Interactive video distribution systems inventions 04/07

20070094679 - Digital medium with hidden content: A digital medium such as a DVD disk, may contain hidden content and apparent content. When loaded, a main or title menu may appear to provide an apparent link to apparent content and a non-apparent link to non-apparent content. The non-apparent link may require a user to perform a sequence... Agent: Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz LLP

20070094680 - Emergency alert signaling method and dtv receiver: A terrestrial digital television receiver includes a tuner, a microcomputer, and a demodulator. The microcomputer initially determines whether the DTV receiver is on, a power-on or power-off mode. If the DTV receiver is on the power-off mode, the microcomputer, control operation of the tuner to tune to a predefined emergency... Agent: Mckenna Long & Aldridge LLP

20070094681 - Displaying apparatus and channel information displaying method thereof: A display apparatus and a channel information displaying method thereof are provided. The channel information displaying method of a display apparatus having a channel storage unit for storing channel identification information and channel receipt information about a plurality of channels includes: determining whether a new channel is received in addition... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070094682 - Method of sharing preference channel in digital broadcasting reception terminal: A method of sharing a preference channel in a digital broadcasting reception terminal includes registering a phone book group to which at least one preference channel and information on the preference channel are transmitted; if digital broadcasting data of the registered preference channel is received, detecting information on the preference... Agent: Dilworth & Barrese, LLP

20070094683 - Method for changing/managing channels and broadcasting receiver: The present invention relates to a method for changing/managing channels in a broadcasting receiver and a broadcasting receiver, which are capable of selecting all parts or a part of various kinds of programs; forming a channel group consisting of channels broadcasting the selected program type(s); and performing a channel change... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20070094684 - Television schedule system and method of operation for multiple program occurrences: An improved television guide system. According to one embodiment of the invention, television guide information is provided that includes multiple occurrences of a single show. The guide system of the present invention allows the user to identify a show and, thereafter, identify when the identified show will be played again.... Agent: Fish & NeaveIPGroup Ropes & Gray LLP

20070094685 - Video processing apparatus and video processing method: A video processing apparatus and a video processing method capable of enhancing user's convenience for selection of a channel are provided. The video processing apparatus includes a signal receiving unit which receives video signals of a plurality of channel groups, each group including a plurality of channels; a video processing... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070094686 - Apparatus for setting mood mode and transforming images and method of setting mood mode and transforming images: A method and apparatus are provided for setting a mood mode and transforming images. The apparatus for setting a mood mode includes an image supplying unit supplying images, a setting unit setting a mood mode for the supplied images, and a storing unit storing a setting value of the mood... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070094687 - Method for selective advertisement recording and playback: A system and method for controlling the displaying and recording of advertisements that allows viewers to view the advertisements embedded in content, separate from content, or not at all. The system employs a set-top box loaded with a hierarchical menu program to allow viewers to choose the display mode for... Agent: Ober|kaler

20070094688 - Method system for event ticketing via a digital television channel.: A network system whereby a digital event ticketing marketplace is created via a television channel hidden or designated for viewer-consumers to search event information and purchase tickets based on preset queries and for event content providers#promoters artist & venue owners to remotely post event market information with associated audio-visual content... Agent: Ty Briscoe- The Ticket Channel

20070094690 - Media-on-demand reminders: The invention can be viewed as a system for providing media information to a user via an interactive media services client device coupled to a programmable media services server device. A method of the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes adding a media title to a media title list... Agent: Scientific-atlanta, Inc. Intellectual Property Department

20070094689 - Program guide and reservation system for network based digital information and entertainment storage and delivery system: In a broadband communications system, e.g., a cable system, programming content can be readily reserved and accessed for viewing using interactive program guides in accordance with the invention. Such programming content may include in-progress programs, future programs and previously broadcast programs which are recorded at a headend in the cable... Agent: Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner LLP

20070094691 - Method and apparatus for on-demand content transmission and control over networks: Methods and apparatus for delivering content over network infrastructure are disclosed. In one embodiment, the network comprises a content-based (e.g., cable) network coupled to a radio or other service provider network, and a portion of the infrastructure comprises that nominally used for on-demand (OD) services such as VOD. Mobile or... Agent: Robert F. Gazdzinski, Esq. Gazdzinski & Associates

20070094693 - Home movies: New service that allows individual to view new motion pictures that they would not ordinarily be able to view unless going to the movie theater. This new service is made possible through the use of a satellite.... Agent: Theodoros Asimakopoulos

20070094692 - In-program content telescoping: In-program content telescoping can enable a subscriber to telescope into content that is specially associated with a broadcast program. The selectable content is stored as video-on-demand (VOD) assets that are related to particular portions of broadcast programs. In a described implementation, content providers created association linkages between broadcast programs and... Agent: Lee & Hayes PLLC

20070094694 - Method of controlling download speed of broadcast receiving device and apparatus for the same: A method of controlling the download speed of a broadcast receiving device and an apparatus using the same are disclosed. The method includes monitoring processing resources consumed by a broadcast receiving device, and controlling the download speed according to the monitoring result, where the download is performed via an Internet... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070094695 - Video audio display device: According to one embodiment, there is provided a video audio display device including: a receiving section that receives a broadcast program to output an audio signal and an video signal, the broadcast program including rating information; a speaker unit that receives the audio signal and generates a sound according to... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20070094696 - Digital broadcast receiver apparatus, digital broadcast receiving method and program: A digital broadcast receiver apparatus includes: a detection section that detects a receivable digital broadcast wave; a list production section that produces a list by associating pieces of provider information of a plurality of broadcast programs superposed on the digital broadcast wave with identifiers uniquely assigned to the broadcast programs... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070094697 - Personalized content: A media switch enables a terminal to access content by receiving a content request from a terminal for a first piece of content to be distributed over a cable system, identifying a personal channel within resources available in the cable system to distribute the first piece of content to the... Agent: Fish & Richardson P.C.

