At&t Intellectual Property I, LP

William O Sprague, Jr

Steven Michael Wollmershauser

Jason B Sprague

Eric Harris

Emlyn C Jeffrey

William Averill

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set top box having a controller to receive a request for reverberation in an environment having a plurality of media devices, and adjust a time delay for audio signals presented by one of the plurality of media devices operably coupled to the set top box based at least in part on the request. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Method and apparatus for managing presentation of media content

A network addressable appliance with digital multimedia recording capabilities has limited access including playback of stored multimedia content upon faulty connection with a service provider network. Upon a connectivity event, the network addressable appliance compares a retrieved hardware address for a connected residential gateway to a stored hardware address for an assigned residential gateway. If the two hardware addresses correspond, the network addressable appliance provides playback to stored multimedia content. The system helps prevent violations of digital rights management rules by restricting access to stored multimedia content while the network addressable appliance is connected to an unauthorized residential gateway. The system provides a user with limited access (i.e. playback) to multimedia content during service provider network outages.

Digital multimedia recorder with functionality following loss of provider network service

An apparatus comprises a server in communication with a camera located on a customer premises. The server is adapted to transmit Internet Protocol formatted video, containing a surveillance portion from the camera and an advertisement portion, to a customer premises device. A method for sending the Internet Protocol formatted video is also disclosed.

Community internet protocol camera system

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller to monitor ambient noise in proximity to the communication device, monitor a transmitted voice signal associated with the communication device, adjust a receiver volume for the transmitted voice signal based at least in part on a comparison of the transmitted voice signal with the ambient noise, monitor a received voice signal associated with the communication device, and adjust a speaker volume for the received voice signal based at least in part on a comparison of the received voice signal with the ambient noise, where the adjusting of the receiver volume is independent of the adjusting of the speaker volume. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Apparatus and method for managing call quality

Synchronization is provided for set-top boxes that display multiple instances of a single multimedia program. Embodied set-top boxes request the transmission of a multimedia program and determine the play point of a remote set-top box. Embodied set-top boxes set a local play point to correspond to the remote set-top box's play point. More than two set-top boxes may be synchronized in accordance with disclosed embodiments, and some systems implement master and slave set-top boxes for purposes of synchronization.

Synchronizing presentations of multimedia programs

A disclosed set top box or other type of multimedia handling device (MHD) is configured to support a toggle volume feature that enables the end user to toggle between two or more substantially different audible volume settings using a single push of a single remote control button or other type of control, e.g., a touch screen control. In some embodiments, the MHD includes a processor, storage media accessible to and readable by the processor, a remote control interface in communication with the processor, a multimedia decoder, and an audio digital-to-analog converter. The remote control interface receives input from a remote control device. The multimedia decoder module receives and processes multimedia streams. The decoder generates a decoder audio output and a decoder video output. The DAC processes the decoder audio output and produces an audio signal having a particular volume level.

Growing community of inventors

Wimberley, TX, United States of America

William O Sprague, Jr