Patents by Inventor Eric T. Brewer

Eric T. Brewer 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: 8010711
    Abstract: A memory device removably insertable into or otherwise removably connected to a plurality of host devices includes a first memory storing multimedia data. A first circuit portion of the memory device determines the host device capabilities when the memory device is connected to a host device and a second circuit portion feeds the multimedia data to the host device in a format compatible with the determined capabilities of the host device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Digital Video Chip, LLC
    Inventors: Alan Amron, Eric T. Brewer
  • Publication number: 20110050755
    Abstract: An electrical device in accordance with an embodiment of the present application includes a display in which the reflectivity of the display is alterable to allow the display to display information to the user and to serve as a mirror for the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Alan Amron, Richard Grobman, Eric T. Brewer
  • Publication number: 20100255878
    Abstract: An audio filter in accordance with an embodiment of the present application identifies and isolates a desired sound signal. The audio filter is preferably used in a telephone such as a wireless or cellular telephone and utilizes a position of a sound source to identify a desired sound source and thereafter filters out all other sound sources other than the desired sound source regardless of the position of the desired sound source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Inventors: Alan Amron, Eric T. Brewer
  • Publication number: 20090286567
    Abstract: A cellular telephone in accordance with an embodiment of the present application is operable to transmit voice data and additional digital data together to another similarly functional cellular telephone without the need for an external server. The cellular telephone operates like a server to coordinate transmission of all data between the cellular telephones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: Alan Amron, Eric T. Brewer
  • Publication number: 20080307128
    Abstract: A memory device removably insertable into or otherwise removably connected to a plurality of host devices includes a first memory storing multimedia data. A first circuit portion of the memory device determines the host device capabilities when the memory device is connected to a host device and a second circuit portion feeds the multimedia data to the host device in a format compatible with the determined capabilities of the host device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Inventors: Alan Amron, Eric T. Brewer
  • Patent number: 6661430
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for copying a segment from an audiovisual file having a multiplicity of audio frames and a multiplicity of video frames. In a first step, a mark-in location in a video file is selected to correspond to a first video frame in the segment such that the first video frame has an associated start time. Next, a mark-out location in the video file is selected to correspond to a last video frame in the segment, and the last video frame having an associated end time. Once the mark-in video frame is selected, a first audio frame having a first audio frame start time that is at least as early as the first video frame start time is designated as an initial audio frame. A second audio frame having a second audio frame start time that is at least as late as the last video frame end time is designated as the last audio frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Picostar LLC
    Inventors: Eric T. Brewer, Andrew Palfreyman, Gregory C. Ames
  • Patent number: 6400886
    Abstract: Disclosed is a stitcher implemented to join segments of video glue generated during a first pass of an editing engine. Preferably, the generated glue segments are implemented at the beginning and at the end of a clipped video segment. In the second processing pass, any glue segments generated in the first pass may be stitched to any un-processed portion of the clipped segment. Once any glue segments and unprocessed portions are stitched in a time ordered sequence, the stitched segment is output to a application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: FutureTel, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric T. Brewer, Andrew Palfreyman, Thomas S. Gilley
  • Patent number: 6285361
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for clipping a segment from a video file having a multiplicity of video frames. Preferably, at least some of the frames in the video file are encoded as predicted frames. The method includes selecting a mark-in location in the video file that defines the beginning of the clipped segment. A mark-out location defining the end of the clipped segment is also selected in the video file. Once the mark-in and mark-out locations are selected, the method decodes a first frame associated with one of the mark-in location and the mark-out location. The first frame is preferably a predictive frame that has an associated first format. The first frame is then re-encoded into a second format and stored. The method then proceeds to create a clipped segment that includes the re-encoded first frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: FutureTel, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric T. Brewer, Andrew Palfreyman, Thomas S. Gilley
  • Patent number: 6262777
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for stitching a first and second audiovisual segment together. By way of example, each audiovisual segment has a multiplicity of audio frames including a first audio frame, a second audio frame that sequentially follows the first audio frame and a last audio frame. The audiovisual segment further includes a multiplicity of video frames having a first video frame and a last video frame. The method includes the step of aligning an initial audio frame in the first audiovisual segment with the first video frame in the first audiovisual segment. The first audio frame from the first audiovisual segment is designated as the initial audio frame when a tab error associated with the first audio frame from the first audiovisual segment is less than about half a frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: FutureTel, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric T. Brewer, Andrew Palfreyman, Greg C. Ames
  • Patent number: 6201925
    Abstract: A method for copying a segment from a video file having a multiplicity of video frames, where at least some of the frames are encoded as predicted frames. The method includes the steps of selecting a mark-in location in the video file such that the mark-in location defines the beginning of the copied segment. Once the mark-in location is selected, each of the frames positioned between the mark-in location and a final group frame associated with a group of frames that includes the mark-in location are decoded. Each decoded frame will have an associated first format. The decoded frames are then re-encoded into an associated second format such that the re-encoded second format of at least one of the decoded frames is different than its associated first format. The re-encoded frames are then stored. The method then generates a copied segment that includes at least the re-encoded frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: FutureTel, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric T. Brewer, Andrew Palfreyman, Thomas S. Gilley
  • Patent number: 6157771
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for seeking within audiovisual files. A seeking engine is implemented to efficiently locate target video frames without having to laboriously decode and index each and every video frame in an audiovisual file. Further, a seeking engine is capable of frame accurately determining the number of frames in a video file by identifying the last GOP header in the video file, and then identifying a last video frame in the file. The last video frame in the file is identified by reading each video frame's picture header (i.e., within the last GOP) and determining which picture header produces a larger temporal reference number. The video frame having the largest temporal number is therefore the last video frame in the video file. In addition, the seeking engine is capable of associating an identified video frame with a closest audio frame to complete an audio-to-video seek.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: FutureTel, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric T. Brewer, Andrew Palfreyman
  • Patent number: 5886692
    Abstract: The use of blocks in a workspace window that depict various video elements on the user interface of a video editor for use on a digital computer having a CPU, memory and a video display. The blocks have the attributes that they attract or repel other blocks as a function of proximity to each other in order to reduce user errors and to improve user efficiency. The method of manipulating the blocks on the video display consists of the following steps: First, specify coordinates of interaction regions around a block to be dragged. Next, test the coordinates of the interaction regions against the coordinates of all other blocks on the video display. Next, repel the block to be dragged from specified surfaces of the other blocks in accordance with predetermined rules that specify which surfaces of the block to be dragged and which surfaces of the other blocks repel each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: FutureTel, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric T. Brewer, Baldo A. Faieta, Clifford A. Grabhorn
  • Patent number: 5880722
    Abstract: In a digital computer system running a windows operating system and a video editor where the video data is stored in the memory and clips of the video data consisting of sequences of video frames are represented by blocks in a workspace on the video display. A video cursor is provided to scroll through the frames. The disclosure describes a convenient method of allowing the user to control the scale of the horizontal axis and thus the number of video frames that may be symbolically viewed on the workspace window without panning. The method includes the following steps: First, determining if the video cursor is being intentionally moved vertically by a user. Next, determine the vertical distance that the video cursor is moved from a reference point. Finally, adjust the number of video frames that may be represented on the workspace in relationship to the vertical movement of the video cursor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: FutureTel, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric T. Brewer, Clifford A. Grabhorn, Thomas S. Gilley, Baldo A. Faieta