20070094698 - Consumer access systems and methods for providing same: Apparatus and methods for providing enhanced consumer access to information sources and controllable entities. An Access device can be a stand alone device such as a DVD player in which the DVD disk contains the back-end information network. Other Access devices obtain the back-end information network from remote sources. By... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070094700 - Game delivery system: A game delivery system wherein games can be delivered to players using a cable television infrastructure. Players can interact with the game via an input device such as a remote control, and the user's set top box can communicate with the cable headend in order to effectuate game play. A... Agent: Muskin & Cusick LLC

20070094699 - Signal processing device: A signal processing device, consisting of a signal processing unit for conversion, amplification and resumption of signals, an input unit in the form of an HDMI connector a DVI connector or a transmission line, the input unit being connected with the signal processing unit, for connection with an audio-video player... Agent: Rosenberg, Klein & Lee

20070094702 - Method and apparatus for remote personal video storage and retrieval: A personal video recorder network facilities the recording and storage of video data, such as home videos, on a remote storage provided by a service provider. The remote storage can be shared among users. Access control is provided for security. A PVR client is used to access the storage and... Agent: Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P.

20070094701 - Method to store and distribute full length movies on a portable non-volatile solid-state storage device: A new method for storing and distributing full-length movies on a portable non-volatile solid-state storage device. Digitized compressed signals containing audiovisual components of a movie are sent to a portable non-volatile solid-state storage device and stored in a permanent or non-permanent state. The customer can use the portable non-volatile solid-state... Agent: Michael Lee Kawase

20070094704 - Audio/video task calculation method, method of providing summary information for audio/video task calculation, and apparatus using the methods: An audio/visual (AV) task calculation method, a method of providing summary information for an AV task calculation, and an apparatus for the same are provided. The method includes requesting summary information on media data from an AV server storing media data, receiving the summary information from the AV server, and... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070094703 - System for transmitting information from a streamed program to external devices and media: A method for selecting a section from a streamed broadcast program is disclosed. The method includes receiving a streamed broadcast program, rendering the received streamed broadcast program on a display, selecting a section from the received streamed broadcast program substantially when the section is rendered on the display, and producing... Agent: Ladas & Parry

20070094705 - Media streaming enhancements: A system and a method are disclosed for configuring a device for receipt of data corresponding to broadcast media signal. The system and method include selecting a metadata preference for use in a search of metadata associated with the broadcast media signals and selecting a notification preference for a notification... Agent: Fenwick & West LLP

20070094706 - Device which is used to route data flows from various mpeg (motion picture expert group) transfer devices towards one or more associated devices: The invention relates to a device or matrix which can be used indiscriminately and intelligently to direct data flows (1) generated by various sources (2) towards one or more destination devices (3), the latter forming sources of new data flows, in a common interface environment (4). According to the invention,... Agent: Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.l.p

20070089123 - Terrestrial digital broadcasting system and method: Provided is a terrestrial digital broadcasting system and method. The terrestrial digital broadcasting system includes a broadcasting station and a digital broadcasting receiver. The broadcasting station provides a digital broadcasting service, changes broadcasting configuration information according to user preference, and transmits digital broadcasting program guide data having changed broadcasting configuration... Agent: Dilworth & Barrese, LLP

20070089124 - Method and system of distributing pre-released media content: Method and system of controlling access to pre-release media content. The method and system include features to assess whether a customer has agreed to purchase a personal copy of the pre-released media content and to control access to the media content as a function thereof.... Agent: Brooks Kushman P.C.

20070089125 - Content-processing system, method, and computer program product for monitoring the viewer's mood: A content-processing system (100) processes a content (102) for presentation (103) to a user (104). The content-processing system (100) has input means (105) for receiving (106) commands (107) from the user (104) to control (108) the processing operation (101). The content-processing system (100) is arranged to modify (111) the processing... Agent: Philips Intellectual Property & Standards

20070089127 - Advertisement filtering and storage for targeted advertisement systems: An advertisement storage and filtering system for selectively identifying targeted advertisements to be stored in the memory of the STB. This storing of the selected advertisements can be accomplished in a number of ways. In one embodiment, the advertisements, in real-time and as they are received at the STB, are... Agent: Technology, Patents And Licensing, Inc./prime

20070089126 - Apparatus and method for customizing a received signal: An apparatus and method for customizing a pre-existing signal that includes at least a video signal. The video signal is received at a video interface, and data used for customizing the video signal is received at a data interface. The data is applied to the video signal to generate a... Agent: Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik

20070089128 - Method and system for producing program-integrated advertisements: A method and system for incorporating thematic content from a particular program into product or service advertisements uses program-advancing elements of a program in an advertisement in order to entice viewers to view the advertisements. Increased viewership of advertisements can result in increased revenue generated from advertisements that may be... Agent: Fish & Richardson P.C.

