Patents by Inventor David S. Bill

David S. Bill has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20140019553
    Abstract: A first content selection stored on a portable media device is associated with a first tag. In addition, a second tag that is associated with a second content selection and that indicates that supplemental content related to the second content selection is stored on a peer device is accessed from a peer device. The first tag is compared to the second tag, and, if a commonality shared by the first content selection and the second content selection is identified, an exchange of the supplemental content from the peer device to the portable media device is initiated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Bill
  • Patent number: 8611928
    Abstract: An entity acting as a parent (e.g., a parent, a guardian, a school, an athletic organization, or a combination thereof—referred to as a parent or a supervising entity) may restrict a mobile device (e.g., a mobile telephone, a laptop, a PDA, a text messaging device, a two-way radio, a hand-held computer, or an mp3 player), or certain functionalities of a mobile device (e.g., text messaging, instant messaging, telephone calls, email capabilities, or playing music), that is being used by a child (referred to as a child or a supervised entity) while the child is at a current location. Similar mobile device restrictions may be used with other users, such as, for example, an employer and an employee, a secure government site and a visitor to the site, and a business and a customer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Bill
  • Patent number: 8600026
    Abstract: Access to an electronic conference may be administered by receiving an electronic instruction configured to establish the electronic conference, enabling more than one user to generate content restrictions that limit content rendered during the electronic conference, analyzing one or more participant devices to ensure compliance with the content restrictions, establishing the electronic conference in accordance with the content restrictions, and enabling user access to the electronic conference consistent with the content restrictions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Bright Sun Technologies
    Inventor: David S. Bill
  • Patent number: 8595348
    Abstract: A distribution of a content selection being distributed throughout a wireless mesh network may be tracked. A wireless device in the wireless mesh network enables the content selection to be exchanged. Wireless devices then exchange the content, and a network topology is recorded in response. Finally, the network topology is reported to a reporting agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Bill
  • Publication number: 20130298044
    Abstract: A mood state may be modeled using mood information for a content selection (e.g., a digitally-encoded song) and/or by using mood information determined by how a user is interacting with a media player. For example, a playlist engine on a host may determine that a particular song is associated with an uplifting mood, thus determining that a user who has selected that particular song currently is in an uplifting mood, and correspondingly may select additional songs and advertisements consistent with, or responsive to, the uplifting mood. Mood information also may be used to present a mood state of users (e.g., co-users) in a network for display in a graphical user interface (GUI). For example, a user's screen name appearing in an America Online (AOL) Instant Messenger's Buddy List may indicate a determined user's mood, such as “happy”, “sad”, “silly”, or “angry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Inventor: David S. BILL
  • Patent number: 8572278
    Abstract: A switch having a first communications interface to receive a stream of data units, a buffer to store the payload portion of the data unit, a replicator to duplicate at least the payload portion of the data unit, and a second communications interface to enable access to the stream of data units by two or more terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: David S. Bill, Scott K. Brown, William J. Raduchel, Gilbert G. Weigand, Christopher L. Amen-Kroeger
  • Publication number: 20130274015
    Abstract: Paralinguistic indicators are translated at a paralinguistic translation server by receiving from a source a first set of data related to a first paralinguistic indicator that is configured to enable non-verbal communications between a source and a destination. The source is one of an instant messaging system and a virtual world system and the destination is one of the textual instant messaging system and a virtual world system but differs from the source. The first set of data related to the first paralinguistic indicator is translated into a second set of data related to a second paralinguistic indicator, such that the second paralinguistic indicator that is at least partially synonymous to the non-verbal communications associated with the first paralinguistic indicator. The second set of data related to the second paralinguistic indicator is transmitted to the destination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventor: David S. Bill
  • Patent number: 8547943
    Abstract: A first device may communicate by joining a wireless mesh network that includes at least one wireless device configured to operate a wireless routing protocol, discovering a group of other wireless devices configured to participate in the wireless mesh network, and accessing an interest metric for a second wireless device in the group of other wireless devices. The interest metric is based in part on a network topology from the wireless mesh network. The interest metric is related to an interest threshold and it is determined whether relating the interest metric to the interest threshold supports enabling messaging communications. If so, messaging communications may be enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Bill
  • Publication number: 20130243245
    Abstract: In order to increase the efficacy of a mood-based playlisting system, a mood sensor such as a camera may be used to provide mood information to the mood model. When the mood sensor includes a camera, a camera may be used to capture an image of the user. The image is analyzed to determine a mood for the user so that content may be selected responsive to the mood of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Inventor: David S. Bill
  • Patent number: 8538400
    Abstract: A first content selection stored on a portable media device is associated with a first tag. In addition, a second tag that is associated with a second content selection and that indicates that supplemental content related to the second content selection is stored on a peer device is accessed from a peer device. The first tag is compared to the second tag, and, if a commonality shared by the first content selection and the second content selection is identified, an exchange of the supplemental content from the peer device to the portable media device is initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Bill
  • Patent number: 8498809
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for predicting a destination for a ground-based vehicle. Travel patterns are accessed and a series of locations of a ground-based vehicle are received. At least some of the received locations are related to at least one accessed travel pattern, and a destination of the ground-based vehicle is predicted based on relating the received locations with the travel patterns. An existence of an event may be predicted using the predicted destinations of a ground-based vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: David S. Bill
  • Publication number: 20130185749
