Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Cloudcar, Inc.

Webtv Networks, Inc.

Radius Corporation

Supermac Technology, Inc.

Microsoft Corporation

Rovi Technologies Corporation

Peter T Barrett

James Armand Baldwin

Dustin Lyle Green

Daniel Danker

Zarko Draganic

David Hendler Sloo

Bruce Leak

Konstantin Othmer

Ronald Alan Morris

Geoffrey R Smith

Jeffrey D Yaksick

Michael D Dodd

Grant Mohr

David C Clifford

Jeffrey W Fassnacht

Grant D Mohr

Daniel John Zigmond

Peter John Potrebic

Samuel Thomas Scott, Iii

John Henry Grossman, Iv

Steven Wasserman

Sean M Callahan

Elizabeth Rose McEnroe

Kevin T Carle

Jack T Lee

Stephen G Perlman

Edward Anthony Ludvig

Patrik Schnell

David L De Heer

Landon M Dyer

Federico Garcea

Ted Ludvig

David N Junod

David Clancy

James Scanlan

Wieyang Lin

Chris Yerga

David D Good

Micheal D Dodd

An embodiment includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium with programming code executable by a processor to perform operations including accessing a scheduled time and teleconference contact information associated with a teleconference calendar event. The operations include determining whether an operator is operating a vehicle based on synchronization between a mobile device and an abstraction and communication device (device) interfaced with the vehicle. When an actual time is within a threshold of the scheduled time and the operator is operating the vehicle, the operations include determining whether the operator is a participant of a teleconference. If so, the operations include extracting the teleconference contact information from the teleconference calendar event. The operations include communicating a prompt to join the teleconference and receiving a confirmation to join the teleconference. The operations include communicating a signal indicating the confirmation via the device and placing a call to join the teleconference.

Teleconference calls based on calendar events

An electronic program guide (EPG) may include entries that enable access to one or more images. In some implementations, when an image-related entry is selected by a user, a device presents the one or more images that are associated with the selected entry. In some implementations, portions of the EPG are presented as links. Selection of a link effectuates a search and may be followed by the visual presentation of one or more images resulting from the search. Additionally, in some implementations, an image can be communicated with an electronic communication. In response to the electronic communication, an image entry may be added to the channel lineup of the EPG. Selection of the image entry in the EPG may cause the device to visually present the image.

Specialized media presentation via an electronic program guide (EPG)

Course-based place searching systems and methods are described. In an embodiment, a system for performing a course-based place search may include a navigation device, a processing device, and a display. The navigation device may be configured to track a location and a course of the vehicle. The processing device may be communicatively coupled to the navigation device and may be configured to request places from a resource based at least in part on the location of the vehicle and the search criterion and to return a first one or more places received from the resource to an occupant of the vehicle. The first one or more places may be based at least in part on the course of the vehicle. The display may be communicatively coupled to the processing device. The first one or more places may be displayed on the display.

Course-based place searching

An example embodiment includes an automatic pairing system. The automatic pairing system includes a vehicle initialization module, a vehicle pairing module, and a triggering mechanism. The vehicle initialization module is loaded onto a vehicle abstraction device configured to interface with a vehicle. The vehicle pairing module is loaded on the vehicle abstraction device. The vehicle pairing module is configured to be launched by the vehicle initialization module. After being launched, the vehicle pairing module is configured to automatically communicate vehicle pairing data stored on the vehicle pairing module to establish one or more communication channels between the vehicle and a mobile device. The triggering mechanism is configured to trigger the vehicle initialization module to launch the vehicle pairing module.

Automatic device initialization and pairing

Automatically marking locations of user interest in media content is disclosed. Data that describes user interaction with media content is analyzed to determine locations of potential interest. For each of the locations of potential interest, the data is analyzed to determine whether user interest satisfies a criterion for establishing a mark for the location. Marks are determined for those locations that satisfy the criterion. A mark includes a description for a given location and information that allows the given location to be automatically presented to a user upon selection of the description. In another aspect, extrinsic data that is separate from a piece of media content is analyzed to determine whether moments of high user interest might exist in the piece of media content. Then, the piece of media content is scanned to find locations in the media content that correspond to the moments.