20070089129 - Two-step commercial recommendation: Commercials are recommended for insertion into audio and/or video programs. A two-step linking between the user (205) and a set of commercials (260, 262, 264, 266) is provided. A preference score indicates how much the user likes each of the programs (210, 212, 214, 216, 218). This can be achieved,... Agent: Philips Intellectual Property & Standards

20070089131 - Broadcast receiver: Disclosed is a broadcast receiver that can automatically enable input of a predetermined signal from external device, when there is no broadcast of program that is receivable at the broadcast receiver. The broadcast receiver 100 detects non-broadcasting time zone in which broadcast program is not broadcasted according to broadcast information... Agent: Crowell & Moring LLP Intellectual Property Group

20070089130 - Television device: A television device includes a reception device, a first decision unit, and a second decision unit. The reception device receives, from a broadcast signal of a system set, a channel which is tuned. The second decision unit, when it has been decided by the first decision unit that this channel... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20070089132 - Network-enabled audio device: A network-enabled audio device that provides a display device that allows the user to select playlists of music much like a jukebox is disclosed. The user can compose playlists from disk files, CD's, Internet streaming audio broadcasts, online music sites, and other audio sources. The user can also select a... Agent: Withrow & Terranova, P.l.l.c.

20070089133 - Method of displaying electronic program information: A method of displaying electronic program information includes the steps of (a) using a video converter to receive or transmit information about programs to be played over at least one channel and stored in a video server linked to the video converter; and (b) using the video converter to show... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20070089134 - Remote advertising system: A remote advertising system and method are provided. The advertising media (such as video, pictures, audio and text) may be stored on computer servers. The advertising media is downloaded to one or more kiosks at scheduled intervals and displayed on a rotating schedule. Users may interact with the advertisement to... Agent: Weiss & Moy PC

20070089135 - Network-enabled audio device: A network-enabled audio device that provides a display device that allows the user to select playlists of music much like a jukebox is disclosed. The user can compose playlists from disk files, CD's, Internet streaming audio broadcasts, online music sites, and other audio sources. The user can also select a... Agent: Withrow & Terranova, P.l.l.c.

20070089136 - Program recommendation method and program recommendation apparatus: Provided is a program recommendation method for a computer system including: a program distribution server in which program information is stored, a schedule storing unit for storing a schedule of a user, and a program recommendation unit for recommending programs from the program information, comprising the steps of: recommending, in... Agent: Stanley P. Fisher Reed Smith LLP

20070089137 - Television interface system: A digital media interface system combines video information from two video information sources to form a combination video signal for display on a television display device. One of the video information sources may be a digital media content provider, such as a satellite or cable television service provider, and the... Agent: Luedeka, Neely & Graham, P.C.

20070089138 - Information storage medium, information recording method, information playback method, information recording apparatus, and information playback apparatus: Various kinds of digital broadcast recording and playback are supported even when PSI (Program Specific Information) or SI (Service Information) is unknown. A management area of an information storage medium used in digital broadcast recording has management information for each broadcast station, and also management information of a type that... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070089139 - Information storage medium, information recording method, information playback method, information recording apparatus, and information playback apparatus: An embodiment may allow not only information management of contents which are to be recorded and played back by the user but also information management which has affinity for contents distributed by contents providers. An information storage medium may have a file structure that manages first high-definition video information which... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070089140 - Channel setting system and method: A channel setting system is provided. The system is used in an electronic device and includes an input unit for receiving operational inputs; a timer for tracking an elapsed time when the electronic device is activated on a channel; and a control unit for calculating a total playing time of... Agent: North America Intellectual Property Corporation

20070089141 - Messaging protocol for interactive delivery system: Efficient messaging techniques that facilitate interactive program guide (IPG) delivery and allow a terminal to specifically designate requested items of information from a server. The IPG can be provided via a number of IPG pages, with each page including a number of defined regions. In one method, selection for a... Agent: Patterson & Sheridan, LLP/ Sedna Patent Services, LLC

20070089142 - Band converter approach to ka/ku signal distribution: A method, apparatus and system for selectively stacking signals in a satellite delivery system is disclosed. A system in accordance with the present invention comprises a first set of satellite signals broadcast in a first frequency band, wherein the first set of satellite signals is downconverted to a first intermediate... Agent: The Directv Group Inc

20070089143 - Method and apparatus for providing dynamic display of content information associated with a device in a network: A television apparatus is operable to display table of content information from one or more peripheral devices interconnected to the television apparatus via a digital serial bus regardless of whether the television apparatus is currently tuned to the peripheral device. Particularly, table of content information is provided on a per... Agent: Joseph J. Laks, Vice President Thomson Licensing LLC

20070089145 - System and method of delivering video data: The present disclosure is directed to a system and method to deliver video data. The method can include selectively transmitting a low data rate video stream to at least one display device. The method can also include generating a mirror video stream that is derived from the low data rate... Agent: Toler Schaffer, LLP

20070089144 - Wireless hdtv display link: A method and apparatus for transmitting a video signal from a set-top box to a display. Steps of the method include: receiving a raw signal, processing the raw signal into a ready-for-HDTV signal, compositing the ready-for-HDTV signal with at least one graphic element, encoding the composited signal using a video... Agent: General Instrument Corporation Dba The Connected Home Solutions Business Of Motorola, Inc.

