Patents by Inventor Richard W. Tom
Richard W. Tom 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: 11386931Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to content delivery techniques in audio-visual streaming systems. The techniques include altering video or audio portions of media content based on user input or interaction. The techniques further include altering text or messaging distributed to multiple users based on user input.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2017Date of Patent: July 12, 2022Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Jason A. Kilar, Richard W. Tom, Lonn Lee, Bao Lei, Zachary Pinter, Lindsay Monroe, Yilli Aiwazian
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Patent number: 11006176Abstract: Techniques are disclosed that generally relate to content delivery techniques in audio-visual systems. In an audio-visual system, a method of using sensors to incrementally present content elements on a display includes presenting a first content element on the display, receiving first data from a sensor, the first data associated with a first distance. An increment coefficient is identified, and a portion size is determined by reducing the first distance by the increment coefficient. Finally, an unseen portion of a second content element is incrementally added to the display, and a presented portion of the first content element is incrementally removed from the display, the size of the portions added and removed being equal to the determined portion size.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2018Date of Patent: May 11, 2021Assignee: Verizon Digital Media Services Inc.Inventors: Jason A. Kilar, Richard W. Tom, Lonn Lee, Bao Lei, Jiwen Cai, Yanqing Zhou, Jocelyn Lui
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Patent number: 10506299Abstract: A method transmits configuration information including a set of events that define when a media program player should send information regarding playback of an advertisement during an advertisement break in a media program. Also, the method transmits, to the user device, advertising control options configured to be output on the user device. A user selection for a control option in the advertising control options is received from the user device, wherein the control option controls sending of an advertisement to the user device during the advertisement break. The method then receives advertisement viewing data describing a viewing of the advertisement on the user device, wherein sending of the advertisement viewing data by the media program player is triggered based on an event in the set of events occurring at the media program player.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2016Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: HULU, LLC.Inventors: Jason A. Kilar, Brian Soebekti, Thomas C. Tate, Wing Chit Mak, Richard W. Tom, Eric I. Feng, Hua Zheng, Jean-Paul Colaco, Xin Jin
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Publication number: 20180367851Abstract: Techniques are disclosed that generally relate to content delivery techniques in audio-visual systems. In an audio-visual system, a method of using sensors to incrementally present content elements on a display includes presenting a first content element on the display, receiving first data from a sensor, the first data associated with a first distance. An increment coefficient is identified, and a portion size is determined by reducing the first distance by the increment coefficient. Finally, an unseen portion of a second content element is incrementally added to the display, and a presented portion of the first content element is incrementally removed from the display, the size of the portions added and removed being equal to the determined portion size.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2018Publication date: December 20, 2018Inventors: Jason A. Kilar, Richard W. Tom, Lonn Lee, Bao Lei, Jiwen Cai, Yanqing Zhou, Jocelyn Lui
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Patent number: 10070183Abstract: Techniques are disclosed that generally relate to content delivery techniques in audio-visual systems. In an audio-visual system, a method of using sensors to incrementally present content elements on a display includes presenting a first content element on the display, receiving first data from a sensor, the first data associated with a first distance. An increment coefficient is identified, and a portion size is determined by reducing the first distance by the increment coefficient. Finally, an unseen portion of a second content element is incrementally added to the display, and a presented portion of the first content element is incrementally removed from the display, the size of the portions added and removed being equal to the determined portion size.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2015Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: Verizon Digital Media Services Inc.Inventors: Jason A. Kilar, Richard W. Tom, Lonn Lee, Bao Lei, Jiwen Cai, Yanqing Zhou, Jocelyn Lui
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Publication number: 20170358321Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to content delivery techniques in audio-visual streaming systems. The techniques include altering video or audio portions of media content based on user input or interaction. The techniques further include altering text or messaging distributed to multiple users based on user input.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2017Publication date: December 14, 2017Inventors: Jason A. Kilar, Richard W. Tom, Lonn Lee, Bao Lei, Zachary Pinter, Lindsay Monroe, Yilli Aiwazian
