Advertisements in broadcast television programming are digitally replaced with different ads prior to viewing. Replacement can occur in time and/or place shifted content, and can be used to promote a particular advertisement that the viewer has not yet seen, thereby improving the reach of the ad without oversaturation. Data reporting by the playback devices is collected in a database of viewed ads. The information in the database can be used to refresh previously-viewed ads, to increase saturation of particular ads, to replace previously-broadcast but no longer relevant ads, or for other purposes as desired.

A system and method provide for installation and setup of a set-top box (STB) in a Digital TV network includes a mobile device running a mobile application, an operator application, and a display configured to display video from the STB. A status of the STB is determined and encoded into an optically scannable graphic displayed by the display. The optically scannable graphic is scanned with an optical device in communication with the mobile device and the status of the STB is decoded. The status of the STB is transmitted to the operator application compared with an acceptance criteria.

An adaptive interface for a programmable system, for predicting a desired user function, based on user history, as well as machine internal status and context. The apparatus receives an input from the user and other data. A predicted input is presented for confirmation by the user, and the predictive mechanism is updated based on this feedback. Also provided is a pattern recognition system for a multimedia device, wherein a user input is matched to a video stream on a conceptual basis, allowing inexact programming of a multimedia device. The system analyzes a data stream for correspondence with a data pattern for processing and storage. The data stream is subjected to adaptive pattern recognition to extract features of interest to provide a highly compressed representation which may be efficiently processed to determine correspondence. Applications of the interface and system include a VCR, medical device, vehicle control system, audio device, environmental control system, securities trading terminal, and smart house. The system optionally includes an actuator for effecting the environment of operation, allowing closed-loop feedback operation and automated learning.

An embodiment for recording a channel that is communicating a program of interest identifies a selected program for recording as a program of interest based upon a characteristic of the selected program, the characteristic of the selected program corresponding to at least one characteristic associated with the program of interest; records an advance period corresponding to a period before a beginning of the program of interest, and records a following period corresponding to a period after a conclusion of the program of interest.

A user terminal apparatus is provided. The user terminal apparatus for performing a remote control function for an electronic apparatus includes a communication unit configured to communicate with an electronic apparatus for providing a text input user interface (UI), an input unit configured to receive a user command for input of a specific text on the text input UI, a fingerprint scanner provided in the input unit and configured to recognize a user fingerprint, and a controller configured to recognize a user fingerprint according to the user command and to transmit information corresponding to the recognized user fingerprint to the electronic apparatus in response to the electronic apparatus entering a preset text input mode.

An example to predict demographics for impressions includes a prediction manager to: determine that first demographic data corresponding to a first database proprietor subscriber does not match second demographic data corresponding to a media delivery device, both the first and second demographic data corresponding to an impression; obtain third demographic data corresponding to an Internet protocol address, the third demographic data obtained from a second database proprietor; and generate matched demographic data based on comparing the third demographic data to the first demographic data; and a modeler to generate a prediction model based on the matched demographic data, the prediction model to predict fourth demographic data for the impression.

Methods and systems are described herein for providing streamlined access to media assets of interest to a user. The method includes determining that a supplemental viewing device, through which a user views a field of view, is directed at a first field of view. The method further involves detecting that the supplemental viewing device is now directed at a second field of view, and determining that a media consumption device is within the second field of view. A first media asset of interest to the user that is available for consumption via the media consumption device is identified, and the supplemental viewing device generates a visual indication in the second field of view. The visual indication indicates that the first media asset is available for consumption via the media consumption device, and the visual indication tracks a location of the media consumption device in the second field of view.

A method for distributing video content across a network, the method comprising: providing video data to a primary data source, associating control data with the video data, broadcasting the video data with associated control data from the primary data source to one or more user devices across the network, providing a media player on the respective user devices which is operable in response to reading the control data to create auxiliary data locally on the respective user devices while the media player is playing the video data, creating the auxiliary data locally on the respective user devices while the media player is playing the video data locally on the respective user devices. The control data defines one or more elements of the auxiliary data to be created by the media player including the elements of the auxiliary data which are to be retrieved from the primary data source and one or more secondary data sources.

The present disclosure relates to reducing or preventing ad fatigue in a user by determining the preference of a user to an ad, in particular user preference for parameters such as video track, audio track, dialogue or tone. The disclosure also relates to the provision of a timer that prevents an ad being shown repeatedly within a predetermined time frame.

A system includes one or more sensors to detect one or more properties for a current user wearing a head-mountable display (HMD), control circuitry to select a user profile from a plurality of stored user profiles in dependence upon one or more of the detected properties, where each stored user profile is associated with a respective user and includes data indicative of one or more reference properties for the respective user, where the selected user profile includes data indicative of at least one reference property that is substantially the same as at least one of the one or more of the detected properties, and processing circuitry to generate at least one of audio and video content for output by the HMD in dependence upon the selected user profile and in response to the selection of the user profile.