Patents Represented by Attorney Ference & Associates LLP
  • Patent number: 7970256
    Abstract: A medium having a plurality of data blocks stored therein is disclosed. The medium can be a DVD. The plurality of data blocks can be viewed by playing the medium in a medium player. The medium player can be a DVD player. A first instruction set instructs the medium player to play the plurality of data blocks of the medium in a pre-determined sequence. Further, a second instruction set instructs the medium player to play the plurality of data blocks of the medium in response to user commands that determine the order for playing the plurality of data blocks of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Haussmann, Colette Moore, Benn Carr
  • Patent number: 7908324
    Abstract: A system and method for initiating communication in real-time between two users in a multi-user communication environment. To limit the receipt of unwanted messages, a unique code is provided to a first user and transmitted by the first user to a second user outside of the multi-user communication environment. The second user may then initiate real-time communication with the first user after the code is authenticated in the multi-user communication environment. To ensure secure and comprehensible communications, at least one word may be selected from a first menu having a plurality of words to enable a second menu comprising a plurality of words. A string is formed by selecting at least one of a word from the second menu which string may then be communicated to at least one of a user or a program in the multi-user communication environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Shochet, Darren Ranalli, Jesse Schell
  • Patent number: 7817093
    Abstract: An apparatus has an antenna distance setting mechanism that sets a distance between a cosmetic cover and a radio antenna. An upper housing and a radio antenna, which has a ground and a radiating element and is movably attached to the upper housing, are covered by a cosmetic cover formed of a dielectric material. An antenna distance setting mechanism includes a radio antenna supporting member, elastic members, and protrusions. The radio antenna-supporting member is movably attached to the upper housing. When the cosmetic cover is attached to the upper housing, an inner wall of the cosmetic cover pushes the ends of the protrusions against an elastic force of the elastic members to set the distance between the radiating element and the inner wall of the cosmetic cover to a predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Agata, Mitsuo Horiuchi, Hirohide Komiyama, Shigeki Mori, Tetsuya Ohtani, Osamu Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7437289
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for the rapid adaptation of classification systems using small amounts of adaptation data. Improvements in classification accuracy are attainable when conditions similar to those that present in adaptation are observed. The attendant methods and apparatus are suitable for a wide variety of different classification schemes, including, e.g., speaker identification and speaker verification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Upendra V. Chaudhari, Stephane H. Maes, Jiri Navratil
  • Patent number: 7295615
    Abstract: It is one object of the present invention to provide a method and system for embedding an electronic watermark directly in an MPEG stream. An intra-macroblock of an I-frame or of a P or B-frame is detected in an MPEG stream, and following the detection of an intra-macroblock of the I-frame or of the P or B-frame, data for one macroblock are extracted from the MPEG stream and buffered. An embedding pattern is embedded in the buffered macroblock without changing the length of VLC, and the resultant macroblock is returned to the MPEG stream. More specifically, a DC factor is extracted from the buffered macroblock, and a pseudorandom number is generated to produce an embedding pattern. Then, whether the bit length of the DC factor will not be changed by embedding the obtained embedded pattern is determined. When the bit length of the DC factor not be changed, the embedding pattern is embedded in the buffered macroblock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Kamijo, Shuichi Shimizu, Norishige Morimoto