Systems and methods are provided herein for determining types of references within a content item and mapping them to particular applications. A content management application identifies an entity and a context of the entity at a location within the content item. The content management application may identify the entity and the context of the entity in real time as a first user device processes the content item, or the content management application may identify and store the entity and the context of the entity in a database before providing the content item. After determining a presence of a second user device associated with a profile, the content management application determines at least one application associated with the entity and the context of the entity on the second user device and launches the application to create an immersive content consumption experience.

A set-top box with enhanced content and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a wireless transceiver is located within a housing, which also interconnectively includes a television input, television output, a processor, and memory. The set-top box may establish a pairing with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device having a display. Content, such music, for example, may be imported from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and provided to the television. While the music is playing, the set-top box may generate and provide to the television a control signal that includes instructions to adjust the brightness of the television by dimming the television.

A hospitality property management tool and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the system, the system includes a set-top box located in a room at a hospitality establishment having multiple rooms. The set-top box stores various types of set-top box data and transmits the set-top box data to a remote server. The remote server receives and stores the set-top box data. The server may render a map view of the hospitality establishment based on obtained map data. The map view may include a graphical representation of the room and other rooms at the hospitality establishment. The server may annotate the graphical representation of the room with at least a portion of the set-top box data.

Disclosed is an electronic apparatus. The electronic apparatus includes a first communicator, a second communicator; and a processor configured to determine whether or not an external electronic apparatus outputting input speech is connectable to a network connectable through the first communicator, based on the input speech, and to transmit a signal for controlling the external electronic apparatus to the external electronic apparatus through the first communicator or the second communicator depending on whether or not the external electronic apparatus is connectable to the network.

In one aspect of the disclosure, a method that involves keeping state of a video workout program may include communicatively coupling a server in a cloud network to an exercise machine through a first network connection, communicatively coupling the server to a network device through a second network connection, the server providing a video workout program to the exercise machine for execution at the exercise machine to enable a user to perform at least a portion of a workout of the video workout program on the exercise machine, the server keeping state of the video workout program during execution of the video workout program based on inputs from the exercise machine and the network device, and taking an action based on the state. The action may include synchronizing multiple displays, adaptively scaling the video workout program, and/or generating and providing an exercise machine control command to the exercise machine.

In one embodiment, a method of generating an electronic program guide for a user of an entertainment system is disclosed. The method includes retrieving, by a user computer in communication with the entertainment system, preference criteria corresponding to one or more user preferences describing payment requirements. The user computer receives a plurality of content listings, each content listing comprising a content title, an indication of a content source, and a payment requirement, and a search query including a content title. The user computer also identifies a subset of the plurality of content listings based on content title and the search query, and ranks each content listing in the subset based on a comparison of the preference criteria and the payment requirement of each content listing in the subset. A content entry in the electronic program guide is created comprising each content listing in the subset in ranked order.

An electronic device, computer program product, and method manage presenting and pausing of media content in response to locally detected visual and aural interruptions. The electronic device is configured to determine, using one or more sensors from among: (i) an image capturing device positioned to have a field of view of a monitored area and (ii) a microphone positioned to detect sounds in or near the monitored area. A consumer is in the monitored area during presenting of media content by a media output device. The electronic device is configured to monitor the one or more sensors to determine whether an interruption is occurring that can degrade consumer experience relative to the presenting of the media content. In response to determining that the interruption is occurring, the electronic device is configured to pause the presenting of the media content on the media output device.

A method of displaying media content on a display screen of a communication device. The method includes receiving an indication of a state transition of a first Activity of an application program being executed on a processor of the communication device. The processor, in response to the indication, executes program code in order to monitor a memory state of the operating system so as to determine a user interface state associated with the first Activity. The processor further determines whether the first Activity is finishing based at least in part on the user interface state. Upon determining the first Activity is finishing, the processor causes the media content to be displayed upon further determining that a predetermined condition associated with the communication device exists.

Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture (i.e., physical storage media) to perform media source detection based on frequency band selection and processing are disclosed. Example meters disclosed herein are to compare a first audio signal from a monitored media device with a second audio signal from a first one of a plurality of media sources in communication with the monitored media device to determine a sequence of match results, the first audio signal associated with media presented by the media device. Disclosed example meters are also to compute a standard deviation of time delays associated with respective ones of the match results. Disclosed example meters are further to determine whether the first one of the media sources is a source of the media presented by the monitored media device based on the standard deviation.

In one aspect, a method includes receiving video content comprising a first data portion comprising parameters that control a visual appearance of frames of video content presented by a content-presentation device. The content-presentation device is communicatively coupled to a light unit that is (i) present in a viewing area of the content-presentation device and (ii) configured to provide ambient light in the viewing area. The method also includes extracting, from the received video content, a second data portion, separate from the first data portion, specifying one or more light control parameters that a controller associated with the light unit is configured to interpret as instructions for controlling the light unit. The method also includes transmitting the extracted second data portion to the controller to facilitate the controller controlling the light unit according to the specified one or more light control parameters.