Patents by Inventor William Michael Beals

William Michael Beals 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: 11949939
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory is coupled to a processor in a set top box. On the timing sequence set within the system, set top box data is transferred from the processor to the nonvolatile memory. Set top box system data includes user data and set top box specific data. The current data is maintained in the nonvolatile memory. The system data can be transferred to second memory by a wireless connection even when the set top box is not coupled to a power supply. The system data can then be provided from the second memory to any selected device, computer or location, such as another set top box, a diagnostic tool, a repair facility or other selected location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: DISH Network L.L.C.
    Inventor: William Michael Beals
  • Publication number: 20240061935
    Abstract: A virus scanning router may manages a local network, including routing network traffic between devices on the network and routing network traffic being sent to and from such devices via an external communication system. The virus scanning router remotely scans for viruses the files stored on one or more such devices on the network. The virus scanning router may be a device trusted by the other devices on local network to facilitate the virus scanning router reading and scanning one or more files stored on such devices for viruses. The virus scanning router also takes corrective actions such as isolating the infected device or isolating an affected network zone to which the remote device belongs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventor: William Michael Beals
  • Patent number: 11847218
    Abstract: A virus scanning router may manages a local network, including routing network traffic between devices on the network and routing network traffic being sent to and from such devices via an external communication system. The virus scanning router remotely scans for viruses the files stored on one or more such devices on the network. The virus scanning router may be a device trusted by the other devices on local network to facilitate the virus scanning router reading and scanning one or more files stored on such devices for viruses. The virus scanning router also takes corrective actions such as isolating the infected device or isolating an affected network zone to which the remote device belongs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
    Inventor: William Michael Beals
  • Patent number: 11800161
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed towards remotely generating encoding metadata at a remote content distributor for use by a local user computing device. The remote content distributor receives and encodes content. During or after the encoding process, the remote content distributor generates encoding metadata that indicates how the content was encoded by the remote content distributor. The remote content distributor provides the encoding metadata to the user computer device. The user computing device receives the content and the encoding metadata and encodes the content based on the encoding metadata. The user computing device can then provide the encoded content to another computing device for decoding and presentation to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: DISH NETWORK L.L.C.
    Inventors: William Michael Beals, Alistair Chatwin
  • Publication number: 20230319340
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory is coupled to a processor in a set top box. On the timing sequence set within the system, set top box data is transferred from the processor to the nonvolatile memory. Set top box system data includes user data and set top box specific data. The current data is maintained in the nonvolatile memory. The system data can be transferred to second memory by a wireless connection even when the set top box is not coupled to a power supply. The system data can then be provided from the second memory to any selected device, computer or location, such as another set top box, a diagnostic tool, a repair facility or other selected location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventor: William Michael BEALS
  • Publication number: 20230171620
    Abstract: Various embodiments of apparatuses, systems (e.g., a gateway device) and/or methods are described for correcting failover or latency issues of a network connection. In this disclosure, a gateway device determines whether a first connection between the gateway device and a first wide area network has a network outage. Network latency is determined for the first connection between the gateway device and the first wide area network, and such network latency is compared with a predefined threshold. In response to the network latency being above the predefined threshold or in response to determining that there is the network outage, a second wide area network is used via a computing device to create a second connection between the end devices and the second wide area network, and data is sent between the end devices using the second connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2021
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: DISH NETWORK, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Luke VANDUYN, Caroline CONDON, William Michael BEALS
  • Patent number: 11288462
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide a dual purpose press-bar and heat sink for an integrated circuit card (ICC) reader. The dual purpose press-bar and heat sink provides two functions. First, the dual purpose press-bar and heat sink conducts and dissipates internal heat generated by a high data transfer ICC inserted in to the ICC reader. Second, the dual purpose press-bar and heat sink ensures that contact pads of the high data transfer ICC create reliable electrical connections with ICC contacts of the ICC reader. As such, the dual purpose press-bar and heat sink simultaneously dissipates heat from a high data transfer ICC and ensures that a high data transfer ICC maintains proper electrical connections with ICC contacts of an ICC reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: DISH Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: William Michael Beals, Jerome A. LaPalme
  • Patent number: 11259065
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for hardware enforcement of hardware functionality in a television receiver. An activation message containing an activation code for a specific hardware component within the television receiver can be transmitted from a television service provider system to a television receiver having an associated smart card. The smart card can decrypt the activation message, security check the activation message, confirm the activation message is intended for the television receiver, encrypt the activation message with a local key, and transmit the activation message to a security processor on the television receiver. The security processor can decrypt the activation message, security check the activation message to ensure it is from the smart card and has not been tampered with, and enable the hardware component within the television receiver based on the activation code within the activation message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
    Inventors: William Michael Beals, John Hamrick
  • Patent number: 11250170
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for hardware enforcement of hardware functionality in a client television receiver. An activation message containing an activation code for a specific hardware component within the client television receiver can be transmitted from a television service provider system to a host television receiver having an associated smart card. The smart card can decrypt the activation message, identify the client television receiver as the destination of the activation message, security check the activation message, encrypt the activation message with a local key, and transmit the activation message to a security processor on the client television receiver. The security processor can decrypt the activation message, security check the activation message to ensure it is from the smart card and has not been tampered with, and enable the hardware component within the client television receiver based on the activation code within the activation message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
    Inventors: William Michael Beals, John Hamrick
  • Publication number: 20210385229
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a network gateway device (“gateway”) that provides various network management features, including a device zoning feature in which client computing devices (“client devices”) connected to the gateway are assigned to different device zones. The client devices connected to the gateway form a local area network (LAN) of the gateway, and can access an external network, e.g., Internet, using the gateway. Each of the device zones has a specific set of network access privileges. Different device zones can have different network access privileges and can provide device isolation in the LAN at different degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventor: William Michael Beals
  • Publication number: 20210352340
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed towards remotely generating encoding metadata at a remote content distributor for use by a local user computing device. The remote content distributor receives and encodes content. During or after the encoding process, the remote content distributor generates encoding metadata that indicates how the content was encoded by the remote content distributor. The remote content distributor provides the encoding metadata to the user computer device. The user computing device receives the content and the encoding metadata and encodes the content based on the encoding metadata. The user computing device can then provide the encoded content to another computing device for decoding and presentation to a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: William Michael Beals, Alistair Chatwin
  • Publication number: 20210281613
    Abstract: A method and devices that receive first data in a first format via a first interface using a first protocol; convert the first data into second data of a second format; output the second data in the second format to a second computing device via a second interface using a second protocol; receive third data in a third format via a third interface using a third protocol; convert the third data into fourth data of a fourth format; and output the fourth data in the fourth format to a third computing device via the second interface using a fourth protocol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: William Michael Beals, Nicodemus Henry Nepper, JR.
