Patents by Inventor David John Wheatley

David John Wheatley 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: 9294816
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed herein for a media guidance application that predicts user preferences based on detected events. For example, in response to a trigger, the media guidance application may monitor data associated with a user. The media guidance application may then process the monitored data to determine if the monitored data indicates that a user profile of a user should be updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventor: David John Wheatley
  • Patent number: 9215510
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically tagging a media asset are provided. Verbal input is received from a user while the user is accessing the media asset. A request to adjust playback of the media asset is received from the user. Responsive to receiving the verbal input and the request, a combination of the verbal input and the request is cross-referenced with an attribute database to identify an attribute associated with the combination. The identified attribute is associated with the media asset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventor: David John Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20150346955
    Abstract: Methods and systems described herein provide for visualizing content across different time segments of a media asset. Information about content within a particular time segment of a media asset is retrieved. This content information is generated by processing user-generated messages corresponding to the particular time segment. Content descriptors are generated based on the received content information corresponding to the particular time segment. A timeline is generated, independently of presenting a media asset, wherein the timeline visually associates content descriptors with their corresponding time segments of the media asset. When these content descriptors are selected by a user, the user-generated messages corresponding to the content descriptor at the corresponding time segment are displayed to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Andrew Fundament, Vanessa Wickenkamp, Brian Craig Peterson, David John Wheatley, Jason William Conness, Melissa Bradley
  • Publication number: 20150277850
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically adjusting volume of a media asset are provided. A display of a content navigation page is generated. The content navigation page is associated with a media asset. A navigation distance from a current position in the content navigation page to the media asset within the content navigation page is determined. The navigation distance is cross-referenced with a database of volume levels associated with navigation distances to identify a volume level that is associated with the navigation distance. Audio of the media asset is caused to be presented at the identified volume level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventor: David John Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20150272496
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed herein for a system configured to determine a position of a brain monitoring user device, and a brain state of a user. Based on the determined position and the determined brain state, the system provides access to a set of media guidance application operations corresponding to the determined brain state and to brain regions corresponding to the determined position of the brain monitoring user device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: Walter R. Klappert, Kanako Tomita, David John Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20150185993
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed herein for a media guidance application that adjusts modes based on actively determining an engagement level of a user. In such modes both the content presented and the interactions of a user that are recognized may be based on the level of engagement of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Applicant: UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: David John Wheatley, William J. Korbecki, Brian Craig Peterson
  • Publication number: 20150189377
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed herein for a media guidance application that adjusts modes based on actively determining an engagement level of a user. In such modes both the content presented and the interactions of a user that are recognized may be based on the level of engagement of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Applicant: UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: David John Wheatley, William J. Korbecki, Brian Craig Peterson
  • Publication number: 20150181289
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed herein for a media guidance application that predicts user preferences based on detected events. For example, in response to a trigger, the media guidance application may monitor data associated with a user. The media guidance application may then process the monitored data to determine if the monitored data indicates that a user profile of a user should be updated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventor: David John Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20150181291
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed herein for providing ancillary content in media assets. Specifically, a media guidance application may alert a user to remove, or modify, portions of a media asset based on an emotional response profile associated with the media asset. The emotional response profile may indicate representative emotional responses of other users associated with one or more progression points of the media asset. Upon determining that a user currently consuming the media asset is approaching a portion of the media asset associated with undesirable emotional responses, the media guidance application may alert the user to remove, or modify, the undesirable portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: United Video Properties, Inc.
    Inventor: David John Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20150163558
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically tagging a media asset are provided. Verbal input is received from a user while the user is accessing the media asset. A request to adjust playback of the media asset is received from the user. Responsive to receiving the verbal input and the request, a combination of the verbal input and the request is cross-referenced with an attribute database to identify an attribute associated with the combination. The identified attribute is associated with the media asset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Applicant: United Video Properties, Inc.
