Patents Represented by Attorney G. Michael Roebuck
  • Patent number: 8352980
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for sending targeted advertising data, the method including monitoring in a plurality of data communications networks, single sign on (SSO) subscriber event data from a first SSO subscriber end user device and a second SSO subscriber end user device, calculating product interest correlation scores in a plurality of advertising categories for an SSO subscriber advertising profile based on the monitoring SSO subscriber event data, selecting advertising data in at least one of the advertising categories from an advertiser database based on the SSO subscriber advertising profile, selecting a format to deliver the selected advertising data to a third SSO subscriber end user device and sending the targeted advertising data to the third SSO subscriber end user device. A system and a computer program are disclosed for performing the method. A data structure is disclosed for providing an interrelationship between a processor and data structure data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventor: Jerald Robert Howcroft
  • Patent number: 8327399
    Abstract: A system and method for delivering targeted advertising data over an internet protocol television (IPTV) network are disclosed for multicasting from an IPTV server a group of targeted advertising data to a group of end user client devices; receiving at the IPTV server from an end user client device in the group of end user client devices selection data indicating selected targeted advertising data from the group data; and unicasting from the IPTV server to the end user client device follow-on advertising data related to the selected targeted advertising data. A client device is disclosed for receiving a multicast group of targeted advertising data, selecting one of the group of targeted advertising data and receiving follow-on advertising data related to the selected advertising data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Roland Noll, Jeffrey G. Weber, Scott Alan Pettit, Mary Catherina McCarthy
  • Patent number: 8326276
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for proximity-based call management that includes sensing a proximity event between a first device associated with a first network and a second device associated with a second network, sending a first communication address for the first device from the first device to the second device over a wireless communication path between the first device and the second device, and signaling the second network from the second device to establish a conference call between the first device and the second device. A proximity based call management apparatus is disclosed including a processor coupled to a memory, a proximity sensor in data communication with the processor, a network interface in data communication with the processor, and a computer program stored in the memory for execution by the processor, the computer program comprising instructions proximity-based call management.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Jae-Sun Chin, Larry B. Pearson, Michael T. Delaney, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8312158
    Abstract: A method for transferring digital multimedia rights, the method including but not limited to receiving at a digital multimedia rights server, from a source end user device associated with a source end user, a request for a transfer of a source set of digital multimedia rights associated with the source end user; determining a destination end user associated with a destination end user device to which the digital multimedia rights will be transferred; requesting permission from the destination end user to transfer the digital multimedia rights to the destination end user device; and if the permission is received from the destination end user, canceling the source set of digital multimedia rights associated with the source end user and transferring the source set of digital multimedia rights associated with the source end user to the destination end user device. A system and computer program product are disclosed for performing the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Randolph Wohlert, Paul Van Vleck
  • Patent number: 8289994
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for transmitting data in a wireless oil field environment, the method comprising sensing a signal change rate for an input signal from an oil field apparatus; selecting a real time transmission mode when the signal change rate is less than a predetermined value; selecting a buffered data transmission mode when the signal change rate is greater than or equal to the predetermined value; and transmitting the data in the selected transmission mode from a wireless oil field environment. A system is disclosed for performing the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: vMonitor LLC
    Inventor: Raed H. Abdallah
  • Patent number: 8245263
    Abstract: A computer readable medium containing instructions that when executed by a computer configure blackout event data indicating at least one event criterion data for selecting client devices subject to the blackout event for restricted content data; configure client devices into a client device group subject to the blackout event in accordance with the event criterion data; configure at least one substitution event data table for the client device group; and send restricted content and the substitution event data table embedded in the restricted content data to each client device in the client device group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T IP I, LP
    Inventors: James T. Sofos, Lee M. Chow, David J. Piepenbrink
  • Patent number: 8239908
