Patents by Inventor Scott W. SMEREKA
Scott W. SMEREKA 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: 9947027Abstract: A system is disclosed for inserting stored advertising content into broadcast content being played over an audio system. The system may have a smartphone in wireless communication with the audio system which runs an application relating to a specific broadcast station that is broadcasting the broadcast content. The audio system may have a processing system for detecting breaks in program content that forms part of the broadcast content. The audio system may further be configured to obtain predetermined advertisements and to play back the predetermined advertisements over the audio system during each break in the program content, in place of advertisements contained in the broadcast content.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2013Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: MYINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventors: Scott W. Smereka, Donald J. Ebben, Jacob R. Sigal
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Patent number: 9864644Abstract: An application programming interface (API) is disclosed for interfacing a vehicle electronic component with a smartphone, wherein the vehicle electronic component and the smartphone each make use of a short range wireless transceiver for wirelessly communicating with the other, and wherein the smartphone includes an application running thereon. The API has an interconnect API disposed in the electronic component. The interconnect API also has a software library of command and function definitions that are able to be implemented by the API. A connect library is also used which resides within the smartphone and which is configured to communicate with the application running on the smartphone. The interconnect API and the connect library cooperatively operate as a translation mechanism to implement a plurality of functionalities when communicating with the application, according to the electronic device's capabilities.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2015Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: Livio, Inc.Inventors: Massimo Baldini, Andrew T. Lenox, Jacob R. Sigal, Philip J. Danne, Scott W. Smereka, Joey R. Grover
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Patent number: 9544716Abstract: A system and method for enabling access to premium content, obtained via a smartphone, to be controlled by using a vehicle as a “key” to unlock the premium content. In one implementation the user of the vehicle uses her/his smartphone to establish a wireless link with the vehicle's radio system. The vehicle's radio system supplies a unique radio identifier to the smartphone, which the smartphone forwards to a remote authorization server. The authorization server determines from an internal database if the radio identifier is permitted access to any premium content. If so the authorization server forwards a code or command to the smartphone that the smartphone uses when accessing a web-based or cloud-based content provider, which enables the user to receive premium content form the content provider.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2013Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: Myine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Scott W. Smereka, Donald J. Ebben, Jacob R. Sigal
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Patent number: 9397770Abstract: A system is disclosed for providing supplemental information to a user receiving a broadcast of audio information. A radio system is used for wirelessly receiving broadcast content. The broadcast content may be provided with a signal component indicating that supplemental information is available for the broadcast content. A smartphone is in communication with the radio system. The radio system and the smartphone communicate to enable supplemental information from the smartphone to be presented to the user, upon a user selection, while the radio system buffers the broadcast content for playback after the supplemental information has concluded.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2013Date of Patent: July 19, 2016Assignee: MYINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventors: Scott W. Smereka, Donald J. Ebben, Jacob R. Sigal
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Patent number: 9307410Abstract: A method is disclosed which involves using an identifier which may be stored in an electronic component of a vehicle. A short range, wireless protocol connectivity system of the vehicle may establish a wireless link with a personal electronic device (PED) of a user when the user enters the vehicle with the PED powered on. The link may be used to automatically transmit the identifier to the PED. The PED then transmits the identifier to a remote authorization source which checks if the identifier is valid and, if so, sends an unlock code back to the PED. The PED uses the unlock code to unlock an application on the PED which enables access to the remote content source.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2014Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: MYINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventors: Scott W. Smereka, Donald J. Ebben, Jacob R. Sigal
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Patent number: 9305308Abstract: A system is disclosed for providing advertising (AD) content to a radio system of a vehicle. A smartphone may have a stored application thereon related to a specific broadcast station. A utility application may be associated with the radio system (RS) and used to inform the smartphone when the RS is tuned to the specific broadcast station. The RS may have a processor for detecting a start maker and a stop marker in a broadcast signal being received from the specific broadcast station, and to inform the smartphone when the start marker is detected. The start marker and the stop marker define a time interval where at least one advertisement is present in the broadcast signal. The smartphone may provide AD content to the RS which is inserted for playback during the time interval.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2013Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: MYINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventors: Scott W. Smereka, Donald J. Ebben, Jacob R. Sigal
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Patent number: 9197335Abstract: A system is disclosed for inserting selected content into a signal being broadcast by a broadcast station, and being received by a vehicle radio system. A vehicle radio system may be incorporated which has a processing system. A personal electronic device (PED) able to be carried by a user is also used. The PED may supply selected content to the processing system. The processing system may detect a first signal in the received broadcast signal that indicates a commercial break period of predetermined duration is to begin, and a second signal in the received broadcast signal that indicates that the commercial break period is to end. The processing system may obtain the selected content from the PED and insert the obtained, selected content into the broadcast signal for seamless playback through the vehicle radio system during the commercial break period.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2013Date of Patent: November 24, 2015Assignee: MYINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventors: Scott W. Smereka, Donald J. Ebben, Jacob R. Sigal
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Publication number: 20150319558Abstract: A system and method for enabling access to premium content, obtained via a smartphone, to be controlled by using a vehicle as a “key” to unlock the premium content. In one implementation the user of the vehicle uses her/his smartphone to establish a wireless link with the vehicle's radio system. The vehicle's radio system supplies a unique radio identifier to the smartphone, which the smartphone forwards to a remote authorization server. The authorization server determines from an internal database if the radio identifier is permitted access to any premium content. If so the authorization server forwards a code or command to the smartphone that the smartphone uses when accessing a web-based or cloud-based content provider, which enables the user to receive premium content form the content provider.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2013Publication date: November 5, 2015Inventors: Scott W. SMEREKA, Donald J. EBBEN, Jacob R. SIGAL
