Patents by Inventor Gregory Mack Garner

Gregory Mack Garner 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: 20190324610
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for customizing a user interface on a remote control (or other device, such as a display device or mobile device) based on biometrics of the user. In a non-limiting embodiment, a method operates by receiving an interaction by a user of the remote control, wherein the interaction relates to a biometric of the user. An identity of the user is determined based on the interaction. Information associated with the determined user identity is accessed. Then, the user interface on the remote control is customized based on the accessed information. The biometric may be, for example, associated with a finger size of the user, or associated with motions made by the user with the remote control in forming the interaction. In an embodiment, the user identity is verified by comparing a date/time of the interaction with viewing history of the user, and/or by comparing the date/time of the interaction with a schedule of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Applicant: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: James Green, Ilya Asnis, Gregory Mack Garner, Tito Thomas, Anthony John Wood
  • Patent number: 10455322
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for controlling functions of an audio responsive electronic device based on a presence detector (e.g., a motion sensor) to improve power usage and functional performance. In some embodiments, an audio responsive electronic device operates to intelligently turn on and turn off components in response to the detected presence of a user. In some embodiments, an audio responsive electronic device operates to suppress noise from the display device (or other sources of noise), and enhance audio commands from a user (or other sources of audio commands). In some embodiments, a media device is configured to adjust a transmission pattern to an audio responsive electronic device based on user position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: ROKU, INC.
    Inventors: Gregory Mack Garner, Ali Vassigh, Soren Riise
  • Patent number: 10447537
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for automatically determining the functionality and capabilities of electronic components. Some embodiments operate by transmitting a command to the display device in question (sometimes called the device under test—DUT—herein) and monitoring the device. Then, it is determined whether an action by the display device was one of a set of proper responses to the command. If the action was proper, then it is determined that the display device supports the command set associated with the command. The command set may be the Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) set, although this disclosure is not limited to that example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Ilya Asnis, Daniel Martin Daly, Gregory Mack Garner, Scott Edward De Haas, David Allen Westerhoff, Anthony John Wood
  • Patent number: 10401473
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method, and/or computer program product embodiments for a mobile device based control device locator. An embodiment operates by receiving a request to locate a control device, transmitting acoustic token transmission information to the control device to activate an electroacoustic transducer on the control device, receiving an acoustic signal including an acoustic token signal from the control device via a plurality of acoustic sensors, and determining distance information of the control device based on the received acoustic token signal generated by the electroacoustic transducer of the control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Mack Garner, Patrick Alan Brouillette
  • Publication number: 20190066687
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for distributing the performance of speech recognition among a remote control device and a voice platform in the cloud. In some embodiments, the remote control device operates to receive a voice input from a user. The remote control device detects a trigger word in the voice input. The remote control device then processes the voice input. The remote control device then transmits the voice input to a voice platform based on the detecting in order to determine an intent associated with the voice input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Applicant: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony John WOOD, David Stern, Gregory Mack Garner
  • Publication number: 20190066673
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments for an audio responsive electronic device. The audio responsive electronic device includes a data storage having stored therein an intent queue. Intents are stored in the intent queue. The audio responsive electronic device operates by receiving an indication that a user pressed the play/stop button. The audio responsive electronic device retrieves from the intent queue an intent last stored in the queue, wherein the retrieved intent is associated with content previously paused. The audio responsive electronic device also retrieves from the intent queue state information associated with the paused content, and then causes content to be played based on at least the paused content and the state information. In some embodiments, the audio responsive electronic device receives an indication that a user selected tell me something functionality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Applicant: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony John WOOD, David STERN, Gregory Mack GARNER
  • Publication number: 20190066672
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for providing voice control using multiple digital assistants. In some embodiments, a voice platform operates to receive a voice input from a user. The voice platform selects a digital assistant from a plurality of digital assistants based on a trigger word. The voice platform then generates an intent from the voice input using the selected digital assistant. The voice platform then transmits the intent to a media device for processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Applicant: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony John WOOD, David Stern, Gregory Mack Garner
  • Patent number: 10217577
    Abstract: Described herein are several examples of an apparatus that features receptacles configured to accept interchangeable buttons. Each of the interchangeable buttons has a receptacle interface on a first side, which allows them to electrically connect to and communicate with the aforementioned apparatus, and a unique user-perceivable label on a second side. Electronic elements embedded in each interchangeable button, or alternatively located on its first side, correspond to a unique user-perceivable label. Based on these electronic elements, the apparatus recognizes each button individually, and identifies their user-perceivable label. As a result, the interchangeable buttons may be re-positioned on the apparatus and maintain their intended functionality according to their user-perceivable label. In addition, new interchangeable buttons with different user-perceivable labels and new functionality, according to their labels, can be introduced to the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: William Daniel Strauss, Scott Edward De Haas, Gregory Mack Garner, Jeffrey John Peters, Anthony Wood
  • Publication number: 20190058942
