Patents by Inventor George Gerba
George Gerba 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).
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Patent number: 10257584Abstract: An electronic device may insert an advertisement in a cell adjacent to other cells based on displayed programming information when the cells are stationary. An electronic device may insert a second advertisement when the cells move in a direction. The second advertisement may change size based on the direction and available cells.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2017Date of Patent: April 9, 2019Assignee: Cumnor Technologies LLCInventors: George Gerba, Michael R. Nichols
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Publication number: 20180192161Abstract: An electronic device may insert an advertisement in a cell adjacent to other cells based on displayed programming information when the cells are stationary. An electronic device may insert a second advertisement when the cells move in a direction. The second advertisement may change size based on the direction and available cells.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2017Publication date: July 5, 2018Applicant: CUMNOR TECHNOLOGIES LLCInventors: George Gerba, Michael R. Nichols
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Patent number: 9860609Abstract: Displayed program cells may be moved on an interactive program guide during a first time period based on a received first parameter. A displayed advertisement may be kept stationary during a second time period based on a second parameter. The second time period may be related to a subset of the displayed program cells which will move past the stationary advertisement.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2016Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: Cumnor Technologies, LLCInventors: George Gerba, Michael R. Nichols
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Publication number: 20160269804Abstract: Program cells of an electronic guide may be generated on a display device in an electronic device. An advertisement cell may be moved based on movement of the program cells. The advertisement cell may be kept stationary when the program cells scroll.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2016Publication date: September 15, 2016Applicant: Cumnor Technologies LLCInventors: George Gerba, Michael R. Nichols
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Patent number: 9294823Abstract: Program cells of an electronic guide may be generated on a display device in an electronic device. An advertisement cell may be moved based on movement of the program cells. The advertisement cell may be kept stationary when the program cells scroll.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2013Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: Cumnor Technologies, LLCInventors: George Gerba, Michael R. Nichols
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Publication number: 20130305288Abstract: Dynamically controlling advertisements on an electronic guide is disclosed. An advertisement cell on an electronic guide may be moved based on the movement of other cells. The advertisement cell may be subsequently kept stationary in relation to the other cells for a certain time portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2013Publication date: November 14, 2013Inventors: George Gerba, Michael R. Nichols
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Patent number: 8490134Abstract: Moving program cells with advertisement cells on a displayed electronic guide using different scrolling schemes is provided. An advertisement cell may be moved based on the movement of program cells during a first time interval. The advertisement cell may be kept stationary during a second time interval in which the program cells scroll and subsequently moved upon expiration of the second time interval.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2009Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Cumnor Technologies LLCInventors: George Gerba, Michael R. Nichols
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Publication number: 20110093897Abstract: An interactive program guide containing schedule data for multiple channels and advertising data is provided to viewers on a screen. The advertising may be related to the programs adjacent thereto in the guide and to time slots displayed on the screen. The advertising scrolls in various directions in response to the viewer's scrolling of the grid, but at a different pace and according to a different scheme than the scrolling of the schedule data itself. For example, the advertising may remain on the screen in a predetermined location while the viewer scrolls the schedule data, and then scroll off the screen to be replaced by new ads after a predetermined number of channels scroll off the screen, or on the basis of time slots and/or adjacent channels displayed on the screen. This provides for greater viewer attention to the advertising and for greater control by advertisers over the manner and length in which advertising is presented to viewers.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2009Publication date: April 21, 2011Inventors: George Gerba, Michael R. Nichols
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Patent number: 7634789Abstract: An interactive program guide containing schedule data for multiple channels and advertising data is provided to viewers on a screen. The advertising may be related to the programs adjacent thereto in the guide and to time slots displayed on the screen. The advertising srolls in various directions in response to the viewer's scrolling of the grid, but at a different pace and according to a different scheme than the scrolling of the schedule data itself. For example, the advertising may remain on the screen in a predetermined location while the viewer scrolls the schedule data, and then scroll off the screen to be replaced by new ads after a predetermined number of channels scroll off the screen, or on the basis of time slots and/or adjacent channels displayed on the screen. This provides for greater viewer attention to the advertising and for greater control by advertisers over the manner and length in which advertising is presented to viewers.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2001Date of Patent: December 15, 2009Assignee: Corporate Media PartnersInventors: George Gerba, Michael R. Nichols
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Patent number: 7500202Abstract: Presented is a remote control for interacting with a navigation system that allows content presented on a display device to be navigated in an organized and categorized fashion. The remote control comprises operational controls grouped by navigational function located on at least three sides of the remote control for selecting content. An infrared transmitter is provided for transmitting instructions coded as infrared signals. A programmable controller is operative to receive an indication that a control was selected and instruct the transmitter to transmit an infrared signal corresponding to the control selected.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2002Date of Patent: March 3, 2009Assignee: Corporate Media PartnersInventors: George Gerba, Robert Lambert, Michael Nichols
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Publication number: 20030083533Abstract: A method and system for presenting an interactive multi-window video display which provides particular advantages in a one-way television broadcast system in which user selections can not be transmitted to a head end or other central station. The system comprises a receiver for receiving a multi-window video signal representing a multi-window video display comprising a number of reduced size video displays. The reduced size video displays each contain video representing programming being currently offered on a different channel. The system presents the multi-window video display on a display device such as a television and allows viewers to select of one of the reduced size video displays. When the reduced size video is selected for highlighting, the audio associated with that video is presented. When the highlighted video is selected, the receiver tunes to the channel upon which the video is available in full screen mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2002Publication date: May 1, 2003Inventors: George Gerba, Robert Lambert, Michael Nichols
