General Instrument Corporation

Google Inc.

Arris Enterprises LLC

Patrick Leary

Christopher Stone

Krishna Prasad Panje

Dinkar N Bhat

Yeqing Wang

Scott Green

Yequing Wang

A method receives, by a first user device, content from a second user device. The content was previously provided through a transmission from a distribution system to the second user device. The method receives, by the first user device from the second user device, transmission data indicative of the previous transmission of the content from the distribution system to the second user device. The method sends, by the first user device to a server, a request for program data associated with the content. Responsive to the request, the method receives, by the first user device, the program data that identifies a title of the content. The program data is identified using the transmission data that is specific to the previous transmission of the content.

Method and apparatus for acquiring program information

A process receives content from a recording device. The content is provided through a transmission from a distribution system to the recording device and recorded by the recording device on a storage medium associated with the recording device. Further, the process receives, from the recording device, transmission data corresponding to the recorded content. The transmission data indicates one or more transmission identifiers that identify the transmission. In addition, the process sends the transmission data to a server. Finally, the process receives, from the server, program data that is descriptive of the content.

Methods, systems, and computer readable media can be operable to facilitate integrating and coordinating content requests received by a STB from multiple devices. The methods, systems, and apparatuses described in this disclosure enable the integration and coordination of content requests received from different devices by associating a content request with a key code and generating a synthesized key code. The synthesized key code can be customized according to a status of a corresponding STB.

Channel tuning with synthesized key codes

An internet protocol multicast provider is disclosed, which includes a bootstrap code component, a transcoder generator component, a content module and a packetizing module. The bootstrap code component can generate a bootstrap code. The transcoder generator component can generate a transcoder module. The content module can generate content in a first format. The packetizing module can generate internet protocol multicast packets, based on the bootstrap code, the transcoder module and the content. The bootstrap code can determine a second format for which an internet protocol multicast receiver can decode and render the content. The transcoder module can instruct the internet protocol multicast receiver to play the content when the first format is the second format. The transcoder module can instruct the internet protocol multicast receiver to transcode the content from the first format to the second format when the first format is not the second format.

System and method for delivering 3DTV content to variety of receivers

A source device and method for authenticating a sink device. The source device and method include detecting when the sink device connects to a communication interface and in response to detecting a connected sink device, activating a sink device authentication protocol which authenticates whether the connected sink device is an approved sink device for connecting via the communication interface. The source device determines a level of authentication of the connected sink device from among a first-level authentication and a second-level authentication based on first and second authentication components, respectively derived from different master keys, which affects the type of content provided to the sink device. Responsive to the level of authentication provided through the connected sink device, modifying the content transmitted to the connected sink device, and preventing transfer of any content from the source device to the sink device in response to the sink device not being authenticated.

Mechanism to determine source device service tier based on the version of the HDCP key

An apparatus () and method () is provided for detecting data within the vertical blanking interval (VBI) lines of a video or television signal. The VBI data detection () samples () at least one point from the VBI lines of a video signal and compares () at least one data characteristic, such as luminance, from the sample to a threshold to determine if the sample contains VBI data. If the sample contains VBI data, the VBI line from which the sample was taken is routed () to the processing unit of a video processing device. If no samples from a VBI line are found to contain VBI data, the VBI line is not processed further. The VBI data detection apparatus improves processing efficiency and resource allocation by allowing only those VBI lines containing VBI data to be processed by the video processing device.

Method and apparatus for detecting data in a vertical blanking interval

A converter terminal is configured, for example, to receive and descramble premium cable television channels or to receive data services over the cable network. The converter terminal is configured by transmitting an abbreviated set of configuration data on an out-of-band control channel. This abbreviated set of configuration information includes an instruction to tune the terminal to a higher-bandwidth in-band data channel, which is used to transmit the remainder of the configuration data. With a substantial amount of the configuration information transmitted using a faster connection, configuration can be achieved in less time. In addition, the larger bandwidth facilitates the transmission of multiple sets of configuration information corresponding to different models of cable television converter terminals.

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Horsham, PA, United States of America

Patrick Leary