At&t Intellectual Property I, LP

Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation

At&t Delaware Intellectual Property Corporation, Inc.

George A Durden

John R Stefanik

Scott Russell Swix

William C VerSteeg

Paul Thomas Watson

Harvey Lynn Chatham

Thomas E Murphy

Methods, systems, and products control external devices during presentation of multimedia content. When a description of the multimedia content is received, the description may include control data for controlling a device. The control data may thus be executed to alter a presentation of the multimedia content.

Methods, systems, and products for control of devices

Methods, systems, and products control external devices during presentation of multimedia content. When a description of the multimedia content is received, the description includes control data for controlling an external device. The control data is stripped therefrom and sent to the external device to alter a presentation of the multimedia content.

Methods, systems, and products modify and/or block content. A program is received, along with a default rating of the program and dynamic ratings of portions of the program. A preference is received from memory to at least one of block and modify the program. When a dynamic rating is missing for a portion of the program, then revert to the default rating and block the portion of the program from presentation.

Systems, methods, and products for presenting content

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for automated control of devices. A tag is received with Electronic Programming Guide data, and the tag includes control data. The tag is stripped from the Electronic Programming Guide data and communicated to a device.

Methods, systems, and products for automated control of devices

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for presenting content. Programming content is received having a program and program control data. The program control data may has a default setting followed by a data record comprising a rating value and a content attribute value. Program presentation preferences of a viewer are received that block or modify the program. When, however, the rating value and the content attribute value are missing from the data record, and when the default setting equals or exceeds the program presentation preferences, then modification of the program is not allowed. An instruction to modify the program is, instead, interpreted as another instruction to block the program from presentation.

This document discloses systems and methods for enabling viewers to control and manage the presentation of programs based on specified types of rating categories and content attributes that the viewer desires not to be presented. The invention provides program data corresponding to each program. The data contains (1) time-varying information related to the content of discrete portions of the television program and, optionally, (2) corresponding data controlling the presentation of that content. By way of example, the program data includes rating and content attribute values as well as control data indicating to which media component the value applies or instructions corresponding to the ways in which each portion of the program may be disabled, modified, replaced, and/or edited. A set top box or other configured consumer electronics device combines the program data with data input by the user concerning the programming the user desires to disable and the methods therefor. Based on the program data and the viewer's presentation profile, the consumer electronic device controls whether and/or how each applicable portion or component of programming is presented to the viewer.

Systems and methods for controlling and managing programming content and portions thereof

Set top boxes are provided with access to full EIT data streams without having to off-tune from one transport to another. If off-tuning is required, however, a locking mechanism substantially reduces or eliminates service interruption. Data in the additional EIT data streams in the non-home transports is reorganized to be sent by time rather than by service. EIT data is stored in the set top box in an architecture which significantly reduces the redundancy inherent in EIT data, allowing a full 7 days of EIT data to be stored in the set top box memory. The set top box of the present invention is backward compatible with conventional set top boxes.

System and method for providing video services

This document discloses systems and methods for enabling viewers to control and manage programming and to control external consumer electronic devices through the use of a STB or other device. This invention provides command information that is embedded into an EPG signal and transmitted from a headend or transmission facility through a distribution network to the end user. By way of example, the program data includes volume, lighting, internet or environmental tag information for controlling external devices, such as a surround sound entertainment system, home environment system, personal computer, etc. A set top box or other properly configured consumer electronics device either receives data from the external device to effect programming or transmits data to the external device to optimize the viewing experience or to supplement information produced by the EPG.

Methods and systems for controlling consumer electronics external devices via data delivered to a device

A remote control device including a processor, a transmitter in communication with the processor, a receiver in communication with the processor, and a smart card reader/writer in communication with the processor.

Remote control device with smart card capability

An electronic program guide executing in a set top box provides real-time guide EIT information to users for periods beyond the six hours of conventional systems. Each transport providing information to the set top box contains a predetermined number of hours of full EIT data and a predetermined number of days of sparse EIT data. The sparse EIT data allows users to see information for programming in real time days into the future without having to tune to a different transport.

Growing community of inventors

Alpharetta, GA, United States of America

George A Durden