Roku, Inc.

Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Gracenote, Inc.

The Nielsen Comapny (us), LLC

Zeitera, LLC

Nokia Corporation

Other

Gracenotce, Inc.

Shashank C Merchant

Jose Pio Pereira

Mihailo M Stojancic

Markus Kurt Cremer

Prashant Ramanathan

Sunil Suresh Kulkarni

Peter Dunker

Kurt Roman Thielen

Benjamin J Ropke

John Steven Stavropoulos

Steven D Scherf

Robert Alan Williams

John Mingyung Chiang

Seunghyeong Lee

Chungwon Seo

Pradipkumar Dineshbhai Gajjar

Mohan V Kalkunte

Ching Yu

Peter Wendt

Robert Coover

Andrew Laurence Ashbacher

Markus Kurt Peter Cremer

Steven Michael Cormie

Andreas Schmidt

Oleksiy Bolgarov

Bahadir Erimli

Aneesh Vartakavi

Paul Jeffrey Holmquist

Brian Paul Johnson

Todd J Hodges

Bruce William Randall

Joshua Ernest Morris

Chi Fai Ho

Chandan Egbert

Gopal S Krishna

Jayant Kadambi

Prabhas Kejriwal

Michael VengChong Lau

Dewey Ho Lee

Ian Lam

Eric Tsin-Ho Leung

Xiaohua Zhuang

Edward Yang

Ravi Bail Bhat

Vallath Nandakumar

Jinqlih (Charlie) Sang

Jeffrey William Scott

Matthew James Wilkinson

John L Haynes, Iii

Jim Mangin

Jiu An

Lalit Merani

Raghu R Kondapalli

Do Phuoc Hoang Tuong Lan

Daniel H Eakins

Sunil Ramesh

Thomas J Runaldue

Jeffrey Roy Dwork

Chung Won Seo

Michael Cutter

Alok Singh

Adil Jagmag

Brian Patrick Jentz

Amar S Gupta

James Lawrence Mangin

Harand Gaspar

Jinqlih Sang

Alejandro Gutierrez

Yong-joo Hong

Yu-Cheng Lin

Sharada Palasamudram Ashok Kumar

Gautam Dewan

Phil Simons

Yoan Magniez

John E Sormark

Johan Gerard Willem Maria Janssen

Manish Muthal

Preshant Ramanathan

Guatam Dewan

The disclosure provides for use of steganographically-encoded data as a basis to disambiguated a fingerprint-based channel-multimatch. A fingerprint-matching server or other entity could detect a channel-multi-match scenario by determining that query fingerprints representing media content being rendered by a content presentation device match reference fingerprints respectively representing multiple channels. In view of that detected channel-multi-match scenario, the content presentation device could then provide channel-identification information that the content presentation device extracts from a watermark that is steganographically encoded in the media content of the channel that the content presentation device is rendering, for use of the extracted channel-identification information to determine which channel the content presentation device is rendering. Identifying the channel being rendered could then facilitate channel-specific action, such as then detecting a content-modification opportunity on the identified channel and preparing and enabling the content presentation device to carry out an associated content modification.

Use of steganographically-encoded data as basis to disambiguate fingerprint-based channel-multi-match

Use of watermarking in a media stream as a trigger for carrying out a fingerprint-related action, such as starting to generate fingerprints of the media stream, increasing a rate of generation of fingerprints of the media stream, starting to report fingerprints of the media stream, requesting fingerprints, or engaging in a fingerprint comparison. In an implementation, a media client that is processing the media stream could detect the watermark in the media stream and could responsively carry out or cause to be carried out a fingerprint-related action. Or an entity in a media-distribution path along which the media stream flows to a media client could detect the watermark in the media stream and could responsively carry out or cause to be carried out a fingerprint-related action. Further, the watermark could be inserted into the media stream in the first place based on transport-stream carried metadata, among other possibilities.

Use of watermarking to trigger fingerprint-related action

In one aspect, a method includes identifying an upcoming content-modification opportunity on a channel, where the upcoming content-modification opportunity relates to a modifiable content-segment transmitted by a content-distribution system on the channel, and where the modifiable content-segment includes an overlay content portion and a non-overlay content portion. The method also includes responsive to identifying the upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel, identifying a content-presentation device tuned to the channel. The method also includes determining location data associated with the overlay content portion. The method also includes transmitting, to the identified content-presentation device, the determined location data to facilitate the content-presentation device performing a content-modification operation in connection with the identified upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel, where performing the content-modification operation involves replacing only the non-overlay content portion with supplemental content.

Content-modification system with overlay handling feature

In one aspect, an example method includes (i) presenting, by a playback device, first media content from a first source; (ii) encountering, by the playback device, a trigger to switch from presenting the first media content from the first source to presenting second media content from a second source; (iii) determining, by the playback device, that the playback device is presenting the first media content from the first source in a muted state; and (iv) responsive to encountering the trigger, and based on the determining that the playback device is presenting the first media content from the first source in a muted state, presenting, by the playback device, the second media content from the second source in the muted state.

Detection of mute and compensation therefor during media replacement event

Provided herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for utilizing a personalized content system to enhance an effectiveness of content being shown to the user via personalized content associated with the content. This method allows the platform to present the most relevant personalized in-channel content to the users, in a user interface, which then correspondingly helps drive user interest. This method scans content to identify objects of interest located within the content, generates a query based on the identified objects of interest and a user profile, searches content sources for related content, associates the related content with an occurrence of a corresponding identified object of interest within the content and communicates, to the user device, the content and the related content for instantiation through a user interface of the user device.

