Patents Represented by Attorney Guntin Meles & Gust, PLC
  • Patent number: 8219553
    Abstract: Provided Web broadcast information is managed by annotation markers. At least one marker is received that annotates the audio and/or video information and the annotated audio and/or video information is saved in an electronically searchable file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventor: James Carlton Bedingfield, Sr.
  • Patent number: 8217732
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an apparatus having one or more controllable variable reactive elements coupled to at least one input port and at least one output port, and a voltage detector coupled to the at least one output port to provide voltage information to a controller. The controller can be adapted to generate one or more control signals responsive to the voltage information provided by the voltage detector. The one or more controllable variable reactive elements can be coupled to a circuit adapted to map the one or more control signals that are output from the controller to a signal range that is compatible with said one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Paratek Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Patent number: 8217731
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a matching network having one or more controllable variable reactive elements coupled to at least one input port and at least one output port. The one or more controllable variable reactive elements can be adapted to increase power transferred from the at least one input port to the at least one output port responsive to signals generated by a controller adapted to adjust one or more reactances within the matching network according to a mode of operation of a device detected by the controller. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Paratek Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Patent number: 8218744
    Abstract: In embodiments of the disclosed technology, a plurality of ratings of websites is received, wherein each rating is associated with a category and a rater and each rater is associated with at least one group. A selection of a category is received from the user, wherein the user is associated with at least one group. One website location (or a plurality of website locations) is provided in the category to the user based on at least one rating of the plurality of ratings provided by at least one of the raters, wherein at least one group associated with the rater and at least one the group associated with the user are the same group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Steven Belz, Larry Pearson
  • Patent number: 8213886
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a transceiver, an antenna tuner connecting the transceiver to an antenna, a power sensor adapted to acquire measurements about transmit power, a receive signal strength indicator (RSSI) adapted to acquire measurements about receive power and wherein the tuner tunes the antenna based upon the transmit and receive measurements to optimize the antenna in both the receive and transmit bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Paratek Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: Guillaume Blin
  • Patent number: 8213874
    Abstract: White space devices are unlicensed radiofrequency devices that must have certain capabilities in order to avoid harmful interference to licensed operations. In general, they must be location-aware, must be able to contact a geolocation database and may not operate without receiving a positive control signal. A number of white space devices can use a control channel to communicate with a control station. In addition to meeting the geolocation and positive control requirements given above, the control station coordinates the channels used by the white space devices so as to minimize their aggregate interference. In one embodiment, a control channel uses a separate frequency band with high availability and reliability but low throughput. Embodiments optimize channel assignments where the potential interference depends on the mutual distances between the white space devices. Potential interference reductions of 20-30 dB have been found in simulations. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Progeny LMS, LLC
    Inventor: Carson E. Agnew
  • Patent number: 8213922
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for scanning services with a multimode communication device. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device (102) having a controller (206) for managing operations of a user interface (UI) (204), and a wireless transceiver (202). The UI conveys messages to an end user and facilitates manipulating operations of the communication device. The wireless transceiver supports software defined radio (SDR) communications and communications on at least one other access technology. The controller is programmed to scan (312, 314) for services in a television (TV) spectrum and at least one among a cellular spectrum, an ultra wideband (UWB) spectrum, a WiFi spectrum and a WiMax spectrum, detect (316) one or more services, and present (318) one or more of the detected services to the end user. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventor: Michael Grannan
  • Patent number: 8209729
    Abstract: Techniques for rules-based content management are provided. Video on demand (VOD) assets are collected in a repository from a variety of sources. Each asset is uniquely identified, organized, prioritized, managed, and distributed in response to metadata associated with each asset and business rules. Assets may be individually distributed to target subscribers or grouped in collections and distributed to target subscribers in response to the business rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Debra Phillips, Brian Wilson, Lorraine Leach, Thomas Scott Webster, Michelle Mayo
  • Patent number: 8209727
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for method and apparatus for distributing signals. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communications interface (CI) (101 having a controller that manages a transceiver (102) coupled to a residential gateway (RG) (118) and one or more set top boxes (STBs) (116). The controller can be programmed to receive (202) a very high bit rate digital subscriber line (VDSL) signal, transmit (204, 208) the VDSL signal to the RG over a select one of a plurality of coaxial interfaces, and receive (210) an IP signal from the RG for distribution to the one or more STBs. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Ahmad Ansari, Vernon Reed, Pierre Costa, David Hartman
