Patents by Inventor Derek Hedin Smith

Derek Hedin Smith 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: 7663045
    Abstract: A user of a game system can replace background music from a game with the user's selected background music, while still hearing any other audio streams (e.g. sound effects related to gameplay). A music engine and system audio mixer allow the playback of the user's requested replacement music. The game tags background music streams with an identifier indicating that they are background music, and such streams are muted at the music engine and system audio mixer (if the game is using the provided music engine in order to play the game's audio streams) or by the game if the game is using a game music engine and has received information indicating that a mute request has been issued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Lloyd Schmidt, David Anthony William Pickford, Derek Hedin Smith