Methods for recognizing thumbnails may include operations of receiving an identification of a thumbnail source for content, receiving the thumbnail, computing a hash value for the thumbnail, and associating the hash value with the thumbnail. Operations for content characterization may include launching an image analysis application, selecting a top level category to apply to a thumbnail, providing the thumbnail to the image analysis application, applying the selected top level category to the thumbnail to determine if the thumbnail satisfies the top level category, if satisfied, associating the top level category with the thumbnail, and repeating the one or more of the above operations with respect to a second category. Operations may include receiving an identification of a node to receive a thumbnail, obtaining a node selected category, receiving a proposed thumbnail to provide to the node, and determining if the proposed thumbnail has been previously recognized and categorized.

Methods and apparatus to determine user presence are disclosed. A disclosed example monitoring device to determine of a presence of a user in a metering environment includes a mount to couple the monitoring device to a wearable device to be worn by the user, the wearable device to receive content from a content device, a sensor to detect motion of the user, and a transmitter to transmit motion data pertaining to the detected motion of the user for the determination of the presence of the user.

Updating object subscriptions based on trigger events is described. An indication of a trigger event, associated with an object, can be received from a client of a user. The object can be associated with current object data that is stored in a storage area of a subscription management system. The storage area can maintain the current object data for at least the object and a subscription list for client(s), wherein the subscription list for each of the client(s) comprises object identifiers corresponding to subscribed objects for each of the client(s). Based at least partly on receiving the indication of the trigger event and determining that the trigger event is associated with a modification to a subscription, the subscription list can be updated to generate an updated subscription list for the client and current object data for the subscribed objects identified within the updated subscription list can be provided thereto.

Children are spending an enormous amount of time on computer screens without receiving any educational benefit for doing so. The present invention advantageously Automatically Converts children's entertainment screen time into learning screen time. This is referred to as Auto-Conversion of Entertainment Screen Time into Learning Time. A novel Continuous Engagement Method During Learning keeps the learner engaged in academic functioning (where engagement would otherwise be continuously declining). The present invention solves a critical problem for special learners (e.g., those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or memory impairment) who have a high affinity for screen time and cannot access traditional reading instruction. An Artificial Intelligence (AI) architecture is used to customize the type of instruction the learner receives based upon academic progress and to customize delivery of the instruction itself by closely monitoring the learner's emotional mood state and sustained attention.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for a window-metric rule for return path data (RPD). In some examples, a media monitor includes a count calculator to determine a first count of a number of devices in a first household that reported RPD for a first day. The example media monitor also includes an RPD selector to compare the first count to a current window-metric, the current window-metric associated with a window of time for the first household, the window of time associated with a content provider and having N number of days. The example RPD selector the RPD from the first household for the first day when the first count does not satisfy the current window-metric. The example media monitor also includes a report generator to generate a media exposure report using the RPD from the first household for the first day when the first count satisfies the current window-metric, independent of if the first household has heartbeat data available.

An information processing apparatus that can communicate with plural content viewing apparatuses includes a group registering unit that registers users of the content viewing apparatuses in groups, a sharing-level setting unit that sets sharing level information representing an information sharing level among users belonging to an identical group, a viewing-information receiving unit that receives viewing information of the users, a user-viewing-content managing unit that manages a user viewing content database, a discriminating unit that discriminates, when a viewing information request of another user is received, the other users belonging to a group identical with a group to which the user of the content viewing apparatus at the request source belongs, an information extracting unit that extracts viewing information of the discriminated other users from the user viewing content database, and a viewing-information transmitting unit that transmits the viewing information to the content viewing apparatus at the request source.

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a size of a buffer based on a probability that a rewind request will be received during a currently playing segment of media. When the system determines that receiving a rewind request is likely, the system will increase the size of a buffer such that the rewind request can be accommodated using data from the buffer. When the system determines that receiving a rewind request is unlikely, the system will decrease the size of the buffer to free resources for other system components.

In a set-top-box system, messages from a service provider are stored and delayed until activity from a set-top-box remote is detected. Messages are then generated and provided to a television associated with the set-top-box. Delaying of the message display until set-top-box activity is detected allows short display times, thus preventing burn-in on some television screens, while providing a greater likelihood that messages will be viewed.

A method for controlling a television device, is implemented using a processor and includes: detecting user operation associated with a control interface for controlling operations of the television device; when it is determined that the television device is powered on, and that the television device has been in an idle state and no user operation has been detected for a predetermined amount of time, controlling the television device to playa selected advertisement; and when user operation is detected, controlling the television device to resume to a state prior to the playing of the selected advertisement.

According to some aspects, methods and systems may include determining that events associated with requests or accessing content items have occurred. The methods and systems may also include authorizing transmission of the content items to the requesting devices based on credential information associated with the requests, and determining a viewership quantity metric associated with the requests.