Charter Communications Operating, LLC

Sami S Makinen

Curt C Wong

Yassine Maalej

Parmjit Dhillon

Maulik Vijay Vaidya

Umamaheswar Achari Kakinada

Stephen Poteat

Greg McLaughlin

Justin Hattaway

Methods and apparatus for predicting communications resources which will be needed at a venue and then controlling the amount of available resources dynamically are described. In various embodiments real time or near real time video of areas of the venue are used to predict the number of people in a portion of a venue and/or the direction of movement. Along with other information such as the type of event and/or event schedule collected information is supplied to a set of trained resource requirement models which are used to predict future resource needs at a venue, e.g., while an event is ongoing. Commands are sent to dynamically vary the amount of communications resources provided to one or more portions of the venue. Resources which can be varied included but are not limited to fixed wired WAN bandwidth, WiFi bandwidth, cellular bandwidth, network based on-demand services, transcoding services, firewall services, etc.

Methods and apparatus for supporting dynamic network scaling based on learned patterns and sensed data

A cable communications network provides an alternative communications path between a user equipment device and a data network to a cellular path for a communications session with a desired level of Quality of Service. A cable modem termination system, coupled to a wireless core network, e.g., a 5G core network, interacts with the wireless core network to attempt to establish a PDU session for a UE with a desired QoS level. The core sends a QoS service request message to the CMTS including a requested level of QoS, an IP address and port number for the session. The CMTS and cable modem, corresponding to the UE, negotiate and decide if the request desired QoS level can be supported over the cable between the CMTS and the cable mode for the session.

Methods and apparatus for supporting quality of service in a system including a cable modem termination system and wireless communications link

Apparatus and methods for providing an aggregated and interactive content service over a network. In one embodiment, extant high-bandwidth capabilities of a managed network are leveraged for delivering content downstream to network users or subscribers, and standards-compliant ultra-low latency and high data rate services (e.g., 5G NR based) are leveraged for (i) uploading content, and (ii) enabling interaction with the content based on user input. In one embodiment, the exemplary apparatus and methods are implemented to aggregate content from various third-party sources at a managed content delivery network (CDN) and deliver it as a combined or fused single stream (versus multiple distinct content streams), and allow interaction with the aggregated content stream via the low-latency connection to the aggregation processing entity. Additional enhancements enable user participation individually, or with other subscribers, in live or recorded content-based activities (such as via gesture recognition and learned 'skills').

Apparatus and methods for enhanced content control, consumption and delivery in a content distribution network

Apparatus and methods for providing an enriched content services over a network. In one embodiment, the exemplary apparatus and methods leverage extant high-bandwidth capabilities of a managed network for delivering content downstream, as well as standards-compliant ultra-low latency and high data rate services (e.g., 5G NR services) for uploading content. In one embodiment, the exemplary apparatus and methods are implemented to synchronize content delivered of extant HFC architectures and DOCSIS protocols with user-generated or other content uploaded to a network entity (e.g., server apparatus) via an IP connection established utilized 5G NR services. Additional features include, among other, enhancements which enable user participation individually, or with other subscribers, in live or recorded content-based activities (such as e.g., auctioning, broadcasting, interactive commentary/gaming, exercising, etc.).

Apparatus and methods for personalized content synchronization and delivery in a content distribution network

Various embodiments describe methods, systems, and devices for delivering on-demand video viewing angles of an arena at a venue are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may receive images of an event taking place across a plurality of positions within the arena from a series of cameras surrounding the plurality of positions. Content of interest may be identified within the images for a select user. Also, a score may be determined for each of the images based on the identified content of interest for the select user. A highest-score position may be determined from the plurality of positions based on the determined score and an offer to view images of the highest-score position may be transmitted to a display device of the select viewer for viewing video of the event.

Delivering on-demand video viewing angles of an arena

A tiered service management resource providing management of wireless channels in a network environment receives notification of wireless bandwidth such as multiple wireless channels allocated by a spectrum access system (a.k.a., SAS). The spectrum access system allocates the wireless channels for use by a wireless base station in the network environment. Prior to re-allocating the wireless bandwidth (such as a selected wireless channel) to customer premises equipment, the tiered service management resource further receives a communication indicating a wireless spectrum scan performed at a location from which customer premises equipment in the network environment is (being) installed to wirelessly communicate with the wireless base station. Based on an identified fixed wireless service tier (or level) assigned to the customer premises equipment and supplemental information such as the wireless spectrum scan, the tiered service management resource allocates a selected wireless channel from SAS-assigned bandwidth for use by the customer premises equipment.

Tiered re-allocation of wireless channels

Various embodiments describe methods, systems, and devices for delivering secondary video content are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may perform, at a processor of a computing device, an active video semantic analysis on a segment of a first video content presented on a viewing device. The active video semantic analysis may identify an active video first visible element visible within the segment. Also, a secondary video content, that is not directly related to the first video content, may be matched based on a prior semantic analysis on the secondary video content that identified a secondary-video first visible element therein that is associated with the active video first visible element from the segment. In addition, the secondary video content may be presented on the viewing device immediately after the segment.

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Littleton, CO, United States of America

Sami S Makinen