Patents by Inventor Dean K. Jackson

Dean K. Jackson 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: 20230316829
    Abstract: To monitor and report road quality, a server device is configured to receive, from a plurality of vehicles, respective reports, each of the reports indicating a geographic road location of a vehicle and a road quality indication for the geographic location; update, using the reports, a table correlating geographic road locations and road quality indications; determine average road quality indicia for a geographic road location, based on the road quality indications in the table; and in response to a query from a communication device, provide the communication device with an information update based on at least the average road quality indicia.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson
  • Patent number: 11670121
    Abstract: A method in a communication device equipped with an electronic circuit includes obtaining a geographic location of a vehicle in which the communication device operates; monitoring at least one sensor signal that corresponds to road quality; determining a road quality indication of the geographic location based on the at least one sensor signal; transmitting the geographic location and the road quality indication to a server; and determining, using an information received from the server, whether the road quality indication differs from an average road quality indicia for the geographic location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson
  • Publication number: 20210225098
    Abstract: A method in a communication device equipped with an electronic circuit includes obtaining a geographic location of a vehicle in which the communication device operates; monitoring at least one sensor signal that corresponds to road quality; determining a road quality indication of the geographic location based on the at least one sensor signal; transmitting the geographic location and the road quality indication to a server; and determining, using an information received from the server, whether the road quality indication differs from an average road quality indicia for the geographic location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson
  • Publication number: 20190051066
    Abstract: A server communicates with vehicles traveling along a route. The server obtains sensor data indicative of road quality from the vehicles. The server determines that a certain proportion of the vehicles traveling along the route experience better road quality than the remaining vehicles traveling along the route. The server than determines that a first lane in the route has significantly better road quality than a second lane in the route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson
  • Patent number: 10102694
    Abstract: A server communicates with vehicles traveling along a route. The server obtains sensor data indicative of road quality from the vehicles. The server determines that a certain proportion of the vehicles traveling along the route experience better road quality than the remaining vehicles traveling along the route. The server than determines that a first lane in the route has significantly better road quality than a second lane in the route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson
  • Patent number: 9594775
    Abstract: A system includes: receiving first information about a device, where the first information includes data corresponding to a location of the device and a time at which the device was at the location; identifying one or more images associated with second information that is within a range of the first information, where the second information for an image includes data corresponding to a location at which the image was captured and a time at which the image was captured, and where the location at which the image was captured and a time at which the image was captured are within a range of the location of the device and the time at which the device was at the location; and retrieving the one or more images associated with the second information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson
  • Patent number: 9521105
    Abstract: Sending communications to contacts on a social networking service includes receiving a target geographical location of a computing device, identifying a vicinity based on the target geographical location, using the vicinity to identify a set of contacts associated with an account on a social networking service, where the set of contacts are used to produce a contact list that excludes one or more contacts that are not associated with locations within the vicinity, and sending a communication to members of the contact list, where the communication relates to the target geographical location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Dean K. Jackson, Tyler J. Potter
  • Patent number: 9253227
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for determining an initial meeting location for a meeting previously-scheduled to be attended by a plurality of attendees at a defined meeting time. A current attendee location is determined for each of the plurality of attendees proximate the defined meeting time, thus defining a plurality of attendee locations. The initial meeting location and one or more of the plurality of attendee locations are compared to determine if the initial meeting location could be changed. If the initial meeting location could be changed, at least one alternative meeting location is suggested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Dean K. Jackson, Daniel V. Klein
  • Publication number: 20160004726
    Abstract: A system includes: receiving first information about a device, where the first information includes data corresponding to a location of the device and a time at which the device was at the location; identifying one or more images associated with second information that is within a range of the first information, where the second information for an image includes data corresponding to a location at which the image was captured and a time at which the image was captured, and where the location at which the image was captured and a time at which the image was captured are within a range of the location of the device and the time at which the device was at the location; and retrieving the one or more images associated with the second information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventor: DEAN K. JACKSON
  • Publication number: 20150356796
    Abstract: A server communicates with vehicles traveling along a route. The server obtains sensor data indicative of road quality from the vehicles. The server determines that a certain proportion of the vehicles traveling along the route experience better road quality than the remaining vehicles traveling along the route. The server than determines that a first lane in the route has significantly better road quality than a second lane in the route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson
  • Patent number: 9165017
    Abstract: A system includes: receiving first information about a device, where the first information includes data corresponding to a location of the device and a time at which the device was at the location; identifying one or more images associated with second information that is within a range of the first information, where the second information for an image includes data corresponding to a location at which the image was captured and a time at which the image was captured, and where the location at which the image was captured and a time at which the image was captured are within a range of the location of the device and the time at which the device was at the location; and retrieving the one or more images associated with the second information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson
  • Patent number: 9108640
