Google Inc.

Arris Enterprises LLC

General Instrument Corporation

Yeqing Wang

Brian Daniel Mullen

Christopher S Del Sordo

Brian M Carroll

Scott D Sellers

Krishna Prasad Panje

Virendra Singh

Jay William Strater

John A Schlack

Lakshmi Arunkumar

Dinkar N Bhat

Ernest George Schmitt

Yaxi Zhang

Patrick Leary

Brian J Copley

David Harold Grant

Archan Kooli

Christoper S Del Sordo

A client device, which can be a set-top box or a gateway device, can be operative to continue processing content (e.g., a television program) in its pipeline, while it is requesting a different content (e.g., tuning or obtaining a targeted ad). Instead of seeing a blank screen or a muted still-shot, the user in some circumstances would be able to continue to see a segment of the processed content information.

Tuning Behavior Enhancement

A device is provided for use with an audiovisual device and a cable having a first end and a second end. The audiovisual device can receive digital television audiovisual signals. The cable includes a data channel, a control channel and a power line and can transmit the digital television audiovisual signals. The first end can connect to the audiovisual device, whereas the second end can connect to the device. The device includes a connector, a detecting portion and a power source. The connector can connect to the second end. The detecting portion can generate a connection signal based on a connection of the connector to the second end. The power source can provide power based on the connection signal.

Power for an HDMI source device

A method and apparatus is provided for recording a program. The method includes storing, in response to a user request, at least one content file that includes first and second program segments that are spliced to form a single program. At least one index file is created and stored. The file index includes program specific information associated with the first and second program segments. The index file also includes an identification of a splice point denoting a transition between the first and second program segments. In addition, a splice index is created and stored. The splice index includes timing information specifying a time at which the splice point occurs.

Digital video recorder recording and rendering programs formed from spliced segments

A method is provided for adding extended content data during data stream acquisition. The method includes receiving a request for a transition from a first data stream to a second data stream within a transitioning time period. The method also includes determining whether a timing of the transition is sufficient for insertion of at least a first portion of extended content data during the transition. The method also includes selecting the first portion of the extended content data as insertion content if the timing of the transition is sufficient for insertion of the first portion of the extended content data. The method also includes selecting a second portion of the extended content data as the insertion content if the timing is insufficient for insertion of the first portion of the extended content. The method also includes causing the insertion content to be presented to a user during the transition.

Adding content during data stream acquisition

Methods, systems, and computer readable media can be operable to monitor for and alert the occurrence of pre-failure indicators at a set-top box (STB) disk. Results of self-monitoring tests, short tests, and maximum/minimum performance tests may be used to identify the potential for a STB disk failure. Moreover, critical error events at the STB may be logged, and the health of the STB disk may be determined based on the logged critical error events. Test results and critical error event logs may be used to predict an impending failure of a STB disk, and a notification may be output to a user or technician indicating the potential need to replace the STB or STB disk.

Set-top disk health diagnostics

An internet protocol multicast provider is disclosed, which includes a bootstrap code component, a transcoder generator component, a content module and a packetizing module. The bootstrap code component can generate a bootstrap code. The transcoder generator component can generate a transcoder module. The content module can generate content in a first format. The packetizing module can generate internet protocol multicast packets, based on the bootstrap code, the transcoder module and the content. The bootstrap code can determine a second format for which an internet protocol multicast receiver can decode and render the content. The transcoder module can instruct the internet protocol multicast receiver to play the content when the first format is the second format. The transcoder module can instruct the internet protocol multicast receiver to transcode the content from the first format to the second format when the first format is not the second format.

System and method for delivering 3DTV content to variety of receivers

A device is provided for use with extended content data on a first data stream and second content data on a second data stream. The device includes a processing portion, an acquisition portion and a buffer. The acquisition portion is in communication with the processing portion. The acquisition portion can acquire the first data stream, can transition to the second data stream to receive the second content data and can provide the second content data to the processing portion. The buffer can receive the extended content data. The processing portion can instruct the acquisition portion to transition from the first data stream to the second data stream to receive the second content data. The buffer can further provide the extended content data to the processing portion based on the acquisition portion transitioning from the first data stream to the second data stream. The processing portion can further process the extended content data portion as received from the buffer.

A method and system that computes viewing statistics for a digital video content stream received at a set-top box. The digital video content stream includes a first segment of video content, a second segment of video content, a third segment of video content, a first timing mark that indicates a transition from the first segment to the second segment, and a second timing mark that indicates a transition from the second segment to the third segment. The method initiates a transmission of the digital video content stream at the set-top box, monitors the transmission of the digital video content stream relative to the first timing mark and the second timing mark, and computes view data for the second segment based on the monitoring of the transmission. The method stores the view data at the set-top box.

Viewing impression report collection, storage, and reportback of inserted content with DVR playback

A device is provided for use with an audiovisual device and an HDMI cable having a first end and a second end. The first end can connect to the audiovisual device, whereas the second end can connect to the device. The audiovisual device can provide power to the power line of the HDMI cable when providing the digital television audiovisual signals. The device includes an output portion, and input portion and a control portion. The output portion can provide output signals as the digital television audiovisual signals to the second end. The input portion can receive input signals as the digital television audiovisual signals from the second end. The control portion can instruct the output portion to output the digital television audiovisual signals to the second end or can instruct input portion to receive the digital television audiovisual signals from the second end based on the power.

Two-way HDMI communication

A method and computing device that provides viewer impression data for a recorded digital video stream. The method receives a digital video stream as a series of segments, and stores it as a recorded digital video stream having a transition between two consecutive segments at a transition position. The method stores a notification tag that is associated with the transition, and that includes a tag position in the recorded digital video stream, a notification mode, and tag data. During playback of the recorded digital video stream, the method generates a play mode status event, and generates a transition notification when the playback encounters the notification tag and, based on the notification mode, the transition associated with the notification tag. The method collects viewer impression data for one of the two consecutive segments from the play mode status event and the transition notification.

Method for tag insertion and notification for DVR addressable advertisement

A method and system for managing information using a gateway () is disclosed. The network includes a gateway () and at least one wireless device (). The method includes () downloading information from a predefined source to a gateway via a broadband link in response to a real time request received from a wireless device. Further, the method includes () storing the information within the gateway. Moreover, the method includes () transmitting the stored information from the gateway to the wireless device.

Method and system for managing information within a network

A method () and apparatus () for scaling selected areas of a graphics display. The method () includes removing distortion-sensitive information from the graphics display, scaling or converting the format of the distortion-nonsensitive information, such as from one aspect ratio to another, and then compositing the removed distortion-sensitive information with the scaled distortion-sensitive information. Alternatively, the removed distortion-sensitive is scaled, distortion-free, before combining it with the scaled distortion-nonsensitive information. The apparatus () uses a recognition comparator () to identify distortion-sensitive information, a graphics remover () to remove the distortion-sensitive information, a first scaler () to scale the distortion-nonsensitive information, a second scaler to provide distortion-free scaling of the distortion-sensitive information, and a compositer () to combine the distortion-sensitive information with the scaled distortion-nonsensitive information. A graphics display can be converted using a conversion process that introduces distortion, yet distortion-sensitive information, such as logos, are not subject to such distortion.

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Horsham, PA, United States of America

Yeqing Wang