Patents Examined by Hunter Lonsberry
  • Patent number: 6519769
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system for recording a viewer's television viewership habits. Sensors monitor the audio signal, synchronization signal, and video signal emanating from the television. A time coincidence channel tag is mixed with the transmitted television audio or video signal at a dwelling by a master unit. Then by matching the channel tag of the viewed channel with the channel tag, an accurate identification of the viewed channel can be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael Robert Hopple, Richard Louis Frey, Donald Thomas McGrath, Robert John Dunki-Jacobs
  • Patent number: 6507949
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an arrangement of assigning an information-category and a priority of exposure for spots or blocks of information in a digital information system comprising interfaces for data and telecommunication for round-the-clock transmission of information at places accessible to and frequented by the general public including places where television sets are placed, such that a control center has communication interfaces for coordinating and controlling display devices, with the control center being able to create and update an exposure list in real time. The exposure list contains information including how many times an information is to be exposed during a specific time period. Single spots or blocks of information to a specific information-category and a priority for exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Inventors: Joakim Jonason, Mats Dahlgren, Mats Hylin
  • Patent number: 6505347
    Abstract: A control information generating apparatus is provided which is used in broadcast systems designed to transmit audio and video signals and/or teletext signals together with video control information and program information in multiplexed form. The control information generating apparatus transmits EPG (Electronic Program Guide) information (i.e., control information) for transmission of the audio and video signals and includes a control information generating circuit and a control information outputting circuit. The control information generating circuit receives program schedule information on a program from a broadcast database to generate and output control information. The control information outputting circuit receives and output the control information to a multiplexer in which the control information and a data signal from an audio/video data transmitter are multiplexed and transmitted on a carrier wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeki Kaneko, Yoshiyasu Takeuchi, Takeshi Nagao, Hiroyoshi Ishibashi, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Ryota Tsukidate, Toru Kawaguchi, Aki Nakagawa, Tsutomu Shigesawa
  • Patent number: 6496980
    Abstract: High quality replay of a streaming multimedia video segment on demand is provided. The multimedia segment may be transmitted as a stream by a server system and received by a client system over a fixed bandwidth communications path. The client system receives a base layer of the stream, decodes the base layer and displays the decoded base layer at a first quality level. The client system stores at least a portion of the base layer in a cache. When a request for replay service for the multimedia segment is received from a user, for high quality replay, the client system may receive at least one enhancement layer of the stream corresponding to the stored portion of the base layer. The client system may then read the stored portion of the base layer from the cache, decode the stored portion of the base layer and the at least one enhancement layer, and display the decoded base and enhancement layers at a second quality level, higher than the first quality level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Rachel E. Tillman, Thomas R. Gardos, John J. Kirby, Jeff N. Kidder, Rajeeb Hazra
  • Patent number: 6446263
    Abstract: A video interface circuit reduces loading losses when a video system component, such as a television receiver, is connected to a transmission line by amplifying the video signal with a high frequency amplifier and providing positive feedback of the amplified signal to the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Multiplex Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: John B. Crosby