Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090077614 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANAGING SET TOP BOXES - A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set top box having a controller to eliminate a scheduled recording of a targeted media program, where the scheduled recording is a redundant recording of the targeted media program that is determined based upon monitoring of recordings of media programs by a group of set top boxes in communication with each other over a network, where another set top box of the group of set top boxes is designated as a host set top box to record the targeted media program, and where the controller is provided access to the targeted media program by the host set top box. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 03-19-2009 |
20090199257 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING MEDIA CONTENT FROM AN OPTICAL DRIVE - A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller to read media content from an optical storage medium inserted into an optical drive of the communication device, obtain one or more preferences of a set top box for presentation of the media content, adjust the media content from a current format into a target format based at least in part on the one or more preferences, and transmit the media content in the target format to the set top box. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 08-06-2009 |
20090204989 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRESENTING MEDIA CONTENT - A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set top box having a controller to obtain display parameters associated with a display device, adjust a format of media content at the set top box based at least in part on the display parameters where the adjustment is of one or more portions of a display of the media content, and transmit the media content from the set top box to the display device. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 08-13-2009 |
20100083373 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING USER AUTHORIZATION FROM MOTION OF A GESTURE-BASED CONTROL UNIT - Methods and apparatus for determining user authorization from motion of a gesture-based control unit are disclosed. An example method to determine user authorization from motion of a gesture-based control unit disclosed herein comprises detecting motion of the gesture-based control unit, the motion caused by a user, determining a detected gesture from a sequence of one or more detected motions of the gesture-based control unit, and identifying the user from the detected gesture to determine an authorization for use by the gesture-based control unit. | 04-01-2010 |
20120005605 | SYSTEM FOR MANAGING MEDIA CONTENT - A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a device having a controller to create metadata corresponding to an identity of an entity, incorporate in a media file the metadata that identifies the entity with metadata that describes media content in the media file, and present a graphical user interface depicting a media file directory structure generated according to the metadata that identifies the entity and the metadata that describes media content in the media file. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 01-05-2012 |
20130067528 | Apparatus and Method for Managing Set Top Boxes - A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set top box having a controller to eliminate a scheduled recording of a targeted media program, where the scheduled recording is a redundant recording of the targeted media program that is determined based upon monitoring of recordings of media programs by a group of set top boxes in communication with each other over a network, where another set top box of the group of set top boxes is designated as a host set top box to record the targeted media program, and where the controller is provided access to the targeted media program by the host set top box. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 03-14-2013 |
20130133007 | System and Method of Recording Television Content - A method of recording television content is disclosed and includes receiving one or more television program search criteria from a set-top box device at a recurrent searching system. The method also includes storing the one or more search criteria at the recurrent searching system. Further, the method includes performing a first search of electronic program guide (EPG) data accessible to the recurrent searching system based on the television program search criteria and performing at least one additional search of EPG data accessible to the recurrent searching system based on the television program search criteria after the first search. | 05-23-2013 |
20130166409 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISTRIBUTING MEDIA CONTENT - A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, transmitting registration information over a network to a registration server for registration of first media content housed in a physical medium where the first registration information is associated with a purchase of the first media content from a point of sale device of a retailer and responsive to the registration, obtaining authorization for electronic access to second media content provided by a media source, where the second media content is associated with the first media content. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 06-27-2013 |
20130179926 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF INTERACTING WITH HOME AUTOMATION SYSTEMS VIA A SET-TOP BOX DEVICE - The subject disclosure describes among other things receiving user input that includes a device configuration for a device in a home automation system, where the device configuration specifies a triggering event and a response to the triggering event. The subject disclosure also describes transmitting the device configuration to the device, receiving data from the device, where the data indicates that the triggering event has been detected by the device, presenting an alert indicating that the triggering event has been detected by device, where the alert includes selectable options for responding to the alert, identifying the device detecting the triggering event, and altering an operation of the device. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 07-11-2013 |
20140006636 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING MEDIA CONTENT | 01-02-2014 |
20140208206 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRESENTING MEDIA CONTENT - A method that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, receiving a selection from a media device corresponding to a first media content, generating a play list at a server where the play list includes second media content that is associated with the first media content by at least one of genre, artist and being published in temporal proximity, and providing play list content comprising at least a portion of the first and second media content to the media device, where at least one of the generation of the play list and the providing of the play list content is based on metadata pointers associated with the first and second media content. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 07-24-2014 |
20140208372 | SYSTEM FOR EXCHANGING MEDIA CONTENT BETWEEN A MEDIA CONTENT PROCESSOR AND A COMMUNICATION DEVICE - A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media content processor having a controller adapted to detect an event associated with recorded media content derived from one among a plurality of media content sources, select a communication device of a subscriber of the media content processor, retrieve a portion of the recorded media content, generate a notice describing the event, and transmit the notice with the portion of the recorded media content to the communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 07-24-2014 |