    Inventor: David John Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20150149473
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tagging a media asset are provided. A plurality of communications is received from a plurality of users. Each of the plurality of communications includes words spoken by a respective one of the users while accessing the media asset and is associated with a media asset play position during which the respective words were spoken. A subset of the plurality of communications is selected for which the associated media asset play position is within a range of play positions, the range of play positions being shorter than the duration of the media asset. A word that a threshold number of the selected communications have in common is identified. The word is cross-referenced with an attribute database to retrieve an attribute associated with the word. The retrieved attribute is assigned to the media asset within the range of play positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: United Video Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: David John Wheatley, Kenneth Murphy
  • Publication number: 20150128158
    Abstract: Systems and methods for recommending content to a user are described. A user equipment device may be equipped with a built-in or separately connected image capturing device which may be used to pinpoint the location of the remote control when it is activated, thereby defining the specific location of the remote and the user. The relative location of the user in the room where the television is located may be associated with that particular user and used to automatically log in and access their user profile. This information may be used to enhance the television experience for the user by, e.g., recommending content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventor: David John Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20150128164
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided herein for enabling users to seamlessly restrict access to media assets. These methods and systems are provided by way of generating for display a plurality of interactive identifiers on a scrollable page. A user input of a geometric shape is then received on the scrollable page, such that interactive identifiers are within the area of the geometric shape. It is then determined that a particular interactive identifier of the plurality of interactive identifiers is within the area of the geometric shape, and disabling the interactivity of the particular interactive identifier in response to this determination. Once the interactivity of the particular interactive identifier is disabled, the interactivity of the particular interactive identifier will remain disabled when its position on a display changes as the result of the scrollable page being scrolled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: Andrew Fundament, David John Wheatley, Vanessa Wickenkamp, Amanda Mallardo
  • Publication number: 20150121306
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for a media guidance application that customizes icons on an interface based on the frequency of use of the icon and provides the user with feedback related to the frequency of use for each icon. For example, the interface may include a plurality of icons, in which each of the plurality of icons is associated with individual visual properties. For each icon, feedback related to its frequency of use is provided by the media guidance application by modifying the individual visual properties associated with each icon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: Andrew Fundament, David John Wheatley, Vanessa Wickenkamp, Amanda Mallardo
  • Publication number: 20140282061
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for determining a suitable user input interface type based on a particular user. Specifically, a media guidance application determines a demographic category of a user, and based on that demographic category of the user, automatically selects a user input interface for manipulating media objects that is suitable for the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: United Video Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: David John Wheatley, Brian Craig Peterson, William J. Korbecki, Jonathan Arme, Douglas James Seyller, Thomas Steven Woods, Mycal Elliott, Amanda Mallardo, Justin Wear
  • Patent number: 8216631
    Abstract: A cardiac valve prosthesis having a frame and two or more leaflets (preferably three) attached to the frame. The leaflets are attached to the frame between posts, with a free edge which can seal the leaflets together when the valve is closed under back pressure. The leaflets are created in a mathematically defined shape allowing good wash-out of the whole leaflet orifice, including the area close to the frame posts, thereby relieving the problem of thrombus deposition under clinical implant conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Aortech International PLC
    Inventors: Bernard O'Connor, David John Wheatley, Gillian Maureen Bernacca, William Stafford Haworth
  • Publication number: 20110049757
    Abstract: A cardiac valve prosthesis having a frame and two or more leaflets (preferably three) attached to the frame. The leaflets are attached to the frame between posts, with a free edge which can seal the leaflets together when the valve is closed under back pressure. The leaflets are created in a mathematically defined shape allowing good wash-out of the whole leaflet orifice, including the area close to the frame posts, thereby relieving the problem of thrombus deposition under clinical implant conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: AORTECH INTERNATIONAL PLC
    Inventors: Bernard O'Connor, David John Wheatley, Gillian Maureen Bernacca, William Stafford Haworth
  • Patent number: 7833565
    Abstract: A cardiac valve prosthesis having a frame and two or more leaflets (preferably three) attached to the frame. The leaflets are attached to the frame between posts, with a free edge which can seal the leaflets together when the valve is closed under back pressure. The leaflets are created in a mathematically defined shape allowing good wash-out of the whole leaflet orifice, including the area close to the frame posts, thereby relieving the problem of thrombus deposition under clinical implant conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Aortech International PLC
    Inventors: Bernard O'Connor, David John Wheatley, Gillian Maureen Bernacca, William Stafford Haworth
  • Patent number: 6925425
    Abstract: A method of assessing vehicle operator performance includes the steps of receiving vehicle operating data (502); monitoring an interior portion of the vehicle and receiving operator activity data from the interior portion vehicle (504); receiving vehicle environment data from the environment external to the vehicle (506); monitoring the vehicle operator and receiving operator condition data (508); and determining an operator assessment value (510). The operator assessment value is based upon the vehicle operating data, the operator activity data, the environment data and the operator condition data and is indicative of vehicle operator performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Remboski, Kenneth Douros, Judith Lee Gardner, Robert Michael Gardner, Joshua B. Hurwitz, Robert H. Leivian, Jens Nagel, David John Wheatley, Clifford A. Wood
  • Patent number: 6909947
    Abstract: A method (500) of informing a vehicle operator to improve the operator's performance includes the steps of receiving vehicle operating data (502); monitoring an interior portion of the vehicle and receiving operator activity data from the interior portion of the vehicle (504); receiving vehicle environment data (506); monitoring the vehicle operator and receiving operator condition data relating to a condition of the vehicle operator (508); estimating an operator cognitive load (510); and prioritizing vehicle information based upon the operator cognitive load for selectively informing the operator of the vehicle information (512).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Douros, Judith Lee Gardner, Robert Michael Gardner, Joshua B. Hurwitz, Robert H. Leivian, Jens Nagel, Donald Remboski, David John Wheatley, Clifford A. Wood