  • Patent number: 11102216
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a network gateway device (“gateway”) that provides various network management features, including a device zoning feature in which client computing devices (“client devices”) connected to the gateway are assigned to different device zones. The client devices connected to the gateway form a local area network (LAN) of the gateway, and can access an external network, e.g., Internet, using the gateway. Each of the device zones has a specific set of network access privileges. Different device zones can have different network access privileges and can provide device isolation in the LAN at different degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: DISH Network L.L.C.
    Inventor: William Michael Beals
  • Patent number: 11082726
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed towards remotely generating encoding metadata at a remote content distributor for use by a local user computing device. The remote content distributor receives and encodes content. During or after the encoding process, the remote content distributor generates encoding metadata that indicates how the content was encoded by the remote content distributor. The remote content distributor provides the encoding metadata to the user computer device. The user computing device receives the content and the encoding metadata and encodes the content based on the encoding metadata. The user computing device can then provide the encoded content to another computing device for decoding and presentation to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: DISH NETWORK L.L.C.
    Inventors: William Michael Beals, Alistair Chatwin
  • Patent number: 11070873
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed toward locally generating a replacement spot beam signal to be combined with other orbital television signals, where the replacement spot beam signal is generated from locally received over-the-air television signals. Over-the-air television signals are received at a user's premises via an over-the-air antenna and orbital signals are received at the user's premises via a satellite antenna. The orbital signals include a spot beam signal and other orbital signals. The spot beam signal is specifically generated for the geographical area associated with the over-the-air television signals. One or more available local channels are extracted from the over-the-air television signals and are converted into the replacement spot beam signal that is a satellite-compatible signal. The replacement spot beam, instead of the original spot beam signal, is then combined with the other orbital signals and provided to a content receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: DISH NETWORK L.L.C.
    Inventors: Alistair Chatwin, William Michael Beals
  • Publication number: 20210173925
    Abstract: A virus scanning router may manages a local network, including routing network traffic between devices on the network and routing network traffic being sent to and from such devices via an external communication system. The virus scanning router remotely scans for viruses the files stored on one or more such devices on the network. The virus scanning router may be a device trusted by the other devices on local network to facilitate the virus scanning router reading and scanning one or more files stored on such devices for viruses. The virus scanning router also takes corrective actions such as isolating the infected device or isolating an affected network zone to which the remote device belongs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventor: William Michael Beals
  • Patent number: 11019109
    Abstract: Non-multimedia information may be produced from devices such as alarms, appliances, automobiles, building systems, weather stations, home automation systems, and the like. A method and devices communicate non-multimedia content via a standardized network architecture. Non-multimedia data is received from a remote device with a standardized network aliasing device. The standardized network aliasing device is able to communicate on a network that conforms, for example, to a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) protocol. The non-multimedia data is formatted with the standardized network aliasing device into a standardized-format file. The standardized-format file conforms to a selected media class. The standardized-format file is exposed on the network that conforms to the DLNA protocol and communicated to a remote DLNA-enabled device that is also coupled to the network that conforms to the DLNA protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
    Inventors: William Michael Beals, Nicodemus Henry Nepper, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10970367
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for securing transmission of content from a smart card in a host television receiver to a client television receiver. The smart card can receive the encrypted content stream from the television service provider, decrypt the content stream with the global network key, identify the client television receiver as the destination of the content stream, generate a unique key specific to the content stream, encrypt the unique key with a local key known to the client television receiver, encrypt the content stream with the unique key, and transmit the encrypted content stream along with the encrypted unique key to the client television receiver. The client television receiver can then receive the encrypted content stream and the encrypted unique key, decrypt the unique key, decrypt the content stream with the unique key, and transmit the content stream to a display device of the client television receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: DISH Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: William Michael Beals, John Hamrick
  • Patent number: D949864
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: NagraStar LLC
    Inventors: William Michael Beals, Hervé Goupil
  • Patent number: RE49394
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for processing messages intended to allow the access to conditional access content and to a security module arranged for implementing this method. The method comprises the steps of receiving by a security module comprising at least one decryption module, a plurality of messages, these messages belonging to at least two different categories; assigning a different priority level to messages from each different category, one of said priority level being defined as high and another priority level, lower that the high priority level, being defined as the standard priority level; associating a value to the messages to which the standard priority level has been assigned; assigning at least one threshold value for the value associated with messages having a standard priority level; and comparing between the threshold value for a determined message and the value associated with said message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: NAGRASTAR L.L.C.
    Inventors: Jean Keomany, Daniel Golaz, Philippe Mazeau, Jean-Luc Bussy, Sébastien Erard, William Michael Beals, John D. Hamrick, Jr.