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for controlling functions of an audio responsive electronic device based on a presence detector (e.g., a motion sensor) to improve power usage and functional performance. In some embodiments, an audio responsive electronic device operates to intelligently turn on and turn off components in response to the detected presence of a user. In some embodiments, an audio responsive electronic device operates to suppress noise from the display device (or other sources of noise), and enhance audio commands from a user (or other sources of audio commands). In some embodiments, a media device is configured to adjust a transmission pattern to an audio responsive electronic device based on user position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventors: Gregory Mack GARNER, Ali VASSIGH, Soren RIISE
  • Publication number: 20190037311
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and tangible computer readable medium for creating a desired audio effect for a user. The method includes operations including: causing a plurality of speakers to play test signals, each test signal being specific to one of the speakers; receiving from a remote device recorded frequency responses of the speakers resulting from the playing of the test signals; creating one or more filters to match an audio profile selected by a user; applying the filters to the recorded frequency responses to obtain filtered transformations of the speakers; and transmitting the filtered transformations to the speakers; wherein the filtered transformations are applied at the speakers to thereby achieve the user audio profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Mack GARNER, Patrick Alan BROUILLETTE
  • Publication number: 20190020543
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for automatically determining the functionality and capabilities of electronic components. Some embodiments operate by transmitting a command to the display device in question (sometimes called the device under test—DUT—herein) and monitoring the device. Then, it is determined whether an action by the display device was one of a set of proper responses to the command. If the action was proper, then it is determined that the display device supports the command set associated with the command. The command set may be the Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) set, although this disclosure is not limited to that example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Applicant: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Ilya ASNIS, Daniel Martin DALY, Gregory Mack GARNER, Scott Edward DE HAAS, David Allen WESTERHOFF, Anthony John WOOD
  • Publication number: 20180286607
    Abstract: Described herein are several examples of an apparatus that features receptacles configured to accept interchangeable buttons. Each of the interchangeable buttons has a receptacle interface on a first side, which allows them to electrically connect to and communicate with the aforementioned apparatus, and a unique user-perceivable label on a second side. Electronic elements embedded in each interchangeable button, or alternatively located on its first side, correspond to a unique user-perceivable label. Based on these electronic elements, the apparatus recognizes each button individually, and identifies their user-perceivable label. As a result, the interchangeable buttons may be re-positioned on the apparatus and maintain their intended functionality according to their user-perceivable label. In addition, new interchangeable buttons with different user-perceivable labels and new functionality, according to their labels, can be introduced to the apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: William Daniel STRAUSS, Scott Edward DE HAAS, Gregory Mack GARNER, Jeffrey John PETERS, Anthony WOOD
  • Patent number: 10091581
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and tangible computer readable medium for creating a desired audio effect for a user. The method includes operations including: causing a plurality of speakers to play test signals, each test signal being specific to one of the speakers; receiving from a remote device recorded frequency responses of the speakers resulting from the playing of the test signals; creating one or more filters to match an audio profile selected by a user; applying the filters to the recorded frequency responses to obtain filtered transformations of the speakers; and transmitting the filtered transformations to the speakers; wherein the filtered transformations are applied at the speakers to thereby achieve the user audio profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Mack Garner, Patrick Alan Brouillette
  • Publication number: 20170034621
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and tangible computer readable medium for creating a desired audio effect for a user. The method includes operations including: causing a plurality of speakers to play test signals, each test signal being specific to one of the speakers; receiving from a remote device recorded frequency responses of the speakers resulting from the playing of the test signals; creating one or more filters to match an audio profile selected by a user; applying the filters to the recorded frequency responses to obtain filtered transformations of the speakers; and transmitting the filtered transformations to the speakers; wherein the filtered transformations are applied at the speakers to thereby achieve the user audio profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Applicant: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Mack Garner, Patrick Alan Brouillette
  • Publication number: 20170030999
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method, and/or computer program product embodiments for a mobile device based control device locator. An embodiment operates by receiving a request to locate a control device, transmitting acoustic token transmission information to the control device to activate an electroacoustic transducer on the control device, receiving an acoustic signal including an acoustic token signal from the control device via a plurality of acoustic sensors, and determining distance information of the control device based on the received acoustic token signal generated by the electroacoustic transducer of the control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Applicant: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Mack Garner, Patrick Alan Brouillette
  • Publication number: 20130262431
    Abstract: A method for matching a search request from a client device includes detecting the search request from the client device, storing content listings within a content database where each of the content listings represents content, and searching for a match result between the search request and the content listings. A subscription to a subscribed content provider is detected and associated with the client device. The match result is displayed to indicate the content listings associated with the subscribed content provider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: ROKU, INC.
    Inventors: Gregory Mack Garner, David A. Westerhoff, Wendy M. Abowd, Thomas C. Markworth, Patrick Ellis, Jonathan Colorado Criswell
  • Publication number: 20090125609
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide a method, apparatus, system and computer readable medium for implementing a universal media interface and control protocol to control a universal media apparatus. The universal media interface and its control protocol facilitate communication, including issuance of generalized commands between a target device, such as an audio/video (“A/V”) device and a universal music player, thereby enabling the target device to play music from different types of music servers and specialized server processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: Roku, LLC
    Inventors: Anthony John Wood, Michael Joseph Kobb, Gregory Mack Garner, Daniel Sletten, Donald Robert Woodward, JR.