Patents by Inventor John Houston

John Houston 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).

  • Patent number: 8818901
    Abstract: Digital rights management systems and methods for audience measurement are disclosed. An example method to monitor a media content presentation disclosed herein comprises configuring a media handler to present the media content presentation, automatically processing a measurement rights agreement with a digital rights manager to determine whether the measurement rights agreement authorizes monitoring of the media content presentation, when the digital rights manager determines that monitoring of the media content presentation is authorized, configuring the media handler to obtain measurement information corresponding to the media content presentation, and when the digital rights manager determines that monitoring of the media content presentation is not authorized, configuring the media handler to prevent measurement information corresponding to the media content presentation from being obtained, but not preventing the media handler from being configured to present the media content presentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: John Houston
  • Publication number: 20140088895
    Abstract: System and methods to determine the energy consumption per event type from usage data of portable devices are described. An example method includes accessing battery usage data for a first portable device, the battery usage data comprising a plurality of measurements, the measurements including an energy usage by the first portable device during a first time period and an identification of software functions executed by the first portable device during the first time period, and determining at portion of the energy usage attributable to a first one of the software functions based on the measurements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Inventors: John Houston, Arun Ramaswamy, Brian Hopkins
  • Publication number: 20140019753
    Abstract: A system for managing encryption keys within a domain includes: a client computer coupled to a cloud key management server over a network, the client computer being configured to supply a request for an encryption key, the request including an object identifier associated with the encryption key; and a cloud key management service comprising the cloud key management server, the cloud key management service being configured to: store a plurality of encryption keys in association with a plurality of object identifiers; receive the request from the client computer; identify an encryption key of the stored encryption keys associated with the object identifier of the request; and send the identified encryption key to the client computer in response to the request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Inventors: John Houston Lowry, Jonathan A. Rubin
  • Patent number: 8620607
    Abstract: System and methods to determine the energy consumption per event type from usage data of portable devices are described. An example method includes determining a first plurality of linear equations representative of energy expended in a portable device for a second plurality of functions, the second plurality of functions including at least one software function of the portable device, the first plurality being more than the second plurality, and determining, using a processor, energy values corresponding to the second plurality of functions by applying a statistical method to the first plurality of linear equations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: John Houston, Arun Ramaswamy, Brian Hopkins
  • Patent number: 8390218
    Abstract: The present invention relates to synchronized vibration devices that can provide haptic feedback to a user. A wide variety of actuator types may be employed to provide synchronized vibration, including linear actuators, rotary actuators, rotating eccentric mass actuators, and rocking mass actuators. A controller may send signals to one or more driver circuits for directing operation of the actuators. The controller may provide direction and amplitude control, vibration control, and frequency control to direct the haptic experience. Parameters such as frequency, phase, amplitude, duration, and direction can be programmed or input as different patterns suitable for use in gaming, virtual reality and real-world situations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Coactive Drive Corporation
    Inventors: John Houston, Nathan Delson
  • Patent number: 8384316
    Abstract: The present invention relates to synchronized vibration devices that can provide haptic feedback to a user. A wide variety of actuator types may be employed to provide synchronized vibration, including linear actuators, rotary actuators, rotating eccentric mass actuators, and rocking mass actuators. A controller may send signals to one or more driver circuits for directing operation of the actuators. The controller may provide direction and amplitude control, vibration control, and frequency control to direct the haptic experience. Parameters such as frequency, phase, amplitude, duration, and direction can be programmed or input as different patterns suitable for use in gaming, virtual reality and real-world situations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Coactive Drive Corporation
    Inventors: John Houston, Nathan Delson
  • Patent number: 8364429
