Patents by Inventor John Blackburn

John Blackburn 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: 20150169559
    Abstract: A client computer receives a set of search results ordered based on scheduled time of broadcast associated with respective listings of content. The listings of content include data representing time-bounded events. The client computer displays or otherwise presents a set of objects along an axis of a display bar, the objects corresponding to subsets of the search results. For example, the axis is associated with a unit of time or a unit of relevance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Richard Carl Gossweiler, III, John Blackburn, David A. Brown, Neha Gupta, Manish Gordhan Patel, Mehran Sahami, Thomas H. Taylor, Daniel John Zigmond
  • Publication number: 20150135221
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving an identification of a media program from a broadcast channel on an electronic program guide for inclusion in a personalized channel, adding the identified program to a personalized channel at a first time, and adding one or more additional programs to the personalized channel at times other than the first time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Richard C. Gossweiler, III, Mehran Sahami, Manish G. Patel, John Blackburn, David A. Brown, Neha Gupta, Thomas H. Taylor
  • Publication number: 20150135222
    Abstract: System and methods for formatting a virtual channel are provides in which, responsive to a user selection of a plurality of time-bounded multimedia events, there is formatted for display the plurality of time-bounded multimedia events in a first virtual channel. The user is enabled to fill a first time slot in the first virtual channel with overlapping time-bounded multimedia events from the plurality of time-bounded multimedia events. A representation of a numeric count of the overlapping time-bounded multimedia events is formatted for display in the first time slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Richard Carl GOSSWEILER, III, John BLACKBURN, David A. BROWN, Manish Gordhan PATEL, Mehran SAHAMI, Thomas H. TAYLOR, Daniel John ZIGMOND
  • Publication number: 20150134658
    Abstract: Virtual items may be unlocked in a virtual space responsive to physical token detection. A common virtual item repository may be provided in the virtual space. Once unlocked, a given virtual item may be accessible to multiple characters in the virtual space via the virtual item repository. Customization of a virtual space may be facilitated. The customization may be based on the virtual items accessible via the virtual item repository.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: John G. VIGNOCCHI, Jeffrey BUNKER, Manfred NEBER, Jeffrey GOSZTYLA, Chad LIDDELL, Marcus FISHER, Troy LEAVITT, Jared BALS, John BLACKBURN, Robert LOWE
  • Patent number: 8986115
    Abstract: Virtual items may be unlocked in a virtual space responsive to physical token detection. A common virtual item repository may be provided in the virtual space. Once unlocked, a given virtual item may be accessible to multiple characters in the virtual space via the virtual item repository. Customization of a virtual space may be facilitated. The customization may be based on the virtual items accessible via the virtual item repository.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: John G. Vignocchi, John Blackburn, Jared Bals, Chad Liddell, Marcus Fisher, Troy Leavitt, Jeffrey Gosztyla, Jeffrey Bunker, Robert Lowe, Manfred Neber
  • Patent number: 8982458
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to apparatuses, systems, and methods associated with an improved optical architecture. An optical telescope having a longitudinal axis is configured to allow a beam having a first wavelength to laterally transverse a telescope barrel along a first axis. An optical module directs and corrects the beam from the first axis to a second and third axis, and to a beam expander. The beam expander transmits a beam having a second wavelength through the optical telescope along the longitudinal axis. The optical architecture may be incorporated onto an on-gimbal component that is side-mounted to a gimbaled system, as a method of minimizing the operational burdens on the gimbaled system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: John Blackburn
  • Patent number: 8972369
    Abstract: Virtual items may be unlocked in a virtual space responsive to physical token detection. A common virtual item repository may be provided in the virtual space. Once unlocked, a given virtual item may be accessible to multiple characters in the virtual space via the virtual item repository. Customization of a virtual space may be facilitated. The customization may be based on the virtual items accessible via the virtual item repository.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: John G. Vignocchi, Jeffrey Bunker, Manfred Neber, Jeffrey Gosztyla, Chad Liddell, Marcus Fisher, Troy Leavitt, Jared Bals, John Blackburn, Robert Lowe
  • Patent number: 8972875
    Abstract: A client computer receives a set of search results ordered based on scheduled time of broadcast associated with respective listings of content. The listings of content include data representing time-bounded events. The client computer displays or otherwise presents a set of objects along an axis of a display bar, the objects corresponding to subsets of the search results. For example, the axis is associated with a unit of time or a unit of relevance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Carl Gossweiler, III, John Blackburn, David A. Brown, Neha Gupta, Manish Gordhan Patel, Mehran Sahami, Thomas H. Taylor, Daniel John Zigmond
  • Publication number: 20150033317
    Abstract: Token detection at a single computing platform may be linked with a user identification to unlock content and/or effectuate modifications in virtual space instances presented via multiple computing platforms, in accordance with one or more implementations. Exemplary implementations may enhance consistency in a user's experiences of a virtual space across multiple computing platforms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: John G. VIGNOCCHI, Robert NELSON, Jeffrey BUNKER, Troy LEAVITT, Robert LOWE, John BLACKBURN, Christopher SHEN
  • Patent number: 8909920
    Abstract: Token detection at a single computing platform may be linked with a user identification to unlock content and/or effectuate modifications in virtual space instances presented via multiple computing platforms, in accordance with one or more implementations. Exemplary implementations may enhance consistency in a user's experiences of a virtual space across multiple computing platforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: John G. Vignocchi, Robert Nelson, Jeffrey Bunker, Troy Leavitt, Robert Lowe, John Blackburn, Christopher Shen
  • Patent number: 8910266
