Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.

Verizon and Redbox Digital Entertainment Services, LLC

Ishan Awasthi

Jianxiu Hao

Jack Jianxiu Hao

Jian Huang

Gong Zhang

Gaurav D Mehta

Gaurav A Tanna

Fenglin Yin

Okeno R Palmer

Yuhui Qian

Wei Xia

John F Gallagher

Fred Scheer

Fang Zhu

Ashraf Shehata

Sean Shuai Wu

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 system is configured to receive, from a first client device, a request to join a social media environment in which a second client device is participating; provide, to the first client device, information regarding media content associated with the social media environment and a number of playback positions from which to begin playback of the media content; receive, from the first client device, information selecting a playback position for the media content; provide, to the first client device, the media content via the social media environment beginning at the selected playback position; monitor interactions with the social media environment by the first client device and the second client device; detect a change of state for the social media environment; and provide, to the second client device, information associated with the change of state for the social media environment.

Distribution and synchronization of a social media environment

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 method includes receiving a request to provide streaming video content from a user device. A location is identified for the user device. Available networks to deliver the streaming video content are identified based on the location of the at least one user device. Network preference for delivery of the streaming video content is identified. The method also includes selecting an optimal network for delivering the streaming video content based on the location of the at least one user device, the available networks and the network preference for delivery of the streaming video content. The method may also include providing the streaming video content using the optimal network.

Optimizing selection of a network for video streaming

A device receives login information and a content stream request from a user device connected to a wireless access network, and authenticates, via a backend server device, the user device based on the login information. The device also provides, when the user device is authenticated, a content link and a license key to the user device, and the user device provides the content link and the license key to a content delivery device. The device further verifies the license key for the content delivery device, and the content delivery device establishes a secure connection with the user device via the wireless access network, retrieves the requested content stream based on the content link, and provides the content stream to the user device via the secure connection.

Video broadcasting to mobile communication devices

A method performed by a user device connected to a content server, via a public network, that includes sending, to a digital video recorder (DVR) server and via the public network, a request to display images on a display device associated with a local server; receiving, from the DVR server and via the public network, a notification to upload the images, the notification including an address for the content server; selecting a group of images stored on the user device; sending, to the content server and based on the address, the group of images; and sending, to the local server and via a local network, a notification to retrieve the group of images from the content server for display on the display device.

Automatic mobile image diary backup and display

Growing community of inventors

Wilmington, MA, United States of America

Ishan Awasthi