Cisco Technology, Inc.

Nds Corporation

James Geoffrey Walker

Kevin A Murray

Colin John Davies

Neil Cormican

Ian R Shelton

Simon John Parnall

Michael B Costello

Ray Taylor

Pete Rai

Nicholas Thexton

Nicholas Ashton Hall

Stuart P Ashby

Trevor Smith

Ronnie Dan

Alex Ashley

Michael Julian Michael Ertl

Ronnie Israel Dan

Rahul Chakkara

Andre Surcouf

Ian Bastable

Peter J Rogers

Guillaume Sauvage De Saint Marc

Laurent Chauvier

David John White

Patricia Patitucci

Peter Gibbs

Miles Davis

Michael Ertl

Real-time metadata about a plurality of video streams, and information associated with a directed stream, is received. The information includes a plurality of time segments, where time segments correspond to a respective video stream selected by a director for display in the directed stream during the time segment. Additionally, it is determined, based on the information, that the directed stream will display a first video stream during a first time segment. Further, a subsidiary stream is generated for a first group of users. This involves determining to substitute a second video stream for the first video stream during the first time segment, based on real-time metadata and further based on a first set of rules associated with the first group of users. When the first time segment begins, the second video stream is outputted for display in the subsidiary stream.

Virtualized and automated real time video production system

Displaying a graphical user interface on a second-screen device. The graphical user interface can include a partial video stream displayed in a video display area on a touchscreen of the second-screen device and a contextual panel in an active display area on the touchscreen. The contextual panel can include content associated with the partial video stream. The displayed partial video stream can be associated with a video stream displayed by a primary display with the two displayed video streams being associated with the same content and substantially synchronized.

Interactive contextual panels for navigating a content stream

A set top box can provide coordinated graphical user interfaces on a plurality of devices. The set top box can output first media content to a primary display (a television) and can output second media content to a second-screen device (a tablet). The primary display can display a video stream associated with the first media content. The second-screen device can display a video stream associated with the second media content. The video stream of the second media content can be displayed in a video display area on the second-screen device. The outputted video streams can be associated with the same content and can be substantially synchronized. The second application can receive user gestures on a touchscreen of the second-screen device to control the video stream displayed on the primary display. As a result, the second-screen device acts as a bridge to affect the displayed video stream on the primary display.

Second-screen TV bridge

A method and apparatus for dynamically constructing a broadcast multiplex are described. The method includes: receiving metadata associated with a first plurality of events on a plurality of source channels, the metadata including, at least, scheduling metadata; determining, on the basis of a rule-set applied to the metadata, whether events of the first plurality of events are to be included in the multiplex, thereby producing a second plurality of events to be included in the multiplex; for each one event of the second plurality of events, assigning a multiplex priority to the one event, the multiplex priority being a priority the one event is to be assigned in the multiplex in case the one event contends for space in the multiplex with a second event of the second plurality of events; copying events from the second plurality of events into the multiplex in dependence on the multiplex priorities of events in the second plurality of events; and broadcasting the multiplex. Related systems, apparatus, and methods are also described.

Dynamically constructing a broadcast multiplex

A method of providing information about video content to a client is disclosed. The method includes: receiving a request from a client requesting information about video content, the request including an internet protocol address of the client; establishing (a) a geographic location of the client from the internet protocol address; and (b) a time of the request; identifying one or more content providers available in the geographic location; in dependence on the one or more content providers and the time, retrieving information about the video content from a database; and providing the information to the client. Related apparatus and methods are also disclosed.

