Patents Examined by Aklil Tesfaye
  • Patent number: 9584835
    Abstract: There is provided a system and method for streaming content to a plurality of devices over a network. A first stream comprising a first live feed is received from a first source, a second stream comprising a second live feed received from a second source, the first live feed synchronized with the second live feed, and a third stream comprising the synchronized first and second live feed generated and sent to each device. An interface is also presented on each device and the live feed displayed therewithin, a request signal indicative of a request for interactive content received, a control signal comprising instructions for retrieving the interactive content from the memory sent to each device, and the interface dynamically modified for causing the retrieved interactive content to be displayed concurrently with the live feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: DECISION-PLUS M.C. INC.
    Inventor: Carl Tremblay
  • Patent number: 9584846
    Abstract: A vehicle entertainment system is disclosed that includes docking cradles that can store handheld controllers, and a management terminal. The management terminal controls an electronically controlled lock apparatus of the cradles to selectively lock the handheld controllers in a stored position within the docking cradles. The management terminal may receive and display the status of which of the docking cradles store a handheld controller, and may display at least one user selectable indicia that is touch selectable by a user to control one or more of the docking cradles to lock and unlock handheld controllers stored therein. Related inductive charging circuits, theft alert circuits, and other components of the vehicle entertainment system are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Thales Avionics, Inc.
    Inventors: Brett Bleacher, Christopher K. Mondragon, Charles G. Smith, Richard J. Lopez
  • Patent number: 9554163
    Abstract: An interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to select programs for recording on a remote media server. Programs may also be recorded on a local media server. The program guide provides users with VCR-like control over programs that are played back from the media servers and over real-time cached copies of the programs. The program guide also provides users with an opportunity to designate gift recipients for whom programs may be recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Ellis, William L. Thomas, Thomas R. Lemmons
  • Patent number: 9554162
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for transreceiving signals and a method for transreceiving signals. One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for transmitting signals comprising the steps of: encoding video data; generating signaling information including video configuration metadata information, which can output the encoded video data as a plurality of video sampling formats; and multiplexing the encoded video data and the signaling information and then transmitting the multiplexed video data and the signaling information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Soojin Hwang, Jongyeul Suh
  • Patent number: 9497509
    Abstract: A system for remote user navigation of content displayed with a display device, including a screen display, is provided. A user input device may be configured to detect a user movement, including a direction and a speed. The user input device may be configured to communicate information based at least in part on the direction and the speed. The system may include a media device configured to receive communications from the user input device. The media device may be configured to process the information from the user input device and to output content to the display device in accordance with a navigation operation. The navigation operation may include moving displayed content based at least in part on the direction and the speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: EchoStar UK Holdings Limited
    Inventor: Dale Llewelyn Mountain
  • Patent number: 9473744
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a user input back channel (UIBC) in an audio/video (AV) source device and an AV sink device communicating according to a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) display (WFD) standard is provided. The method includes: setting up an AV control session and an AV data session between the AV source devices according to the WFD standards; enabling the UIBC from the AV sink device to the AV source device by using the AV control session; and transmitting a user input from the AV sink device to the AV source device through the UIBC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae-min Lee, Il-ju Na
  • Patent number: 9462324
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for delivering targeted advertising data over a network including but not limited to a first video server processor interface for sending data for rotating one of the set of follow-on advertisements off of the on-screen picture in picture queue display to an off-screen storage; and a second video server processor interface for sending data rotating another one of the follow-on advertisements from the off-screen storage to the on screen picture in picture queue display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Roland Noll, Jeffrey G Weber, Scott Alan Pettit, Mary Catherine McCarthy
  • Patent number: 9450690
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a plurality of automated monitoring and control system modules (automated monitoring and control system module) are individually connected to respective receiving devices via the audio and video output ports of each respective receiving device. Each automated monitoring and control system module may be configured to receive a testing program from a centralized monitoring system for the receiving device based on identification data of the receiving device and execute the received testing program for the receiving device. Each automated monitoring and control system module is connected to the centralized monitoring system over a local area network (LAN) or the Internet in order to send testing results, diagnostic data and captured video and audio data for further processing by the centralized monitoring system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Kenneth Jones, Rodney Davis, Robert Wallen
  • Patent number: 9438950
    Abstract: Electronic program guides in which program listings may be graphically presented and in which sponsors and celebrities of those programs may be identified are provided. The electronic programs guides may be passive television program guides, interactive television program guides, and/or on-line television program guides. Television show text information, logos and/or trademarks, celebrity images, affiliation indicators, and advertisements may be present in the program listings to enhance the electronic program guides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventor: M. Scott Reichardt
  • Patent number: 9402105
    Abstract: A method that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, capturing from a plurality of media sources information describing a plurality of media content offered at the plurality of media sources, generating a plurality of exemplars of the plurality of media content offered at the plurality of media sources based on the information captured from the plurality of media sources, presenting the plurality of exemplars at a display, receiving a selection of a first exemplar of the plurality of exemplars, and presenting a portion of first media content associated with a first media source of the plurality of media sources associated with the first exemplar based on the information captured from the plurality of media sources responsive to the selection of the first exemplar. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: James Pratt, Keith Crowe, Marc Sullivan
  • Patent number: 9357276
    Abstract: A TTS preparation processing section attaches a time stamp to each of packets in an MPEG-2 TS (Transport Stream) to convert the MPEG-2 TS into an MPEG-2 TTS (Time-stamped Transport Stream). A grouping section collects a predetermined number of packets in the MPEG-2 TTS to form a group. A null packet removal section removes null packets from the group. A transmitting section shifts the MPEG-2 TTS packets in the group, from which the null packet has been removed, frontward to convert the MPEG-2 TTS packets into an RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) packet and transmits the RTP packet to a communication line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: NTT ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiromi Fujita, Hidenori Nagayama
  • Patent number: 9319726
    Abstract: Systems and/or methods are disclosed herein to identify a user interacting with a content presentation system, adaptively learn, in a passive manner, a user's pattern of accessing content over time, and globally store the user's identifying and use information. Specifically, systems and/or methods for creating a preferred channel list, including determining an identity of a user interacting with a content presentation system, collecting channel use information for each of a plurality of channels from the user's interaction with the content presentation system, storing the channel use information, determining a value for each of the plural channels as a function of the channel use information, and creating a preferred channel list for the plural channels as a function of the determined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Imagine Communications Corp.
