Patents Examined by Kristine Kincaid
  • Patent number: 8269897
    Abstract: High-Definition Multimedia Interface Specification, Version 1.2, supports multiple video formats. Currently the HDMI sources and sinks support multiple formats through reconfiguration of the system. The present invention describes the use of a configurable ‘n’בn’ data pixel mapping matrix for video format conversion. This mapping matrix allows the mapping of any existing video format to any other existing or future video format and allows flexibility of connectivity to any transmitter or receiver. Accordingly a more user friendly implementation that provides greater flexibility for development and use of new formats in video applications is shown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Analogix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Jianbin Hao, Ning Zhu
  • Patent number: 8269900
    Abstract: A mobile studio for producing video and audio content includes a vehicle having a body mounted on a chassis. The body includes a studio chamber enclosure formed by a floor, a ceiling, spaced opposite outer side walls and spaced outer front and rear walls, and the floor includes a stage area. The mobile studio further includes at least one LED lighting assembly located in the studio chamber enclosure that is suitable for providing sufficient illumination for image capture such that a captured image is suitable for projection as a Pepper's Ghost image, at least one camera to capture an image of a subject on the stage area and generate the captured image, and a communications device to transmit the captured image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Musion IP Limited
    Inventor: Ian O'Connell
  • Patent number: 8269901
    Abstract: A digital broadcast receiver and a one-touch channel setting method are disclosed. In order to set channels, the digital broadcast receiver tunes a tuner corresponding to an applied channel setting value chosen from available channel setting values that are made from combinations of channel setting value factors by referencing a transponder list corresponding to the applied channel setting value, and sets an antenna and a tuner to correspond with the applied channel setting value in accordance with the tuning result. Thus, the antenna and tuner may be set automatically for searching channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Humax Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ho Yi, Seung-Kwan Ha, Jun-Hyung Kim
  • Patent number: 8266661
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing template-based prefix caching advantageously identifies common prefixes (i.e., initial video segments) in video titles, stores common prefixes only once in a prefix cache, and uses these common prefixes when serving requests for video content. This advantageously enables a prefix cache to scale to a large number of video titles, since the cache stores each common prefix only once. A new video title that uses an already existing prefix may be advantageously added without requiring additional storage in the prefix cache. Template-based prefix caching also advantageously reduces the bandwidth required to distribute prefixes when new titles are ingested into the system—if the required template is already available in the prefix cache, prefix-caching is enabled instantly for this title and no additional bandwidth is required to distribute the prefix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: Volker Friedrich Hilt, Markus Andreas Hofmann
  • Patent number: 8266648
    Abstract: A media guidance application is provided by which users can view program listings associated with programming that the user may access using other user equipment devices. The media guidance application, implemented on, for example, a remote system, may determine through communications with television equipment whether or not the television equipment is authorized to provide a particular package of television programming to be viewed by the user. For example, an online program guide application may determine whether or not television equipment allows a user to view particular channels and, based on that determination, proceed to determine what packages of programming the user subscribes to. A customized program guide may then be displayed based on what programming the user subscribes to on various systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: United Video Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Alan Olague, Kuan Hidalgo Archer, Christopher Strader
  • Patent number: 8266657
    Abstract: A method for effectively implementing a multi-room television system includes a digital base station that processes and combines various program sources to produce a processed stream. A communications processor then responsively transmits the processed stream as a local composite output stream to various wired and wireless display devices for flexible viewing at variable remote locations. The transmission path performance is used to determine the video encoding process, and special attention is taken to assure that all users have low-latency interactive capabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Sling Media Inc.
