Patents by Inventor Howard Look
Howard Look 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).
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Patent number: 9083941Abstract: A system for remotely controlling client recording and storage behavior schedules the recording, storing, and deleting of multimedia content on a client system storage device. The viewer may request that certain content be captured. Capture requests also allow the service to determine content to be recorded by the client system in the same manner that a viewer requests that certain content are recorded but are more powerful than what a viewer can request. Recording requests for a capture request can preempt viewer requests or be entered at the same or lower priority as a viewer request. Capture requests can adjust all aspects of a recording request and affect the capture request itself. Client system operational functionality are also manipulated by the service using capture requests.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2012Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: TiVo Inc.Inventors: Paul Westbrook, Howard Look, James Young, Stephen Lacy, Timothy Davison, James M. Barton
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Patent number: 8989564Abstract: A position indicator is displayed in a vicinity of a visual indicator to a user the visual indicator visually indicates an available amount of program material through which the user is able to navigate and play back. The position indicator visually indicates a current playback position within the available amount of program material. In response to receiving a single user command, the position indicator is placed in a new current playback position over the visual indicator. The new current playback position visually represents an end position of the visual indicator.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2012Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: TiVo Inc.Inventors: Robert Vallone, Howard Look, Ain McKendrick
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Patent number: 8781298Abstract: A closed caption tagging system provides a mechanism for inserting tags into an audio or video television broadcast stream prior to or at the time of transmission. The tags contain command and control information that the receiver translates and acts upon. The receiver receives the broadcast stream and detects and processes the tags within the broadcast stream which is stored on a storage device that resides on the receiver. Program material from the broadcast stream is played back to the viewer from the storage device. Tags indicate the start and end points of a program segment. Program segments such as commercials are automatically replaced by the receiver with new program segments that are selected based on various criteria.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2011Date of Patent: July 15, 2014Assignee: TiVo Inc.Inventors: James M. Barton, Kevin P. Smith, David Chamberlin, Howard Look
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Publication number: 20140115475Abstract: A multimedia visual progress indication system that provides a cache bar that is overlaid onto the program material or displayed on a dedicated display. A cache bar indicates the length of a recording session or the length of stored program material and expands to the right when material is being recorded. Index and/or bookmark indicators are displayed next to the cache bar. A position indicator moves within the cache bar and tells the user visually where his current position is within the program material. Numeric time or counter mark of the current position is displayed in the vicinity of the cache bar. The trick play bar and its associated components are displayed for a predetermined time period.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2013Publication date: April 24, 2014Applicant: TiVo Inc.Inventors: Robert Vallone, Howard Look, Ain McKendrick
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Patent number: 8676035Abstract: A multimedia visual progress indication system that provides a cache bar that is overlaid onto the program material or displayed on a dedicated display. A cache bar indicates the length of a recording session or the length of stored program material and expands to the right when material is being recorded. Index and/or bookmark indicators are displayed next to the cache bar. A position indicator moves within the cache bar and tells the user visually where his current position is within the program material. Numeric time or counter mark of the current position is displayed in the vicinity of the cache bar. The trick play bar and its associated components are displayed for a predetermined time period.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2011Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: TiVo Inc.Inventors: Robert Vallone, Howard Look, Ain McKendrick
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Patent number: 8660410Abstract: A closed caption tagging system provides a mechanism for inserting tags into an audio or video television broadcast stream prior to or at the time of transmission. The tags contain command and control information that the receiver translates and acts upon. The receiver receives the broadcast stream and detects and processes the tags within the broadcast stream which is stored on a storage device that resides on the receiver. Program material from the broadcast stream is played back to the viewer from the storage device. Tags indicate the start and end points of a program segment. Program segments such as commercials are automatically replaced by the receiver with new program segments that are selected based on various criteria.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2011Date of Patent: February 25, 2014Assignee: TiVo Inc.Inventors: Jim Barton, Kevin Smith, David Chamberlin, Howard Look
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Patent number: 8620144Abstract: A closed caption tagging system provides a mechanism for inserting tags into an audio or video television broadcast stream prior to or at the time of transmission. The tags contain command and control information that the receiver translates and acts upon. The receiver receives the broadcast stream and detects and processes the tags within the broadcast stream which is stored on a storage device that resides on the receiver. Program material from the broadcast stream is played back to the viewer from the storage device. Tags indicate the start and end points of a program segment. Program segments such as commercials are automatically replaced by the receiver with new program segments that are selected based on various criteria.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2011Date of Patent: December 31, 2013Assignee: TiVo Inc.Inventors: Jim Barton, Kevin Smith, David Chamberlin, Howard Look