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for verifying an occurrence of a blackout event in a data distribution system, the system including but not limited to a processor in data communication with a computer readable medium; and computer program comprising instructions to receive restricted content data at the data distribution system; instructions to receive at the data distribution system, blackout event data indicating at least one criterion for selecting client devices subject to a blackout event for the restricted content data; instructions to place at the data distribution system, client devices into a client device group subject to the blackout event in accordance with the event data criterion; and instructions to correlate at the data distribution system, the blackout event data with the retune activity data to verify the occurrence of the blackout event in the client devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T IP I, LP
    Inventors: James T. Sofos, Lee M. Chow, David J. Piepenbrink
  • Patent number: 8213426
    Abstract: A method for multicasting targeted advertising data to end user devices is disclosed. In an illustrative embodiment the method includes but is not limited to correlating at a regional internet protocol television (IPTV) server, multicast queue data with web data from web sites visited by each of a plurality of end user devices associated with the regional IPTV server; selecting a subgroup of end user devices from the plurality of end user devices to receive targeted advertising data correlating with a member of the multicast queue data; and multicasting targeted advertising data associated with the member of the multicast queue data to the subgroup of end user devices from the regional IPTV server. A system is also disclosed for multicasting targeted advertising data to end user devices. A data structure is disclosed for storing data used by the system and method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T IP I, LP
    Inventor: Geoffrey R. Zampiello
  • Patent number: 8212883
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for performing a method of distributing video data over an electrical power line. The system includes but is not limited to a processor in data communication with a computer readable medium and a computer program comprising instructions embedded in the computer readable medium, the computer program further comprising instructions to detect first event data at a first controllable device in an internet protocol television system; instructions to send second event data over the electrical power line to a second controllable device in the internet protocol television system from the first controllable device in response to the detecting the first event data at the first controllable device; and instructions to receive video data concurrently at a first internet protocol television client device over the electrical power line from the first and second controllable devices in response to the detecting the first event data at the first controllable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T IP I, LP
    Inventors: Brian B. Wilson, Roger A. Cockrell, Steven M. Wollmershauser
  • Patent number: 8201195
    Abstract: In a particular embodiment a method is disclosed for inserting data objects into a video stream including but not limited to decomposing using a compression technique video content into a plurality of video portions, a low-quality video portion of the plurality of video portions capable of reproducing a low quality version of the video content, the other video portions capable of reproducing higher quality versions of the video content when combined with the low quality portion; sending the low-quality video portion to the subscriber terminal for storage at the subscriber terminal; and receiving from the subscriber terminal a selection request corresponding to the video content after sending the low-quality video portion to the subscriber terminal. A computer readable medium and apparatus for performing the method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventor: Brad A. Medford
  • Patent number: 8189568
    Abstract: In a particular embodiment a system and method for processing a call in a Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) network are disclosed. The method includes receiving the call associated with a private identifier (PRID) at a server, classifying a call location based on the PRID and sending the call from the server to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) with a call back number associated with the PRID. The system includes a first server interface for receiving a message containing a PRID associated with the call, a second server interface to access the data base for searching for the PRID in the data structure; a third server interface to receive an output from the database indicating whether a PRID has been found in the data structure; and a fourth server interface to send the call to a PSAP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Chaoxin Qiu, Richard L. Khan, Robert F. Dailey, Keith Joseph Allen, Geoffrey R. Zampiello
  • Patent number: 8180677
    Abstract: A computer readable medium is disclosed, containing instructions useful in performing a method for sending advertising data, the method comprising measuring user-to-user connectivity between users within a community of users; determining a plurality of highly connected users (HCUs) based on the user-to-user connectivity; and sending advertising data to selected HCUs based on a zone of influence (ZOI) for each HCU. A system useful in performing the method is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Scott White, Ian C. Schmehi, Thomas R. Sauer
  • Patent number: 8145524