    Inventor: Neal Margulis
  • Patent number: 8261309
    Abstract: A mobile entertainment system includes a video system in combination with a media source. The video system and media source are housed within a housing secured within an automobile. The media source includes a storage medium upon which audio and video media content is stored for display upon the video system as desired by a user. A wireless global communication network access point is mounted within the automobile, wherein the media source includes wireless communication capabilities permitting communication with the wireless global communication network access point for retrieval of audio and video media content for display upon the video monitor. A remote library of audio and video media content is in wireless communication with the media source via the wireless access point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Audiovox Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher J. Vitito
  • Patent number: 8255965
    Abstract: A method, mobile terminal and computer program product for automatically accessing a specific URL, and a mobile terminal thereof. The method comprises outputting a broadcasting screen by receiving a broadcasting signal; when the broadcasting screen is not displayed, automatically accessing a preset specific URL; displaying a broadcasting list including one or more URL lists; selecting one or more URLs included in each item of the broadcasting list; and accessing a web site or a server of the selected URL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Kwang-Hun Choi
  • Patent number: 8250598
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for transmitting emergency messages is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set top box in communication with an interactive television network where the set top box has a controller to receive a notification signal from a network server of the interactive television network where the notification signal is associated with an emergency alert message received by the network server from an emergency alert system, determine a language for presenting the emergency alert message, select a first multicast of the emergency alert message from a group of multicasts based on the determined language where each of the group of multicasts of the emergency alert message being in a different language, transmit a request to the network server to join the first multicast of the emergency alert message, and receive the first multicast of the emergency alert message. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Leonardo Velazquez, James L. Ford, III
  • Patent number: 8245249
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to adjust signature matching results for audience measurement are disclosed. An example method to adjust a signature matching result associated with monitoring a media content presentation disclosed herein comprises obtaining a monitored signature representative of the monitored media content presentation from a monitoring device, obtaining an environmental characteristic associated with the monitored signature from the monitoring device, and adjusting the signature matching result using an adjustment value when the monitored signature is determined to match a reference signature representative of reference media content, the adjustment value selected from a plurality of adjustment values based on the matched reference signature and the environmental characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: The Nielson Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Morris Lee
  • Patent number: 8245264
    Abstract: A method of reducing the channel selection transition delay from a first media data channel to a second media data channel includes the operations of accumulating an independent media data frame and any related dependent media data frames based on a first decoder decoding at least a first portion of a second channel to form a second channel current media state, receiving a channel change request from a second decoder to change decoding to the second media channel, identifying an insertion position for a current independent frame relative to a current second channel frame set, and generating the current independent frame based on the second channel current media state corresponding to the insertion position. The dependent media data frames are used to modify the second channel current media state based on the independent media data frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Inventors: John Toebes, Wen-Hsiung Chen, Jack Cham, Ping Li
  • Patent number: 8243141
    Abstract: User occupancy is monitored within a space in which a video display of a content rendering system is viewable. The user occupancy can be monitored based on physical user attributes. At least one of audio rendering and video rendering by the content rendering system is adjusted based on the monitored user occupancy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Inventors: Hal P. Greenberger, Santiago Carvajal
  • Patent number: 8239901
    Abstract: Disclosed is a relay apparatus including a video buffer control unit that controls a video buffer according to a control instruction received by an instruction receiving unit, a threshold set by a threshold setting unit, and a timing set by a timing generation unit. The video buffer control unit controls the video buffer for each segment, according to a result of analysis by a segment interpretation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Ryota Takeshima, Hiroaki Dei, Kazunori Ozawa
  • Patent number: 8237858
    Abstract: An interpolation processing section determines a pixel value of an interpolation-target pixel by a diagonal interpolation process. An interpolation value limiting section compensates the pixel value determined by the interpolation processing section such that it becomes a value between pixel values of two adjacent pixels above and below the interpolation-target pixel. An intersection area detecting section judges whether or not the interpolation-target pixel is located in, when the horizontal axis represents a horizontal position and the vertical axis represents a pixel value, an area in proximity of a horizontal position where a curve line, representing pixel values of pixels on the scanning line above the interpolation-target pixel, and a curve line, representing pixel values of pixels on the scanning line below the interpolation-target pixel, intersects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuyuki Arimoto
