Patents by Inventor Clifford Mercer

Clifford Mercer 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: 20070009029
    Abstract: A method and related system of transmitting a frame of video is disclosed. In the method, a number of bits corresponding to a frame of video is determined. A length of time needed to transmit the number of bits is determined and is compared with a length of time corresponding to a frame period. A frame period may correspond to an inverse of an average frame update rate. If the length of time exceeds the length of time corresponding to the frame period, one or more P-frames including a plurality of empty macro-blocks may be transmitted and the frame of video may then be transmitted over period of time exceeding one frame period. In some cases, the transmission of the frame of video may equal two or more frame periods. The transmitting may include transmitting an instruction for setting a latency in a client device to less than 50 ms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventors: Robert Craig, Clifford Mercer, Ulrich Sigmund
  • Publication number: 20070009035
    Abstract: A method and related system of generating a frame of video is disclosed. In the method, a request is received. For instance, the request may initiate a video game. A motion search between an object in a subsequent frame of video and the object in a current frame of video is performed. A pre-determined motion vector for the object is selected. The object in the subsequent frame of video may correspond to a set of pre-encoded macro-blocks and the performing the motion search may include searching a corresponding set of macro-blocks associated with the current frame of video. The pre-encoded macro-blocks may be pre-encoded prior to the request. The motion vector may be pre-determined prior to the request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventors: Robert Craig, Clifford Mercer, Ulrich Sigmund
  • Publication number: 20070010329
    Abstract: A method and related system of generating a frame of video is disclosed. In the method, a request is received. The frame of video is generated using a plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks. The frame of video is compatible with an MPEG compression standard. The plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are pre-encoded prior to the request. In some embodiments, the request initiates a video game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventors: Robert Craig, Clifford Mercer, Ulrich Sigmund
  • Publication number: 20070009036
    Abstract: A method and related system of generating a frame of video is disclosed. In the method, a current frame of video is transmitted. A command corresponding to an action associated with a shifting of an image in the frame of video is received. A subsequent frame of video is transmitted in accordance with the received command, including transmitting at least two slices of video information corresponding to the shifting. Each slice may include an intra-coded macro-block having additional image information at an edge of the frame of video and at least two predictive macro-blocks, and at least one of the predictive macro-blocks includes a motion vector corresponding to the shifting of the image in the frame of video.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventors: Robert Craig, Clifford Mercer, Ulrich Sigmund
  • Publication number: 20070009042
    Abstract: A method and related system of generating a frame of video is disclosed. In the method, a request is received. For instance, the request may initiate a video game. A first plurality of macro-blocks are transmitted. The first plurality of macro-blocks may correspond to a first frame of video and constitute an I-frame and are compatible with an MPEG compression standard. At least a subset of the first plurality of macro-blocks may be pre-encoded prior to the request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventors: Robert Craig, Clifford Mercer, Ulrich Sigmund
  • Publication number: 20070009043
    Abstract: A method and related system of generating a frame of video is disclosed. In the method, a request is received and a frame of video is generated using a plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks. Generating the frame of video includes assigning the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks to respective positions in a grid. The frame of video may be compatible with an MPEG compression standard. The plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are pre-encoded prior to the request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventors: Robert Craig, Clifford Mercer, Ulrich Sigmund
  • Publication number: 20060230428
    Abstract: A video-game system includes a network, a plurality of user devices and a server each coupled to the network. The plurality of user devices are each configured to receive information corresponding to at least one user action for a respective user, to transmit the information corresponding to at least the one user action for the respective user using the network, to receive video-game content using the network and to display the video-game content. The server is configured to receive the information corresponding to at least the one user action for the respective user from one or more of the plurality of user devices and to transmit the video-game content. The server includes a memory storing a video game and a controller configured to execute the video game such that sets of users play the video game substantially simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2005
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Inventors: Rob Craig, Clifford Mercer, Ulrich Sigmund