    Abstract: Token detection at a single computing platform may be linked with a user identification to unlock content and/or effectuate modifications in virtual space instances presented via multiple computing platforms, in accordance with one or more implementations. Exemplary implementations may enhance consistency in a user's experiences of a virtual space across multiple computing platforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: John G. Vignocchi, Troy Leavitt, Jeffrey Bunker, Christopher Shen, Robert Nelson, Robert Lowe, John Blackburn
  • Patent number: 8799952
    Abstract: A method and system for providing listings of multimedia events and for allowing a user to create virtual channels from the listings is described. The user can specify a headend or zip code and enter a search query to find multimedia events that are of interest to the user. In response, the system provides a list of multimedia events as the results of the user's search query. If the user so desires, the user can create a virtual channel based on the search results, according to certain embodiments of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Carl Gossweiler, III, John Blackburn, David A. Brown, Neha Gupta, Manish Gordhan Patel, Mehran Sahami, Thomas H. Taylor, Daniel John Zigmond
  • Patent number: 8782698
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving an identification of a media program from a broadcast channel on an electronic program guide for inclusion in a personalized channel, adding the identified program to a personalized channel at a first time, and adding one or more additional programs to the personalized channel at times other than the first time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Richard C. Gossweiler, Mehran Sahami, Manish G. Patel, John Blackburn, David A. Brown, Neha Gupta, Thomas H. Taylor
  • Publication number: 20140179443
    Abstract: Exemplary implementations may facilitate modifications to characters and/or virtual items within a virtual space, or to the virtual space itself, made responsive to detection of a token. In some implementations, a physical accessory may depict a character in the virtual space. By way of non-limiting example, the physical accessory may include a toy figurine resembling the character. A detectable token (i.e., a physical object) may be removably attached to the physical accessory. According to some implementations, responsive to the physical accessory being detected along with the removably attached token, a modification within the virtual space may be made to the character and/or a virtual item associated with the character. In some implementations, detection of the token alone may effectuate such a modification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: John G. Vignocchi, Jieun Kim, Afsoun Yazdian, Armen Mkrtchyan, Robert Nelson, Tracy Thurman, Jeffrey Bunker, John Blackburn
  • Patent number: 8713002
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving a query at a central information provider, identifying media-related terms in the query that indicate the query relates to one or more media-related objects, and providing media-specific results in response to the query associated with one or more programs or program staff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Mehran Sahami, Richard C. Gossweiler, III, Manish G. Patel, John Blackburn, David A. Brown, Neha Gupta, Thomas H. Taylor
  • Publication number: 20140115629
    Abstract: Disclosed are computer implemented method, systems, and non-transitory media for presenting information representing a plurality of time-bounded events in (i) a first grid and (ii) a second grid. The first grid has a first size and represents a first set of time-bounded events in the plurality of time-bounded events. The second grid has a second size smaller than the first size. The second grid represents a second set of time-bounded events in the plurality of time-bounded events. This second set of time-bounded events includes a greater number of time-bounded events than the first set of time-bounded events.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Carl Gossweiler, III, David N. Reiss, Mark Wagner, John Blackburn, Thomas H. Taylor, Marisa Bauer, David A. Brown, Mehran Sahami, Neha Crosby, Timothy Dharma Heilman, Manish Gordhan Patel, Maricia Scott, Alice Tull, Lucy Congyun Zhang, Daniel John Zigmond
  • Publication number: 20140109141
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving a search request related to media programming and generating a search. The result has a list of one or more collections of episodes responsive to the search request, and a schedule grid displaying a plurality of episodes on a plurality of different channels for a time period, including at least one program responsive to the search request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Richard C. Gossweiler, III, Mehran Sahami, Manish G. Patel, John Blackburn, David A. Brown, Neha Gupta, Thomas H. Taylor
  • Patent number: 8631440
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving a search request related to media programming and generating a search. The result has a list of one or more collections of episodes responsive to the search request, and a schedule grid displaying a plurality of episodes on a plurality of different channels for a time period, including at least one program responsive to the search request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Richard C. Gossweiler, III, Mehran Sahami, Manish G. Patel, John Blackburn, David A. Brown, Neha Gupta, Thomas H. Taylor
  • Patent number: 8591855
    Abstract: Porous carbon is provided which is a carbonization and optionally an activation product of a precursor resin, which has a pore structure that, as estimated by nitrogen adsorption porosimetry, comprises micropores and mesopores/macropores, said micropores and mesopores/macropores being in a bimodal distribution with few pores of size 2-10 nm, and the mesopores/macropores providing escape routes for volatile products during carbonization of the precursor resin. The porous carbon can be made by a method which comprises (a) forming a precursor resin by reacting a nucleophilic component which comprises a phenolic compound or a phenol condensation prepolymer optionally with one or more modifying reagents with an electrophilic cross-linking agent selected from formaldehyde, paraformaldehyde, furfural and hexamethylene tetramine in solution in a pore former e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventors: Stephen Robert Tenninson, Oleksandr Prokopovych Kozynchenko, Volodymyer Vasylijovych Strelko, Andrew John Blackburn
  • Patent number: 8572649
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving a request associated with a user for media-related programming information, obtaining a plurality of media episode indicators for a time period associated with the request and with the user, and generating code for displaying the plurality of media episode indicators in a calendar associated with the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Richard C. Gossweiler, III, Mehran Sahami, III, Manish G. Patel, John Blackburn, David A. Brown, Neha Gupta, Thomas H. Taylor