  • Patent number: 8239907
    Abstract: Inserting protocol adaptation layers into access equipment to translate data over cable service interface specification services control messages to the corresponding messages in the other (multiple) heterogeneous access specification(s) includes AMTS DOCSIS-to-access protocol translation and AMTS access-to-DOCSIS protocol translation. A method of expanding DOCSIS into an alternative access network includes deploying a protocol adaptation layer in access equipment to translate DOCSIS control messages to corresponding messages for use in the alternative access network. Translating DOCSIS control messages to corresponding messages for use in the alternative access network includes AMTS DOCSIS-to-access protocol translation and AMTS access-to-DOCSIS protocol translation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Aurora Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Oleh Sniezko, Thomas Fong, Vladimir Bronstein
  • Patent number: 8230457
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention create a novel system for rating an event in a media based on the strength of the emotions viewers feel towards the event. The viewer's responses to the media can be measured and calculated via physiological sensors. The metric for rating the strength of the media is created based on the mathematical coherence of change (up or down) of all pertinent physiological responses across multiple viewers. Such rating offers an objective ability to compare the strengths of events of the media, as there is a strong correlation between high coherence of physiological responses (all viewers feel the same thing at the same time) and strong ratings of emotionality, engagement, likeability, success in the marketplace/on screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC.
    Inventors: Hans C. Lee, Timmie T. Hong, William H. Williams, Michael R. Fettiplace
  • Patent number: 8228436
    Abstract: An image synthesizing apparatus is provided. The image synthesizing apparatus includes: a key image selector, a background selector, a key processor, an image synthesizer, a frame memory, a part designator, and a writing device. In the image synthesizing apparatus, the image signal that has been selected by the key image selector is sent to the key processor, the image signal that has been processed by the key processor is sent to the writing device and written into the frame memory, and image signals read from every storage region of the frame memory are sent to the image synthesizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Sensaburo Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8230459
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a program guide providing system including: a terminal; a content providing server including a service providing section for providing programs and a related service to the terminal in response to a request from the terminal; a SIP proxy server; a program guide providing server including a communication history acquisition section for acquiring a communication history between the content providing server and the terminal, a communication history storage section, an audience situation calculation section for calculating an audience situation concerning each of the programs based on the communication history, a program guide generation section for generating a program guide in which each program is assigned an indicator based on the audience situation, and a program guide providing section for providing the program guide to the terminal; and an NGN to which the terminal, the content providing server, the SIP proxy server, and the program guide providing server are connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masato Kawada, Honggang Wang, Norio Kobota, Tomoya Oikawa
  • Patent number: 8228442
    Abstract: A digital broadcasting receiver having multiple tuners and a method of selecting a tuner in the digital broadcasting receiver. An embodiment of the present invention attempts to tune each tuner with transponder data of a satellite being connected to a digital broadcasting receiver having multiple tuners and selects one tuner to search channels according to the result of tuning. The transponder input procedure and the following tuner selection procedure can be omitted such that the tuner selection procedure can be simplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: HUMAX Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ho Yi
  • Patent number: 8225361
    Abstract: Techniques to remotely monitor and control operations performed by one or more head-ends (or servers) in an information distribution system. In one implementation, a monitor and control unit communicates with various elements (e.g., an IPG service manager and a session manager) within each head-end to receive information relating to the operations of the head-end. This information may include status and/or indications of possible error conditions relating to (1) various operations (e.g., encoding, multiplexing, and so on) performed by the head-end, and (2) the transport streams being transmitted from the head-end. The received information may then be forwarded to one or more remote devices (e.g., pagers, cellular phones, PDAs) designated to receive the information. Response messages may also be received from the remote devices and forwarded to the appropriate head-end, which may adjust its operation as indicated by commands included in the messages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Cox Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Feinberg, Eugene Gershtein, Donald F. Gordon, Yong Ho Son, Sadik Bayrakeri