    Inventors: Edward R. Beadle, John L. DeLay
  • Patent number: 9288524
    Abstract: A wireless device such as an Android-based smart phone or tablet computer can establish a VPN connection with an Android-based TV to cause the TV to run an application and provide graphics from the wireless device and be controlled from the wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Ly-Kao Nhiayi
  • Patent number: 9277171
    Abstract: An electronic device includes: a digital signal transmission/reception unit configured to perform two-way transmission of a digital signal using multiple differential signal lanes prepared at a transmission path with an external device; a transmission path arrangement determining unit configured to determine a transmission path arrangement including the number of use lanes, a use lane number, and a transmission direction by performing communication with the external device using a two-way communication line prepared at the transmission path with the external device; and a transmission path arrangement control unit configured to control the arrangement of the digital signal transmission/reception unit based on the information of the transmission path arrangement determined at the transmission path arrangement determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuaki Toba, Gen Ichimura, Kazuyoshi Suzuki, Toshihide Hayashi, Hideyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9271055
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for variable video degradation counter-measures. A system configured according to this disclosure transmits a video communication over a network, detects the video quality degradation of the video communication, selects an appropriate counter-measure based at least in part on the particular type of degradation encountered, and implements the appropriate counter-measure. If multiple transmission paths are available in the system, either completely or partially disjoint, the paths can be evaluated based on ability to deliver video traffic. Throughout the transmission the system continues measuring and monitoring the video quality in real-time. The system can also accurately respond to the type and degree of the degradation by matching the type and degree of degradation to a table containing corresponding counter-measures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventor: Bengi Karacali-Akyamac
  • Patent number: 9264670
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a user input back channel (UIBC) in an audio/video (AV) source device and an AV sink device communicating according to a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) display (WFD) standard is provided. The method includes: setting up an AV control session and an AV data session between the AV source devices according to the WFD standards; enabling the UIBC from the AV sink device to the AV source device by using the AV control session; and transmitting a user input from the AV sink device to the AV source device through the UIBC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae-min Lee, Il-ju Na
  • Patent number: 9247310
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for up-converting a downstream set-top box control signal to a frequency that is above a cable television system upstream communications band. The downstream set-top box control signal is down-converted to a frequency in a set-top box control band and injected into a set-top box communications pathway. The downstream set-top box control signal may be up-converted from baseband or from the set-top box control band to a frequency in cable television system downstream communications band and transmitted on a DOCSIS RF channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Cisco Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John T. Chapman, Mark A. Palazzo
  • Patent number: 9237308
    Abstract: A method and system may include sending a non-linear content signal to cause display of non-linear content at a display device, identifying a termination identifier associated with display of the non-linear content, and sending a graphical user interface signal to cause display of a graphical user interface that includes a current location field and a previous location field. The system and method may further include receiving a selection request selecting one of the current location field and the previous location field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Hannah Y Moon, D. Beau Morley
  • Patent number: 9237381
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for inserting local content of interest in an all digital content delivery network. In one embodiment, the content delivery network comprises a cable television or satellite network, and an RF channel thereof is separated or isolated from an incoming multiplex of all-digital content transmission. The separated RF channel is demodulated to provide a multiplexed transport stream, and packets corresponding to one or more programs from the transport stream are replaced with packets obtained from local compression and encoding of analog programming such as e.g., personal, educational and government (PEG) programming. The inserted programming may also contain closed captioning and emergency data alerts. The resulting encoded transport stream is then re-inserted into the multiplex, modulated, and put back onto the RF channel. In an alternate embodiment, space is reserved within the downstream multiplex so as to avoid having to remove an existing program stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: TIME WARNER CABLE ENTERPRISES LLC
    Inventors: Scott W. Ramsdell, Glen Hardin
  • Patent number: 9225926
    Abstract: Methods and computer-readable media are provided for presenting program guide information using a mosaic of video sources broadcast in a television services system. An application program executed on a television services set-top box generates a matrix of still images representing multiple video sources presently being broadcast in the television services system. The matrix of still images is presented as a video mosaic representing current program guide information in the television services system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Cox Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Francisco Gonzalez