Providing information about video content

A system for preparing data and video sequences to enable a viewer to scroll content in a plurality of directions including a first and second direction, the content including at least one element in motion, the system including a video sequence preparation module to prepare the video sequences including a first and second video sequence, each video sequence including still images, each still image including at least part of the content, at least some of the still images including the at least one element, the video sequences being prepared such that playing the first and second video sequence effects scrolling the content in the first and second direction, respectively, and a switchover determination module to prepare the data including corresponding switchover points in the video sequences for switching between the video sequences and therefore for switching the direction of scrolling by the viewer. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Multi directional movement

The present invention relates to an apparatus, method for adjusting depth characteristics of a three-dimensional image for correcting for errors in perceived depth when scaling the three-dimensional image, the method comprising: receiving three-dimensional image information comprising a stereoscopic image including a first image and a second image, the stereoscopic image having depth characteristics associated with an offset of the first and second images; determining a scaling factor indicative of a scaling for converting the stereoscopic image from an original target size to a new size; determining at least one shifting factor for varying the depth characteristics, the at least one shifting factor indicative of a relative shift to be applied between the first and the second images, wherein the at least one shifting factor is determined in accordance with the scaling factor and at least one depth parameter derived from the depth characteristics; and performing the relative shift between the first and second images in accordance with the shifting factor for adjusting the offset of the first and second images.

Image scaling

A method and system for broadcasting content, is described, the method and system facilitating simultaneous recording of multiple programs on a digital video recorder (DVR), the method and system including providing a plurality of content items, dividing each one of the plurality of content items into a multiplicity of chunks, each one of the chunks including at least one reference frame, for each one of the chunks determining a location of each reference frame included in the chunk, creating a chunk index of locations of each reference frame included in the chunk, creating a chunk file including the chunk and the chunk index, and inserting the chunk file in a data stream, such that no chunk file including a chunk from a particular content item is adjacent to a second chunk file including a chunk from the same particular content item, and broadcasting using a transmission bitrate greater than the bitrate of the data stream in a single channel in a multiplexed broadcast service, wherein the chunks files in the data stream are transmitted sequentially. Related systems, apparatus, and methods are also described.

Method and system for simultaneous recording of multiple programs on a DVR

A method of presenting content to a viewer is described. The method includes: receiving a schedule of content at a client operable by the viewer, the schedule of content including a directed graph, the directed graph including a plurality of nodes, wherein each node in the plurality of nodes is connected to one or more other nodes in the plurality of nodes by one or more paths, wherein each path represents content presentable to the viewer; traversing the directed graph by following a route between nodes and along paths of the directed graph, wherein at each node the client determines a path to follow according to state information accessible by the client; and presenting content to the viewer as each path is followed.

Presenting content

A method of controlling revelation of one or more metadata items is disclosed. Each of the one or more metadata items is associated with one or more parts of an audio-visual data stream (). The method comprises: for a given one or more parts () of the audio-visual data stream (), revealing one or more metadata items () associated with the given one or more parts () of the audio-visual data stream () only after the given one or more parts () of the audio-visual data stream () have been accessed.

Controlled metadata revelation

An interactive method includes receiving background video including a multiplicity of video frames, at least one of the multiplicity of video frames include a plurality of sub-pictures, each of the plurality of sub-pictures representing an alternative background (), and switching between a first sub-picture of the plurality of sub-pictures and a second sub-picture of the plurality of sub-pictures ().

Apparatus and methods for handling interactive applications in broadcast networks

Multi-directional movement

A system for displaying electronic program guide information about a plurality of video items on a screen, the system including a display module to display a plurality of pages layering into the screen, each of the pages including a plurality of graphical panels associated with the video items, and a user input module to receive a user input to turn at least one of the pages such that the at least one page is peeled away from other ones of the pages in order to bring the graphical panels of the at least one page in or out of view, wherein the display module is operative to show the turning of the at least one page bringing the at least one page in or out of view. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Advanced digital TV system

An interactive method includes receiving, at a display device, background video including a multiplicity of video frames, at least one of the multiplicity of video frames including a plurality of sub-pictures, each of the plurality of sub-pictures representing an alternative background, and switching, at the display device, between a first sub-picture of the plurality of sub-pictures and a second sub-picture of the plurality of sub-pictures. Related apparatus and methods are also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Guildford, United Kingdom

James Geoffrey Walker