Patents by Inventor Christopher John Sanders

Christopher John Sanders 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).

  • Publication number: 20150350220
    Abstract: One or more user accounts can be linked together to form a group of linked user accounts. A designated primary user account in the group of linked user accounts can be enabled to modify control settings for the subordinate user accounts in the group of linked user account. The control settings can dictate restrictions on the subordinate user accounts. For example, the control settings can define restrictions on the type of content that can be accessed, purchases that can be made, storage space allocated to the subordinate user account, etc. In some embodiments, the primary user account can be enabled to establish a set of control settings for a client device associated with the group of linked user accounts. The set of control settings can dictate restriction on content accessed by the client device and usage of the client device such as restrictions on phone calls, messages, data usage, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Christopher D. Espinosa, Christopher John Sanders, Maria D. Ioveva
  • Publication number: 20150208158
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for automatically controlling the operation of a media device based upon whether a portable presentation device coupled to the media device is currently being worn by a user. A portable presentation device may be any device that is meant to be worn by a user that is capable of presenting media content to the user (e.g. earphones, headphones, goggles or faceplates with video/audio capability, etc.). With this mechanism, a user can affect the operation of the media device by simply putting on or taking off the portable presentation device. The user does not need to manually manipulate the controls of the media device. By automatically controlling the operation of the media device in this manner, use of the media device and the portable presentation device as a unit is made much simpler and more convenient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Inventor: Christopher John Sanders
  • Patent number: 8954177
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for automatically controlling the operation of a media device based at least in part upon whether a portable presentation device coupled to the media device is currently being worn by a user. A portable presentation device may be any device that is meant to be worn by a user and that is capable of presenting media content to the user (e.g. earphones, headphones, goggles or faceplates with video/audio capability, etc.). With this mechanism, a user can affect the operation of the media device by simply putting on or taking off the portable presentation device. The user does not need to manually manipulate the controls of the media device. By automatically controlling the operation of the media device in this manner, use of the media device and the portable presentation device as a unit is made much simpler and more convenient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher John Sanders
  • Publication number: 20140075308
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for intelligently managing a playlist of digital media provide an intelligent dynamic queue that is configured to manage the playback of digital media. The queue can transition between passive playback mode, active playback mode, and mixed playback mode. The queue can handle the playback of the songs in the queue according to the playback mode and/or a queue status field that is associated with each song in the queue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher John Sanders, Anne Jones, Jeffrey L. Robbin, William Martin Bachman, Timothy B. Martin
  • Publication number: 20140074837
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for improving features that are made available to users for navigating through libraries of media items, searching for media items, and organizing groups of media items for consumption. An exemplary method includes receiving a user-tagged keyphrase for a media item from a plurality of media libraries, determining that the user-tagged keyphrase meets a predefined criterion, and sending a command to a selected media library to associate the keyphrase with the media item.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher John Sanders, Amandeep Jawa
  • Publication number: 20140075324
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to automatic generation of dynamically changing layouts for a graphical user-interface. Specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure employ analysis of an image associated with the view (e.g., either the current view or a future view) of the graphical user-interface to determine colors that are complementary to the image. The colors are applied to the view, such that the color scheme of the view matches the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Joe R. Howard, Brian R. Frick, Timothy B. Martin, Christopher John Sanders
  • Publication number: 20140075583
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for making policy decisions relating to when to sync and when to default to cloud storage and for addressing the need for solutions relating to how to share media items between overlapping user accounts
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy B. Martin, Christopher John Sanders, Christopher Robert Wysocki, Jeffrey L. Robbin, David K. Heller
  • Publication number: 20130332856
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide tools that allow a user to share content on one device with multiple other users using different devices. The content sharing tools allow the user to (1) create a shared stream that represents a set of shared content and (2) invite one or more recipients to subscribe to the shared stream. When a recipient subscribes to the shared stream, the set of content is streamed across one or more of his or her devices. In some embodiments, the content sharing tools are provided as part of an image application that executes on a digital media receiver or smart television.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Christopher John Sanders, Peter W. Roman, Joshua B. Dickens
  • Publication number: 20130047084
    Abstract: A method at a client device includes displaying media library information corresponding to a set of media items. The media items include one or more local media items, the one or more local media items including media items stored at the client device, and one or more remote media items, the one or more remote media items including media items stored at a remote system and not at the client device. The method also includes displaying, concurrently with displaying the media library information, affordances identifying the remote media items; detecting user interaction with an affordance identifying a respective remote media item; and in response to detecting the user interaction, initiating a process for downloading a copy of the respective remote media item to the client device for storage at the client device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Inventors: Christopher John Sanders, Timothy B. Martin, Imran Chaudhri, Lucas C. Newman, Sean Boland Kelly, Thomas M. Alsina, Jeffrey L. Robbin, Andrew M. Wadycki, Patrice O. Gautier
  • Publication number: 20120310391
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for automatically controlling the operation of a media device based at least in part upon whether a portable presentation device coupled to the media device is currently being worn by a user. A portable presentation device may be any device that is meant to be worn by a user and that is capable of presenting media content to the user (e.g. earphones, headphones, goggles or faceplates with video/audio capability, etc.). With this mechanism, a user can affect the operation of the media device by simply putting on or taking off the portable presentation device. The user does not need to manually manipulate the controls of the media device. By automatically controlling the operation of the media device in this manner, use of the media device and the portable presentation device as a unit is made much simpler and more convenient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher John Sanders
  • Patent number: D712918
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brian R. Frick, Jonathan Lochhead, Timothy Benjamin Martin, Christopher John Sanders
  • Patent number: D728612
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brian R. Frick, Timothy Benjamin Martin, Christopher John Sanders