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Patent number: 6492997Abstract: A method and system for presenting an interactive multi-window video display which provides particular advantages in a one-way television broadcast system in which user selections can not be transmitted to a head end or other central station. The system comprises a receiver for receiving a multi-window video signal representing a multi-window video display comprising a number of reduced size video displays. The reduced size video displays each contain video representing programming being currently offered on a different channel. The system presents the multi-window video display on a display device such as a television and allows viewers to select of one of the reduced size video displays. When the reduced size video is selected for highlighting, the audio associated with that video is presented. When the highlighted video is selected, the receiver tunes to the channel upon which the video is available in full screen mode.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 1998Date of Patent: December 10, 2002Assignee: Corporate Media PArtnersInventors: George Gerba, Robert Lambert, Michael Nichols
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Publication number: 20020175916Abstract: A method is provided for guiding a user through a multi-step process on a computer-generated display. Layered dialogs are displayed, including a currently active dialog and remaining dialogs. Each dialog provides text for guiding the user through a corresponding step. After the current step is completed, the currently active dialog is removed so that a remaining dialog is viewable for guiding the user through an additional step. Additionally, a method for displaying a text string in a computer-generated dialog includes storing the text string as a number of tokens (e.g., words), determining widths of lines in the dialog in which text is to be written, and determining which tokens are to be displayed on which line so that a boundary of the dialog is not exceeded. The line widths may be determined based on chord widths of the dialog according to the dialog's geometry.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2002Publication date: November 28, 2002Inventors: Michael R. Nichols, George Gerba
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Publication number: 20020138834Abstract: An interactive program guide containing schedule data for multiple channels and advertising data is provided to viewers on a screen. The advertising may be related to the programs adjacent thereto in the guide and to time slots displayed on the screen. The advertising srolls in various directions in response to the viewer's scrolling of the grid, but at a different pace and according to a different scheme than the scrolling of the schedule data itself. For example, the advertising may remain on the screen in a predetermined location while the viewer scrolls the schedule data, and then scroll off the screen to be replaced by new ads after a predetermined number of channels scroll off the screen, or on the basis of time slots and/or adjacent channels displayed on the screen. This provides for greater viewer attention to the advertising and for greater control by advertisers over the manner and length in which advertising is presented to viewers.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2001Publication date: September 26, 2002Inventors: George Gerba, Michael R. Nichols
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Patent number: 6452611Abstract: A method and system for providing dynamically changing sets of categories of television programming. The method involves a person or intelligent agent generating at a head end a first data set identifying programming categories based at least in part on programming choices available for viewing at a first time. This data set is transmitted from the head end to remote receivers, which display the set of programming categories to the viewer who can select a category and view the various programming choices within the category. The method further involves generating a second data set identifying different programming categories based at least in part on programming choices available for viewing at a second time later than the first time. This second set is also transmitted to remote receivers so that viewers see an updated set of programming categories. Thus, viewers are always presented with categories for which programming is currently available.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 1998Date of Patent: September 17, 2002Assignee: Corporate Media PartnersInventors: George Gerba, Robert Lambert, Michael Nichols
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Patent number: 6445398Abstract: A method and system of providing a user interface for presenting television programming schedule data on a display. The schedule data is organized in a data plane comprising data cells identifying the items of schedule data, such as the titles of the television programs. The method involves presenting a highlight cell or cursor at a fixed position on the display such that a first data cell is at a concurrent position with the highlight cell, and allowing the data plane to scroll on the display in at least one direction such that all or part of the first data cell moves out of concurrent position with the highlight cell and a second data cell or part thereof moves into concurrent position with the highlight cell. This fixed position highlight cell thus remains stationary while the data plane or electronic program guide scrid moves, making it easier for viewers to peruse the selections in the data plane without moving their eyes substantially.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 1998Date of Patent: September 3, 2002Assignee: Corporate Media PartnersInventors: George Gerba, Margeigh Joy, Robert Lambert, Michael Nichols, Drew Takahashi
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Publication number: 20020054062Abstract: A method and system of providing a user interface for presenting television programming schedule data on a display. The schedule data is organized in a data plane comprising data cells identifying the items of schedule data, such as the titles of the television programs. The method involves presenting a highlight cell or cursor at a fixed position on the display such that a first data cell is at a concurrent position with the highlight cell, and allowing the data plane to scroll on the display in at least one direction such that all or part of the first data cell moves out of concurrent position with the highlight cell and a second data cell or part thereof moves into concurrent position with the highlight cell. This fixed position highlight cell thus remains stationary while the data plane or electronic program guide scrid moves, making it easier for viewers to peruse the selections in the data plane without moving their eyes substantially.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 1998Publication date: May 9, 2002Inventors: GEORGE GERBA, MARGEIGH JOY, ROBERT LAMBERT, MICHAEL NICHOLS, DREW TAKAHASHI
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Patent number: D415495Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 1998Date of Patent: October 19, 1999Assignee: Corporate Media PartnersInventors: George Gerba, Margeigh Joy, Howard Meiseles, Michael Nichols, Drew Takahashi
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Patent number: D415496Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 1998Date of Patent: October 19, 1999Assignee: Corporate Media PartnersInventors: George Gerba, Margeigh Joy, Howard Meiseles, Michael Nichols, Drew Takahashi
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Patent number: D416261Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 1998Date of Patent: November 9, 1999Assignee: Corporate Media PartnersInventors: George Gerba, Margeigh Joy, Howard Meiseles, Michael Nichols, Drew Takahashi