    Abstract: A computer readable medium is disclosed containing computer executable instructions that when executed by a computer perform a method, the method including but not limited to receiving trick play command data at an end user device; receiving a plurality of advertising data at the end user device; correlating the plurality of advertising data with penetration data for an end user associated with the end user device; prioritizing the advertising data for the end user device based on the correlation; and presenting a portion of the advertising data on the end user device based on the prioritizing of the advertising data during execution of the trick play command data. A system is disclosed that is useful in performing the method. A data structure embedded in a computer readable medium is disclosed that contains data used by the system and method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T IP I, LP
    Inventors: James L. Cansler, Charles Scott, Scott White
  • Patent number: 8140390
    Abstract: A method is disclosed including but not limited to initiating a trick play command having a trick play duration at the end user device during replay of video data an end user device main display; presenting an advertising data item having an advertising duration during execution of the trick play command; and presenting a remaining portion of the advertising data on a picture in picture (PIP) display on the main display after expiration of the trick play duration. A system is provided for executing the method. A data structure is provided in a computer readable medium for containing data used by the system and method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: James L. Cansler, Charles Scott, Scott White
  • Patent number: 8121178
    Abstract: In a particular embodiment a VDSL repeater is disclosed. The VDSL repeater includes a first interface for receiving data from an IPTV network node; a second interface for sending data to an end user client device; and an amplifier in electrical communication with the first interface for amplifying data received on the first interface from the IPTV network node when a power supply voltage is present on the first interface, wherein the amplifier sends the amplified data received on the first interface to the second interface. In another aspect of a particular embodiment the VDSL repeater further includes a circuit that bypasses the amplifier when the power supply voltage is not present on the first interface. In another particular embodiment a method for amplifying a VDSL signal when a power supply voltage is present on the twisted pair using the power supply voltage is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventor: Jin Wang
  • Patent number: 8104059
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed including a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions to receive at an IPTV system node, advertising tokens data having advertising characteristics data and address data; instructions to filter at the IPTV system node the advertising tokens based on a correlation between the advertising characteristic data and filtering criteria data; instructions to extract from the filtered advertising tokens, address data representing at least two advertising addresses on the Internet World Wide Web; instructions to concatenate at the IPTV node the address data for the advertising addresses to form a uniform resource indicator (URI) for a resource on the Internet resource; and instructions to send advertising data from the Internet resource to an end user device through the IPTV node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Roland Noll, Mary Catherine McCarthy
  • Patent number: 8086093
    Abstract: A digital video recorder (DVR) has a memory manager to determine a particular date and a particular video program in a download schedule for which the DVR will reach a low memory condition based on the download schedule and an amount of unoccupied memory space in the DVR. The DVR outputs a display signal to indicate the particular date and the particular video program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: AT&T IP I, LP
    Inventor: Bruce E. Stuckman
  • Patent number: 8042048
    Abstract: A home automation system and method are disclosed for configuring a device state including accessing a graphical user interface (GUI) in a database at a server, sending the GUI from the server to the client device, receiving an input from the client device at the server, configuring the device state in the database at the server in accordance with the input, and sending the configured device state from the server to the client device. The client device receives a device state for configuring home automation controllable devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: ATT Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
    Inventors: Brian B. Wilson, Carlton L. Brown, Jeffrey Multach, Mark B. Hubscher
  • Patent number: 7877767
    Abstract: A method for distributing geographical restriction data in an internet protocol television (IPTV) system is disclosed. The method includes accepting at an IPTV server, a request from an IPTV client for the geographical restriction data related to geographically restricted video data, determining at the server, a plurality of geographic restriction zones for the geographically restricted video data and sending from the server to the client a message containing the restriction data related to at least one of the restriction zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
    Inventors: Richard G. Jankins, Thomas Scott Webster, Eric Cabading
  • Patent number: 7870593
    Abstract: A list of video programs downloadable via a digital subscriber line, including a presently-unavailable video program and its associated date of download availability, is presented to a user. A user selection of the video program is received. Based on the user selection, an entry is added to a download schedule to schedule downloading the video program on or after its associated date of download availability. The video program is downloaded via the digital subscriber line based on the download schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: ATT Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
    Inventors: Bruce E. Stuckman, Michael Grannan, Robert R. Bushey, Russell W. White, Benjamin A. Knott, David Patron