A method including while receiving a live digital audio stream from one or more remote servers and outputting the live digital audio stream via a speaker of a client device, receiving the updated content schedule from the one or more remote servers, generating and displaying a real-time programming guide user-interface including the updated content schedule and least one content segment component corresponding to at least one of the content segment data in the updated content schedule. The method further includes transmitting a content segment digital audio signal request to the one or more remote servers for a prior portion of the live digital audio stream corresponding to the content segment data; and, in response to receiving the prior portion of the live digital audio stream, ceasing outputting the live digital audio stream and outputting the prior portion of the live digital audio stream corresponding to the content segment data.

The present technology relates to a transmission apparatus, a transmission method, a reception apparatus, and a reception method that enable channel selection information and time information to be transmitted effectively. A transmission apparatus acquires channel selection information for selecting a service and time information used for synchronizations on a transmission side and a reception side, generates, as a physical layer frame constituted of a preamble and a data portion, the physical layer frame in which specific information including at least one of the channel selection information and the time information is arranged at a head of the data portion right after the preamble, and transmits the physical layer frame as digital broadcast signals. The present technology is applicable to IP packet broadcasting, for example.

The present technology relates to a transmission apparatus, a transmission method, a reception apparatus, and a reception method that enable channel selection information and time information to be transmitted effectively. A transmission apparatus acquires channel selection information for selecting a service and time information used for synchronizations on a transmission side and a reception side, generates, as a physical layer frame constituted of a preamble and a data portion, the physical layer frame in which specific information including at least one of the channel selection information and the time information is arranged at a head of the data portion right after the preamble, and transmits the physical layer frame as digital broadcast signals. The present technology is applicable to IP packet broadcasting, for example.

A content storage method and system for use in a content distribution network are provided. A personal file locker is established on the network for a user. A content-storage-request database is established. The database tracks requests by the user for placing video programs into the user's file locker for personal use by the user. Upon the broadcasting of a video program for which there exists a request by the user to place the video program into the user's file locker, the requested video program is stored in the user's file locker. The stored video program is then made available to the user for viewing. Alternative approaches to content storage methods and systems are also described, including the use of a buffer enhancement to enable the performance of operations on live television.

A digital broadcast receiver transmits a request for discovery information to a discovery information server, the request including receiver profile information associated with the current state of the digital broadcast receiver. The server identifies, on the basis of the receiver profile information, additional services that are available over an IP with a digital broadcasting receiver, and transmits discovery information for the additional services to the receiver. Then, the digital broadcast receiver determines a receiver channel number in order to locate the additional service at a channel guide on the basis of the received discovery information and logical channel numbers that are assigned to a plurality of broadcast services by a broadcast provider, and generates a channel guide by including the additional services in the determined receiver channel number and the plurality of broadcast services of the respective receiver channel numbers corresponding to the logical channel numbers.

A digital broadcast receiver transmits a request for discovery information to a discovery information server, the request including receiver profile information associated with the current state of the digital broadcast receiver. The server identifies, on the basis of the receiver profile information, additional services that are available over an IP with a digital broadcasting receiver, and transmits discovery information for the additional services to the receiver. Then, the digital broadcast receiver determines a receiver channel number in order to locate the additional service at a channel guide on the basis of the received discovery information and logical channel numbers that are assigned to a plurality of broadcast services by a broadcast provider, and generates a channel guide by including the additional services in the determined receiver channel number and the plurality of broadcast services of the respective receiver channel numbers corresponding to the logical channel numbers.

There is disclosed a technique of associating device activity to a broadcast programme, comprising: receiving a model for a broadcast programme identifying portions of content and portions of breaks in the content; monitoring, via a client software module running on users' mobile devices, said device's active or inactive states; receiving an activity stream of a user device; comparing the activity stream to the model of the broadcast programme to identify a correlation between them; inferring a user of the user device as watching the broadcast programme based on a level of the correlation.

There is disclosed a technique of associating device activity to a broadcast programme, comprising: receiving a model for a broadcast programme identifying portions of content and portions of breaks in the content; monitoring, via a client software module running on users' mobile devices, said device's active or inactive states; receiving an activity stream of a user device; comparing the activity stream to the model of the broadcast programme to identify a correlation between them; inferring a user of the user device as watching the broadcast programme based on a level of the correlation.

The present document describes an apparatus and method for monitoring and interacting with listeners of audio-video content. There are provided audio signals from which audio-video content can be identified by a monitoring peripheral paired with a user's electronic device. The monitoring peripheral monitors audio signals from its surroundings and communicates to the paired user's electronic device, decoded and/or generated digital IDs from these audio signals. A master service application or registered service application miming on the electronic device could transmit the digital ID to a remote server and retrieve additional information from these digital IDs with or without the use of a backend system. Events could be triggered and relevant audio-video content be presented to the user of the master service application or a registered service provider when digital IDs are received from the monitoring peripheral.

An online system analyzes broadcast content viewed by individuals in a household. Each individual in the household is associated with a client device on which a software application module is executed. When the software application module detects one or more broadcasting signals of a content item broadcasted to the household, the software application module records the ambient audio, including audio from the broadcasting device. The software application module sends an identifier of the individual associated with the client device, an ambient audio fingerprint derived from the recorded ambient audio, and time information for the recorded ambient audio to the online system. The online system, based on the ambient audio data, identifies the corresponding individual and content item and logs an impression for the content item upon determination that there was an impression of the identified content item by the identified individual.