    Abstract: System and methods to determine the energy consumption per event type from usage data of portable devices are described. An example method to determine the energy consumption of events on a portable device includes receiving data associated with events occurring using at least a portion of the portable device during a time period, the data including a time at which each event type occurred and a total power consumed by the at least the portion of the portable device during the time period, analyzing, via a processor, the received data to determine an energy consumption per an event type of the at least a portion of the portable device based on the times at which each of the event types occurred and the total power consumed, and reporting the energy consumption per the event type for the at least the portion of portable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: John Houston, Arun Ramaswamy, Brian Hopkins
  • Publication number: 20130018608
    Abstract: System and methods to determine the energy consumption per event type from usage data of portable devices are described. An example method includes determining a first plurality of linear equations representative of energy expended in a portable device for a second plurality of functions, the second plurality of functions including at least one software function of the portable device, the first plurality being more than the second plurality, and determining, using a processor, energy values corresponding to the second plurality of functions by applying a statistical method to the first plurality of linear equations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Inventors: John Houston, Arun Ramaswamy, Brian Hopkins
  • Publication number: 20120232780
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to General Synchronized Vibration devices that provide haptic feedback to a user and improve the performance of existing vibratory devices. Different actuator types may be employed to provide synchronized vibration, including linear rotary actuators, rotating eccentric mass actuators including interleaved rotating mass actuators, and rocking mass actuators. A controller sends signals to one or more driver circuits to provide adjustment of vibration magnitude, frequency, and direction of the actuators. The system may apply forces onto an object, and a sensor measures a feature(s) of the object. This information is provided to a vibration device controller, which can then modify the vibration waveform to improve overall system performance. Fourier synthesis can be used to approximate arbitrarily shaped waveforms by controlling the phase and frequency of vibration actuators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: COACTIVE DRIVE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nathan Delson, John Houston, Gabe Graham
  • Publication number: 20110313695
    Abstract: System and methods to determine the energy consumption per event type from usage data of portable devices are described. An example method to determine the energy consumption of events on a portable device includes receiving data associated with events occurring using at least a portion of the portable device during a time period, the data including a time at which each event type occurred and a total power consumed by the at least the portion of the portable device during the time period, analyzing, via a processor, the received data to determine an energy consumption per an event type of the at least a portion of the portable device based on the times at which each of the event types occurred and the total power consumed, and reporting the energy consumption per the event type for the at least the portion of portable device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Inventors: John Houston, Arun Ramaswamy, Brian Hopkins
  • Publication number: 20110295694
    Abstract: A platform or marketplace for individual users to store, control, maintain ownership over, and monetize data related to themselves and their activities. The platform or marketplace facilitates company offers, such as product offers from producers, to members on mutually agreeable contract terms, facilitating mass connection of individual users. The platform or marketplace facilitates protected communication, third part advertising, member payment, and various other functions related to user data ownership and individual monetization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventors: John COGGESHALL, James Dilorenzo, Kevin Dorry, John Houston, Gordon Trotter, David Andrew Stackpole, Yen Tse Yap
  • Publication number: 20110248817
    Abstract: The present invention relates to synchronized vibration devices that can provide haptic feedback to a user. A wide variety of actuator types may be employed to provide synchronized vibration, including linear actuators, rotary actuators, rotating eccentric mass actuators, and rocking mass actuators. A controller may send signals to one or more driver circuits for directing operation of the actuators. The controller may provide direction and amplitude control, vibration control, and frequency control to direct the haptic experience. Parameters such as frequency, phase, amplitude, duration, and direction can be programmed or input as different patterns suitable for use in gaming, virtual reality and real-world situations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: Coactive Drive Corporation
    Inventors: John Houston, Nathan Delson
  • Patent number: 8032317
    Abstract: System and methods to determine the energy consumption per event type from usage data of portable devices are described. A disclosed example method includes receiving data associated with events on a portable device, analyzing the received data to determine an energy consumption per an event type of the portable device, and reporting the energy consumption per the event type for the portable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: John Houston, Arun Ramaswamy, Brian Hopkins
  • Publication number: 20110190058