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Patent number: 9596514Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for presenting an advertisement for playback in conjunction with a streamed media program are described. The method permits the user to control advertising breaks and in particular, the timing of advertising breaks associated with the media program.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2014Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: HULU, LLCInventors: Jason A. Kilar, Jean-Paul Colaco, Richard W. Tom, Jessica Page Ivy
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Patent number: 9426537Abstract: A method determines user preference information for a user for a number of advertisements in a set of advertising blocks and a temporal distribution of the advertising blocks. When each advertising block in the set of advertising blocks occurs according to the temporal distribution during sending of a video program, the method determines a number of advertisements in the advertising block based on the user preference information, determines advertisements for the advertising block equal to the number of advertisements, and sends the determined advertisements during the advertising block.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2013Date of Patent: August 23, 2016Assignee: HULU, LLCInventors: Richard W. Tom, Eric I. Feng, Hua Zheng, Jean-Paul Colaco, Adam W. Miller
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Publication number: 20160241927Abstract: A method transmits configuration information including a set of events that define when a media program player should send information regarding playback of an advertisement during an advertisement break in a media program. Also, the method transmits, to the user device, advertising control options configured to be output on the user device. A user selection for a control option in the advertising control options is received from the user device, wherein the control option controls sending of an advertisement to the user device during the advertisement break. The method then receives advertisement viewing data describing a viewing of the advertisement on the user device, wherein sending of the advertisement viewing data by the media program player is triggered based on an event in the set of events occurring at the media program player.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2016Publication date: August 18, 2016Inventors: Jason A. Kilar, Brian Soebekti, Thomas C. Tate, Wing Chit Mak, Richard W. Tom, Eric I. Feng, Hua Zheng, Jean-Paul Colaco, Xin Jin
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Publication number: 20160173944Abstract: Techniques are disclosed that generally relate to content delivery techniques in audio-visual systems. In an audio-visual system, a method of using sensors to incrementally present content elements on a display includes presenting a first content element on the display, receiving first data from a sensor, the first data associated with a first distance. An increment coefficient is identified, and a portion size is determined by reducing the first distance by the increment coefficient. Finally, an unseen portion of a second content element is incrementally added to the display, and a presented portion of the first content element is incrementally removed from the display, the size of the portions added and removed being equal to the determined portion size.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2015Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: Jason A. Kilar, Richard W. Tom, Lonn Lee, Bao Lei, Jiwen Cai, Yanqing Zhou, Jocelyn Lui
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Patent number: 9286616Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements with a media program transmitted to a user device are described. The method permits the user to control the presentation of advertisements. In one embodiment, the method receives an identification of the media program to be sent to the user device, transmits metadata defining an advertising break having at least one advertisement opportunity within the media program, at the advertisement opportunity, transmits advertising control options, receives a user selection for the advertising control options, sends the advertisement to the user device according to the user selection for the advertising control options, receives advertising viewing data describing the streaming of the advertisement to the user device, and stores the advertisement viewing data.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2011Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: HULU, LLCInventors: Jason A. Kilar, Brian Soebekti, Thomas C. Tate, Wing Chit Mak, Richard W. Tom, Eric I. Feng, Hua Zheng, Jean-Paul Colaco, Xin Jin
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Patent number: 9202224Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements with a media program transmitted to a user device are described. The method permits the user to manage the provision of user information such as surveys and advertisement feedback to the media program provider to improve the advertising experience.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2011Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: HULU, LLCInventors: Jason A. Kilar, Jessica Page Ivy, Wing Chit Mak, Richard W. Tom, Robert Masao Wong, Bryon Edward Schafer, Hua Zheng, Jean-Paul Colaco, Brian Soebekti
