A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform operations, for example, including determining a first correlation value between a behavior of a first audience member and a subject matter being presented at a display processor, wherein the subject matter being presented at the display is observable by the first audience member. A second correlation value is determined between the behavior of the first audience member and a characteristic of an environment in a vicinity of the display and the first audience member. Responsive to the second correlation value exceeding the first correlation value, a determination is made as to whether a present channel selection resulting from user input initiated by the first audience member is responsive to the characteristic of the environment influencing the audience member more than the subject matter being presented at the display. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Method for automatically switching television channels or other content sources. The method may be used with any electronic media to facilitate switching between channels or other content sources based on events or other occurrences in non-viewed channels, such as but not limited to switching channels based on sporting event occurrences (goals, ending of game, etc.), news event occurrence (breaking news, health tips, etc.), and other any number of other identifiable events.

A method and an apparatus for updating a gateway resource, and an Internet of Things (IoT) control platform, which belong to the field of IoT. The method is applicable to the IoT control platform connected to each gateway device, and the gateway device is connected to an IoT device. The method includes: acquiring a model change message including a change model identifier of a changed model, wherein different IoT devices correspond to different models, and each model contains measuring point information of a measuring point in the IoT device; determining an associated template based on the change model identifier and updating the associated template, the associated template containing a corresponding relationship between the measuring point information and a measuring point identifier in the changed model, and the measuring point identifier being applicable to a measuring point data message sent by the IoT device; determining a target gateway device that uses the associated template; and issuing a gateway resource update package to the target gateway device, the target gateway device being configured to update the gateway resource based on the gateway resource update package.

A content distribution network includes a first server in communication with an anycast server that provides content via a unicast signal, and with a multicast server that provides the content via a multicast signal. The first server is configured to receive a list of source addresses associated with the content, and to provide a metadata file including an anycast Internet protocol address of the anycast server from the list of source addresses as an Internet protocol address of the content in response to a first request for the content. When the number of client devices requesting the content exceeds a first threshold, the first server receives an updated list of sources including a multicast Internet protocol address of a multicast server, and provides the multicast Internet protocol address of the multicast server as the Internet protocol address of the content in the metadata file.

Video content is uploaded via the Internet to a video-on-demand (VOD) server identified by a title and a hierarchical address of categories and subcategories for categorizing the title. The VOD server converts and stores the video content at a storage address in a video content database linked to the title. The title is listed in a location of an electronic program guide (EPG) using the same categories and subcategories as in its hierarchical address. Any TV subscriber can access the EPG and navigate through its categories and subcategories to find a title for viewing on the TV. This can enable many new blogging or podcasting-like programs by popular “Hosts” to be self-published on the Internet and readily navigated for display on TV. The EPG can also store TV program addresses as bookmarks and allow them to be shared with other subscribers or with friends and contacts online by sending to their email addresses.

A method of acquiring and accumulating data from a server via a network is provided. A request is transmitted for a plurality of items of data and includes at least one ingestion marker associated with the data. The at least one ingestion marker represents a last occurrence of when a change was made to the data. Data is received with a transfer protocol in response to the request. The data has at least one associated ingestion marker different than the at least one associated ingestion marker transmitted with the request. The received data and the at least one associated ingestion marker is stored in memory. The request is transmitted and the data is received and stored electronically by an electronic client device communicating with the server over the network. A system of acquiring and accumulating Electronic Program Guide (EPG) data from a web-server over a network is also disclosed.

Various arrangements for facilitating smart television content receivers in a local network are provided. In an example, a secondary television receiver receives audio data, converts the audio data into voice command data, and transmits the voice command data to a primary television receiver. In response, the primary television receiver transmits the voice command data to a voice processing server via the Internet, receives a command generated based on the voice command data, and transmits the command to the secondary television receiver. Based on the command, an operation of the secondary television receiver is controlled.

A system and method for enabling set up of a controlling device capable of controlling a plurality of appliances, via an interactive instruction set and associated programming. The programming is accessible by a STB or other controllable appliance and is configured to appropriately display interactive instructions and prompts to a user during a user initiated set up procedure for configuration of another controllable device (e.g., DVD, VCR, DVR, etc) available to the user.

Video content is uploaded via the Internet to a video-on-demand (VOD) server identified by a title and a hierarchical address of categories and subcategories for categorizing the title. The VOD server converts and stores the video content at a storage address in a video content database linked to the title. The title is listed in a location of an electronic program guide (EPG) using the same categories and subcategories as in its hierarchical address. Any TV subscriber can access the EPG and navigate through its categories and subcategories to find a title for viewing on the TV. This can enable many new blogging or podcasting-like programs by popular “Hosts” to be self-published on the Internet and readily navigated for display on TV. The EPG can also store TV program addresses as bookmarks and allow them to be shared with other subscribers or with friends and contacts online by sending to their email addresses.

A distribution system and reception apparatus, and methods thereof, are provided for broadcasting and receiving a plurality of first services from a plurality of different broadcast providers, which broadcast a plurality of second services over a plurality of different broadcast channels, on a transition broadcast channel that is different from the plurality of different broadcast channels. The system includes at least one receiver and a transmitter. The at least one receiver is configured to receive the plurality of first services from the plurality of different broadcast providers. The transmitter is configured to broadcast the plurality of first services over the transition broadcast channel.