Patents by Inventor Don Ahrens

Don Ahrens 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: 20200356228
    Abstract: Computing devices, computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions, methods, and systems for discovering, organizing, and presenting supplemental content are disclosed. A discovery system may be used to discover an item, such as a supplemental content presentation application, which, when launched may present supplemental content to a user while the user is consuming primary content. The supplemental content presentation application may also present a timeline that users may interact with to view different portions of the supplemental content. The timeline may also be modified by adding markers along the timeline so that when a marker is selected, a particular piece of supplemental content is presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: John Carney, Greg Thomson, Don Ahrens, Justin Gravante, Andrew Evans, Jill Mclaughlin
  • Patent number: 10664138
    Abstract: Computing devices, computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions, methods, and systems for discovering, organizing, and presenting supplemental content are disclosed. A discovery system may be used to discover an item, such as a supplemental content presentation application, which, when launched may present supplemental content to a user while the user is consuming primary content. The supplemental content presentation application may also present a timeline that users may interact with to view different portions of the supplemental content. The timeline may also be modified by adding markers along the timeline so that when a marker is selected, a particular piece of supplemental content is presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: John Carney, Greg Thomson, Don Ahrens, Justin Gravante, Andrew Evans, Jill McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 8499327
    Abstract: A set top terminal is provided that includes a receiver having at least one tuner for receiving programming content over a content delivery system and a processor operatively associated with the receiver. The set top terminal also includes a switched digital video (SDV) application module operatively associated with the processor. The SDV application module is configured to perform an autodiscovery process by tuning to prescribed autodiscovery frequencies received by the tuner while the SDV application module is being initialized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation
    Inventors: Joe Derham, Don Ahrens, Scott Sellers
  • Publication number: 20130191863
    Abstract: An interface for an interactive television application includes a graphical representation of a channel changing apparatus and is configured such that in response to a channel change request a channel change event limited to a channel change within a designated family of television channels is initiated. The graphical element may be labeled so as to indicate the presently viewed family of television channels. In various embodiment, the channel content may be scaled to fit within a window or may be full screen, in which latter case the interface may be overlaid on top of the full screen video. In one example, the graphical representation of the channel changing apparatus resembles a pair of channel up/down buttons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: TVWORKS, LLC
    Inventors: Samuel Moreau, Don Ahrens, Georgia Gibbs, John Carney, David de Andrade
  • Publication number: 20090158380
    Abstract: A set top terminal is provided that includes a receiver having at least one tuner for receiving programming content over a content delivery system and a processor operatively associated with the receiver. The set top terminal also includes a switched digital video (SDV) application module operatively associated with the processor. The SDV application module is configured to perform an autodiscovery process by tuning to prescribed autodiscovery frequencies received by the tuner while the SDV application module is being initialized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL INSTRUMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joe Derham, Don Ahrens, Scott Sellers