Patents by Inventor Francis D. Palazzo

Francis D. Palazzo 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).

  • System and method for providing access to interactive features of electronic program guides from within promotional programming
    Patent number: 8296800
    Abstract: The system and method of the present invention provides access to interactive features of an electronic program guide by a user from within a broadcast advertisement. The method of the present invention comprises receiving the broadcast advertisement comprising audio, video and promotional metadata over a broadcast distribution network. The received promotional metadata is analyzed to determine one or more valid electronic program guide features and present options on a display device corresponding to the one or more valid electronic program guide features. The user selects a presented option for execution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Cox Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Francis D. Palazzo, Bruce Plotnick, Joel I. Boyarski
  • Metadata structure for providing access to EPG features from within broadcast advertisements
    Patent number: 7373651
    Abstract: A data structure stored on computer readable media is presented comprising one or more data tags, each data tag used to provide information regarding a broadcast advertisement. Also provided are one or more electronic program guide action tags, each electronic program guide action tag used to define a valid electronic program guide feature that may be accessed from within the broadcast advertisement. The data structure is operative to provide a link between the broadcast advertisement and an electronic program guide to provide access to electronic program guide features defined by the electronic program guide action tags from within the broadcast advertisement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Sedna Patent Services, LLC
    Inventors: Francis D. Palazzo, Bruce Plotnick, Joel I. Boyarski
  • System and method for displaying editorial content through television navigation controls and electronic program guides
    Patent number: 7120925
    Abstract: A system and method for presenting advanced editorial content items to subscribers in a distribution network. The method comprises presenting an electronic program guide comprised of data representing program availability on a broadcast distribution network and a selectable editorial content control to present an editorial content index page. An editorial content index page is presented on a display device within the context of the electric program guide in response to selecting the editorial content control, the editorial content index page comprising one or more links or pointers, such as hyperlinks, to editorial content items. A user selects a pointer to an editorial content item from the set of pointers and the editorial content item is presented on the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Sedna Patent Services, LLC
    Inventors: Errol D'Souza, Francis D. Palazzo, Bruce Plotnick
  • Metadata structure for providing access to EPG features from within broadcast advertisements
    Publication number: 20040163111
    Abstract: A data structure stored on computer readable media is presented comprising one or more data tags, each data tag used to provide information regarding a broadcast advertisement. Also provided are one or more electronic program guide action tags, each electronic program guide action tag used to define a valid electronic program guide feature that may be accessed from within the broadcast advertisement. The data structure is operative to provide a link between the broadcast advertisement and an electronic program guide to provide access to electronic program guide features defined by the electronic program guide action tags from within the broadcast advertisement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Inventors: Francis D. Palazzo, Bruce Plotnick, Joel I. Boyarski
  • System and method for automatically flagging a channel as a favorite channel
    Publication number: 20030115589
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a system, method and software for automatically flagging one or more channels broadcast over a distribution network as a favorite channel that comprises monitoring input commands by a user through the use of an input device to detect a command from the user to tune a channel. An identifier for the channel is recorded and an indicator of the number of times that the channel has been tuned is incremented. The identifiers with the top indicators are selected for inclusion within the list of automatic favorite channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Inventors: Errol D'Souza, Francis D. Palazzo, Bruce Plotnick
  • System and method for providing access to EPG features from within broadcast advertisements
    Publication number: 20030115601
    Abstract: The system and method of the present invention provides access to interactive features of an electronic program guide by a user from within a broadcast advertisement. The method of the present invention comprises receiving the broadcast advertisement comprising audio, video and promotional metadata over a broadcast distribution network. The received promotional metadata is analyzed to determine one or more valid electronic program guide features and present options on a display device corresponding to the one or more valid electronic program guide features. The user selects a presented option for execution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Inventors: Francis D. Palazzo, Bruce Plotnick, Joel I. Boyarski