Comcast Cable Communications, LLC

Other

Arris Enterprises LLC

Kevin Christopher Flanagan

Gregory Allen Broome

Richard Joseph Fliam

Jason S Burgess

Gabriel Commeau

Joseph Kiok

Sam Schwartz

Xavier P Denis

George Scott Pinson

Richard Fliam

Jason Burgess

Methods and systems are described for managing blackout restrictions. A user device may retrieve a blackout condition from a blackout device. The blackout device may be a node in plurality of blackout nodes. Each of the blackout nodes may store blackout conditions for different corresponding content. The user device may retrieve the blackout condition from a blackout device associated with content in response to a request for the content. The user device may determine whether information associated with the user device satisfies the blackout condition. If the information satisfies the blackout condition, the requested content may be blocked. Alternative content may be output instead of the requested content.

Methods and systems for managing content restrictions

Images may be periodically captured from each of a plurality of content streams comprising programs. Each of the content streams may be associated with capture parameters. The capture parameters may include information on how frequently images from the stream may be captured. The captured images may be made available to various clients for various uses, such as for display of a schedule of available programs.

Image sampling from multicast streams

A content delivery network may provide content items to requesting devices using a popularity-based distribution hierarchy. A central analysis system may determine popularity data for a content item stored in a first caching device. The central analysis system may determine that a change in the popularity data is beyond a threshold value. The central analysis system may then transmit an instruction to move the content item from the first caching device to a second caching device in a different tier of caching devices than the first caching device. The central analysis system may update a content index to indicate that the content item has been moved to the second caching device. A user device may be redirected to request the content item directly from the second caching device.

Content distribution network supporting popularity-based caching

A content delivery network may provide content items to requesting devices using a popularity-based distribution hierarchy. A central analysis system may determine popularity data for a content item stored in a first caching device. At a later time, the central analysis system may determine that a change in the popularity data is beyond a threshold value. The central analysis system may then transmit an instruction to move the content item from the first caching device to a second caching device in a different tier of caching devices than the first caching device. The central analysis system may update a content index to indicate that the content item has been moved to the second caching device. A user device may then be redirected to request the content item directly from the second caching device.

The disclosed methods and system may gain access to a plurality of content streams, and periodically capture still images from each stream. The captured stills may be stored in a predetermined location, and the location may be made available to various clients. By discovering the locations, application clients can issue requests to receive the latest image for a current stream, and use that image to improve a user interface or enhance a user experience in consuming the content.

Managing the storage and deletion of content on a content store shared by more than one local distribution office.

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Denver, CO, United States of America

Kevin Christopher Flanagan