The present invention relates to methods and systems for broadcasting/multicasting of media content over a communication network using shared bandwidth available from peer-to-peer networking. The system may include one or more servers for delivering media content over the network for one or more media content programs. The media content comprises data packets. The one or more servers may provide IP multicasting information and tracking information for the data packets to all receiving devices requesting the media content. Any receiving devices that request the media content and that one of: (a) fail to subscribe to the IP multicasting channel; or (b) fail to receive all of the data packets for the media content over the IP multicasting channel, may use the tracking information to identify other of the receiving devices that have received the data packets and to request the data packets from at least one of the identified receiving devices.

Disclosed are methods and systems involving location-based disambiguation of media channel identification, in a scenario where a fingerprint of media content being rendered by a media presentation device matches multiple reference fingerprints corresponding respectively with multiple different media channels. Upon detecting such a multi-match situation, a server or other entity will use a location of the media presentation device as a basis to disambiguate between the matching reference fingerprints and thus to determine the channel on which the media content being rendered by the media presentation device is arriving.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to identify media sources are disclosed. Example apparatus disclosed herein include an exclusivity determiner, a unique asset identifier, and a signature matcher. The exclusivity determiner is to determine whether media is exclusive to a provider. The unique asset identifier is to associate a first signature of the media with the provider if the media is exclusive to the provider. The signature matcher is to identify the provider based on a second signature, the second signature matching the first signature, the second signature extracted from media presented at a media presentation location.

A system and method for tagging of data/content for display on a display screen is provided, The system comprising World Wide Web connected to a central server through connecting means, smart IBs capable of sending and receiving data/content, a display media device having interactive means in a short-range wireless network, administrators system to schedule data/content. A plurality of administrators systems configured to schedule the data /content, and wherein the scheduled data/content is fed from a plurality of sources, including an internet, the central server and a broadcast data and wherein the scheduled data/content is pulled from the internet or the central server based on a plurality of parameters, and pushed through the display media placed at a location group, and wherein the plurality of remotely located display media are provided with a plurality of mutually different contents.

Methods and apparatus for video matching service to offline counterpart are disclosed. An example method includes accessing an address for an online media asset, accessing metadata associated with the online media asset, wherein the metadata includes an asset attribute, determining whether the asset attribute identifies at least one of a cast member or crew member, and matching the online media asset to an offline media asset by prioritizing offline media assets having a matching asset attribute, the offline media asset including at least one of audio or video.

Systems and methods are presented for reducing network traffic when retrieving media guidance data. For example, a media guidance application receives a first user selection to display a group of media asset identifiers (e.g., video-on-demand listings) and retrieves detailed information from a remote server relating to the media asset identifiers to display to a user. The media guidance application then may receive a user selection to display a second group of media asset identifiers (e.g., purchased media assets). If any of the media asset identifiers are common to both groups, then the media guidance application already obtained the detailed information and the detailed information does not need to be retransmitted in order to be displayed. Thus, the media guidance application only retrieves detailed information for media asset identifiers unique to the second group of media asset identifiers (e.g., they are only on the purchased media asset list).

An approach is provided for streaming map data based on data types. For example, the approach involves receiving a request to initiate a streaming of a mapping database to a client device. The mapping database includes at least one original data block including data records corresponding to tiles. The approach also involves processing the data records to generate data bundle entries for an after-processing bundle block. Each of the data bundle entries corresponds to a subset of the tiles, and the after-processing bundle block includes a bundle file and a bundle index file. The approach further involves selecting one of the data bundle entries based on a tile of interest in the request. The approach further involves generating a mapping data stream based on the selected data bundle entry. The approach further involves initiating the streaming of the content data in response to the request.

A device is configured to perform a method that detects a trigger marker for an action corresponding to a segment of a multimedia signal. A fingerprint is generated based on the segment of the multimedia signal at a trigger time point. The generated fingerprint is stored in a database and communicated to the device. During playback of the multimedia signal, fingerprints of segments of the multimedia signal are generated and matched against fingerprints in the database. When a match is found, one or more associated actions for the segment are retrieved by the device. The trigger time point may be determined as a time point near or at the segment of the multimedia signal with the matched fingerprint. In this way, trigger markers for actions may be enabled without modifying the multimedia signal.

Methods and systems for managing data are disclosed. One method can comprise storing first data locally relative to a user device and storing second data remotely relative to the user device. The first data and the second data can relate to the same content. The method can also comprise generating a manifest comprising location information relating to the first data and the second data and receiving a request for transmission of one or more of the first data and the second data based upon the manifest.

An electronic device according to the present invention includes at least one memory and at least one processor which function as: a recording control unit configured to perform control to start recording content including at least one of a moving image and sound in response to an operation of a first operating member or a second operating member; and a control unit configured to perform control to: record the content as content of a new group that differs from a group of content recorded immediately prior thereto in a case where recording of the content is started in response to receipt of an operation of the first operating member; and record the content as content of the same group as the content recorded immediately prior thereto in a case where recording of the content is started in response to receipt of an operation of the second operating member.