater. The device may provide, to multiple user devices, information regarding a transaction and one or more playback options for the virtual theater. The transaction may relate to establishing the virtual theater. The device may receive, from the multiple user devices, playback preference information based on the one or more playback options. The device may establish the virtual theater based on receiving the playback preference information and based on providing the information regarding the transaction. The device may provide, to the multiple of user devices, media content via the virtual theater based on the playback preference information.

Establishment and synchronization of a virtual theater based on transaction information and playback preference information

A method, a device, and a storage medium having instructions stored thereon to obtain usage data that indicates a usage of a downloading service and a streaming service of programs, in which the programs are provided to user devices via unicast delivery. The usage data is analyzed to determine whether a multicast offloading or a broadcast offloading is to be invoked on behalf of a program designated for unicast delivery. Additionally, a method, a device, and a storage medium obtain usage data, analyze the usage data, and generate a recommendation for an infrastructural change of a content delivery network based on the analysis.

Broadcast/multicast offloading and recommending of infrastructural changes based on usage tracking

A first device may receive an instruction to add a first marker that identifies a first time index associated with particular content and a particular account used to access the particular content; receive an instruction to add a second marker that identifies a second time index associated with the particular content and the particular account; store the first marker and information associating the first marker with the first time index, the particular content, and the particular account; store the second marker and information associating the second marker with the second time index, the particular content, and the particular account; receive selection of the first marker or the second marker, associated with the particular content and the particular account; and cause a second device to play back the particular content at the first time index or the second time index.

Cloud based management for multiple content markers

A method includes requesting, by a user device, video program related content. The video program related content includes content related to one or more video programs provided by a service provider. The method also includes receiving the video program related content. A selection of a video program from the one or more video programs is received. The video program is selected at a set top box. The method also includes controlling a viewing session for the video program using the user device.

Controlling a viewing session for a video program

A device receives one or more contacts provided in an address book associated with a user, and receives profile information associated with one or more other users. The device also links the profile information with one or more corresponding contacts provided in the address book, and provides the address book with the linked profile information to one or more user devices associated with the user.

Networked address book

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Brighton, MA, United States of America

Gaurav A Tanna