20070089146 - Playback apparatus, program, and playback method: A BD-ROM playback apparatus simultaneously executes reproduction of a title including an AVClip and executes an application. The BD-ROM playback apparatus includes a BD-J module (35) executing an application, a playback control engine (32) for playing the AVClip belonging to one title, and a module manager (34) for controlling branching... Agent: Snell & Wilmer L.L.P.

20070089148 - Apparatus for providing supplementary function of digital multimedia broadcasting and method of the same: An apparatus for providing a supplementary function of digital multimedia broadcasting includes a control unit that receives a selected instruction message for a digital multimedia broadcasting signal input by a user, a demodulating unit that receives a digital multimedia broadcasting signal corresponding to the selected instruction message by using at... Agent: Stein, Mcewen & Bui, LLP

20070089147 - Technique for synchronizing deliveries of information and entertainment in a communications network: In a broadband communications system, e.g., a cable system, a broadcast program stream is transmitted to broadcast programming content, and the broadcast program stream is recorded in a headend of the system to enable a user to perform network private video recorder (NPVR) functions (e.g., rewinding, pausing, and fast-forwarding) on... Agent: Straub & Pokotylo

20070089149 - Dmb system and method for broadcasting user report: Disclosed are a system and a method for broadcasting a user report. In the system and the method, a user transmits a user message including a report and location information stored in a digital multimedia broadcast receiving terminal to a digital multimedia broadcasting station as incoming information extracted from digital... Agent: The Farrell Law Firm

20070089150 - Interactive advertising system and method: A system and method for creating new commercials, or repurposing conventional broadcast advertisements, to include viewer interactivity. From either a tape based or digital format, a particular television spot is converted into a computer file, such as an mpg file. The computer file containing the advertisement is then loaded into... Agent: Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC

20070089151 - Method and system for delivery of digital media experience via common instant communication clients: An approach provides delivery of digital media. One of a plurality of distribution channels is assigned to transport the digital media to an instant communications process. The digital media is transmitted to the instant communications process over the assigned distribution channel.... Agent: Verizon Patent Management Group

20070089153 - Information storage medium, information recording method, information playback method, information recording apparatus, and information playback apparatus: An embodiment may allow not only information management of contents which are to be recorded and played back by the user but also information management which has affinity for contents distributed by contents providers. An information storage medium may have a file structure that manages first high-definition video information which... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070089154 - Information storage medium, information recording method, information playback method, information recording apparatus, and information playback apparatus: An embodiment may allow not only information management of contents which are to be recorded and played back by the user but also information management which has affinity for contents distributed by contents providers. An information storage medium may have a file structure that manages first high-definition video information which... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070089152 - Photo and video collage effects: A media editing application for creating and displaying video effect clips. A detection component detects video files stored in a memory of a computer. A user interface displays the detected video files and various video effects that can be applied to video files. The user interface is responsive to a... Agent: Senniger Powers (msft)

20070089158 - Apparatus and method for providing access to associated data related to primary media data: Apparatuses and methods are described for distributing associated data to media recipients that are experiencing a primary media event, such as a television or radio program, a movie or a live event. The associated data may be in the form of direct links that may be used by the media... Agent: Luedeka, Neely & Graham, P.C.

20070089155 - Electronic system to make televisions interactive: The present invention relates to an electronic system to make the current televisions interactive, such system comprising at least one micro-processor based TV module (1) with bi-directional communication means connectable to a television, at least one central server computer saving the required user data and evaluating received data and making... Agent: Akerman Senterfitt

20070089156 - Playback apparatus program and playback method: A BD-ROM playback apparatus simultaneously executes playback of a title and execution of an application. The BD-ROM playback apparatus includes a playback control engine (32) for playing an AVClip belonging to one title, and a module manager (34) controlling branching between a plurality of titles, and a BD-J module (35)... Agent: Snell & Wilmer L.L.P.

20070089157 - Television advertising number system: Supplemental program information is provided to a television in conjunction with a television program, where the supplemental program information is related to the subject matter of the television program. The supplemental program information and an access number are embedded in a digital video data stream of the television program. The... Agent: Luedeka, Neely & Graham, P.C.