Implicit user interest marks in media content

A unified recording format allows both recorded programs and paused buffered broadcasts to be stored in memory as a common virtual stream. As content is received on a channel, it is placed into the virtual stream with newer content at the start of the stream and progressively aging content migrating farther downstream. A front section of the stream effectively operates as a pause buffer, as the currently tuned broadcast program is recorded in this section and is responsive to pause/resume commands. Recorded programs are also stored as part of the same virtual stream. Pointers are used to identify the boundaries of the pause buffer, as well as the beginning and end of each recorded program in the virtual stream.

Unified recording and pause buffer format

Systems and methods for providing a cloud-based vehicle information and control ecosystem are disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: providing a first layer of a cloud-based vehicle information and control ecosystem, the first layer being in data communication with at least one network resource via a network cloud; providing a second layer of the cloud-based vehicle information and control ecosystem in data communication with the first layer, the second layer being in data communication with at least one mobile device; providing a third layer of the cloud-based vehicle information and control ecosystem in data communication with the second layer, the third layer including a subsystem for linking the third layer to at least one electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle; and causing, by use of a data processor, data indicative of a state change occurring in the at least one ECU to be communicated to a component in the first layer.

Cloud-based vehicle information and control system

An example embodiment disclosed herein includes a vehicle teleconferencing system. The vehicle teleconferencing system includes an abstraction and communication device (hereinafter 'device') and a mobile device. The device includes an adaptor configured to interface with a Controller Area Network bus of a vehicle and to abstract vehicle data from the vehicle. The mobile device includes an operation determination module, a clock, and a teleconferencing module. The operation determination module is configured to determine that an operator is operating the vehicle based on a subset of the data. The clock is configured to track actual time. The teleconferencing module is configured to access a teleconference calendar event that includes a scheduled time and teleconference contact information, and when the actual time is within a predetermined threshold of the scheduled time and the operator is operating the vehicle, to prompt the operator to join a teleconference.

Vehicle location sharing systems and methods are described. In an embodiment, a system for sharing a location of a vehicle may include a location-determining device and a network-connected device. The location-determining device may be configured to track a location of a vehicle and to determine a location of the vehicle in response to a voice command from an occupant of the vehicle. The network-connected device may be configured to transmit a location description in response to the voice command. The location description may be configured to identify the determined location of the vehicle.

Vehicle location and activity sharing

An example embodiment disclosed herein includes a predictive vehicle navigation system. The predictive vehicle navigation system includes an abstraction and communication device (hereinafter 'device') and a mobile device. The device includes an adaptor configured to interface with a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus of a vehicle and to abstract vehicle data from the vehicle. The mobile device includes an operation determination module configured to determine that an operator is operating the vehicle based on a subset of the data, a clock configured to track actual time, and a navigation module configured to receive the actual time and the determination that the operator is operating the vehicle, to access a calendar event that includes an address and a scheduled time, and when the actual time is within a predetermined threshold of the scheduled time, to predict that the address is a destination of the operator.

Navigation based on calendar events

In an example, a method of enforcing regulatory guidelines related to functionality of an electronic device associated with a vehicle when the vehicle is in a drive mode includes interfacing an application of an electronic device associated with a vehicle with an Application Programming Interface (API). The method additionally includes determining that the vehicle is in the drive mode. In the method, the API may modify a functionality of the application of the electronic device in accordance with regulatory guidelines associated with operation of the electronic device when the vehicle is in the drive mode. The modification may be based on the determination that the vehicle is in the drive mode.

Enforcement of regulatory guidelines associated with a drive mode of a vehicle

Multi-DVR (digital video recorder) media content arbitration is described. In an embodiment, client devices are each a node of a multi-DVR system where the nodes are implemented for communication with each other. An arbitration algorithm can arbitrate media content rendered by the client devices so as not to exceed a media content usage capacity of the multi-DVR system. Each of the client devices of the multi-DVR system can communicate status messages to each of the other client devices to indicate rendered media content, and can receive the status messages from each of the other client devices. Each of the client devices can also implement the arbitration algorithm to independently determine which of the client devices has lowest priority media content that can be terminated to provide capacity for higher priority media content at one of the client devices of the multi-DVR system.

Multi-DVR media content arbitration

Upgradeable multimedia module connector

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Peter T Barrett