Embodiments are related to faster provisioning of targeted advertisements at a set-top box (STB) via an Internet Protocol (IP) connection between the STB and a remote server. The disclosed IP-based advertisement distribution system enables targeted advertisements to be pulled from the remote server efficiently, causing the advertisements to be made available within a short time frame (e.g., less than one day from the time when the advertisements are available). The disclosed methods enables a STB to determine whether to retain existing targeted advertisements, discard them, or provision newly-available advertisements. The targeted advertisements can depend on various factors such as demographic information of an owner of the STB, lifestyle information of the owner of the STB, etc.

Techniques for acoustic management of entertainment devices and systems are described. Various embodiments may include techniques for acoustically determining a location of a remote control or other entertainment device. Some embodiments may include techniques for controlling one or more entertainment components using voice commands or other acoustic information. Other embodiments may include techniques for establishing a voice connection using a remote control device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

A computing device may request service from a service provider, and authorization to receive the service may be based, at least in part, on a network access device that is providing the computing device with network access. The service provider may request a value from the computing device, and the value may be based on address information of the computing device and the network access device.

A method of and system for handling latency issues encountered in producing real-time entertainment such as games of skill synchronized with live or taped televised events is described herein. There are multiple situations that are dealt with regarding latencies in receiving a television signal with respect to real-time entertainment based on the unfolding games played along with the telecasts. Systemic delays, arbitrarily imposed delays of a broadcast signal and variances in the precise broadcast times of taped television programs have to be equalized so as to provide fair entertainment.

Systems and methods for the optimized allocation of content within a universe of inventory are described. For example, a method may include receiving content comprising at least one characteristic and at least one goal. A universe of inventory may be accessed that comprises a plurality of targets which may be assigned into a plurality of segments based on at least one demographic vector. An allocation optimization model may be generated based on the at least one content characteristic, the at least one goal and the plurality of segments. The content may be presented to the targets based on the allocation optimization model. Viewing data may be received that comprises data associated with target consumption of the content and the allocation optimization module may be re-optimized based on the viewing data. Additional factors, such as resource constraints and/or filtering rules, may be used when re-optimizing the allocation optimization module.

A method of and system for handling latency issues encountered in producing real-time entertainment such as games of skill synchronized with live or taped televised events is described herein. There are multiple situations that are dealt with regarding latencies in receiving a television signal with respect to real-time entertainment based on the unfolding games played along with the telecasts. Systemic delays, arbitrarily imposed delays of a broadcast signal and variances in the precise broadcast times of taped television programs have to be equalized so as to provide fair entertainment.

Systems and methods are described for extending the trust relationship established with a network interface device that provides access to a service provider network that includes an IP-based overlay network. The trust relationship is extended to a consumer premises equipment (CPE) device operating on the overlay network. A network element of the service provider network may authenticate the CPE device when communicating via the overlay network. The service provider network may store an association between network configuration data of the network interface device and the CPE device provisioned via the network interface device and may provide the CPE device with an identity token that encodes this network configuration data. The CPE device may provide the identity token to a network element of the service provider network, and the service provider network may authenticate the identity of the CPE device using the identity token provided.

A method of and system for handling latency issues encountered in producing real-time entertainment such as games of skill synchronized with live or taped televised events is described herein. There are multiple situations that are dealt with regarding latencies in receiving a television signal with respect to real-time entertainment based on the unfolding games played along with the telecasts. Systemic delays, arbitrarily imposed delays of a broadcast signal and variances in the precise broadcast times of taped television programs have to be equalized so as to provide fair entertainment.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for a window-metric rule for return path data (RPD). In some examples, a media monitor includes a count calculator to determine a first count of a number of devices in a first household that reported RPD for a first day. The example media monitor also includes an RPD selector to compare the first count to a current window-metric, the current window-metric associated with a window of time for the first household, the window of time associated with a content provider and having N number of days. The example RPD selector the RPD from the first household for the first day when the first count does not satisfy the current window-metric. The example media monitor also includes a report generator to generate a media exposure report using the RPD from the first household for the first day when the first count satisfies the current window-metric, independent of if the first household has heartbeat data available.

In a method for identifying a user in a network of broadcast communication receivers, a physical characteristic of a user is analyzed in association with the user accessing a first of the receivers. First biometric information based on the characteristic as analyzed in association with the user accessing the first receiver is generated. Data associated with use of the first receiver by the user is also generated and associated with the first biometric information. The physical characteristic of the user is then analyzed in association with the user accessing a second receiver. Second biometric information based on the physical characteristic as analyzed in association with the user accessing the second receiver is generated. The first and second biometric information are then compared. If the first and second biometric information indicate the physical characteristic of the same user, the data is employed in conjunction with the user accessing the second receiver.