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring vehicle sensors to determine and report road quality using a communication device are disclosed. The communication device determines the vehicle's location on a road, such as by use of a GPS-enabled head unit or similar device and appropriate mapping software. Monitoring road quality may be achieved by adding a sensor to the shocks, by use of a vertical displacement sensor present on the head unit, and the like. Various combinations of sensors may be employed. A horizontal displacement sensor may be used. The signals from the sensors are monitored by the head unit and analyzed to judge the quality of the road by the amount of vertical vibration that is encountered. This data, together with the vehicle's location, may be transmitted through a mobile network to a central server for distribution in road quality reports and to improve driving directions in mapping software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson
  • Patent number: 9098688
    Abstract: A system and method for authenticating a log-in request based on location using an authentication application. The authentication application includes a processing unit, a location module, an authentication module, a user interface engine, and a notification module. The processing unit receives a log-in request from a third party application. The processing unit also receives a location of the log-in request and a location of a registered user device. The location module computes a distance between the location of the log-in request and the location of the registered user device. The authentication module determines whether the computed distance exceeds a threshold. The authentication module authenticates the log-in request responsive to determining that the computed distance is within or less than the threshold. The authentication module denies authentication to the log-in request responsive to determining that the computed distance exceeds the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson
  • Publication number: 20150183440
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring vehicle sensors to determine and report road quality using a communication device are disclosed. The communication device determines the vehicle's location on a road, such as by use of a GPS-enabled head unit or similar device and appropriate mapping software. Monitoring road quality may be achieved by adding a sensor to the shocks, by use of a vertical displacement sensor present on the head unit, and the like. Various combinations of sensors may be employed. A horizontal displacement sensor may be used. The signals from the sensors are monitored by the head unit and analyzed to judge the quality of the road by the amount of vertical vibration that is encountered. This data, together with the vehicle's location, may be transmitted through a mobile network to a central server for distribution in road quality reports and to improve driving directions in mapping software.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson
  • Publication number: 20150183439
    Abstract: Systems and methods of monitoring vehicle sensors to determine and report fuel/energy efficiency are disclosed. The vehicle's route may be calculated by a GPS-enabled head unit or similar device together with appropriate mapping and navigation software. Monitoring fuel/energy efficiency may be achieved by measuring the mileage and fuel/energy use across the route. This information may be transmitted through a mobile network to a central server for use in mapping and navigation programs to provide the most cost effective and/or fuel/energy efficient route. Another implementation would use the fuel efficiency information to calculate estimated fuel/energy efficiency along particular routes using particular vehicles. Additionally, knowing the route traveled and the actual and expected fuel/energy efficiency, the head unit may display a warning of a loss of fuel/energy efficiency as well as a potential cause of the fuel efficiency loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson
  • Patent number: 8983273
    Abstract: An implementation of the subject matter described in this specification provides systems and methods for selectively recording media content. User preference data associated with media content may be stored, and a recording status associated with a media content item may be determined. A recording status indicates whether the media content item will be recorded by a digital recording device. A location associated with a user may also be determined, and the recording status associated with the media content item may be changed based at least in part on the determined location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson
  • Patent number: 8793776
    Abstract: A system and method for authenticating a log-in request based on location using an authentication application. The authentication application includes a processing unit, a location module, an authentication module, a user interface engine, and a notification module. The processing unit receives a log-in request from a third party application. The processing unit also receives a location of the log-in request and a location of a registered user device. The location module computes a distance between the location of the log-in request and the location of the registered user device. The authentication module determines whether the computed distance exceeds a threshold. The authentication module authenticates the log-in request responsive to determining that the computed distance is within or less than the threshold. The authentication module denies authentication to the log-in request responsive to determining that the computed distance exceeds the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson
  • Publication number: 20130254309
    Abstract: Sending communications to contacts on a social networking service includes receiving a target geographical location of a computing device, identifying a vicinity based on the target geographical location, using the vicinity to identify a set of contacts associated with an account on a social networking service, where the set of contacts are used to produce a contact list that excludes one or more contacts that are not associated with locations within the vicinity, and sending a communication to members of the contact list, where the communication relates to the target geographical location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Dean K. Jackson, Tyler J. C. Potter
  • Publication number: 20130083977
    Abstract: A system includes: receiving first information about a device, where the first information includes data corresponding to a location of the device and a time at which the device was at the location; identifying one or more images associated with second information that is within a range of the first information, where the second information for an image includes data corresponding to a location at which the image was captured and a time at which the image was captured, and where the location at which the image was captured and a time at which the image was captured are within a range of the location of the device and the time at which the device was at the location; and retrieving the one or more images associated with the second information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson
  • Publication number: 20130058632
    Abstract: An implementation of the subject matter described in this specification provides systems and methods for selectively recording media content. User preference data associated with media content may be stored, and a recording status associated with a media content item may be determined. A recording status indicates whether the media content item will be recorded by a digital recording device. A location associated with a user may also be determined, and the recording status associated with the media content item may be changed based at least in part on the determined location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Inventor: Dean K. Jackson