Patents Assigned to Sony Electronics, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11188192
    Abstract: To provide an information processing device for enabling a plurality of users to efficiently use content on the same screen. Provided is an information processing device including: a manipulation detection unit configured to detect a manipulation by a user; and a control unit configured to control display on a screen according to the detection of the manipulation detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Tsuji, Kazuma Igari, Katsuhiro Suzuki, Fumitaka Ozaki, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Allison Marlene Chaney, Julia Anne Framel
  • Patent number: 10705702
    Abstract: Provided is an information processing device for enabling a plurality of content to be efficiently used on the same screen, the information processing device including: a manipulation detection unit configured to detect a manipulation by a user; and a control unit configured to control display on a screen according to the detection of the manipulation detection unit. The control unit performs control to cause, when the manipulation detection unit detects a manipulation for bringing at least two pieces of content displayed on the screen into contact with each other under control by the control unit, the at least two pieces of content to be displayed in alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Tsuji, Kazuma Igari, Katsuhiro Suzuki, Fumitaka Ozaki, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Allison Marlene Chaney, Julia Anne Framel
  • Patent number: 10383030
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for a wireless home mesh network with a network topology visualizer is described. In one embodiment, the method may include collecting node topology information by a node of a wireless home mesh network, where the node topology information includes a list of neighbor nodes for the node. Thereafter, a communication socket is opened, and a node topology packet, including a lust of neighbor nodes, is transmitted in order to produce a global network topology map. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Xiangpeng Jing, Abhishek Patil, Anuj Bhatnagar, Aixin Liu, Djung N. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10372748
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are described for organizing audio/visual content and prefetching selected audio/visual content configured to be displayed to a user. In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses for presenting content identifies a preference corresponding to a user; detects a current display window; and prefetches at least one audio/visual content in response, in part, to the current display window and the preference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Eytchison, Dan M. Phan, Nisha Srinivasan, Ganesh B. Gopalakrishnana
  • Patent number: 10356465
    Abstract: A television demonstration method involves providing a television display and a camera; at a computer processor, receiving a video image from the camera, the computer processor capturing the video image from the camera to determine if the viewer makes a predetermined gesture; and retrieving and playing a specified video segment on the display associated with the gesture in response to determining that the viewer has made the predetermined gesture. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, SONY ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Peter Rae Shintani, Brant L. Candelore
  • Patent number: 10142562
    Abstract: The present invention includes a method and device that allows efficient mixing of multiple video images with a graphics screen while utilizing only one video buffer. The present invention partitions the sole video buffer, pre-scales the plurality of video images and inserts them into the partitioned video buffer in a predetermined range of buffer addresses. The present invention mixes the partitioned video including the pre-scaled video images with the graphics screen to produce a video display including both a video screen and a graphics screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Ted Dunn, James Amendolagine
  • Patent number: 10057641
    Abstract: Generation of secret keys is carried out in a smartcard for use by a receiver device's main processor, or alternatively, decryption processing for selectively encrypted content is carried out in the smartcard itself in order to thwart hacking and pirating of protected video content. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Brant L. Candelore
  • Patent number: 10002006
    Abstract: A computer with multiple software applications has defined for it plural software profiles for selection of one of the profiles in response to a system and/or user signal. Each profile when selected enables a respective set of applications to run on the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignees: SONY ELECTRONICS INC., SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Adrian Crisan, Fredrik Carpio
  • Patent number: 9961471
    Abstract: Techniques for personalizing audio levels, in accordance with embodiments of the present technology, provide different audio volumes to different locations in a room allowing for two of more users to enjoy the same audio content at different volumes. Differential level and delay compensation filtering based on a position of each of a plurality of speakers, the location of each user and the preferred relative audio volume of each user are utilized to produce different effective audio levels in localized regions of a room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, Steven Richman
  • Patent number: 9948517
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for discovery and notification of services are described for creating a service, discovering the service, and providing notification of the service. In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses for discovery and notification of services identifies a content provider; identifies a service wherein the service corresponds with the content provider; forms a service record within the service registry wherein the service record represents the service; and allows a content user to discover the service through the service registry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Edward Eytchison
  • Patent number: 9947367
    Abstract: A state of an application program can be stored and transferred to a remote system. The remote system attempts to recreate the original state of the application program. If the remote system is unable to do so, an image of the state of the application program is obtained, instead. Assignment of control to various functions of an application program is achieved by associating a function (i.e., modifying a parameter) with a user control at a remote location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Sukendeep Samra, Mark A. van den Bergen, Steven Hall, Jason Peterson, Stephen Dyson
