A distributed database management system provides a central database resident on a server that contains database objects. Objects, e.g., program guide data, to be replicated are gathered together into distribution packages called slices, that are transmitted to client devices. A slice is a subset of the central database which is relevant to clients within a specific domain, such as a geographic region, or under the footprint of a satellite transmitter. The viewer selects television programs and Web content from displayed sections of the program guide data which are recorded to a storage device. The program guide data are used to determine when to start and end recordings. Client devices periodically connect to the server using a phone line and upload information of interest which is combined with information uploaded from other client devices for statistical, operational, or viewing models.

A media playback system for presenting to a user a composition of a plurality of media streams. It has a media selection component configured to receive a scenario dataset, to receive user input for selecting viewing times defining segments of media and composition selections, and to output a list of segments of media from the scenario dataset that are authorized to be viewed by the user. The system has a playback control component configured to retrieve from media storage at least the segments of media from the output list of segments, to decode the segments of media, and to compile composition instructions. The system has a media playback component configured to receive the rendered media and the composition instructions.

A system and methods for permitting open access to data objects and for securing data within the data objects is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for securing a data object is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for securing a data object is disclosed. The method includes the steps of (1) providing a data object comprising digital data and file format information; (2) embedding independent data into a data object; and (3) scrambling the data object to degrade the data object to a predetermined signal quality level. The steps of embedding and scrambling may be performed until a predetermined condition is met. The method may also include the steps of descrambling the data object to upgrade the data object to a predetermined signal quality level, and decoding the embedded independent data.

In one embodiment, a system includes a Headend apparatus including a watermark processor to generate secondary video streams from sections of a primary video stream, group the secondary video streams in groups of at least two secondary video streams, the secondary video streams including units of data for use in watermarking across cryptoperiods in an end-user device which selects one secondary video stream in each group for rendering as part of a composited video stream in order to embed units of data of an identification in the composited video stream, wherein in each cryptoperiod, the watermark processor is operative to generate different groups of the secondary video streams from different non-overlapping portions of the primary video stream, and an encryption processor to generate control words, encrypt each secondary video stream with a different control word, and change the control word of each secondary video stream every cryptoperiod.

Methods and apparatus for control of data and content protection mechanisms across a network using a download delivery paradigm. In one embodiment, conditional access (CA), digital rights management (DRM), and trusted domain (TD) security policies are delivered, configured and enforced with respect to consumer premises equipment (CPE) within a cable television network. A trusted domain is established within the user's premises within which content access, distribution, and reproduction can be controlled remotely by the network operator. The content may be distributed to secure or non-secure output domains consistent with the security policies enforced by secure CA, DRM, and TD clients running within the trusted domain. Legacy and retail CPE models are also supported. A network security architecture comprising an authentication proxy (AP), provisioning system (MPS), and conditional access system (CAS) is also disclosed, which can interface with a trusted authority (TA) for cryptographic element management and CPE/user device authentication.

In some aspects, a method includes executing a streaming application configured to stream a media content item on a display of a television device, and receiving, from the streaming application, a request to generate a token. The method includes, in response to the request, obtaining a user identifier of a user account of a media platform, obtaining a plurality of signals used to select promoted content for the user account, generating the token to include the user identifier and the plurality of signals, and encrypting the token to generate an encrypted token. The encrypted token is configured to be included in a fetch request to retrieve a promoted content item, personalized to the user account, from a promoted content server associated with the media platform. The promoted content item is configured to be inserted into playback of the media content item by the streaming application.

An example apparatus disclosed herein includes at least one memory, instructions, and at least one processor to execute the instructions to: receive first HyperLogLog (HLL) data from a first server of a first database proprietor and second HyperLogLog (HLL) data from a second server of a second database proprietor, the first HLL data including obfuscated first user impression data and the second HLL data including obfuscated second user impression data; generate union HLL data based on the first HLL data from the first database proprietor and the second HLL data from the second database proprietor by performing a union of data sets of the obfuscated first user impression data represented in the first HLL data and the obfuscated second user impression data represented in the second HLL data; and determine a total number of deduplicated unique audience members based on the union HLL data generated by the vector analyzer.

Methods and apparatus to collect distributed user information for media impressions and search terms are disclosed. An example method includes accessing, from a media device, a first identifier and a search term at a first server, the first identifier corresponding to at least one of the media device or a user of the media device, the search term associated with a search request, generating a second identifier based on the first identifier, sending the second identifier and the search term from the first server to a data collection server to facilitate the data collection server to logging the search request, and receiving user information associated with the search request from a database proprietor based on the second identifier.

A method and system for datacasting and content management. Such a system may have, as its core, a dashboard system for managing data feeds. A dashboard system may receive data feeds from one or more associated devices, such as the hardware devices of first responders or other public safety officers, and may aggregate and prioritize them. The dashboard system may then manage, prioritize and encrypt the video, files and other data in preparation for broadcast over the television or satellite transmitter, via, for example, a television broadcasting station, and may then broadcast the video, files, or other data to a plurality of users. Alerts and notifications may be created, files attached and links to video streams distributed over this same broadcast network. The broadcasting system may be able to send multiple streams of content simultaneously, may be able to target specific users to be broadcast to, and may be able to incorporate data from public data sources, such as public security cameras.

An example apparatus to collect distributed user information for media impressions and search terms includes means for collecting first and second identifiers based on use of an application that does not employ cookies, the first identifier identifying at least one of a device or a user of the device to a first database proprietor that stores first user information associated with the first identifier, and the second identifier identifying the at least one of the device or the user of the device to a second database proprietor that stores second user information associated with the second identifier, and means for sending identifiers to: send the first identifier to a first server associated with the first database proprietor, send the second identifier to a second server associated with the second database proprietor, and send to a data collection server at least one of a media identifier indicative of media accessed via the application at the device or a search term used via the application at the device.