Patents by Inventor Alan Blount

Alan Blount has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11605107
    Abstract: A system for providing advertisements with search results in response to a search query comprises a front end and an advertisement server. The front end is configured: to receive a search query; to send a first search request to a search server and sending a first advertisement request to an advertisement server, wherein the first search request includes the search query or information based on the search query, and wherein the first advertisement request includes the search query or information based on the search query and an indication that an advertisement response is not to be provided; to receive search results from the search server; and to send at least some of the search results to the advertisement server in a second advertisement request, wherein the second advertisement request includes an indication that an advertisement response is to be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Shivakumar Venkataraman, Srdjan Petrovic, Arnar Mar Hrafnkelsson, William S. Robinson, Alan Blount, David L. Jones, Tarun Kumar Jain
  • Publication number: 20210182901
    Abstract: A system for providing advertisements with search results in response to a search query comprises a front end and an advertisement server. The front end is configured: to receive a search query; to send a first search request to a search server and sending a first advertisement request to an advertisement server, wherein the first search request includes the search query or information based on the search query, and wherein the first advertisement request includes the search query or information based on the search query and an indication that an advertisement response is not to be provided; to receive search results from the search server; and to send at least some of the search results to the advertisement server in a second advertisement request, wherein the second advertisement request includes an indication that an advertisement response is to be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Shivakumar Venkataraman, Srdjan Petrovic, Arnar Mar Hrafnkelsson, William S. Robinson, Alan Blount, David L. Jones, Tarun Kumar Jain
  • Patent number: 10049386
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium for selecting content. A method includes: receiving an initial request for content that is to be presented along with search results responsive to a search request; identifying one or more eligible content items from the candidate content items that satisfy the initial request; receiving information describing the search results; re-processing the initial request using the information including one or more of adding other eligible content items, removing one or more previously eligible content items, adjusting a quality score or a bid associated with one or more eligible content items, or re-ranking the eligible content items; conducting an auction based on ranked eligible content items; and selecting one or more content items from among the eligible content items based on the results of the auction and transmitting the selected one or more content items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Shivakumar Venkataraman, Tarun Kumar Jain, Srdjan Petrovic, Arnar Mar Hrafnkelsson, William S. Robinson, Alan Blount, David L. Jones
  • Patent number: 7562314
    Abstract: A data processing apparatus for inputting data by writing characters on a touch sensitive display screen. The data processing apparatus comprises a character recognition processor operable to generate an estimate of a character hand written by a user on the touch sensitive screen. The data processing apparatus includes a processing unit operable to receive the estimated character, and a graphics display device operable to receive the estimated character from the processing unit. The graphics display device is operable to display the estimated characters within a text input window of the display screen. The processing unit is operable in combination with the graphics display driver to display the estimated character on the display screen, substantially at a position proximate to a location to where the user has written the character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Orange SA
    Inventors: Alan Blount, Todd Pinkerton
  • Publication number: 20060148527
    Abstract: A mobile graphics display device comprises a touch sensitive display screen coupled to a touch screen processor. The touch screen processor is operable to generate first ink data representative of an input drawing action applied to the touch sensitive display screen. The device includes a graphics display and a graphics image processor operable to display images representative of at least the first ink data on the graphics display screen in combination with hand drawn images which may have already been created. A wireless communications processor is operable to communicate the first ink data from the mobile graphics display device to another graphics display device, and to receive other ink data from the other graphics display device, the other ink data being representative of other drawing action. The graphics display processor is operable to generate a representation of the other ink data with respect to the representation of the first ink data according to a common reference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2003
    Publication date: July 6, 2006
    Inventor: Alan Blount
  • Publication number: 20040223647
    Abstract: A data processing apparatus for inputting data by writing characters on a touch sensitive display screen. The data processing apparatus comprises a character recognition processor operable to generate an estimate of a character hand written by a user on the touch sensitive screen. The data processing apparatus includes a processing unit operable to receive the estimated character, and a graphics display device operable to receive the estimated character from the processing unit. The graphics display device is operable to display the estimated characters within a text input window of the display screen. The processing unit is operable in combination with the graphics display driver to display the estimated character on the display screen, substantially at a position proximate to a location to where the user has written the character.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Applicant: Orange SA
    Inventors: Alan Blount, Todd Pinkerton