  • Patent number: 9852442
    Abstract: A method an apparatus is provided for providing selected media files, which are chosen from among a plurality of media files, to a user over a packet-switched network such as the Internet. The method begins by receiving over the packet-switched network a request from the user to receive media content. Next, a user profile associated with the user is retrieved from a database. The user profile reflects user preferences in media content to be received over the packet-switched network. The plurality of media files are ranked based at least in part on the user profile. At least one highly ranked media file is selected from among the ranked plurality of media files. At least one of the highly ranked media files is forwarded to the user over the packet-switched network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Brian M. Siegel, Philip M. Abram, Marc Beckwitt, Gregory D. Gudorf, Kazuaki Iso, Brian Raymond, Christopher M. Tobin
  • Patent number: 9842350
    Abstract: A method an apparatus is provided for providing selected media files, which are chosen from among a plurality of media files, to a user over a packet-switched network such as the Internet. The method begins by receiving over the packet-switched network a request from the user to receive media content. Next, a user profile associated with the user is retrieved from a database. The user profile reflects user preferences in media content to be received over the packet-switched network. The plurality of media files are ranked based at least in part on the user profile. At least one highly ranked media file is selected from among the ranked plurality of media files. At least one of the highly ranked media files is forwarded to the user over the packet-switched network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian M. Siegel, Philip M. Abram, Marc Beckwitt, Gregory D. Gudorf, Kazuaki Iso, Brian Raymond, Christopher M. Tobin
  • Patent number: 9760893
    Abstract: A system and method for distributing reminder information in an electronic network includes an information service that is configured to provide information distribution services through said information distribution network. User devices are provided for device users to communicate with the information service for receiving the information distribution services. A transport structure communicates with network entities in the information distribution network for collecting appropriate types of metadata. A transport server then performs a metadata analysis procedure upon the various types of metadata to responsively generate the reminder information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Jacobs, Rajiv Rainier, Milton Frazier, Austin Noronha, Tim Smith, Donald L. Loughery, III
  • Patent number: 9754262
    Abstract: Particular embodiments provide recommendations based on community affiliation. In one embodiment, the method determines a query from a target user. A community in which the target user is a member is then determined. The community may include a plurality of members that have joined the community based on a common interest. User activity information is analyzed for at least a portion of the members of the community to determine a recommendation for the query. The user activity information is determined to be of interest to the target user based on the target user's membership in the community. For example, based on the user's membership in the community, recommendations as to what other members in the community liked can be correlated to the query for the target user. Thus, the recommendation may be provided to the user based on what other users in the community liked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignees: SONY ELECTRONICS INC., SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Scott Smyers, Mark Eyer
  • Patent number: 9706420
    Abstract: An embodiment is a technique to collect network and device information. A request for local information is responded to. The request is sent by a remote node in an ad hoc home mesh network. A first node listed in a local route table is queried for node information of the first node. Querying is expanded to a second node in the ad hoc home mesh network using the node information. The second node is a neighbor of the first node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Abhishek P. Patil, Xiangpeng Jing, Aixin Liu, Djung N. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9699489
    Abstract: A client TV in a home entertainment network receives and buffers an audio/video stream from a server, before playing the stream. In the case of buffer underflow, the client TV requests the server to raise the transmission rate. If this causes an ensuing buffer overflow, the client TV requests the server to reset the transmission rate or stop transmitting altogether for a short time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignees: SONY ELECTRONICS, INC., SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryuichi Iwamura
  • Patent number: 9692888
    Abstract: A network device such as a wireless network device is configured using information input from a user computer or a user telephone for a specific home network to which the device will belong. This may be accomplished by obtaining from the user account information which is sent to a configuration server that automatically sets up the device for network use without the users further direct involvement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignees: Sony Electronics Inc., Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tohru Doumuki
  • Patent number: 9681178
    Abstract: One and only instance of a video service model component (for example, an electronic program guide (EPG) model description) is executed in a home network gateway, with multiple instantiations of a view/controller module associated with the model module being generated, one for each display device seeking to simultaneously display the video service. In this way the functionality of a single video service model is shared in the network without requiring the underlying model module itself to be replicated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignees: Sony Electronics Inc., Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Stephane Lejeune
  • Patent number: 9628321
    Abstract: A receiver of network data dynamically filters packets by packet type from a network device CPU based on usage information, such as time, day, location, and feature (e.g., “video” or “application”) selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignees: Sony Electronics Inc., SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fredrik Carpio, Milton Massey Frazier, Nikolaos Georgis