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Patent number: 8516520Abstract: A television viewer interface system provides a viewer interface that allows the viewer to access different functions of a system. Information is presented in a successive disclosure format where the user navigates through menus by moving the highlight bar to the right to obtain more information or to the left to see less information and return to the previous location. A banner is displayed in the upper region of the screen and the user can rotate through three different levels of banners, each successively containing more information about the program.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2004Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: TiVo Inc.Inventors: Howard Look, Robert Vallone, David Avraham Brown, Karen Bedard, Wijnand Van Stam, Ain McKendrick
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Patent number: 8453193Abstract: A method for displaying a webpage is described. The method involves receiving a broadcast stream including a program, playing the program in the broadcast stream to a viewer, displaying an icon to the viewer and receiving viewer input in response to display of the icon, pausing the playing of the program in response to receiving the viewer input, displaying a web page to the viewer in response to receiving the viewer input, and resuming the playing of the program.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2009Date of Patent: May 28, 2013Assignee: TiVo Inc.Inventors: James M. Barton, Kevin Smith, David Chamberlin, Howard Look
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Patent number: 8453180Abstract: A client-side multimedia content targeting system schedules the recording, storing, and deleting of multimedia content on a client system storage device. The invention accepts as input a prioritized list of program viewing preferences which is compared with a database of program guide objects that indicate when programs of interest are actually broadcast. The viewer may request that certain content be captured, which results in the highest possible priority for those content. The viewer may also explicitly express preferences using appurtenances provided through the viewer interface. Preferences may additionally be inferred from viewing patterns. The viewer's client system locally retains the viewer's preferences and other personal information that the viewer has entered and is sent targeting information relating to program guide objects by a server.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2006Date of Patent: May 28, 2013Assignee: TiVo Inc.Inventors: James M. Barton, Howard Look
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Patent number: 8321901Abstract: A system for remotely controlling client recording and storage behavior schedules the recording, storing, and deleting of multimedia content on a client system storage device. The invention accepts as input a prioritized list of program viewing preferences which is compared with a database of program guide objects that indicate when programs of interest are actually broadcast. A schedule of time versus available storage space is generated that is optimal for the viewer's explicit or derived preferred content. The viewer may request that certain content be captured, which results in the highest possible priority for those content. The invention provides objects called a capture requests that are sent by the service to client systems. Capture requests reflect local storage management decisions about how the client system storage is partitioned.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2010Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: TiVo Inc.Inventors: Paul Westbrook, Howard Look, James Young, Stephen Lacy, Timothy Davison, James M. Barton
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Publication number: 20120294592Abstract: A television viewer interface system provides a viewer interface that allows the viewer to access different functions of a system. A highlight bar is responsive to the user's commands and is used to indicate the current menu item that can be selected by the user. Information is presented in a successive disclosure format where the user navigates through menus by moving the highlight bar to the right to obtain more information or to the left to see less information and return to the previous location. The background colors of each set of menus remains consistent throughout the user's experience such that the user intuitively knows what menu area he is in through the color cues. The invention provides indicators that tell the user that more information is available in a particular direction for a menu item.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2012Publication date: November 22, 2012Inventors: Howard Look, Robert Vallone, David Avraham Brown, Karen Bedard, Wijnand Van Stam, Ain McKendrick
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Publication number: 20120278842Abstract: A television viewer interface system provides a viewer interface that allows the viewer to access different functions of a system. A highlight bar is responsive to the user's commands and is used to indicate the current menu item that can be selected by the user. Information is presented in a successive disclosure format where the user navigates through menus by moving the highlight bar to the right to obtain more information or to the left to see less information and return to the previous location. The background colors of each set of menus remains consistent throughout the user's experience such that the user intuitively knows what menu area he is in through the color cues. The invention provides indicators that tell the user that more information is available in a particular direction for a menu item.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2012Publication date: November 1, 2012Inventors: Howard Look, Robert Vallone, David Avraham Brown, Karen Bedard, Wijnand Van Stam, Ain McKendrick
