Patents Assigned to EchoStar Technologies
  • Publication number: 20170134470
    Abstract: An apparatus for multi-bitrate content streaming includes a receiving module configured to capture media content, a streamlet module configured to segment the media content and generate a plurality of streamlets, and an encoding module configured to generate a set of streamlets. The system includes the apparatus, wherein the set of streamlets comprises a plurality of streamlets having identical time indices and durations, and each streamlet of the set of streamlets having a unique bitrate, and wherein the encoding module comprises a master module configured to assign an encoding job to one of a plurality of host computing modules in response to an encoding job completion bid. A method includes receiving media content, segmenting the media content and generating a plurality of streamlets, and generating a set of streamlets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Applicant: Echostar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: David F. Brueck, Mark B. Hurst
  • Patent number: 9648367
    Abstract: A method for creating an announcement stream for a geographic region is provided. The method receives, at a designated computer system, characterizing metadata for a first audio/video stream; analyzes a second audio/video stream to obtain characterizing metadata for the second video stream; compares, with the computer system, the characterizing metadata for the first video stream to the characterizing metadata for the second video stream to generate offset data; and calculates timing information corresponding to segment boundaries for the second video stream using the offset data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: David A. Kummer, Steven M. Casagrande
  • Patent number: 9646615
    Abstract: A method of encoding a time-domain audio signal is presented. A device transforms the time-domain signal into a frequency-domain signal including a sequence of sample blocks, wherein each block includes a coefficient for each of multiple frequencies. The coefficients of each block are grouped into frequency bands. For each frequency band of each block, a scale factor is estimated for the band, and the energy of the band for the block is compared with the energy of the band of an adjacent sample block, wherein the blocks may be adjacent to each other in either or both of an interchannel and a temporal sense. If the ratio of the band energy for the first block to the band energy for the adjacent block is less than some value, the scale factor of the band for the first block is increased. The coefficients of the band for each block are quantized based on the resulting scale factor. The encoded audio signal is generated based on the quantized coefficients and the scale factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventor: Nandury V. Kishore
  • Patent number: 9648386
    Abstract: Methods and devices protect users from spoilers associated with programs that have been scheduled to be recorded. A content receiver receives a request to record a program and outputs data corresponding to a user interface that enables a user to indicate whether protection from spoilers is desired for the program. When the content receiver receives data indicating a channel, the content receiver determines whether a currently received program being broadcast on the channel would spoil any of the programs for which the user has requested protection from spoilers. If the content receiver determines that the currently received program is a spoiler, it outputs data corresponding to a user interface that prevents the currently received program from been seen or heard. The user interface may provide an option to view the currently received program or to view a recording of a program that would be spoiled by the currently received program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventor: Alisson Emilio Friedrich
  • Patent number: 9647318
    Abstract: A modular reconfigurable indoor antenna is disclosed. The antenna may include a bottom piece, a top piece, and a plurality of vertical members. The top piece may include an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) reception element. The plurality of vertical members may be disposed between the bottom piece and the top piece and coupled therewith. At least one of the plurality of vertical members may include a Very High Frequency (VHF) reception element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventor: Kevin P. Grundy
  • Patent number: 9641833
    Abstract: Various arrangements for monitoring and utilizing solar conjunction events are presented. An occurrence of a solar conjunction event caused by the sun being substantially aligned with the satellite antenna through which a television receiver receives signals from one or more satellites may be monitored. A prediction of a future solar conjunction event based on the monitored occurrence of the solar conjunction event may then be calculated. A second occurrence of the solar conjunction event may be monitored. It may be determined that the second occurrence of the solar conjunction event does not match the calculated prediction of the future solar conjunction event within a threshold range. One or more features of the television receiver may be disabled in response to determining that the second occurrence of the solar conjunction event does not match the calculated prediction of the future solar conjunction event within the threshold range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Echostar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Henry Gregg Martch, Edmund Petruzzelli
  • Patent number: 9635427
    Abstract: Systems and methods may provide for communication between a plurality of client devices of a broadcast system. The communication may be, for example, a recommendation of a program that is communicated from one subscriber to another subscriber or subscribers via their client devices. The communication also may be a comment regarding a program, for example, recently viewed at the client device of the one subscriber. In general, the communication may be a message from one subscriber to another subscriber or subscribers. Further, the communication may be configured to perform a function on one or more other client devices. Such a function may include, but is not limited to, setting a timer to record a program, ordering or purchasing a program or service, cancelling an ordered/purchased program or service, setting or altering user preferences, controlling access to channels, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Echostar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: David Christopher St. John-Larkin, David A. Kummer, John Anthony Card, II
