At&t Intellectual Property I, L.p.

Stephen A Rys

Lee M Chow

David J Piepenbrink

Adam Klein

Nadia Morris

James Sofos

Dale W Malik

Leonardo Velazquez

Sudha Gopal

Sandra C Lenhart

Mark J Yampanis

Austin Britt

A method can be provided which includes receiving a channel line-up for an over-the-top media content system, receiving a preferred channel line-up containing a portion of the channel line-up, displaying individual channels of the channels of the preferred channel line-up in a preferred order on a display associated with the processor, monitoring a location of the processor while displaying the preferred channel line-up, determining whether the location of the processor corresponds to a channel exclusion zone, and removing excluded channels from the channel line-up based on the channel exclusion zone. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Method of providing personalized channel change lists

A method includes receiving, at an analysis server from a user device, a keyword associated with content of interest. The method includes retrieving, at the analysis server from a database, searchable tag data for first searchable tags in the database. Each searchable tag of the searchable tags corresponds to a segment of stored media content. The stored media content is associated with the user device. The first searchable tags pertain to the keyword. The searchable tag data includes an initial relevancy score and a corresponding aging factor for each first searchable tag of the first searchable tags. The method also includes generating, at the analysis server, a list of media content segments based on the searchable tag data and sending the list from the analysis server to the user device. The list is ordered based on the initial relevancy scores modified by the corresponding aging factors.

Video content search using captioning data

A method includes encrypting, at a server, a media content item to form encrypted content. The method includes determining, at the server, a group of media devices associated with users that are likely to request the media content item. The method includes multicasting, without receiving a related request for the media content item from a media device of the group, the encrypted content and information from the server to the group of media devices. The information includes a usage period of the encrypted content. The method includes, receiving, at the server during the usage period, an acceptance notice of an offer for the media content item from a media device of the group of media devices. The method also includes sending, from the server to the media device, a decryption key for the encrypted content responsive to the acceptance notice.

Processing and distribution of video-on-demand content items

A method includes receiving, at a service delivery platform system from a first video source, a control stream associated with a media content stream delivered via a media distribution network. The control stream includes conditional access information for the media content stream including a restriction condition to delivery of the media content stream. The method includes parsing, at the service delivery platform system, the conditional access information to create a substitute table for a head end of the media distribution network that will implement the restriction condition. The substitute table indicates a condition for delivery of a substitute media content stream, a start time, an end time, and a second content source for the substitute media content stream. The method also includes sending the substitution table to the head end from the service delivery platform system to automatically schedule a conditional access event that implements the restriction condition.

System and method of restricting access to media content

A method includes identifying, at a computing device, multiple segments of video content based on a context sensitive term. Each segment of the multiple segments is associated with captioning data of the video content. The method also includes determining, at the computing device, first contextual information of a first segment of the multiple segments based on a set of factors. The method further includes comparing the first contextual information to particular contextual information that corresponds to content of interest. The method further includes in response to a determination that the first contextual information matches the particular contextual information, storing a first searchable tag associated with the first segment.

A method includes determining, at a server, whether to send a media content item to a media device based on a recommendation, where the media content item is associated with a time period. The method also includes, in response to a determination to send the media content item, sending the media content item from the server to the media device, where the media content item is unplayable at the media device when attempted to be played at a time outside of the time period.

A method includes receiving, at a service delivery platform from a first video source, a control stream associated with primary media content delivered via a video distribution network, where the control stream includes conditional access information associated with a second video source, wherein the conditional access information of the control stream indicates a restriction of the primary media content. The method also includes creating a substitution table, at the service delivery platform, based on the conditional access information including an indication of a geographic area, where the substitution table correlates the primary media content with substitute media content of the second video source, and when the restriction prevents access to the primary media content, the substitute media content is provided via the video distribution network. The method further includes sending the substitution table to the second video source.

A particular method includes receiving, at a device, an identifier of a set top box. The method also includes determining, at the device, based on the identifier of the set top box, whether the set top box is capable of supporting a high-definition television service or a digital video recording service. The method further includes selectively sending a power-up event to a service provider based on determining whether the capabilities of the set top box match a pending order.

System and method of authorizing a device in a network system

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media including instructions for processing and distributing video-on-demand (VOD) content items are disclosed. A particular method selects a group of electronic devices to receive a VOD content item. The selection is based on group-level information associated with the group of electronic devices and based on user-level information associated with individual electronic devices of the group of electronic devices. The VOD content item is transmitted to each electronic device of the group via multicast. The VOD content item has an associated validity time period, and the encrypted VOD content item is automatically made unplayable at each electronic device in the group when the validity time period has elapsed.

A method of restricting access to content delivered via a video distribution network is disclosed and includes receiving a control stream at a service delivery platform. The control stream is related to media content delivered via a video distribution network. The method also includes parsing the control stream and determining, from the parsed control stream, at least one geographical area in which access to programming associated with the video content channel is to be restricted. The method also includes automatically scheduling a conditional access event associated with the media content at least one video head-end of the video distribution network, the at least one video head-end serving the at least one geographical area. In a particular embodiment, the video distribution network can be an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a tangible computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions to receive from a media processor a time-sensitive code embedded in a video stream received and presented by the media processor at a presentation device, retrieve collateral information associated with a scene of the video stream according to the time-sensitive code, and transmit the collateral information to a mobile communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

System for presenting collateral information to mobile devices

Methods and apparatus provide enhanced 911 (E911) services for nomadic users are disclosed. An example method comprises receiving an Internet protocol (IP) address associated with a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) device and a media access control (MAC) address associated with the VoIP device, detecting when the VoIP device is outside an access network based on the MAC address and the IP address, prompting a user of the VoIP device to provide geographic location information for the VoIP device when the VoIP device is outside the access network, and updating enhanced 911 (E911) information for the VoIP device based on the geographic location information.

Methods and apparatus to provide enhanced 911 (E911) services for nomadic users

In a particular embodiment, a method of authorizing use of a set top box is disclosed. The set top box is operatively coupled to a network device that has an internet protocol (IP) address associated with an account of a subscriber. The method includes blocking a service to the set top box when capabilities of the set top box do not match a pending order associated with the account.

In a particular embodiment, a method of presenting assets related to media content includes receiving data indicating a selection of a selectable trigger from a destination device and identifying video content associated with the selectable trigger. The method further includes providing an electronic storefront to the destination device in response to the data indicating the selection of the selectable trigger. A plurality of assets related to the video content can be purchased via the electronic storefront. The plurality of assets includes at least a first asset type and a second asset type.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Stephen A Rys