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Publication number: 20120213494Abstract: A method for displaying a webpage is described. The method involves receiving a broadcast stream including a program, playing the program in the broadcast stream to a viewer, displaying an icon to the viewer and receiving viewer input in response to display of the icon, pausing the playing of the program in response to receiving the viewer input, displaying a web page to the viewer in response to receiving the viewer input, and resuming the playing of the program.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2012Publication date: August 23, 2012Inventors: Jim BARTON, Kevin SMITH, David CHAMBERLIN, Howard LOOK
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Publication number: 20120192073Abstract: A position indicator is displayed in a vicinity of a visual indicator to a user the visual indicator visually indicates an available amount of program material through which the user is able to navigate and play back. The position indicator visually indicates a current playback position within the available amount of program material. In response to receiving a single user command, the position indicator is placed in a new current playback position over the visual indicator. The new current playback position visually represents an end position of the visual indicator.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2012Publication date: July 26, 2012Inventors: ROBERT VALLONE, HOWARD LOOK, AIN McKENDRICK
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Patent number: 8220021Abstract: A television viewer interface system provides a viewer interface that allows the viewer to access different functions of a system. A highlight bar is responsive to the user's commands and is used to indicate the current menu item that can be selected by the user. Information is presented in a successive disclosure format where the user navigates through menus by moving the highlight bar to the right to obtain more information or to the left to see less information and return to the previous location. The background colors of each set of menus remains consistent throughout the user's experience such that the user intuitively knows what menu area he is in through the color cues. The invention provides indicators that tell the user that more information is available in a particular direction for a menu item.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2004Date of Patent: July 10, 2012Assignee: TiVo Inc.Inventors: Howard Look, Robert Vallone, David Avraham Brown, Karen Bedard, Wijnand Van Stam, Ain McKendrick
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Publication number: 20120114301Abstract: A closed caption tagging system provides a mechanism for inserting tags into an audio or video television broadcast stream prior to or at the time of transmission. The tags contain command and control information that the receiver translates and acts upon. The receiver receives the broadcast stream and detects and processes the tags within the broadcast stream which is stored on a storage device that resides on the receiver. Program material from the broadcast stream is played back to the viewer from the storage device. Tags indicate the start and end points of a program segment. Program segments such as commercials are automatically replaced by the receiver with new program segments that are selected based on various criteria.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2011Publication date: May 10, 2012Applicant: TiVo Inc.Inventors: Jim Barton, Kevin Smith, David Chamberlin, Howard Look
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Publication number: 20120096355Abstract: A multimedia visual progress indication system that provides a cache bar that is overlaid onto the program material or displayed on a dedicated display. A cache bar indicates the length of a recording session or the length of stored program material and expands to the right when material is being recorded. Index and/or bookmark indicators are displayed next to the cache bar. A position indicator moves within the cache bar and tells the user visually where his current position is within the program material. Numeric time or counter mark of the current position is displayed in the vicinity of the cache bar. The trick play bar and its associated components are displayed for a predetermined time period.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2011Publication date: April 19, 2012Inventors: Robert Vallone, Howard Look, Ain McKendrick
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Patent number: 8135264Abstract: A multimedia visual progress indication system that provides a cache bar that is overlaid onto the program material or displayed on a dedicated display. A cache bar indicates the length of a recording session or the length of stored program material and expands to the right when material is being recorded. Index and/or bookmark indicators are displayed next to the cache bar. A position indicator moves within the cache bar and tells the user visually where his current position is within the program material. Numeric time or counter mark of the current position is displayed in the vicinity of the cache bar. The trick play bar and its associated components are displayed for a predetermined time period.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2008Date of Patent: March 13, 2012Assignee: TiVo Inc.Inventors: Robert Vallone, Howard Look, Ain McKendrick
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Patent number: 8111975Abstract: A multimedia visual progress indication system that provides a cache bar that is overlaid onto the program material or displayed on a dedicated display. A cache bar indicates the length of a recording session or the length of stored program material and expands to the right when material is being recorded. Index and/or bookmark indicators are displayed next to the cache bar. A position indicator moves within the cache bar and tells the user visually where his current position is within the program material. Numeric time or counter mark of the current position is displayed in the vicinity of the cache bar. The trick play bar and its associated components are displayed for a predetermined time period.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2007Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: TiVo Inc.Inventors: Robert Vallone, Howard Look, Ain McKendrick