Personalized content related to content being viewed

A method and system for controlling implementation of dynamic content modification. The disclosure provides for using at least one steganographically-encoded timestamp in a media stream transmitted to a media client as a basis to determine a transmission delay for media-stream transmission to the media client, and for providing the determined transmission delay as a basis to facilitate control over whether to have the media client implement dynamic content modification. In addition, the disclosure provides for receiving respectively from each of various media clients a report indicating transmission delay determined for the media client based on such steganographically-encoded timestamp data, and using the transmission delays for the media clients to establish a dynamic-content-modification footprint that could be used to control whether, where, and to what extent dynamic content modification will be applied.

Use of steganographically-encoded time information as basis to control implementation of dynamic content modification

Disclosed is a method that includes a media presentation device (i) generating query fingerprint data representing video frames of a channel being rendered by the media presentation device, and transmitting the generated query fingerprint data from the device over a network to a server, (ii) responsive to transmitting the query fingerprint data to the server, receiving, from the server, channel-icon fingerprint data representing channel icons of multiple channels selected based at least on the server having detected that the query fingerprint data representing the video frames of the channel being rendered by the media presentation device matches the reference fingerprint data representing the frames of the multiple channels of video content, and (iii) responsive to receiving the channel-icon fingerprint data from the server, performing channel-icon fingerprint matching to determine which channel in the multiple channels is the channel being rendered by the media presentation device.

Media channel identification and action, with disambiguation through client-side fingerprint matching of channel-specific icon

In one aspect, an example method includes (i) identifying, by a playback device, a media device that provides media content to the playback device; (ii) providing, by the playback device, replacement media content for display; (iii) determining, by the playback device, that while the playback device is displaying the replacement media content a remote control transmitted an instruction to the identified media device; (iv) determining, by the playback device, a playback-modification action corresponding to the instruction and the identified media device; and (v) modifying, by the playback device, playback of the replacement media content in accordance with the playback-modification action.

Modifying playback of replacement content based on control messages

A method and system for using steganographically-encoded time information as a basis to control when a client carries out a content-related action. The client processes for presentation one or more linear media streams, each defining a respective time sequence of frames of media content, and at least one of the streams being steganographically encoded with at least one watermark at a respective time-point within the linear media stream, the watermark encoding a timestamp of the respective time-point within the linear media stream according to a server clock. The client extracts the timestamp from the watermark and computes a time offset based on a difference between the extracted timestamp and a current time according to a client clock. And the client uses the computed time offset as a basis to determine when to carry out a content-related action in a given one of the one or more linear media streams.

Use of steganographically-encoded time information as basis to establish a time offset, to facilitate taking content-related action

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to improve media identification. An example apparatus includes a hash handler to generate a first set of reference matches by performing hash functions on a subset of media data associated with media to generate hashed media data based on a first bucket size, a candidate determiner to identify a second set of reference matches that include ones of the first set, the second set including ones having first quantities of hits that did not satisfy a threshold, determine second quantities of hits for ones of the second set by matching ones to the hash tables based on a second bucket size, and identify one or more candidate matches based on at least one of (1) ones of the first set or (2) ones of the second set, and a report generator to generate a report including a media identification.

Systems, methods, and apparatus to improve media identification

In one aspect, an example method includes (i) causing a content-presentation device to output for presentation reference visual content; (ii) causing a lighting device to emit light in accordance with a lighting parameter, wherein initially the light emitted in accordance with the lighting parameter does not correspond to the reference visual content; (iii) receiving first input indicating an adjustment to the lighting parameter; (iv) responsive to receiving the first input, causing the lighting device to adjust the lighting parameter, thereby causing the lighting device to adjust the emitted light; (v) receiving second input indicating that the adjusted emitted light corresponds to the reference visual content; and (vi) responsive to receiving the second input, calibrating the lighting device at least by (i) causing storage of the adjusted lighting parameter and (ii) causing the lighting device to be configured to emit light in accordance with the stored lighting parameter.

Content system with lighting device calibration feature

A method and system for dynamically watermarking media content based on transport-stream metadata, to facilitate action by a downstream entity. An intermediary in a media-distribution path could receive a transport stream carrying media content and carrying metadata that is not watermarked in the media content. The intermediary could then obtain from the transport stream the metadata that is not watermarked in the media content and could modify the media content at least by encoding into the media content a watermark that represents the obtained metadata. And the intermediary could then output at least the modified media content for transmission to a downstream entity. The downstream entity could thus obtain from the watermark in the media content the metadata and could use the metadata to facilitate carrying out one or more useful actions.

Dynamic watermarking of media based on transport-stream metadata, to facilitate action by downstream entity

The disclosure provides for use of steganographically-encoded data as a basis to control content modification. A server could determine through a fingerprint comparison that a portion of media content on a channel being rendered by a content presentation device matches at least one modifiable-content segment, such as at least one replaceable ad. The server could then use watermark data encoded in the media content of the channel as a basis to determine an actual identity of a modifiable-content segment present on the channel, so as to then control content modification.

Use of steganographically-encoded data as basis to control dynamic content modification as to at least one modifiable-content segment identified based on fingerprint analysis

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Shashank C Merchant