  • Patent number: 9635420
    Abstract: A system includes a satellite receiver and a set top box. The set top box is configured to receive signals from the satellite receiver and output a signal to a display device. The set top box detects whether at least one mobile device is near the set top box and enables a standby mode when no mobile devices are detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventor: Doug T. Hoang
  • Patent number: 9635413
    Abstract: Various arrangements are presented for reducing channel change times. A first tuner of a television receiver may tune to a decryption key transponder stream. The decryption key transponder stream may include a plurality of decryption keys for a plurality of television channels that are transmitted to the television receiver via a plurality of transponder streams. Such keys may be buffered. A second tuner of the television receiver may be tuned to a media transponder stream to receive a television channel. A buffered decryption key may be used in decoding the television channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Echostar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: David Innes, William Michael Beals, David Kummer
  • Patent number: 9633556
    Abstract: A remote receives an instruction to transmit and determines whether or not to include an acknowledgement request in the instruction based on statistics regarding receipt of acknowledgements associated with previously transmitted instructions. If so, the remote control device includes the request before transmitting. The remote control may determine whether or not to include the request in a variety of different ways in a variety of different implementations. In some implementations, the remote control may classify instructions into two or more different classifications and may treat instructions of different classifications differently. In other implementations, the remote control may treat the same instruction differently depending on the number of requested acknowledgements successfully received during a time period. In various other implementations, the remote control may perform various combinations of these approaches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventor: William R. Reams
  • Patent number: 9628838
    Abstract: Various arrangements are present for targeting content in a television distribution system. A multiregional television channel may be transmitted to television receivers. A plurality of regional television channels may also be transmitted. Each regional television channel of the plurality of regional television channels may be broadcast to geographically smaller regions than the multiregional television channel. Content among the regional television channels may vary. Data may be transmitted to the television receivers that causes the television receivers to output for presentation as a single television channel: content from the multiregional television channel and content from a regional television channel corresponding to the television receiver's location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Echostar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: David Kummer, Henry Gregg Martch
  • Patent number: 9628893
    Abstract: A headset includes at least one earpiece, at least one speaker coupled to the at least one earpiece, at least one sensor, and control circuitry. The at least one sensor, in operation, detects whether the at least one earpiece is abutting at least one ear of a person and outputs at least one sensor signal indicating whether the at least one earpiece is abutting the at least one ear of the person. The control circuitry, in operation, receives the at least one sensor signal from the at least one sensor, and causes at least one control signal to be provided to an external device responsive to detecting at least one change in a state of the at least one sensor signal from the at least one sensor. The at least one control signal is configured to cause the external device to pause or un-pause playing of content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Gerald Robert Stevens
  • Patent number: 9628845
    Abstract: A method and device for associating a remote with a component. The method and system may include receiving a control command from the remote. Upon receiving the control command, an identification signal may be transmitted to a display. The identification signal may include information for identifying the component. The remote may be associated with the component based on the identification signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventor: William Michael Beals
  • Patent number: 9628846
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for providing the user instructional information describing the operation of their television receiving device system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: David A. Kummer, Michael T. Dugan
  • Patent number: 9628286
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to systems and methods for identifying a person using a home automation system, and using data collected from a television distribution system and data collected by sensors in a home automation system to identify a person. An example method or system includes receiving television programming from a television service provider, detecting target data in the television programming associated with a virtual person, identifying characteristics of the virtual person, detecting home automation data associated with a local person, identifying characteristics of the local person, comparing the characteristics of the virtual person and the characteristics of the local person, and transmitting a portion of the target data and a portion of the home automation data to an electronic device for displaying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Echostar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Phuc H. Nguyen, Christopher William Bruhn
  • Patent number: D784295
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Echostar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventor: Luke VanDuyn
  • Patent number: D785599
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventor: Luke VanDuyn
  • Patent number: D785600
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventor: Luke VanDuyn
  • Patent number: D785601
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventor: Luke VanDuyn
  • Hub
    Patent number: D785632
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Echostar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Luke VanDuyn, Neil T. Marten