Digital content distribution system and method
Granted: April 30, 2013
Patent Number:
8433814
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for selecting a content distribution network (CDN) comprising at least one content server, from a plurality of CDNs, and a playing digital content file from the CDN on a content player. Selecting the CDN is based on a rank order of CDNs, an assigned weight value for each CDN, and a bandwidth measured between the content player and each CDN. Advantageously, a given content player may select a CDN based on prevailing network…
Dynamic randomized controlled testing with consumer electronics devices
Granted: April 9, 2013
Patent Number:
8417476
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for performing dynamic randomized controlled testing to evaluate design choices for a consumer electronics (CE) device. A plurality of CE devices may communicate with a server system over a data communications network to be assigned a variant of the design choice. The variant may correspond to a variant of a user interface component of the CE device or a functional component of the CE device. Once assigned, feedback may be…
Parallel streaming
Granted: February 26, 2013
Patent Number:
8386621
Embodiments of the present invention set forth techniques for a content player to stream a media file using multiple network connections. To stream the media file, the content player downloads metadata associated with a requested media file, establishes a network connection with multiple content servers (or multiple network connections with a single content server or both) and begins requesting portions of the media file. In response, the requested portions are transmitted to the content…
Trick play of streaming media
Granted: January 29, 2013
Patent Number:
8365235
A data processing system, comprising a network interface configured to couple to a data network; one or more processors coupled to the network interface; memory coupled to the one or more processors; a video interface coupled to the one or more processors and configured to output video data to a video display device; logic encoded in one or more computer-readable media wherein execution by the one or more processors causes receiving and storing in the memory a plurality of still images…
Encoding video streams for adaptive video streaming
Granted: January 15, 2013
Patent Number:
8355433
One embodiment of the invention sets forth an encoding server including components configured to encode a video stream associated with a content title for adaptive streaming. The video stream is first processed by a VC1 encoder to generate an encoded video stream comprising a multiple GOPs, each GOP including a key frame and having a different playback offset. The encoded video stream is then packaged such that the GOPs are stored in data packets of the packaged encoded stream. An SHI…
Data synchronization between a data center environment and a cloud computing environment
Granted: November 20, 2012
Patent Number:
8315977
Methods, systems, and articles for simultaneously maintaining copies of data in a data center and a cloud computing environment providing network based services. Synchronizing applications monitor modifications to data records made in the data center and the cloud computing environment. The synchronizing applications are also configured to convert modified records from the data center into a format compatible with databases in the cloud computing environment prior to updating the…
Approach for estimating user ratings of items
Granted: September 18, 2012
Patent Number:
8271338
According to an embodiment of the invention, an approach is provided for estimating how a particular user would rate a particular item from a plurality of items. The approach is applicable to any type of items, including rental items such as movies, music and games, and the invention is not limited to any particular type of item. One or more items from the plurality of items that have ratings similar to the particular item are identified. One or more other users are identified that have…
Activating streaming video in a blu-ray disc player
Granted: July 31, 2012
Patent Number:
8234715
Techniques are described herein for using cryptographic elements of the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) in a client-server environment to cryptographically authenticate client applications that are executing on non-revoked AACS-compliant playback devices. The techniques described herein may be used to protect a server application from providing information to client applications executing in non-AACS-compliant or revoked environments. In one embodiment, the techniques are used to…
Automated mailer envelope addressing
Granted: April 10, 2012
Patent Number:
8155976
An envelope for conveying an item from a sender to a recipient and back with a window and unique identifying indicia. The envelope comprises a base panel with a window, a sender address panel, and a recipient address panel. The sender address panel is affixed to the base panel by an adhesive region, which defines a pocket sized to accept an item. The adhesive region extends laterally on the base panel to ensure that a postal cancellation is not applied to an area overlying the item. The…
Method of sharing an item rental account
Granted: June 7, 2011
Patent Number:
7958529
An account in an item rental service is shared with others using computer-implemented profiles, subject to computer-enforced constraints. In one embodiment, a method provides for establishing a user account, wherein the user account is associated with an account owner, wherein the user account comprises a first ordered queue indicating two or more items that the account owner desires to rent; receiving a request to add a second ordered queue to the user account, profile member…
