Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.

Intel Corporation

Avtrex, Inc.

Kevin Shen

Johannes P Schmidt

Suri B Medapati

Walter John Schmidt

David Daney

Sankar Subramanian

James F Dimattia

Stephen S Francis

Yinqing Zhao

Hayes Kim

Leslie H Francis

Joseph F Einstein

Caleb Chaney

James Bailey

George So

Steven S Francis

A system can include one or more content distribution sites to provide content to one or more content satellite offices for delivery toward a set of destination devices for display. A content distribution site, of the one or more content distribution sites, can include one or more streamer devices. The one or more streamer devices can be associated with a single spoofed Internet protocol (IP) address. The spoofed IP address can facilitate failover among the one or more streamer devices. The one or more streamer devices can be configured to provide the content toward the set of destination devices using multicast with forward error correction (FEC). A content satellite office, of the one or more content satellite offices, can be configured to subscribe to a multicast group associated with the one or more streamer devices. The multicast group can be associated with the spoofed IP address to facilitate the failover among the one or more streamer devices.

Content stream integrity and redundancy system

A system can include multiple content ingress sites to process content into portions of content. A content ingress site, of the multiple content ingress sites, can include a first set of devices. The first set of devices can be configured to process the content in a synchronized manner. The first set of devices can be configured to have excess processing capacity to facilitate failover of a first segmenter device to a second segmenter device. The first set of devices can be configured to process content from multiple sources. The system can include multiple content distribution sites to encode the portions of content. A content distribution site can include a second set of devices. The system can include multiple content satellite offices to provide the portions of content to one or more destination devices. A content satellite office can include a third set of devices.

Content streaming redundancy architecture

A device can receive, from a user device, a request for content in a target format for playback. The device can determine information identifying the content in a source format based on the request for content associated with the target format. The device can request the content in the source format using the information identifying the content in the source format. The device can receive the content from a content source in the source format based on requesting the content in the source format. The device can convert the content in the source format to generate a set of files associated with the target format. The device can provide the set of files in the target format to a content delivery network associated with the user device.

Content delivery device for streaming content

A device can receive streaming content from an origin device. The device can identify a user device to potentially receive the streaming content and an edge device associated with the user device. The device can modify a format of the streaming content based on a format acceptable to the user device. The format of the streaming content can be modified to match the format acceptable to the user device. The device can proactively provide the streaming content to the edge device to cause the edge device to make the streaming content available to be provided for presentation on the user device. The streaming content can be proactively provided to the edge device before the user device requests the streaming content from the edge device.

Proactively providing content for content distribution networks

In embodiments, apparatuses, methods and storage media are described that are associated with retrieval of a file stored at multiple storage locations, such as a content file. A file retrieving device may receive an identifier of multiple storage locations from which a file may be downloaded, including content delivery networks and distinct storage servers at a particular content delivery network. The decoder may retrieve portions of the file from the different indicated storage locations. The file retrieving device may be configured to assign portion sizes to various storage locations based on a history of bandwidth experienced from the various storage locations. The file retrieving device may be configured to dynamically manage retrieval of portions of the file from the multiple storage locations, such as by re-assigning a slow or stalled portion from one storage location to a faster or underutilized storage locations. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

File retrieval from multiple storage locations

In embodiments, apparatuses, methods and storage media are described that are associated with blackout rules for media content. In embodiments, one or more segments may be generated from the media content, one or more of the generated segments containing a blackout rule identifier. The blackout rule identifier may identify a blackout rule describing one or more limitations to access to the piece of media content. When displaying the media content, a client device may retrieve the blackout rule based at least in part on the blackout rule identifier. The client device may then limit access to the media content if directed to do so by the blackout rule.

Blackouts architecture

Method and systems for searching for media instances of interest to a user are described. User input specifying criteria for content is received and parameters are defined based on the user input. A plurality of databases are searched for media instances meeting the defined parameters, wherein the plurality of databases includes at least one database containing broadcast television content information and at least one database containing non-broadcast television content information. Information about the media instances meeting the defined parameters is retrieved from the plurality of databases. The retrieved information is provided to the user.

Single access method for multiple media sources

Techniques are provided for identifying and recording program segments and sub-segments for later playback and use. In general, in one aspect, the invention features a method of recording a sub-segment of a broadcast program. The method includes receiving a user input of one or more user specified parameters, identifying a program sub-segment starting point within a program using data in a broadcast stream, and identifying a program sub-segment ending point within a program. The method also includes storing a program sub-segment and presenting the program sub-segment to a user.

Identification and recording of program sub-segments

Systems and techniques for sharing the capabilities of consumer electronic devices. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a task involving audio/video content from a user, identifying which device in an interconnected system of devices is operable to initiate the performance of the task, and assigning responsibility for the performance of the task to the identified device. The interconnected system includes two or more devices at remote locations.

Resource and capability borrowing

Techniques for resolving scheduling conflicts for recording events are described. A user selects events that the user wishes to record. A PVR determines the times and sources at which each of recording can occur. The PVR determines a schedule for recording all of the user's requested events or as many events that can be recorded according to the resources available to the PVR. The PVR can be triggered to determine the schedule each time a new recording event is either added to deleted. The PVR can also determine the schedule each time the PVR receives updated or new scheduling information. If more than one schedule is determined, the PVR can present the schedules to the user for selection. The user's selection can be subsequently used to inform the PVR of the user's preferences the next time schedules are determined.

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Kevin Shen