20070089159 - Information storage medium, information recording method, information playback method, information recording apparatus, and information playback apparatus: An embodiment may allow not only information management of contents which are to be recorded and played back by the user but also information management which has affinity for contents distributed by contents providers. An information storage medium may have a file structure that manages first high-definition video information which... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070089160 - Electronic device, video display device, and method of controlling the video display device: According to one embodiment, a reception-side electronic device outputs reception specification data for receiving a signal suitable for the reception-side electronic device to a transmission-side device which selectively sends signals of the same contents in a plurality of signal forms. The reception-side electronic device includes transmitting/receiving and signal-processing units, a... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20070083882 - Methods and apparatus to export tuning data collected in a receiving device: Methods and apparatus to export tuning data collected in a receiving device are disclosed. An example method of collecting audience measurement data comprises collecting tuning data within a receiving device, and modulating an LED associated with the receiving device to export the collected tuning data from the receiving device.... Agent: Hanley, Flight & Zimmerman, LLC

20070083883 - Methods and apparatus to detect a blank frame in a digital video broadcast signal: Methods and apparatus to detect blank images in a digital video broadcast signal are disclosed. An example method of detecting a blank image includes analyzing DC values of luminance blocks associated with a frame to determine a number of the luminance blocks having substantially the same DC value; and identifying... Agent: Hanley, Flight & Zimmerman, LLC

20070083884 - Emergency alert signaling method and digital television receiver: A terrestrial digital television receiver includes a tuner, a demodulator, a demultiplexer, a decoder, and a controller. The tuner receives a terrestrial television signal having an emergency alert table which contains text representing an emergency alert message. The demodulator demodulates the television signal and the demultiplexer demultiplexes the emergency alert... Agent: Mckenna Long & Aldridge LLP

20070083885 - On-line process for bidding on advertising spots: A method for buying and/or selling advertising spots electronically is provided. Buyers (agencies) may enter requests describing a desired advertising spot, and the requests may be correlated and/or filtered against available inventory posted by sellers (stations). A station may be notified of a request to and may respond by offering... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20070083886 - Seamless arbitrary data insertion for streaming media: An arrangement for inserting advertisement media into a streaming multimedia file destined for an end-user uses a caching inserter including a first cache for storing a loaded advertisement file and a second cache for holding the streaming multimedia file that needs to be buffered as the advertisement file is sent... Agent: General Instrument Corporation Dba The Connected Home Solutions Business Of Motorola, Inc.

20070083887 - Commercial augmentation: Commercials (200) such as television commercials are augmented by obtaining additional information (300) regarding an advertised product or service from a remote server (182, 184, 192, 194, 195) via a computer network (180) such as the Internet. Commercials are identified and descriptive information is extracted (170). The descriptive information may... Agent: Philips Intellectual Property & Standards

20070083888 - Method and apparatus for setting up video input information: A television set includes a processor, memory, a number of video inputs and corresponding cable detectors for detecting the presence of a device coupled to a video input. The processor executes a set-up program stored in the memory. In particular, when the processor detects the presence of a device coupled... Agent: Joseph J. Laks, Vice President Thomson Licensing LLC

20070083889 - Video processing apparatus and video processing method: A video processing apparatus including a signal receiving part for receiving a video signal with a main channel and a sub channel; a video processing part for performing a video process for the received video signal; a display for displaying a video based on the processed video signal; and a... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070083890 - Remote controller and image system comprising the same: An image system includes a digital broadcasting processing apparatus and a remote controller for remotely controlling the digital broadcasting processing apparatus, wherein the remote controller includes a mode switching button for selecting one of a major channel mode and a minor channel mode, a channel search button for sequentially searching... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070083892 - Display apparatus and channel navigation method thereof: A display apparatus and a channel navigation method thereof are provided. The channel navigation method of a display apparatus using picture-in-picture (PIP), included: processing video signals of a currently tuned channel to be displayed in a main picture; generating a channel list including a sub picture based on the video... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070083891 - Image processing apparatus and control method thereof: An image processing apparatus and a control method of controlling the image processing apparatus are provided. The control method of the image processing apparatus, which includes a display unit indicating images according to received broadcast signals, includes: storing data of a broadcast signal, and if individual day broadcast information is... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070083893 - Display apparatus and control method thereof: An apparatus which facilitates displaying guide information related to a plurality of multimedia input signals includes a user-input unit which selects the guide information corresponding to the multimedia input signals desired by a user in order to display the selected guide information on the display unit; and a control unit... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070083894 - Indirect subscriptions to top n lists of content feeds: A user may subscribe to a content feed group that includes a set of content feeds. The content feed group includes a first set of content items from the set of included content feeds. The content items are presented in response to a subscription to the content feed group. After... Agent: Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP.

20070083895 - System and method of managing television information: The present disclosure is directed to a system and method to manage television information. The method includes receiving at least one user television viewing preference via an Internet site of a public network. The method also includes associating a user account with a set-top box device. The method also includes... Agent: Toler Schaffer, LLP

20070083896 - System to allocate and prioritize recordings: The system of the preferred embodiment includes multiple first sensors adapted to detect the state of a designated area, multiple second sensors adapted to detect changes or events within the designated area, multiple recording devices adapted to record information, a processor adapted to allocate recording resources and to prioritize the... Agent: Schox PLC

20070083897 - Content output queue generation: An automated method and system configured to pseudo-shuffle a pool of electronic content items in accordance with various criteria so that playback of all or a subset of the items in the user's collection occur in a pseudo-random order. The shuffled content items may be output to a user or... Agent: O'banion & Ritchey LLP/ Sony Electronics, Inc.

