Dish Network LLC

Echostar Technologies Corporation

Sling Media Inc.

Echostar Technologies International Corporation

Dish Technologies L.l.c.

Sling Tv L.l.c.

Neil T Marten

Luke VanDuyn

Caroline Condon

Daniel L Rudolph

Sanjiv Topiwalla

Ross Alan Drennan

Rebecca Albinola

Dallas Grove

Nathan A Hale

Luke Vanduyn

Morgan Kirby

Christopher Boyd Tirpak

Micah Moore

Jeffrey Mailloux

James Brunner

Joseph Bartlow

Nathan Hale

Systems and method are provided for controlling a smart home device. In one embodiment, a method, performed by a server, for controlling the smart home device including detecting a smart home device in response to an internet protocol address of a data packet transmitted on a network, determining a function of the smart home device, receiving an event alert from an external data source, associating the function of the smart home device with the event alert, and transmitting a control signal to initiate the function of the smart home device in response to the association of the function with the event alert.

Connected device control with external data

The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for searching for media content across multiple sources. A multi-source content system can connect various media content sources (e.g., internet streaming platforms, local or cloud storage, OTA networks, cable network, satellite network, public library databases, etc.) to a gateway. When a user searches for media content, the gateway can detect the search and perform a query across the various media content sources to locate the media content. The multi-source content system can prioritize the search results according to free content, local storage devices, gateway content services or bandwidth management metrics, and present the search results to the user. The multi-source content system can aggregate multiple media content sources and devices connected to a gateway to retrieve media content.

Methods and systems for accessing media content from multiple sources

A consolidated watch party system includes a sync server and a first user device communicatively coupled thereto. The sync server executes computer instructions instantiating a consolidation engine operable to assemble a watch party reel that includes a content segment and a prior reaction to the content segment and output the watch party reel to the first user device for presentation to a first user. The content segment may include a portion of a content presented during a watch party. The prior reaction may include chat data, captured during the watch party by a watch party user device, that includes a user reaction to the content. The prior reaction may include a facial response, an audible response, or other response. The consolidation engine selects the content segment, from a collection thereof, using a first tag associated therewith, generated by a source of the content segment, and/or corresponding to a criteria.

Consolidated watch parties

An Interactive Media Event (IME) system includes a sync server, a first user device, and a second user device, each device is coupled to the server. The server executes computer instructions instantiating a content segment engine which outputs a Party matter to the second user device and instantiates an IME engine which receives, from the second user device, a later reaction to the Party matter. The IME engine synchronizes the later reaction with the Party matter. The Party matter may include a media event and a prior reaction to the media event received from the first user device. The media event includes a primary content segment and synchronization information associated therewith. The prior reaction and/or the later reaction may be synchronized to the primary content segment and/or to each other using the synchronization information. A reaction may include chat data captured during the Party.

Interactive media events

Devices, systems and processes for facilitating watch parties are described. For at least one embodiment, a system may include a sync server; a first user device communicatively coupled to the sync server; a second user device communicatively coupled to the sync server; and a content source providing a content. The sync server may transmit the content as each of a first content to the first user device and as a second content to the second user device. The sync server may be configured to adjust a first bit rate for the first content and, upon adjusting the first bit rate, the first content and second content may be respectively provided to each of the first user device and the second user device such that the devices can substantially simultaneously and separately present the first content to the first user and the second content to the second user.

Facilitating watch parties

Systems, devices and processes for facilitating a Karaoke content watch party (KWP) may include a sync server and a Karaoke presenter user device (KPUD) communicatively coupled thereto. The KPUD executes computer instructions for operations that instruct a content capture device (CCD) to capture and receive a Karaoke Reaction (KR) by a KPUD user and communicate the KR to the sync server. A Karaoke user device (KUD) may be communicatively coupled to the sync server. A content provider provides Karaoke Content (KC) to the KPUD and the KUD. The KC includes a KC segment. The sync server receives the KR from the KPUD, generates Karaoke secondary content (KSC) which includes the KR, communicates the KSC to the KUD, and may also generate Karaoke synchronization information (KSI) and communicate the KSI to the KUD. The KSI facilitates synchronized presentation, by the KUD, of the KR with the KC segment.