Processing returned rental items
Granted: December 7, 2010
Patent Number:
7848968
In an embodiment, a method of processing returned rental inventory items comprises receiving, at a rental item provider and from a set of first customers of the rental item provider, a set of returned rental items that the first customers have returned to the rental item provider after renting the items; predicting a subset of the returned rental items that the rental item provider will need to provide in the future to a set of second customers; creating and storing a record in a…
Method of sharing an item rental account
Granted: December 8, 2009
Patent Number:
7631323
An account in an item rental service is shared with others using computer-implemented profiles, subject to computer-enforced constraints. In one embodiment, a method provides for establishing a user account, wherein the user account is associated with an account owner, wherein the user account comprises a first ordered queue indicating two or more items that the account owner desires to rent; receiving a request to add a second ordered queue to the user account, profile member…
Approach for estimating user ratings of items
Granted: November 10, 2009
Patent Number:
7617127
According to another embodiment of the invention, an approach is provided for estimating how a particular user would rate a particular item from a plurality of items. The approach is applicable to any type of items, including rental items such as movies, music and games, and the invention is not limited to any particular type of item. One or more items from the plurality of items that have ratings similar to the particular item are identified. Then, one or more other users are identified…
Mailer envelope with inventory control window
Granted: August 4, 2009
Patent Number:
7568613
An envelope for conveying an item from a sender to a recipient and back with a window and unique identifying indicia. The envelope comprises a base panel with a window, a sender address panel, and a recipient address panel. The sender address panel is affixed to the base panel by an adhesive region, which defines a pocket sized to accept an item. The adhesive region extends laterally on the base panel to ensure that a postal cancellation is not applied to an area overlying the item. The…
Approach for managing rental items across a plurality of distribution locations
Granted: June 9, 2009
Patent Number:
7546252
An “inventory free” approach for managing rental items across a plurality of distribution locations includes sending at least some rental items that are not needed by two or more distribution locations to a designated distribution location. Rental items sent to the designated distribution location may be permanently stored at the designated distribution location, returned to the distribution location from which they were sent, or sent to other distribution locations, depending upon…
Mailing and response envelope and method of making the same
Granted: July 22, 2008
Patent Number:
7401727
A mailing and response envelope for conveying an item from a sender to a recipient and back is disclosed. The envelope comprises a base panel, a sender address panel, and a recipient address panel. The sender address panel is affixed to the base panel by an adhesive region. The sender address panel and adhesive region define a pocket sized to accept an item. The adhesive region extends laterally on the base panel in an amount selected to ensure that a postal cancellation is not applied…
Approach for estimating user ratings of items
Granted: July 22, 2008
Patent Number:
7403910
According to another embodiment of the invention, an approach is provided for estimating how a user would rate an item that the user has not yet rated. The approach is applicable to any type of items, including rental items such as movies and games, and the invention is not limited to any particular type of item. The approach is applicable to a wide variety of contexts and is ideally suited for automatically selecting rental items to be recommended for rental. One or more items that have…
Approach for renting items to customers
Granted: April 4, 2006
Patent Number:
7024381
According to a computer-implemented approach for renting items to customers, customers specify what items to rent using item selection criteria separate from deciding when to receive the specified items. According to the approach, customers provide item selection criteria to a provider provides the items indicated by the item selection criteria to customer over a delivery channel. The provider may be either centralized or distributed depending upon the requirements of a particular…
Mailing and response envelope
Granted: November 22, 2005
Patent Number:
6966484
A mailing and response envelope for conveying an item from a sender to a recipient and back is disclosed. The envelope comprises a base panel, a sender address panel, and a recipient address panel. The sender address panel is affixed to the base panel by an adhesive region. The sender address panel and adhesive region define a pocket sized to accept an item. The adhesive region extends laterally on the base panel in an amount selected to ensure that a postal cancellation is not applied…
Method and apparatus for renting items
Granted: June 24, 2003
Patent Number:
6584450
According to a computer-implemented approach for renting items to customers, customers specify what items to rent using item selection criteria separate from deciding when to receive the specified items. According to the approach, customers provide item selection criteria to a provider provides the items indicated by the item selection criteria to customer over a delivery channel. The provider may be either centralized or distributed depending upon the requirements of a particular…