20070083898 - Band upconverter approach to ka/ku signal distribution: A method, apparatus and system for selectively stacking signals in a satellite delivery system is disclosed. A system in accordance with the present invention comprises a first set of satellite signals broadcast in a first frequency band, wherein the first set of satellite signals is downconverted to a first intermediate... Agent: The Directv Group Inc

20070083900 - Apparatus and method for providing vod service: An apparatus and method for providing video on demand (VOD) service are disclosed, in which a transmission frequency of a program per channel is updated to detect transport stream identifier even in case that the transmission frequency is varied. The method for providing VOD service of a receiving system includes... Agent: Mckenna Long & Aldridge LLP

20070083899 - Distributed and scalable architecture for on demand session and resource manangement: A system for on demand session and resource management in an on demand platform for delivery of on demand digital assets is distributed and scalable. A session manager manages on demand sessions. A resource manager manages resources associated with the on demand delivery of a digital asset to an on... Agent: Brooks Kushman P.C.

20070083901 - System and method for customized program scheduling: The present invention provides a user improved flexibility and convenience in selecting and receiving programming content utilizing a VOD or switched video architecture. Accordingly, the invention includes a system and method of delivering a linear programming feed to a user wherein the programming feed is initially transmitted from a transmission... Agent: Brooks Kushman P.C.

20070083902 - Technique for delivering entertainment programming content including interactive features in a communications network: In delivering an entertainment program over a communications network, e.g., a cable TV network, interactive application data for realizing interactive features in the entertainment program are interjected into the program stream carrying the entertainment program on an as needed basis. Because the entire channel bandwidth is temporarily dedicated for transmission... Agent: Straub & Pokotylo

20070083904 - Audio/video output adjusting system and method of the same: The invention discloses an audio/video output adjusting system including a decoder, a memory unit, a parser and a processor. The decoder is used for decoding an inputted audio/video sequence as a digital sequence. The memory unit is used for storing a look-up table. The parser is used for receiving the... Agent: Hoffman Warnick & D'alessandro, LLC

20070083903 - Audio/video system for a notebook computer: An audio/video system for use in a notebook computer. The notebook computer with the audio/video system, without loading any operating system, can operate for users to watch television or video, as well as writing these programs to a storage device, such as a recordable compact disk. In one embodiment, circuits... Agent: Rabin & Berdo, PC

20070083905 - Media player, control method thereof, and media play system having the same: The present invention relates to a media play system comprising a media player and a media interface in which a signal is transmitted from an external source to the media player. The media interface includes a cable to transmit the signal, and a memory to store cable information about characteristics... Agent: Roylance, Abrams, Berdo & Goodman, L.L.P.

20070083906 - Content-based navigation and launching on mobile devices: Techniques are disclosed for a content-based navigation and launching for portable computing devices such as PDAs and smart phones. A content navigator and launcher allows a user to personalize content groupings. The techniques can run on top of any OS file system that has a mechanism to associate files with... Agent: Fenwick & West LLP

20070083907 - Delivery of broadcast tv over point-point routed gre tunnels for iptv applications: The present invention provides a method for distributing Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) content over a national IP backbone using GRE tunneling in a point-to-point ring topology. A logical path is defined that connects multiple hub offices, each including at least two routers, in a ring network topology. Generic Routing Encapsulation... Agent: Paul S Madan Madan, Mossman & Sriram, PC

20070083908 - System and method of providing web-related content: The present disclosure is directed to a system and method of providing web-based content. The method can include receiving at least one user preference via a user account of a public data network, where the at least one user preference indicates at least one type of content available via the... Agent: Toler Schaffer, LLP

20070083909 - Rf return optical transmission: A method of transmitting TV signals and bidirectional telephone communication signals on a single optical fiber, existing telephone twisted pair infrastructure, and existing coaxial cable infrastructure. In addition to allowing the downstream transmission of television channels as well as bidirectional telephone communication, the single optical fibers also provides for the... Agent: Baker Botts L.L.P.

20070083911 - Intelligent media navigation: Techniques and systems for intelligent navigation of sequential media content are disclosed. The intelligent navigation is well suited to enable users to better control media playback with regards to a media playback application operating on a computing device.... Agent: Beyer Weaver LLP

20070083910 - Method and system for seamless live broadcast of digital content: A method and a system for live broadcast of digital content to a user switching between one or more electronic devices are provided. Each electronic device is connected to a network. The user makes a request to switch the live broadcast of the digital content from a first electronic device... Agent: Motorola, Inc.