    Abstract: The present invention relates to synchronized vibration devices that can provide haptic feedback to a user. A wide variety of actuator types may be employed to provide synchronized vibration, including linear actuators, rotary actuators, rotating eccentric mass actuators, and rocking mass actuators. A controller may send signals to one or more driver circuits for directing operation of the actuators. The controller may provide direction and amplitude control, vibration control, and frequency control to direct the haptic experience. Parameters such as frequency, phase, amplitude, duration, and direction can be programmed or input as different patterns suitable for use in gaming, virtual reality and real-world situations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: COACTIVE DRIVE CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Houston, Nathan Delson
  • Publication number: 20110191662
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of publishing and distributing information on a network. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems, methods, and devices for identifying multiple published entities each having electronic-based content of interest for a user, selecting portions of the e-content based on user preferences, aggregating the portions of e-content into a virtual compilation of e-content (e.g., virtual book) in a manner such that the portions of e-content appear to originate from the compilation and not the original source. The present invention is particularly advantageous in the travel guide industry where now portions of several larger travel guides can be aggregated together to provide mobile device users information tailored to a mobile device user's actual, exact, approximate, or anticipated location and optionally further refined in combination with the user's personal preferences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Inventors: David Crawford Poteet, II, Melissa Carol Beaver, John Houston Williams
  • Patent number: 7919945
    Abstract: The present invention relates to synchronized vibration devices that can provide haptic feedback to a user. A wide variety of actuator types may be employed to provide synchronized vibration, including linear actuators, rotary actuators, rotating eccentric mass actuators, and rocking mass actuators. A controller may send signals to one or more driver circuits for directing operation of the actuators. The controller may provide direction and amplitude control, vibration control, and frequency control to direct the haptic experience. Parameters such as frequency, phase, amplitude, duration, and direction can be programmed or input as different patterns suitable for use in gaming, virtual reality and real-world situations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Coactive Drive Corporation
    Inventors: John Houston, Nathan Delson
  • Publication number: 20100228677
    Abstract: Digital rights management systems and methods for audience measurement are disclosed. An example method to monitor a media content presentation disclosed herein comprises configuring a media handler to present the media content presentation, automatically processing a measurement rights agreement with a digital rights manager to determine whether the measurement rights agreement authorizes monitoring of the media content presentation, when the digital rights manager determines that monitoring of the media content presentation is authorized, configuring the media handler to obtain measurement information corresponding to the media content presentation, and when the digital rights manager determines that monitoring of the media content presentation is not authorized, configuring the media handler to prevent measurement information corresponding to the media content presentation from being obtained, but not preventing the media handler from being configured to present the media content presentation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Inventor: John Houston
  • Publication number: 20090287433
    Abstract: System and methods to determine the energy consumption per event type from usage data of portable devices are described. A disclosed example method includes receiving data associated with events on a portable device, analyzing the received data to determine an energy consumption per an event type of the portable device, and reporting the energy consumption per the event type for the portable device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: John Houston, Arun Ramaswamy, Brian Hopkins
  • Patent number: 7500266
    Abstract: A device (120) processes traffic in a network. The device (120) obtains information corresponding to an activity between a group of source devices and one or more services of destination devices, measures, for each of the group of source devices, a behavior of the source activity in terms of independence and uniformity of access to the one or more services, and determines, for each of the group of source devices, whether the source activity includes probing based on the measured behavior. The device (120) also determines, for each of the group of source devices, a similarity factor representing a similarity between the source activity of one of the group of source devices and another of the group of source devices, compares the similarity factors for each pair of source devices to a threshold, and groups source devices when the similar factor for those source devices are below the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignees: BBN Technologies Corp., Verizon Corporate Services Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Francis Vukelich, John Houston Lowry, Derrick Kong, Wilson Wrenshall Farrell, Jr., Kenneth Burton Theriault
  • Publication number: 20080114448
    Abstract: There is disclosed an insert (2) for a conduit (4) adapted to effect helical flow in the conduit (4) comprising a longitudinally extending member having a helical formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: John Houston, Peter Stonebridge, John Dick, Robert Hood, Allana Johnstone, Christophe Sarran, Craig Duff