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Patent number: 9066145Abstract: Commenting tied to user-selected times during play of audio/video content is enabled by a computer system. An apparatus detects a time that input of user comment data is received during playback of audio/video content on an electronic display device. The apparatus determines a temporal point relative to the playback of the audio/video content correlated to the user comment data, based on the time. The apparatus transmits the user comment data correlated to identifiers for the audio-video content and the temporal point to a computer server. The server may configure the video data for publishing on a website so that the comment data is displayed for a limited period based on the temporal point. Users may thereby conveniently record audio or textual comments that are output during subsequent play of the audio/video content, for sharing with friends and others.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2012Date of Patent: June 23, 2015Assignee: HULU, LLCInventors: Jason A. Kilar, Betina J. Chan-Martin, Bradley J. Suter, Gavin F. Hewitt, Damon A. Young, Arash Nikkar, Arthur Switalski, Richard W. Tom, Haisheng Wu, Yingan Wang, Eugene Wei
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Patent number: 8997150Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements with a media program transmitted to a user device are described. The method permits the user to interrupt the playback of the advertisement and continue with the playback of the media program with no further advertisements, or to interrupt the playback of the advertisement to substitute a different version of the advertisement.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2011Date of Patent: March 31, 2015Assignee: Hulu, LLCInventors: Jason A. Kilar, Jessica Page Ivy, Wing Chit Mak, Richard W. Tom, Robert Masao Wong, Bryon Edward Schafer, Hua Zheng, Jean-Paul Colaco, Brian Soebekti
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Patent number: 8966520Abstract: Configuration of advertisements in a streaming video segment works in cooperation with a client device. Using a selection algorithm, a server selects a first number of default video advertisements for a video streaming session, and a second number of alternative video ads greater than the first number. The server provides identifiers for the alternative video advertisements and transmits the identifiers to the client device prior to a corresponding ad break in the streaming video. During or before streaming of one of the default video advertisements to the client device, the server detects a signal from the client device requesting that one of the alternative video advertisements be swapped for the one of the default video advertisements, interrupts streaming of the default video, and initiates streaming of the one of the alternative video advertisements, in response to detecting the signal. Corresponding operations may be performed by the client device.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2012Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Hulu, LLCInventors: Richard W. Tom, Jason A. Kilar, Jean-Paul Colaco, Bryon E. Schafer, Wing Chit Mak
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Publication number: 20140359667Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for presenting an advertisement for playback in conjunction with a streamed media program are described. The method permits the user to control advertising breaks and in particular, the timing of advertising breaks associated with the media program.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2014Publication date: December 4, 2014Inventors: Jason A. Kilar, Jean-Paul Colaco, Richard W. Tom, Jessica Page Ivy
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Patent number: 8850471Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for presenting an advertisement for playback in conjunction with a streamed media program are described. The method permits the user to control advertising breaks and in particular, the timing of advertising breaks associated with the media program.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2011Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Hulu, LLCInventors: Jason A. Kilar, Jean-Paul Colaco, Richard W. Tom, Jessica P. Ivy
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Patent number: 8756184Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, article of manufacture, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to predict and utilize a user's attributes. A sample user behavior and a sample user attribute are collected. A model is trained based on the sample user behavior and sample user attribute. Using the model, a probability of a predicted user attribute based on the sample user behavior is predicted. Using the model and the probability, the predicted user attribute is fuzzily determined based on a real user behavior. The predicted user attribute is used to improve a user's experience.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2010Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: Hulu, LLCInventors: Hang Li, Hua Zheng, Ting-hao Yang, Richard W. Tom, Yupeng Liao, Qi Zhang
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Patent number: 8713603Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements with a media program transmitted to a user device are described. The method permits the user to control the presentation of advertisements to select prefacing advertisements in lieu of more time consuming or more numerous intervening advertisements presented during the media program.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2011Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Hulu, LLCInventors: Jason A. Kilar, Richard W. Tom, Eric I. Feng, Hua Zheng, Jean-Paul Colaco, Xin Jin
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Patent number: 8707343Abstract: To address the requirements described above, a method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements with a media program transmitted to a user computer. The method permits the user to provide survey responses in exchange for viewing a media program with fewer advertisement, and permits the user to manage the survey responses.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2012Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: Hulu, LLCInventors: Robert Masao Wong, Richard W. Tom, Wei Eugene Chuan-Huai, Jason A. Kilar