20070079321 - Picture tagging: A system and method for tagging discrete locations and/or sections within a pre-existing media file with images without modifying the media file are disclosed. The system includes a rendering device that receives user tag selections and creates information that can be used when rendering the media file in the future.... Agent: James J. Decarlo Greenberg Traurig, LLP

20070079322 - Selectively overlaying a user interface atop a video signal: Overlaying visual interface information atop a video signal without obscuring desired features of the video signal. The video signal may contain one or more pre-selected features, such as text. Two or more display sections equally divide the video signal, and any pre-selected features in the video signal are identified as... Agent: Workman Nydegger/microsoft

20070079323 - Control unit that manages the usage of electrical devices: A control unit is disclosed for controlling the usage of an electrical device, such as a television. The control unit maintains a plurality of time accounts for a plurality of users. The control unit, responsive to receiving a request to operate the electrical device from a user, identifies a time... Agent: Duft Bornsen & Fishman, LLP

20070079324 - Method and apparatus for combining broadcast schedules and content on a digital broadcast-enabled client platform: §A service provider broadcast system and method are described. The method includes acquiring network service information regarding broadcast service content to be broadcast by a broadcast service system over a predetermined period. Using the network service information, a composite content list is created, including meta-data describing service provider content available... Agent: Intel/blakely

20070079325 - In-program content targeting: In-program content targeting is described. A default data stream containing default content associated with multiple segments of a particular program is generated and transmitted. An alternate data stream containing alternate content for one or more of the multiple segments is also generated and transmitted. A client device receiving the default... Agent: Lee & Hayes PLLC

20070079326 - Display of user selected advertising content in a digital environment: A system and method for placing an advertisement in a digital environment based upon a user's choice, subject to certain predetermined parameters, is disclosed. Through the method, a user is assigned a rating based upon, for example, his performance in a game. A list of advertisements which correspond to that... Agent: Carr & Ferrell LLP

20070079327 - System for providing a customized media list: A system is described for providing a customized media list to a user over a data network. The system provides a personalized data of the user to a computer system, generates a customizes media list by the computer system for the user based on the personal data, and provides the... Agent: Dla Piper US LLP

20070079328 - Methods and computer programs for localizing broadcast content: In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method 1) prompts a user for a description of localized broadcast content that is to be broadcast by a particular broadcast affiliate, and 2) transmits the description of the localized broadcast content to a broadcast content provider. In another embodiment, a computer-implemented method 1) receives... Agent: Holland & Hart, LLP

20070079329 - Broadcast receiving apparatus and broadcast receiving method: A broadcast receiving apparatus has acquiring unit acquires video information via a network, tuner unit receives and demodulates a broadcast signal and outputs video information, selecting unit receives the video information and outputs the video information of one of them, processing unit processes video information and thereby outputs reproduction signal... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20070079330 - Last channel button functionality: Improved last channel button functionality is described. A remote control device for interacting with a media system includes a mechanism (e.g., a button) by which a user can direct the media system to automatically access a previously tuned (but not immediately previously tuned) channel; or a list of previously tuned... Agent: Lee & Hayes PLLC

20070079331 - Advertising impression determination: Systems and methods for defining and tracking advertising campaigns across a channel video game network are disclosed. The system allows advertisements to be dynamically activated in video games. Advertisements are tracked to determine user impressions and user exposure to the advertisement. In the system, an impression area is defined relative... Agent: Carr & Ferrell LLP

20070079333 - Information processing method using electronic guide information and apparatus thereof: To collect user preference information at a high accuracy, information processing is carried out corresponding to information such as keyword, weighting, content title and the like of user preference detected from user usage condition. At this time, the user preference is detected from one or more of the following items:... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070079332 - Network branded recorded programs: Network branded recorded programs is described. In an embodiment programs recorded from television are associated with their respective television networks, and a recorded program directory is generated. The recorded program directory includes a list of television networks, and a list of programs recorded from television that are respectively associated with... Agent: Lee & Hayes PLLC

20070079335 - Generating an alert signal for use with digital video recorders: The description herein describes generating an alert signal for use with digital video recorders. In a described implementation, a method for generating an alert includes receiving a first information from a services provider and generating an alert signal. In the implementation, the first information is associated with a customer and... Agent: Proskauer Rose LLP

20070079334 - Methods and systems for resolving scheduling conflicts in a video recorder: Systems and methods are used to automatically resolve a conflict between a plurality of time periods of programs to be recorded in a video recorder. An input is received from a user of a plurality of programs to be recorded. It is determined whether time periods during which the plurality... Agent: Kenyon & Kenyon LLP

20070079336 - Telephone-controlled tv set and method therefor: A telephone-controlled television (TV) set (30) includes: a memory (311) for storing user-defined locking/unlocking information used to control a switch of the TV set between a locking state and a non-locking state; a communication port (312) connected with a telephone network (20), for receiving an incoming call from a telephone... Agent: North America Intellectual Property Corporation

20070079337 - Method and system for automatic planning of transmission time delays of transmitters in a time and frequency synchronous broadcasting network: The module (11) recalculates the figures of populations located in interference zones for successive combinations of delays, and configuration means (13) of the system provide the number of permitted iterations. The optimal combination is obtained when said estimated population figures are minimum.... Agent: Perman & Green

20070079338 - Method and apparatus for dc power management within multi-channel lnbf: A method and apparatus for energizing a multi-channel LNBF containing multiple LNB(s) the LNBF connected to multiple IRDs. The number of IRDs present is detected. If more than one IRD is present, all LNBs are energized. If only one IRD is detected, power sufficient to supply the LNB the IRD... Agent: Babcock Ip, PLLC