Karaoke content watch parties

A system for controlling turning on and off of closed captioning receives information regarding a program content stream and automatically determines whether to turn on or off closed captioning based on thresholds being crossed regarding an estimated current loudness level of ambient noise and an estimated current loudness level of the audio of the program content stream. The estimated current loudness level of audio of the program content stream is, or is based on, one or more indications of current volume level in an audio signal representing the audio of the program content stream and current audio settings of a device outputting the audio of the program content stream. The system may estimate the loudness level of the ambient noise by use of a loudness meter that causes the ambient noise to be sampled with a microphone and a decibel level of the sampled ambient noise to be determined.

Systems and methods for controlling closed captioning

Devices, systems and process for facilitating a user choice watch party (DFWP) are disclosed. A system includes server that includes computer instructions which instruct the server to initiate a user choice watch party (UCWP), receive a request to designate a first user device, from a set of user devices, as a primary user choice user device (PUCUD), query the set of user devices for devices to participate in the UCWP as secondary user choice user devices (SUCUD), generating a user choice interface (UCI), retrieving two or more user choice primary content (UCPC) options, instructing the PUCUD and the SUCUDs to output to respective users the UCPC options, receiving at least two user choices, determining, based on the user choices and from the two more UCPC options, a selection result indicating a chosen UCPC option to present during the UCWP, and presenting the chosen UCPC during the UCWP.

User chosen watch parties

A system for facilitating configuration of an audio system tests the existing audio system configuration by playing reference audio clips of various different genres of programming, the audio of which is received by a microphone of a remote control device or other handheld mobile device at various different listening points in the room. The system then compares the audio signal representing audio of the reference audio clip received at the microphone to a reference audio signal representing the reference audio clip and determines other audio characteristics. The system then determines, based on the comparison and other characteristics of the room (e.g., furniture layout, room construction materials, wall treatments and current speaker positioning) suggested changes to a configuration of the audio system to increase audio quality of the audio system for playing audio associated with the various different genres of programming.

Systems and methods for facilitating configuration of an audio system

Devices, systems and process for facilitating a Deepfake content watch party (DFWP) are disclosed. A system includes server, Deepfake presenter user device (DFPUD), Deepfake user device (DFUD), and content provider. The DFPUD instructs a content capture device (CCD) to capture a Deepfake Reaction (DFR) by a DFPUD user; receives the DFR from the CCD; and communicates the DFR to the server. The content provider provides Deepfake Content (DFC) segments, which include a Deepfake Target (DFT), and Deepfake Augmented Content (DFAC), which identifies a Deepfake model for the DFT. The server, based on the DFR, generates a Deepfake Subject (DFS), identifying a DFPUD user characteristic, generates Deepfake secondary content (DFSC), and communicates DFSC to the DFUD. The DFUD integrates the DFSC with the DFC to facilitate presentation of DFRs in a DFWP.

Deepfake content watch parties

Devices, systems and processes for facilitating watch parties

Systems and methods for modifying audio events in video content that correspond to one or more defined audio event types. A request is received to modify audio events in video corresponding to an audio event type. Video content to be presented on a display device is obtained that includes visual and audio content. An occurrence of a defined audio event corresponding to a defined audio event type is identified in the audio content. The defined audio event is modified according to a modification operation to generate modified audio content. The modified audio content is associated with a segment of the visual content that corresponds to the occurrence of the defined audio event. The modified audio content is provided in association with the segment of visual content for display on the display device.

Method and system for adaptive audio modification

Systems and methods for generating supplemental content for a program content stream include functionality that generates supplemental content such as educational questions. The questions may be generated based on the content of the program as learned by the system performing natural language processing (NLP) of the verbal content of the program content stream as the program is being presented on a television or mobile device. The system may pause the programming during presentation of the questions on the television or mobile device. The programming is then resumed once a correct answer is received or a timer runs out, whichever occurs first. The generated supplemental content may also be saved as metadata associated with the program for subsequent presentation when the program is played again for the viewer or other viewers.

Growing community of inventors

Lakewood, CO, United States of America

Neil T Marten