Patents by Inventor Wendell Blackman

Wendell Blackman 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).

  • Signal degradation detection
    Patent number: 8824989
    Abstract: Implementations are directed to predicting signal degradation at receivers used to display a programming service. The receivers capture signal strength data that is then transmitted to a processing location, which may be associated with a provider of the programming service. A signal degradation detector at the provider operates to predict whether or not a future unacceptable signal quality will occur within a time interval. The prediction may be based on a test quantity calculated from signals captured at the receiver and based on a figure of merit for the geographic locale in which the receiver is located. A maintenance call may be initiated for those receivers that have such a poor signal quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Robert J.V. Jackson, Tianhua Zhang, Moutaz Elkaissi, Hao Nguyen, Jorge Sotelo, Wendell Blackman, Greg Goldey
  • Signal degradation detection
    Patent number: 8364107
    Abstract: Implementations are directed to predicting signal degradation at receivers used to display a programming service. The receivers capture signal strength data that is then transmitted to a processing location, which may be associated with a provider of the programming service. A signal degradation detector at the provider operates to predict whether or not a future unacceptable signal quality will occur within a time interval. The prediction may be based on a test quantity calculated from signals captured at the receiver and based on a figure of merit for the geographic locale in which the receiver is located. A maintenance call may be initiated for those receivers that have such a poor signal quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Robert J. V. Jackson, Tianhua Zhang, Moutaz Elkaissi, Hao Nguyen, Jorge Sotelo, Wendell Blackman, Greg Goldey
  • Signal Degradation Detection
    Publication number: 20110319043
    Abstract: Implementations are directed to predicting signal degradation at receivers used to display a programming service. The receivers capture signal strength data that is then transmitted to a processing location, which may be associated with a provider of the programming service. A signal degradation detector at the provider operates to predict whether or not a future unacceptable signal quality will occur within a time interval. The prediction may be based on a test quantity calculated from signals captured at the receiver and based on a figure of merit for the geographic locale in which the receiver is located. A maintenance call may be initiated for those receivers that have such a poor signal quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Robert J.V. Jackson, Tianhua Zhang, Moutaz Elkaissi, Hao Nguyen, Jorge Sotelo, Wendell Blackman, Greg Goldey
  • Method and apparatus to display graphically recording timer conflicts
    Patent number: 7558469
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for displaying conflicts between two or more recording timers. These conflicts are displayed graphically for the user to resolve. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel L. Rudolph, Daniel J. Minnick, David A. Kummer, Wendell Blackman, Brent Tinker