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for inserting advertisements into a video. In accordance with one implementation, a method is provided that includes processing a data stream including a video content selection to extract a metatag that models a template object appearing within a first content segment featuring primary content of the video content selection, the template object enabling a transformation of an advertising object. Further, the method includes identifying an advertising descriptor based on characteristics of a scene and the metatag extracted from the first content segment and selecting the advertising object based on the identified advertising descriptor. The method also includes modifying the video content selection by inserting the advertising object in the data stream such that the advertising object is integrated into a scene of the video content selection and transmitting the video content selection to a recipient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Inventor: David S. Bill
  • Publication number: 20130173161
    Abstract: A method for identifying a result responsive to a current location of a client device includes receiving, form a client device and at a host, a search query that includes a point of interest and a current location of the client device. The method also includes automatically updating the search query as the current location of the client device changes and instructing the host to identify a potential location associated with the point of interest and located within a user-defined proximity from the current location of the client device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Inventors: Adrienne C. Meisels, Stephen J. Coughlin, George Fletcher, David S. Bill
  • Publication number: 20130170393
    Abstract: A first device may communicate by joining a wireless mesh network that includes at least one wireless device configured to operate a wireless routing protocol, discovering a group of other wireless devices configured to participate in the wireless mesh network, and accessing an interest metric for a second wireless device in the group of other wireless devices. The interest metric is based in part on a network topology from the wireless mesh network. The interest metric is related to an interest threshold and it is determined whether relating the interest metric to the interest threshold supports enabling messaging communications. If so, messaging communications may be enabled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Inventor: David S. Bill
  • Publication number: 20130170394
    Abstract: A first device may communicate by joining a wireless mesh network that includes at least one wireless device configured to operate a wireless routing protocol, discovering a group of other wireless devices configured to participate in the wireless mesh network, and accessing an interest metric for a second wireless device in the group of other wireless devices. The interest metric is based in part on a network topology from the wireless mesh network. The interest metric is related to an interest threshold and it is determined whether relating the interest metric to the interest threshold supports enabling messaging communications. If so, messaging communications may be enabled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Inventor: David S. Bill
  • Publication number: 20130173921
    Abstract: An initialization vector (IV) is employed to decrypt a block of a stream that has been encrypted with Cypher Block Chaining (CBC) encryption, without requiring decryption of previous blocks within the stream. For example, a listener who accesses a distribution point to retrieve encrypted content authenticates himself to an application server that regulates access to encrypted content on the distribution point, and responsively receives a key. The listener then requests access to a reference point within the encrypted content stream somewhere after its beginning (e.g., using preview clips). The distribution point relates the reference point to a corresponding block of the encrypted stream, and identifies an IV previously used for encryption of that block. The distribution point provides the associated encrypted block of content and the IV to the listener to enable mid-stream rendering of the encrypted content, without requiring the listener to decrypt previous blocks within the encrypted stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Inventors: DAVID F. PARE, DAVID L. BIDERMAN, STEPHEN E. LOOMIS, SCOTT K. BROWN, MICHAEL WISE, DAVID WEXELBLAT, CONOR P. CAHILL, DAVID S. BILL
  • Publication number: 20130173160
    Abstract: A method for identifying a result responsive to a current location of a client device includes receiving, form a client device and at a host, a search query that includes a point of interest and a current location of the client device. The method also includes automatically updating the search query as the current location of the client device changes and instructing the host to identify a potential location associated with the point of interest and located within a user-defined proximity from the current location of the client device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Inventors: Adrienne C. Meisels, Stephen J. Coughlin, George Fletcher, David S. Bill
  • Patent number: 8473441
    Abstract: Paralinguistic indicators are translated at a paralinguistic translation server by receiving from a source a first set of data related to a first paralinguistic indicator that is configured to enable non-verbal communications between a source and a destination. The source is one of an instant messaging system and a virtual world system and the destination is one of the textual instant messaging system and a virtual world system but differs from the source. The first set of data related to the first paralinguistic indicator is translated into a second set of data related to a second paralinguistic indicator, such that the second paralinguistic indicator that is at least partially synonymous to the non-verbal communications associated with the first paralinguistic indicator. The second set of data related to the second paralinguistic indicator is transmitted to the destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: David S. Bill
  • Patent number: 8458102
    Abstract: An action is triggered by receiving information related to a predicted destination of a user, accessing a library that maps user actions to destinations, determining that at least one of the destinations in the library corresponds with the predicted destination of the user and at least one of the destinations in the library, identifying a user action, within the library, that is associated with the destination determined to correspond with the predicted destination of the user, and triggering the user action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Bill
  • Patent number: 8443290
    Abstract: A mood state may be modeled using mood information for a content selection (e.g., a digitally-encoded song) and/or by using mood information determined by how a user is interacting with a media player. For example, a playlist engine on a host may determine that a particular song is associated with an uplifting mood, thus determining that a user who has selected that particular song currently is in an uplifting mood, and correspondingly may select additional songs and advertisements consistent with, or responsive to, the uplifting mood. Mood information also may be used to present a mood state of users (e.g., co-users) in a network for display in a graphical user interface (GUI). For example, a user's screen name appearing in an America Online (AOL) Instant Messenger's Buddy List may indicate a determined user's mood, such as “happy”, “sad”, “silly”, or “angry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Bill