Patents by Inventor Brian J. Spencer

Brian J. Spencer 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: 9704113
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for setting user preferences and/or device configuration information are disclosed. A first user device detects a local wireless network, receives, from a second user device, configuration information and/or preference information of the second user device, the second user device having functionality similar to the first user device, and updates configuration information and/or preference information of the first user device with at least a subset of the configuration information and/or preference information received from the second user device, the configuration information and/or preference information of the first user device stored at the first user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Brian J Spencer
  • Patent number: 9596603
    Abstract: Methods and systems for the distributed bulk onboarding of devices onto a Wi-Fi network are provided. A method may comprise receiving, at an onboarding device, Wi-Fi configuration information. Then, it may comprise detecting, at the onboarding device, broadcast information from a plurality of devices that may be onboarded onto the Wi-Fi network, the broadcast information indicating that one or more of the plurality of devices is an onboarding node capable of onboarding another of the plurality of devices. The method may further comprise creating instructions indicating an order in which the plurality of devices may be onboarded, and by which of the one or more onboarding nodes each of the remaining devices of the plurality shall be onboarded, and providing the Wi-Fi configuration information and at least a portion of the instructions to at least one of the onboarding nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian J. Spencer, Wayne Lee, Kenneth Swinson
  • Publication number: 20160037436
    Abstract: Methods and systems for the distributed bulk onboarding of devices onto a Wi-Fi network are provided. A method may comprise receiving, at an onboarding device, Wi-Fi configuration information. Then, it may comprise detecting, at the onboarding device, broadcast information from a plurality of devices that may be onboarded onto the Wi-Fi network, the broadcast information indicating that one or more of the plurality of devices is an onboarding node capable of onboarding another of the plurality of devices. The method may further comprise creating instructions indicating an order in which the plurality of devices may be onboarded, and by which of the one or more onboarding nodes each of the remaining devices of the plurality shall be onboarded, and providing the Wi-Fi configuration information and at least a portion of the instructions to at least one of the onboarding nodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Brian J. Spencer, Wayne Lee, Kenneth Swinson
  • Publication number: 20150339917
    Abstract: Mechanisms to trigger commands on target devices when source devices broadcast certain notifications to thereby automate common, routine, or otherwise related activities among heterogeneous devices are provided. For example, when a source device broadcasts a notification that arrives at a control device, a trigger that links the notification to a command on the target device may be defined and stored at the control device, which may then automatically invoke the command on the target device when the source device broadcasts the notification again in the future. In other use cases, the trigger and the linked command may be pushed to the broadcasting source device, which may then invoke the command on the target device when broadcasting the notification in the future, or a listener may be configured on the target device such that the target device may invoke the command in response to locally detecting the notification linked thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Deborah MESSING, Sarah GLICKFIELD, Brian J. SPENCER, Brian Douglas VOGELSANG
  • Publication number: 20150319038
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for setting user preferences and/or device configuration information are disclosed. A first user device detects a local wireless network, receives, from a second user device, configuration information and/or preference information of the second user device, the second user device having functionality similar to the first user device, and updates configuration information and/or preference information of the first user device with at least a subset of the configuration information and/or preference information received from the second user device, the configuration information and/or preference information of the first user device stored at the first user device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventor: Brian J. SPENCER
  • Patent number: 8990364
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for collaboratively presenting content that is distributed among a plurality of communication devices are disclosed. The method includes providing a control service at a player device to enable communicatively coupled controller devices to control playback of media on the player device, and creating a single play queue at the player device that includes identifiers of media content selected by the controller devices. A stream of particular media content from one of the multiple source devices is received when the particular media content is identified at a top of the single play queue, the particular media content is rendered at the player device, and the rendered media content is presented to users associated with the controller devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian J. Spencer, Steven J. Kinneberg, Todd Johnsgard
  • Publication number: 20130290419
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for collaboratively presenting content that is distributed among a plurality of communication devices are disclosed. The method includes providing a control service at a player device to enable communicatively coupled controller devices to control playback of media on the player device, and creating a single play queue at the player device that includes identifiers of media content selected by the controller devices. A stream of particular media content from one of the multiple source devices is received when the particular media content is identified at a top of the single play queue, the particular media content is rendered at the player device, and the rendered media content is presented to users associated with the controller devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INNOVATION CENTER, INC.
    Inventors: Brian J. Spencer, Steven J. Kinneberg, Todd Johnsgard
  • Publication number: 20130288602
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for collaboratively presenting content that is distributed among a plurality of communication devices are disclosed. The method includes initiating, at a host communication device, a peer-to-peer session with other communication devices, and sending a playlist of content to the other communication devices. In addition, information about content listed in the playlist that is currently being presented is also sent to the other communication devices. And at the request of one or more of the other communication devices, digital files that are stored among the other communication devices are added to the playlist. When the digital file is listed at a top of the playlist, the digital file from a corresponding one of the other communication devices is presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INNOVATION CENTER, INC.
    Inventor: Brian J. Spencer