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Publication number: 20150302480Abstract: A system is disclosed for inserting stored advertising content into broadcast content being played over an audio system. The system may have a smartphone in wireless communication with the audio system which runs an application relating to a specific broadcast station that is broadcasting the broadcast content. The audio system may have a processing system for detecting breaks in program content that forms part of the broadcast content. The audio system may further be configured to obtain predetermined advertisements and to play back the predetermined advertisements over the audio system during each break in the program content, in place of advertisements contained in the broadcast content.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2013Publication date: October 22, 2015Inventors: Scott W. SMEREKA, Donald J. EBBEN, Jacob R. SIGAL
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Publication number: 20150295666Abstract: A system is disclosed for providing supplemental information to a user receiving a broadcast of audio information. A radio system is used for wirelessly receiving broadcast content. The broadcast content may be provided with a signal component indicating that supplemental information is available for the broadcast content. A smartphone is in communication with the radio system. The radio system and the smartphone communicate to enable supplemental information from the smartphone to be presented to the user, upon a user selection, while the radio system buffers the broadcast content for playback after the supplemental information has concluded.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2013Publication date: October 15, 2015Applicant: MYINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventors: Scott W. Smereka, Donald J. Ebben, Jacob R. Sigal
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Publication number: 20150286509Abstract: An application programming interface (API) is disclosed for interfacing a vehicle electronic component with a smartphone, wherein the vehicle electronic component and the smartphone each make use of a short range wireless transceiver for wirelessly communicating with the other, and wherein the smartphone includes an application running thereon. The API has an interconnect API disposed in the electronic component. The interconnect API also has a software library of command and function definitions that are able to be implemented by the API. A connect library is also used which resides within the smartphone and which is configured to communicate with the application running on the smartphone. The interconnect API and the connect library cooperatively operate as a translation mechanism to implement a plurality of functionalities when communicating with the application, according to the electronic device's capabilities.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2015Publication date: October 8, 2015Inventors: Massimo BALDINI, Andrew T. LENOX, Jacob R. SIGAL, Philip J. DANNE, Scott W. SMEREKA, Joey R. GROVER
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Patent number: 9078088Abstract: An application programming interface (API) is disclosed for interfacing a vehicle electronic component with a smartphone, wherein the vehicle electronic component and the smartphone each make use of a short range wireless transceiver for wirelessly communicating with the other, and wherein the smartphone includes an application running thereon. The API has an interconnect API disposed in the electronic component. The interconnect API also has a software library of command and function definitions that are able to be implemented by the API. A connect library is also used which resides within the smartphone and which is configured to communicate with the application running on the smartphone. The interconnect API and the connect library cooperatively operate as a translation mechanism to implement a plurality of functionalities when communicating with the application, according to the electronic device's capabilities.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2013Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: Myine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Massimo Baldini, Andrew T. Lenox, Jacob R. Sigal, Philip J. Danne, Scott W. Smereka, Joey R. Grover
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Publication number: 20140342726Abstract: A method is disclosed which involves using an identifier which may be stored in an electronic component of a vehicle. A short range, wireless protocol connectivity system of the vehicle may establish a wireless link with a personal electronic device (PED) of a user when the user enters the vehicle with the PED powered on. The link may be used to automatically transmit the identifier to the PED. The PED then transmits the identifier to a remote authorization source which checks if the identifier is valid and, if so, sends an unlock code back to the PED. The PED uses the unlock code to unlock an application on the PED which enables access to the remote content source.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2014Publication date: November 20, 2014Applicant: MYINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventors: Scott W. SMEREKA, Donald J. EBBEN, Jacob R. SIGAL
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Publication number: 20140136330Abstract: A system is disclosed for providing advertising (AD) content to a radio system of a vehicle. A smartphone may have a stored application thereon related to a specific broadcast station. A utility application may be associated with the radio system (RS) and used to inform the smartphone when the RS is tuned to the specific broadcast station. The RS may have a processor for detecting a start maker and a stop marker in a broadcast signal being received from the specific broadcast station, and to inform the smartphone when the start marker is detected. The start marker and the stop marker define a time interval where at least one advertisement is present in the broadcast signal. The smartphone may provide AD content to the RS which is inserted for playback during the time interval.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2013Publication date: May 15, 2014Inventors: Scott W. SMEREKA, Donald J. EBBEN, Jacob R. SIGAL
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Publication number: 20140018129Abstract: An application programming interface (API) is disclosed for interfacing a vehicle electronic component with a smartphone, wherein the vehicle electronic component and the smartphone each make use of a short range wireless transceiver for wirelessly communicating with the other, and wherein the smartphone includes an application running thereon. The API has an interconnect API disposed in the electronic component. The interconnect API also has a software library of command and function definitions that are able to be implemented by the API. A connect library is also used which resides within the smartphone and which is configured to communicate with the application running on the smartphone. The interconnect API and the connect library cooperatively operate as a translation mechanism to implement a plurality of functionalities when communicating with the application, according to the electronic device's capabilities.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2013Publication date: January 16, 2014Inventors: Massimo BALDINI, Andrew T. LENOX, Jacob R. SIGAL, Philip J. DANNE, Scott W. SMEREKA, Joey R. GROVER