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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Publication number: 20140053187Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2013Publication date: February 20, 2014Applicant: Hulu, LLCInventors: Richard W. Tom, Eric I. Feng, Hua Zheng, Jean-Paul Colaco, Adam W. Miller
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Publication number: 20130325879Abstract: A method and apparatus for recommending a media program of a set of media programs to a user of a set of users is disclosed. The method and apparatus computes a measure wij of the implied similarity of a first media program (i) and a second media program (j) that corrects for the popularity of the media programs, thus resulting in a more accurate indication of the relatedness of the media programs.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2013Publication date: December 5, 2013Applicant: Hulu, LLCInventors: Xuan Wei, Hang Li, Hua Zheng, Ting-hao Yang, Richard W. Tom
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Patent number: 8578408Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements into a streamed media program is disclosed. One embodiment comprises a user computer for accepting user input, the user input directly defining user preferences regarding the presentation of the advertisements in the streamed media program and for inserting advertisements in the streamed media program according to the defined user preferences; and a media program provider communicatively coupled to the user computer, for transmitting the streamed media program to the user computer for presentation to the user on a display communicatively coupled to the user computer.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2009Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: Hulu, LLCInventors: Richard W. Tom, Eric I. Feng, Hua Zheng, Jean-Paul Colaco, Adam W. Miller
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Patent number: 8533066Abstract: A method and apparatus for recommending a media program of a set of media programs to a user of a set of users is disclosed. The method and apparatus computes a measure wij of the implied similarity of a first media program (i) and a second media program (j) that corrects for the popularity of the media programs, thus resulting in a more accurate indication of the relatedness of the media programs.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2010Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Hulu, LLCInventors: Xuan Wei, Hang Li, Hua Zheng, Ting-hao Yang, Richard W. Tom
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Publication number: 20130086607Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2012Publication date: April 4, 2013Applicant: HULU LLCInventors: Richard W. TOM, Jason A. KILAR, Jean-Paul COLACO, Bryon E. SCHAFER, Wing Chit MAK
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Publication number: 20130004138Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2012Publication date: January 3, 2013Applicant: 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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Publication number: 20120110618Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2011Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: 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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Publication number: 20120110615Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2011Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: HULU LLCInventors: JASON A. KILAR, JESSICA P. IVY, WING CHIT MAK, RICHARD W. TOM, ROBERT M. WONG, BRYON E. SCHAFER, HUA ZHENG, JEAN-PAUL COLACO, BRIAN SOEBEKTI
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Publication number: 20120110619Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2011Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: HULU LLCInventors: JASON A. KILAR, JESSICA P. IVY, WING CHIT MAK, RICHARD W. TOM, ROBERT M. WONG, BRYON E. SCHAFER, HUA ZHENG, JEAN-PAUL COLACO, BRIAN SOEBEKTI
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Publication number: 20120110616Abstract: 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: September 27, 2011Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: HULU LLCInventors: JASON A. KILAR, JEAN-PAUL COLACO, RICHARD W. TOM, JESSICA P. IVY
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Publication number: 20120110620Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2011Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: HULU LLCInventors: JASON A. KILAR, RICHARD W. TOM, ERIC I. FENG, HUA ZHENG, JEAN-PAUL COLACO, XIN JIN
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Publication number: 20120096086Abstract: A method and apparatus for recommending a media program of a set of media programs to a user of a set of users is disclosed. The method and apparatus computes a measure wij of the implied similarity of a first media program (i) and a second media program (j) that corrects for the popularity of the media programs, thus resulting in a more accurate indication of the relatedness of the media programs.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2010Publication date: April 19, 2012Applicant: HULU LLCInventors: Xuan Wei, Hang Li, Hua Zheng, Ting-hao Yang, Richard W. Tom
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Publication number: 20120072272Abstract: 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 save advertisements for later viewing.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2011Publication date: March 22, 2012Applicant: HULU LLCInventors: JASON A. KILAR, JEAN-PAUL COLACO, RICHARD W. TOM, JESSICA P. IVY
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Publication number: 20120072286Abstract: 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 access, define, edit, and control a playlist of advertisements that may be played with selected media programs, a playlist of media programs, or all media programs played to the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2011Publication date: March 22, 2012Applicant: HULU LLCInventors: JASON A. KILAR, JEAN-PAUL COLACO, RICHARD W. TOM, JESSICA P. IVY
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Publication number: 20110131166Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2010Publication date: June 2, 2011Applicant: HULU LLCInventors: Hang Li, Hua Zheng, Ting-hao Yang, Richard W. Tom, Yupeng Liao, Qi Zhang
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Patent number: 7613751Abstract: A well-known transactions feature in data replication that takes the “last seen” transaction watermark, stores the watermark for each source in a topology, and tags each transaction with information associated with its origin. The tagged data is called Originator Information, and contains, but is not limited to, information on the originating server, originating database, and the originating transaction. This technology provides users with a method to scale out (keep more than two nodes in synchronism with updates at all nodes), increase availability of data during limited network failures (multiple replication pathways), and improve recovery strategies (redeliver transactions upon restore).Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2006Date of Patent: November 3, 2009Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Richard W. Tom, Kaushik Choudhury, Qun Guo
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Publication number: 20090228920Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements into a streamed media program is disclosed. One embodiment comprises a user computer for accepting user input, the user input directly defining user preferences regarding the presentation of the advertisements in the streamed media program and for inserting advertisements in the streamed media program according to the defined user preferences; and a media program provider communicatively coupled to the user computer, for transmitting the streamed media program to the user computer for presentation to the user on a display communicatively coupled to the user computer.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2009Publication date: September 10, 2009Applicant: HULU LLCInventors: Richard W. Tom, Eric Feng, Zheng Hua, Jean-Paul Colaco, Adam W. Miller
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Publication number: 20090083732Abstract: Creating a distributed application includes selecting a group of components from a list of components available on a remote server cluster. Data required to install the selected components is received from the remote server cluster. A list of instructions is created in response to the received data. The list of instructions is then stored. The list of instructions is processed to extract the data required to install the selected components. The data required to install the selected components is transmitted to the remote server cluster to enable installation of the components on the remote server cluster.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2007Publication date: March 26, 2009Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Albert C.S. Shen, Christopher J. Beiter, Richard W. Tom, Ravikumar B. Gopinath, Brian C. Blomquist, MadhaviLatha Kaniganti, David Chiu
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Patent number: 7143123Abstract: A well-known transactions feature in data replication that takes the “last seen” transaction watermark, stores the watermark for each source in a topology, and tags each transaction with information associated with its origin. The tagged data is called Originator Information, and contains, but is not limited to, information on the originating server, originating database, and the originating transaction. This technology provides users with a method to scale out (keep more than two nodes in synchronism with updates at all nodes), increase availability of data during limited network failures (multiple replication pathways), and improve recovery strategies (redeliver transactions upon restore).Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2004Date of Patent: November 28, 2006Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Richard W. Tom, Kaushik Choudhury, Qun Guo