20070079339 - Wireless television system: A control data transmission and reception period of, for example, 1 ms is provided for each frame of a digital broadcast signal. The digital broadcast signal is intermittently transmitted. In the intermittent transmission, the transmitting device stops the digital broadcast signal from being sent during the control data transmission and... Agent: Frishauf, Holtz, Goodman & Chick, PC

20070079340 - Multi-room user interface: Multi-room user interface is described. In an embodiment, a viewing system includes television-based client devices that each receive a different data stream and render a viewing selection from the data stream. A multi-room user interface displayed at a first television-based client device can display a representation of a viewing selection... Agent: Lee & Hayes PLLC

20070079341 - Dvd multi-room playback after headend conversation: DVD multi-room playback after headend conversation. The DVD content is saved to a hard drive of a primary device in a networked multi-room system. While the content is being saved to the hard drive, the headend is contacted to secure permissions, pay royalties, etc. for the copyrighted material. The movie... Agent: Scientific-atlanta, Inc. Intellectual Property Department

20070079342 - Systems and methods for managing local storage of on-demand content: On-demand systems and methods are provided to manage locally-stored on-demand content. A user's equipment controls the deletion of and/or access to on-demand content from a local storage device based on constraining criteria that may include rental conditions, dynamic factors, and keys.... Agent: Fish & NeaveIPGroup Ropes & Gray LLP

20070079343 - Information processor and information processing method: A digital broadcast receiving/recording/reproducing device records and reproduces input streams in and on a recording/reproducing device, simultaneously records two streams, and reproduces one stream while reproducing the other recorded stream at the same time, thereby the streams can be viewed. The digital broadcast receiving/recording/reproducing device of the present invention extracts... Agent: Antonelli, Terry, Stout & Kraus, LLP

20070079344 - Personal video recorder and method of transmitting broadcast signal to external multimedia apparatus from the same: A personal video recorder and method of transmitting a broadcast signal to an external multimedia apparatus from the same are disclosed, by which various application environments can be provided by establishing a multimedia support environment in transmitting broadcast data or reproducing a broadcast signal by a multimedia device in a... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20070079345 - Television-based client device messaging: Television-based client device messaging is described. In an embodiment of television-based client device messaging, a system includes a television-based client device that is identified by an associated phone number to receive a message communicated from a messaging device via the associated phone number. A message parsing application parses the message... Agent: Lee & Hayes PLLC

20070079346 - Information management system, information processing device, and computer usable medium: When a first period in which communication is performed by a first interactive communication unit and a second period in which utilization data is utilized have a period overlapping with each other, the utilization data are correlated with interactive communication content data, which are contents interactively delivered in the first... Agent: Mcdermott Will & Emery LLP

20070079347 - Method for content delivery without complicated viewers countermeasure and a system therefor: A service delivery system includes a set-top box, a card reader and a monitor as a user terminal system. In the set-top box, a card reader unit reads out information from a card to store the information read out temporarily in a memory. An authenticator authenticates key information permitting contents... Agent: Venable LLP

20070079348 - Kvm video & osd switch: A high speed video switch in a KVM system using discrete Radio Frequency (RF) switch circuits. The RF switch circuits are configured into a multiplexed circuit to route video signals from a selected host computer to a target monitor. Voltage converters are used to provide control signals of the proper... Agent: Allan W. Watts Bryan Cave LLP

20070079349 - Information storage medium, information recording method, information playback method, information recording apparatus, and information playback apparatus: Various kinds of digital broadcast recording and playback are supported even when PSI (Program Specific Information) or SI (Service Information) is unknown. A management area of an information storage medium used in digital broadcast recording has management information for each broadcast station, and also management information of a type that... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070079350 - Information storage medium, information recording method, information playback method, information recording apparatus, and information playback apparatus: Various kinds of digital broadcast recording and playback are supported even when PSI (Program Specific Information) or SI (Service Information) is unknown. A management area of an information storage medium used in digital broadcast recording has management information for each broadcast station, and also management information of a type that... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070079351 - System and method for balancing video encoding tasks between multiple processors: System and method for balancing video encoding tasks between multiple processors. The method may include receiving a real time video stream, performing picture level and upper processing on a main processor, executing a macroblock loop in parallel on a main processor and a co-processor, wherein executing includes processing a first... Agent: Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman

20070079353 - Scheduling trigger apparatus and method: Apparatus and methods for embedding and associating triggers within a promotion or other similar content element with the event being promoted are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, consumer premises equipment (CPE) such as a digital set-top box is used to interface between the user and an external network (such as... Agent: Fish & Richardson P.C.

20070079352 - System and method for supplementing a radio playlist with local content: A method of rendering digital media encoded content on a client electronic device is disclosed. The digital encoded media content comprises digital encoded local media content stored on the client electronic device and/or digital encoded radio media content provided via a network from a remote computing device to the client... Agent: Grossman, Tucker, Perreault & Pfleger, PLLC

20070079354 - Tuner having attenuation function and control method for the same: Provided is a tuner having an attenuation function and a control method for the same. The tuner includes an attenuation unit that, when the power of the broadcast signal exceeds a strong-electric-field critical value, attenuates the broadcast signal and outputs the attenuated broadcast signal. Therefore, even when a received broadcast... Agent: Robert E. Bushnell