Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.

Verizon Laboratories Inc.

Verizon Services Corporation

Verizon Services Organization Inc.

Michael Alan Weintraub

William E Garrett, Jr

William David Goodman

Douglas Reynold Jones

Robert Edward Opaluch

Robert A Virzi

Piotr Boni

Gregory Wayne Cermak

Edward M Eggerl

Allison Jaynes

Alex E Tserkovny

Timothy Wayne Schmidt

James Francis Sorce

Rebecca S Burd

Gregory Keith Evans

David C Robbins

Stuart D Elby

Margaret Malagon

Nabil N Bitar

David E Young

John K Trimper

James Edward Haley

Rajesh Yadav

Peter Kubat

Christopher Thomas Carey

Alexander Kvache

A network device may receive a request for content; determine a bandwidth of a communication link between a client device and the network device; select a download speed based on the determined bandwidth; and choose, for transmission from the network device to the client device, a content segment among a plurality of content segments in a directory associated with the download speed based on an amount of the content already downloaded. The plurality of content segments may include variable bit rate content segments. The network device may stream the chosen content segment to the client device.

Content-driven download speed

A system includes a media content processing subsystem and user input device having a plurality of control surfaces each configured to cause the input device to transmit at least one command to the media content processing subsystem. The input device is configured to acquire an image of a fingerprint of a finger touching the control surface and cause the processing subsystem to execute the command in accordance with a user profile that corresponds to the acquired fingerprint image.

Systems and methods for controlling access to media content by detecting one or more user fingerprints

Groups of consenting users such as families can track where other members of the same group are under agreed upon access arrangements. The locating system can operate in a passive mode. Users do not have to actively sign-in or check-in to the locating system for the locating system to obtain individual location determination estimates. The locating system collects communications device usage information from a plurality of communications networks, e.g., landline, cellular, Wi-Fi, DSL. The locations of communication devices and infrastructure are known. Members of locating groups are associated with various communication devices detected are being used. Approximate locations of an individual member or members of a locating group are inferred from detected device usage information. A location report is generated, e.g., in a map, table, or audio format, indicating the determined location of individuals, and optionally including time tags. The report is provided to authorized members of the locating group.

Passive individual locator method

A system is provided for the storage of content on a network and the delivery of content to subscriber locations. The system includes routers and subscriber set-top boxes in communication with each other and a main content source. Content is delivered over a packet-switching network according to a peer to peer file distribution protocol and is stored in a storage area of the subscriber set-top box, such that each subscriber set-top box is configured to transmit and receive content to and from the main content source and other set-top boxes connected to the network. The set-top boxes may identify a preferred source of content based on various factors, such as geographic distance, Internet Protocol (IP) distance, available bandwidth, integrity of the content, etc. An associated method for accessing content and a set-top box for facilitating the storage and delivery of content are also provided.

Content storage and delivery system and associated method and device

Systems and methods are provided for the storage of content on a network and the delivery of content to subscriber locations. According to one system and method, content is delivered to a set-top box from a content source in the process of transmitting the same content to another set-top box. The content source instructs a shared router to duplicate the content such that the content is transmitted to the requesting set-top boxes substantially simultaneously. According to another system and method, a server and cache provide dynamic caching of content such that requests for content are satisfied from the cache if possible. If the requested content is not found in the cache, the content is requested from alternate source and added to the cache. Weight values associated with the stored files are updated such that the more frequently requested files are maintained in the cache.

Content storage and delivery systems and associated methods

A system includes a policy enforcement point that is located within a first network. The policy enforcement point is configured to connect the first network to a second network via a secure connection. The policy enforcement point is configured to receive traffic from a first device via the first network or a second device associated with the second network via the secure connection, determine whether to apply a policy to the received traffic, and discard the received traffic when a policy is determined to apply to the received traffic.

Secure and reliable policy enforcement

A system includes a media content processing subsystem and a plurality of user input devices each configured to transmit at least one command to the media content processing subsystem. Each of the user input devices also corresponds to a distinct user profile. When the media content processing subsystem receives a command from one of the user input devices, the media content processing subsystem is configured to identify the particular user input device that transmitted the command and execute the command in accordance with a user profile that corresponds to that particular user input device.

Systems and methods for accessing media content using multiple user input devices

A device is provided including a processor and a display configured to list more than one presence enabled contact. A user agent is configured to indicate an availability status of the device to a presence server. The user agent is at least partially executed by the processor. Moreover, at least one input is configured to enable a device user to request a communications session with at least one of the plurality of presence enabled contacts. The request is initiated by the user agent when the requested presence enabled contact is available.

Presence based telephony

A system and method can enable a user of a communications network, such as a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), wireless and/or voice over IP network to participate in Presence Availability Management (PAM) and Instant Messaging (IM) activities of a PAM/IM network. In response to phone network triggers, a phone network Service Control Point (SCP) can generate requests to a web server. The web server can translate the requests to presence information that can be forwarded to presence user agents for participants of the PAM/IM network. The presence user agents can present the user's presence information to participants having the user on their 'buddy list'. In turn, the presence user agent for the user can forward the presence information for participants on the user's 'buddy list' to a media server that can communicate the information to the user through Automatic Speech Recognition, Text to Speech and/or Dual Tone MultiFrequency technology.

Methods and systems for presence-based telephony communications

In one of many possible embodiments, a system includes a monitoring portal configured to receive state information descriptive of usage of a plurality of communication services provided on a plurality of communication networks of different types and to make the state information available to a subscriber of the plurality of communication services, in substantially real time.

Monitoring portal systems and methods

A service control point (SCP) () associated with a public-switched telephone network (PSTN) () includes a service logic module (-N+1) and a network interface (). The service logic module (-N+1) enables the service control point (SCP) () to establish a connection with an Internet Protocol (IP) application server () via a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) network (). The network interface () communicates via the connection to integrate telephony services between the PSTN () and the TCP/IP network ().

Growing community of inventors

Medfield, MA, United States of America

Michael Alan Weintraub