  • Patent number: 8209719
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a computing device having a controller adapted to monitor one or more activities taking place at a media content processor, and present an iconic symbol in a graphical user interface window adjusted according to the one or more activities being monitored. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventor: Scott White
  • Patent number: 8208947
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller to transmit to a media server a request for distribution of media content to one or more targeted recipients according to a user profile associated with the communication device that is stored in the media server. The format of the media content can be adjusted by the media server based at least in part on the user profile. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Mehrad Yasrebi, James Jackson
  • Patent number: 8204438
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an RF ID card reader, comprising RF ID circuitry to generate an RF ID signal, a transceiver in communication with said RF ID circuitry and an array antenna associated with said transceiver for scanning an area for at least one tag and establishing communication with at least one tag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Paratek Microwave, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay Patel, Om Gupta, Shuguang Chen, James S. Finn
  • Patent number: 8203589
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller adapted to establish communications with a voicemail system over a Public Switched Telephone Network port of the communication device, receive from the voicemail system by way of a broadband port of the communication device an invitation to switch to a video call over the broadband port, transmit a Session Initiation Protocol message to establish video communications with the voicemail system, and transmit to the voicemail system a video message to be recorded by the voicemail system as a video voicemail message. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T International Property I, LP
    Inventors: James Jackson, Anup Karnalkar, Jyotindra Shah
  • Patent number: 8201210
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set-top box (STB) having a controller to manage power distribution in the STB from power supplied by a port of a presentation device, decode audio-visual information into a presentation format, and transmit a signal to the presentation device containing decoded audio-visual information. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Ahmad C. Ansari
  • Patent number: 8199580
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a memory device having a memory cell to selectively store holes by photon and bias voltage induction as a representation of binary values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Leburton, Jeanlex Soares De Sousa, Gil De Aquino Farias, Valder Nogueira Freire
  • Patent number: 8200546
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a registration system having a controller to register a purchase of media content housed in a physical medium with one or more media sources to authorize a consumer of the purchased media content to electronically access from the one or more media sources at least a portion of media content that is similar to or a replica of the purchased media content. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Scott White, James L. Cansler, Charles Scott
  • Patent number: 8192600
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a solid-state selector having a vessel for carrying a liquid medium with one or more molecules surrounded by ions, a solid state conductive structure doped with impurities having one or more through-holes extending between two surfaces of the solid state conductive structure positioned within the liquid medium of the vessel, a voltage source coupled to the solid state conductive structure to selectively stimulate the ions surrounding the one or more molecules to pass through the one or more through-holes. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Leburton, Gregory Timp, Maria E. Gracheva, Julien Vidal
  • Patent number: 8196174
    Abstract: A set-top box device includes a processor and memory accessible to the processor. The memory includes instructions executable by the processor to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) at a television coupled to the set-top box device. The GUI includes a bread crumb trail having a selectable category. The memory also includes instructions executable by the processor to receive a signal from a remote control device associated with the set-top box device, the television, or a combination thereof, the signal indicating a selection of the selectable category of the bread crumb trail. Further, the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the GUI to display, in response to the signal, a menu including the selectable category and a peer category related to the selectable category. The menu automatically becomes navigable via directional keys at the remote control device when the menu is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: David Piepenbrink, Lee M. Chow, James T. Sofos
  • Patent number: 8194834
    Abstract: A system and method (300) are disclosed for selective call-waiting in a communication system. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device (102) having a controller (206) that manages operations of a transceiver (202) for exchanging messages in a communication system, and a user interface (UI) (204) for exchanging messages with an end user of the communication device. The controller can be programmed to establish (302) voice communications with a first party, receive (308) a caller ID associated with a call from a second party while voice communications are taking place with the first party, compare (314) the caller ID with a phonebook, and if an entry in the phonebook matches the caller ID, submit (316, 320) a notification to the end user of the communication device that identifies the call from the second party. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Larry B. Pearson
  • Patent number: 8190763
    Abstract: A method of detecting and isolating a fault includes collecting information regarding utilization of a resource of a device. The method further includes predicting the fault based on the information and modifying operation of the device in response to the fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Raghvendra Savoor, Zhi Li, Jian Li, Arvind Ramdas Mallya