Patents by Inventor Brian Wayne Hansen

Brian Wayne Hansen 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).

  • Changing a state of a remote switch box which connects a phone to a network
    Patent number: 8265249
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, and apparatus for changing a state of a remote switch box. On a master switch box, a request is received from a user to set a state of the remote switch box to a selected state. A request to change the remote switch box to the selected state is transmitted from the master switch box to the remote switch box. The remote switch box connects a remote phone to a phone line. The master switch box receives a confirmation from the remote switch box of the change to the selected state. The confirmation contains the state of the remote switch box. The state of the remote switch box is displayed on the master switch box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James Edward Bostick, Brian Wayne Hansen, John Paul Kaemmerer, Raghuraman Kalyanaraman
  • Method and system for automatically muting headphones
    Patent number: 7986791
    Abstract: The illustrative embodiments provide a method and system for automatically muting a headphone. The headphone detects a sound external to the headphone. A volume threshold and a frequency threshold are received, wherein the volume threshold and the frequency threshold define a sound of interest. A determination is made as to whether the sound external to the headphone is the sound of interest. Responsive to a determination that the sound external to the headphone is the sound of interest, a signal is transmitted to automatically mute an active state of the headphone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James Edward Bostick, Brian Wayne Hansen, Raghuraman Kalyanaraman
  • CHANGING A STATE OF A REMOTE SWITCH BOX WHICH CONNECTS A PHONE TO A NETWORK
    Publication number: 20090028311
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, and apparatus for changing a state of a remote switch box. On a master switch box, a request is received from a user to set a state of the remote switch box to a selected state. A request to change the remote switch box to the selected state is transmitted from the master switch box to the remote switch box. The remote switch box connects a remote phone to a phone line. The master switch box receives a confirmation from the remote switch box of the change to the selected state. The confirmation contains the state of the remote switch box. The state of the remote switch box is displayed on the master switch box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventors: James Edward Bostick, Brian Wayne Hansen, John Paul Kaemmerer, Raghuraman Kalyanaraman
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY MUTING HEADPHONES
    Publication number: 20080089530
    Abstract: The illustrative embodiments provide a method and system for automatically muting a headphone. The headphone detects a sound external to the headphone. A volume threshold and a frequency threshold are received, wherein the volume threshold and the frequency threshold define a sound of interest. A determination is made as to whether the sound external to the headphone is the sound of interest. Responsive to a determination that the sound external to the headphone is the sound of interest, a signal is transmitted to automatically mute an active state of the headphone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Inventors: James Edward Bostick, Brian Wayne Hansen, Raghuraman Kalyanaraman