20140259042 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SEARCHING BASED ON INFORMATION IN COMMERCIALS - A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, determining if a commercial contains one of metadata, close captioning information, recognizable speech in an audio component of the commercial, or a combination thereof In response to determining that the commercial does not contain metadata, but does contain close captioning information, an advertised show is identified based on the close captioning information. Likewise, in response to determining that the commercial contains neither metadata, nor close captioning information, but does contain recognizable speech in an audio component of the commercial, the advertised show is identified based on the recognizable speech. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 09-11-2014 |
20140259088 | Apparatus and Method for Managing Set Top Boxes - A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set top box having a controller to eliminate a scheduled recording of a targeted media program, where the scheduled recording is a redundant recording of the targeted media program that is determined based upon monitoring of recordings of media programs by a group of set top boxes in communication with each other over a network, where another set top box of the group of set top boxes is designated as a host set top box to record the targeted media program, and where the controller is provided access to the targeted media program by the host set top box. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 09-11-2014 |
20140380373 | SYSTEM FOR CONFIGURING SOFT KEYS IN A MEDIA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM - A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, set top box (STB) having a controller to record one or more soft key preferences associated with a user of the STB for each of a plurality of media presentation states of a media communication system, receive a request for presentation of a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with one of the media presentation states, select one or more soft keys according to the one or more soft key preferences assigned to the requested media presentation state, and present the selected one or more soft keys in the GUI. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 12-25-2014 |
20150058497 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING MEDIA CONTENT - A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media distribution system having a controller to identify a plurality of media presentation devices of a user of the media distribution system, identify one or more distribution preferences supplied by the user for distributing media content to the plurality of media presentation devices, receive media content from one of a plurality of media sources of the user, determine a media content type from the received media content, and distribute the received media content to one or more of the plurality of media presentation devices according to the one or more distribution preferences and the media content type. The one or more distribution preferences comprise in part media content distribution arrangements assigned by the user between the plurality of media sources of the user and the plurality of media presentation devices of the user. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 02-26-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090217356 | Electronic permission slips for controlling access to multimedia content - An administrator controls viewer access to restricted multimedia programs using electronic permission slips. In response to a viewer's request to view a restricted multimedia program, the viewer may initiate the generation of an electronic permission slip that is sent to an electronic device associated with the administrator. The electronic permission slip may include text-based information, graphical information, audio information, and the like. The electronic permission slip may enable input of permission data regarding whether the viewer is allowed to receive the blocked program. In response to the administrator granting permission, a service provider network allows the viewer to access the restricted multimedia program. | 08-27-2009 |
20090222853 | Advertisement Replacement System - An advertisement replacement system monitors a multimedia stream containing digital television content and advertisements for indicators of objectionable advertisement content. Replacement content is substituted for all or part of an advertisement that has at least one indicator (or a threshold level) of objectionable content. Analysis of stored content may also be performed and stored objectionable content may be replaced with approved content. Blank screens, user-provided photographs, user-provided videos, advertiser-provided still images, and substitute advertisements are examples of replacement content. | 09-03-2009 |
20090300671 | Controlling Access to Multimedia Content - A disclosed access control application and an associated method for managing access to multimedia content include enabling an administrator, e.g., a parent, to create a user account for a user, e.g., a child, and a password and a profile for the user account. The method further includes assigning an access level to the user and generating an initial set of content access indicator (CAIs) based on the access level. The initial CAI influences or determines the user's ability to access content associated with the access level. The method further includes modifying at least one of the CAIs in response to a request from the administrator. When a user subsequently send a navigation signal or command while the user account is active, the navigation signal is processed based at least in part on the CAIs to prevent the user from accessing content that the applicable CAI indicates as being restricted. | 12-03-2009 |
20090328093 | Multimedia Content Filtering - A disclosed method for facilitating automated and user-specific filtering of multimedia content includes a backend server receiving a content identifier from a user's multimedia handling device (MHD), e.g., a set top box. The content identifier indicates of a program of multimedia content (PMC) requested or otherwise desired by a user. The disclosed method includes identifying or otherwise locating an index file associated with the requested PMC. The index file includes data that indicates portions of the PMC containing potentially objectionable content. Content filtering (CF) settings associated with the user are retrieved or otherwise accessed. The CF settings define at least one type of content that is objectionable to the user. The CF settings are applied to the index file to identify a portion of the PMC containing content objectionable to the user. Content location information that indicates the identified portion of the PMC is then sent to the MHD. | 12-31-2009 |
20110151929 | SIMPLIFIED CONTROL INPUT TO A MOBILE DEVICE - A method and system for operating a mobile device includes interpreting a user-defined pattern detected by at least one of a touch interface and a motion sensor included with the mobile device. The user-defined pattern may be interpreted as at least one of: a polygon, an ellipse, a curve, a line segment, an alphanumeric character, and a movement of the mobile device. The user-defined pattern may be a two-dimensional pattern traced by the user on the touch interface. When the user-defined pattern is recognized, a wireless communication command may be executed by the mobile device. The wireless communication command may be a telephone command or a remote control command for a remote-controlled device. | 06-23-2011 |
20130091586 | Electronic Permission Slips for Controlling Access to Multimedia Content - An administrator controls viewer access to restricted multimedia programs using electronic permission slips. In response to a viewer's request to view a restricted multimedia program, the viewer may initiate the generation of an electronic permission slip that is sent to an electronic device associated with the administrator. The electronic permission slip may include text-based information, graphical information, audio information, and the like. The electronic permission slip may enable input of permission data regarding whether the viewer is allowed to receive the blocked program. In response to the administrator granting permission, a service provider network allows the viewer to access the restricted multimedia program. | 04-11-2013 |