Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.

Martin Busse

Jimena Velarde

Zhiying Jin

Jack Jianxiu Hao

Gaurav D Mehta

John F Gallagher

Haosheng Guo

Juhong Liu

Wenjie Liu

Jianxiu Hao

Dahai Ren

Jian Huang

Shadman Zafar

Michael Patrick Ruffini

Wei Xia

Haiyan Zhou

Angel Cordero

Siddharth Chitnis

Andrien John Wang

A device receives, from multiple user devices, event information associated with the multiple user devices, where the event information includes one or more actions, user information, content information, and one or more attributes. The device stores the event information in a database, and analyzes one or more portions of the event information stored in the database. The device also recommends, based on the analyzed event information, one or more adjustments to a network that delivers content to the multiple user devices.

Mobile user data collection

A method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium provide an extended content delivery network service in which user devices are configured as extended content delivery network devices that download and/or stream programs to other users of the extended content delivery network service. Additionally, a method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium provide an in-home media server device that stores programs in a same format as a format of the programs stored in a content delivery network, and provide an error correction service in which a portion of a program including an error, initially received via a multicast or broadcast transmission, is replaced with a corrected portion of the program via a unicast transmission. Still further, a method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium provide a mobile extended content delivery network device that downloads or streams programs to other users of the extended content delivery network service.

Extended, home, and mobile content delivery networks

A device may store and transmit data collected from sensors within a vehicle. The device may include at least one communication interface; a memory configured to store instructions; and a processor, coupled to the at least one communication interface and the memory. The processor may be configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory. The instructions may cause the processor to receive an initiation signal from an on-board interface associated with a vehicle, establish communications with the on-board interface and at least one vehicle sensor in response to the initiation signal, receive a first data stream from the at least one vehicle sensor, generate a second data stream from the least one internal sensor, combine the first data stream and the second data stream into a combined stream, store the combined stream in the memory, and wirelessly transmit the combined stream to a remote storage and retrieval system.

Device with vehicle interface for sensor data storage and transfer

One or more network devices receive, from a third-party system, catalog metadata for physical media assets available to order and combine the catalog metadata with catalog entries for digital content to form a unified catalog file. The one or more devices receive, from a user device, a request to view a directory of available video content and send, to the user device, the unified catalog file for presentation to a user. The one or more devices receive, from the user device, a selection of an item in the unified catalog file. The one or more devices provide, to the user device, video content corresponding to the selection when the selection corresponds to one of the catalog entries for digital content and provide, to the third-party system and via a billing gateway, user payment information when the selection corresponds to the catalog metadata for one of the physical media assets.

Multi-screen video

Methods and systems provide users with access to subscription-based programs on mobile devices. The programs include television programs associated with a television service package, on-demand programs, and at least one of television programs or on-demand programs recorded by users on digital video recording devices.

Distribution system for subscription-based programs

An approach is provided for creating a personalized programming guide. A guide manager receives input from a user for creating a personalized programming guide. The guide manager retrieves one or more search criteria associated with a community of other users to construct a query. The guide manager then performs the query and displays the results of the query in a personalized programming guide.

Method and apparatus for creating a personalized programming guide

A method includes identifying at least one document associated with content from at least one digital content source. The at least one document includes information identifying at least one aspect of the content. The method also includes determining a document index for the at least one document based on keywords included in the at least one document. An activity field is inserted into the document index. The method includes accessing activity information. The activity information identifies at least one activity keyword associated with at least one activity. The method further includes identifying at least one present activity keyword in the document based on the activity information. An indicator of at least one present activity is determined based on the at least one present activity keyword. The method includes indexing the indicator of the at least one present activity in the activity field of the document index.

Activity based search

A method includes identifying an initial variant playlist for a content item. The initial variant playlist lists a first plurality of bit rate streams. Client devices that receive the content item based on the initial variant playlist are identified. The method includes determining bit rate stream consumption metrics of the client devices for the content item based on the initial variant playlist, and determining an optimized variant playlist based on the initial variant playlist and the consumption metrics of the client devices for the plurality of bit rate streams. The optimized variant playlist lists a second plurality of bit rate streams and substantially optimizes video quality based on streaming resource constraints associated with the at least one client device. The method also includes providing the content item to the client devices based on the optimized variant playlist.

Variant playlist optimization

This disclosure details the implementation of apparatuses, methods and systems for improving the relevancy of Interactive Program Guide search results on a wireless user's handset and television (hereinafter, 'IPG'). The IPG implements a search facility whereby users may enter search criteria into a wireless user's handset or television or the like and receive search results sorted to provide the most relevant results first. In one embodiment, the IPG may receive search criteria into a search engine and determine one or more search results in response to the search criteria. The IPG may query one or more databases of attributes, compare the search results to the attributes, and calculate weights for each of the search results according to one or more attributes. The IPG may also sort and return the compared search results so that the results are returned in order of relevance according to the weighting.

Apparatuses, methods and systems for improving the relevancy of interactive program guide search results on a wireless user's handset and television

An exemplary method includes receiving a program guide data search request, associating a time block with the program guide data search request, identifying a set of program guide data associated with the time block, searching the set of program guide data associated with the time block to identify at least one matching media content instance based on the program guide data search request, and generating data representative of a search-based program guide view for display in a graphical user interface, the search-based program guide view exhibiting graphical data representative of the at least one matching media content instance. In certain embodiments, the method further comprises generating a virtual search channel associated with the program guide data search request and providing graphical data representative of the virtual search channel for display in the search-based program guide view. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Search-based media program guide systems and methods

A first user device receives, from a service provider network, digital media content and presents the digital media content to a user. The first user device receives, from the service provider network, an indication that a second user device, associated with an account of the user and providing a higher quality presentation, is available to present the digital media content. The first user device presents a notice to the user that the second user device is available. In one aspect, the notice to the user is be selected by the user to initiate a switch to the second user device.

Alternative media presentation device recommendation

A system is configured to receive a portion of a word; retrieve a group of words matching the portion of the word; retrieve information associated with a set of words in the group, where the information, for a particular one of the words, indicates a measure of popularity of the particular word, geographic location information associated with the particular word, time information associated with the particular word, or user preference information associated with the particular word; rank the set of words based on the information; present a list of words from the set of words for display based on the ranking; receive selection of a word from the list of words; perform a search for television content based on the selected word to identify a group of television content; receive selection of television content from the group of television content; and present the selected television content for display.

Growing community of inventors

Woburn, MA, United States of America

Martin Busse