Thomson Licensing

Thomson Licensing S.a.

Interdigital Ce Patent Holdings

Interdigital Madison Patent Holdings

Steven Charles Rhoads

Douglas Strachota

Thomas Anthony Stahl

Darrel Wayne Randall

Mike Arthur Derrenberger

Aaron Hal Dinwiddie

Izzat Hekmat Izzat

Hugh Boyd Morrison

Barry Jay Weber

Robert Joseph Logan

Daniel Richard Schneidewend

John Frederick Teskey

Gary Robert Gutknecht

Keith Robert Broerman

Thomas Patrick Newberry

Robert Andrew Rhodes

Suresh Vishwanath Leley

Glen Wakeman Ruch

Thomas H Hamilton

Jill Suzanne Allen

Amit Kumar Chatterjee

Saban Kurugay

Sanjeev Nagpal

Thanabalan Thavittupitchai Paul

Benjamin Vondersaar

Aaron Michael Smith

Marc David Ziems

Anthony Louis Watters

Michael Eugene Willcox

Kurt William Otte

Liangzhone Wang

Douglas Paul Strachota

Efficient techniques are provided for distributing video and data from the internet to the TV in order to permit easier access to new means of communications, e.g., internet. Each personal stream associated with an individual may only be watched on the individual's receiver. The personal stream is paired to the receiver identification number included in the signaling data associated with the personal stream. A personalized program guide may be generated including information about the personal stream and may only be watched on the individual's receiver. Obfuscation of the stream types associated with the personal stream may be performed. Methods and apparatuses for transmitting and receiving a signal are provided.

Method and apparatus for personal multimedia content distribution

The present principle generally relate to resetting of an electronic device, and particularly, to resetting of an electronic device to factory default of settings if a reset button is pressed for more than a certain amount of time such as, e.g., ten seconds. The amount of time the reset button is pressed is monitored by a bootloader program after a reboot of the processor. The present principles allow the use of the same reset button for two different functions: a normal power off-on reset and a reset to the factory default. The present principles also allow the electronic device to be reset to the factory default even if the main software of the electronic device is locked up (i.e., non-functioning).

Apparatus and method for resetting to factory default with bootloader program

Content distribution systems, methods and user interfaces are described wherein a modulator dynamically duplicates output of multiple channels, a plurality of receivers are individually tuned to one of the multiple channels, wherein a single transport stream can be sent on the multiple channels to each of the desired receivers and wherein the distribution can occur in multiple modes, and user interfaces which allow a manager of the content distribution system to dynamically change the channels on each receiver so that each of the receivers can be tuned to one of the multiple channels through the user interface.

Method and apparatus for QAM modulator channel distribution having a plurality of modes

A user interface for a content distribution system is disclosed which allows a manager of an environment of TV sets to view which content is playing on individual TV sets, and to change, track and otherwise adjust the content. The invention advantageously provides these features without interfering with other TV sets' programming when another TV set is being adjusted, changes or tracked by the manager. The invention provides auto-tuning of program guides.

Method and apparatus for auto-tuning program guides

A user interface for a content distribution system is disclosed which allows a manager of an environment of TV sets to view which content is playing on individual TV sets, and to change, track and otherwise adjust the content. The invention advantageously provides these features without interfering with other TV sets' programming when another TV set is being adjusted, changes or tracked by the manager.

User interfaces for content distribution systems

Files associated with the operation of gateway and client devices in a network may be downloaded with minimal operator intervention. Accordingly, a method includes receiving data including a first file, a first authentication element, and a second authentication element, the first authentication element being unique to a client device associated with the gateway device. The method also includes determining if the second authentication element is valid for the gateway device and storing the first authentication element and the second file for the client device if the second authentication element is valid for the gateway device. An apparatus includes a receiver that receives data, a processor that determines if the second authentication element is valid for the gateway device, and a memory that stores the first authentication element and a portion of the data for the client device if the second authentication element is valid for the gateway device.

Method and apparatus for software downloads in a network

An apparatus and method for providing an electronic program guide (EPG) to an end user are provided. The includes a audio video streaming device, content scheduler, and program guide generator provide for includes providing a program guide, the program guide containing a start time and end time for the display of a first program, providing the first program for display at the start time, determining if the first program has been paused during the display of the first program, adjusting the end time for the display of the first program if the program has been paused, and providing an updated program guide containing the adjusted end time.

System and method for synchronizing an electronic program guide with paused programs

The present invention relates to electronic program guides. Program guide state information is stored in a remote control which generates and delivers a pseudo-interactive guide to end users with the system state information (guide information to channel mapping maintained in the remote control device.

Remote control based interactive program guide

A system and a method is disclosed which allows both advertisement and program information to be shown on a channel banner, while user changes channel. In another embodiment, an 'advertisement channel' is inserted into an active channel list (e.g., scan list), so that when a user is changing channel, a selected ad will be displayed. In yet another embodiment, a method for tracking and collating advertisement display activity in a video system supporting composite display of image data associated with different multimedia functions and advertisements is disclosed.

Advertisement and tracking in a television apparatus

An apparatus and method for providing control signals, comprising a processor coupled to a memory, for generating a signal sequence. The processor encodes the signal sequence into a plurality of symbols using a 5 pulse position modulated (5 PPM) scheme. Advantageously, the last position of each symbol encoded under the 5 PPM scheme is set to a low bit. The symbol sequence represents a signaling protocol having a payload portion and a header portion, wherein the header portion comprises a plurality of fields for defining the payload portion. The payload portion indicates keyboard characters or coordinates for a pointing device.

Method and apparatus for enhancing an infrared signal protocol

A system of defining, creating and decoding composite virtual channels advantageously supports dynamic channel and event substitution. A method, for use in a decoder for acquiring a program conveyed on more than one broadcast channel, involves generating a program guide display. The program guide display lists programs being broadcast on a plurality of broadcast channels during specified broadcast time segments and also lists a particular program on both a first and a second broadcast channel. The particular program is acquired from the first broadcast channel in response to user selection of either of the first and second broadcast channels. A plurality of prioritized channel maps are used in substituting an alternative program for a first program on a broadcast channel.

Program guide information and processor for providing program and channel substitution

A minimal level of interoperability for exchanging audio/video (A/V) content and associated control between common consumer electronic (CE) devices is defined. This interoperability is based on the IEEE 1394 serial bus for the physical and link layers and makes use of AV/C or CAL as the control language. This invention provides for reducing the number of remote controls that the user might need by allowing remote control commands to always be received by a controlling device (e.g., digital television) and then routed to the appropriate peripheral device (e.g. digital VCR) after translation into a universal format.

Digital television apparatus for controlling a peripheral device via a digital bus

A video decoder provides an interface enabling a User to create, manage and maintain favorite service lists for facilitating User navigation through a complex array of multimedia services. The on-screen display interface system generates an abbreviated menu list of favorite multimedia services available from both local and remote sources to enable navigation through user selected favorite services. A database associates individual services and corresponding menu items in the favorite services menu with their respective sources and supports service selection, tuning and acquisition. Additional abbreviated lists of favorite multimedia services, comprising sub-sets of parent service lists, are also hierarchically displayed in response to User command in order to facilitate and focus a search for a desired service.

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Carmel, IN, United States of America

Steven Charles Rhoads