Patents by Inventor James C. Brailean

James C. Brailean 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: 10674795
    Abstract: An apparatus for redundant retention of a device comprises a mountable device comprising a first side having a first fastening portion and a second fastening portion, at the first fastening portion, an elongated body having an inclined face parallel to and protruding from the first side and a flat face perpendicular to the first side, at the second fastening portion, a circular body with a smooth circular face, the circular body protruding from the first side, a removable device comprising a corresponding first side having a corresponding first fastening portion and a corresponding second fastening portion, at the corresponding first fastening portion, a first groove for receiving the elongated body and engaging a first retention mechanism, at the corresponding second fastening portion, a second groove for receiving the circular body and engaging a second retention mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Mars, Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas F. Doyle, James C. Brailean
  • Patent number: 10652821
    Abstract: A method for creating dynamic safe zones comprises determining, by a tracking device, the tracking device is outside a domicile, monitoring, by the tracking device, a location of the tracking device, in response to the location satisfying a condition, creating a safe zone for the tracking device, and while the tracking device is within the safe zone, reducing power consumption of the tracking device, wherein the method is performed using one or more computing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Mars, Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas F. Doyle, James C. Brailean, Kevin Lloyd
  • Publication number: 20190307213
    Abstract: An apparatus for redundant retention of a device comprises a mountable device comprising a first side having a first fastening portion and a second fastening portion, at the first fastening portion, an elongated body having an inclined face parallel to and protruding from the first side and a flat face perpendicular to the first side, at the second fastening portion, a circular body with a smooth circular face, the circular body protruding from the first side, a removable device comprising a corresponding first side having a corresponding first fastening portion and a corresponding second fastening portion, at the corresponding first fastening portion, a first groove for receiving the elongated body and engaging a first retention mechanism, at the corresponding second fastening portion, a second groove for receiving the circular body and engaging a second retention mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas F. Doyle, James C. Brailean
  • Patent number: 10376020
    Abstract: An apparatus for redundant retention of a device comprises a mountable device comprising a first side having a first fastening portion and a second fastening portion, at the first fastening portion, an elongated body having an inclined face parallel to and protruding from the first side and a flat face perpendicular to the first side, at the second fastening portion, a circular body with a smooth circular face, the circular body protruding from the first side, a removable device comprising a corresponding first side having a corresponding first fastening portion and a corresponding second fastening portion, at the corresponding first fastening portion, a first groove for receiving the elongated body and engaging a first retention mechanism, at the corresponding second fastening portion, a second groove for receiving the circular body and engaging a second retention mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: MARS, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Thomas F. Doyle, James C. Brailean
  • Publication number: 20180262988
    Abstract: A method for creating dynamic safe zones comprises determining, by a tracking device, the tracking device is outside a domicile, monitoring, by the tracking device, a location of the tracking device, in response to the location satisfying a condition, creating a safe zone for the tracking device, and while the tracking device is within the safe zone, reducing power consumption of the tracking device, wherein the method is performed using one or more computing devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas F. Doyle, James C. Brailean, Kevin Lloyd
  • Patent number: 9974020
    Abstract: A method for creating dynamic safe zones comprises determining, by a tracking device, the tracking device is outside a domicile, monitoring, by the tracking device, a location of the tracking device, in response to the location satisfying a condition, creating a safe zone for the tracking device, and while the tracking device is within the safe zone, reducing power consumption of the tracking device, wherein the method is performed using one or more computing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: MARS, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Thomas F. Doyle, James C. Brailean, Kevin Lloyd
  • Patent number: 8010631
    Abstract: A system and method of notifying a remote client of a sensor triggering event and providing data related to the sensor triggering event to the remote client. The method has the steps of receiving a first notification signal indicating that a sensor has been triggered; identifying a data recording device associated with the triggered sensor wherein the data recording device records video data; identifying a client device designated to receive the video data when the sensor has been triggered; transmitting to the client device a second notification signal indicating that the sensor has been triggered; receiving an acknowledgement signal from the client device; and transmitting the video data to the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Tiger Ventures, LLC
    Inventors: James C. Brailean, Marshall Merrifield, Joel D. Underwood, Douglas C. Hoffman
  • Publication number: 20090077601
    Abstract: A system and method of notifying a remote client of a sensor triggering event and providing data related to the sensor triggering event to the remote client. The method has the steps of receiving a first notification signal indicating that a sensor has been triggered; identifying a data recording device associated with the triggered sensor wherein the data recording device records video data; identifying a client device designated to receive the video data when the sensor has been triggered; transmitting to the client device a second notification signal indicating that the sensor has been triggered; receiving an acknowledgement signal from the client device; and transmitting the video data to the client device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Inventors: James C. Brailean, Marshall Merrifield, Joel D. Underwood, Douglas C. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 7373395
    Abstract: A system and method of notifying a remote client of a sensor triggering event and providing to the remote client data related to the sensor triggering event. In one embodiment, the method includes: receiving a first notification signal indicating that a sensor has been triggered; identifying a data recording device associated with the triggered sensor, wherein the data recording device records video data; identifying a client device designated to receive the video data when the sensor has been triggered; transmitting to the client device a second notification signal indicating that the sensor has been triggered; receiving an acknowledgement signal from the client device; and transmitting the video data to the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Perseus Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: James C. Brailean, Marshall Merrifield, Joel Douglas Underwood, Douglas Christian Hoffman
  • Patent number: 6498809
    Abstract: A video bitstrean error resilient transcoder (100), method (300), video-phone, and video-communicator are provided wherein error resilience is implemented by verifying a syntax of a video bitstream and replacing the video bitstream between resynchronization markers with a valid syntax that is used by a decoder to produce a video sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick D. Dean, James C. Brailean, Stephen N. Levine
  • Patent number: 6498865
    Abstract: A method and apparatus automatically manipulates a digitally compressed video bitstream such that the result is compatible with different bandwidth and error resilience requirements at a receiving point in a heterogeneous communication network. The method and device provide for analysis of bitstream header information to determine its relevant coding syntax parameters. Feedback from the receiving point on the network is then used to identify error robustness requirements for an intermediate bitstream. The bitstream is then manipulated by an error robustness regulator to achieve error protection in the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: PacketVideo Corp,.
    Inventors: James C. Brailean, Mark R. Banham, Cheuk L. Chan, Osama Al-Shaykh, Jiangtao Wen
  • Patent number: 6327307
    Abstract: The present invention includes a device, article of manufacture, method, memory and computer-readable memory for removal of coding errors introduced through a compression process. The device includes an error control logic unit (404) that is coupled to receive decompressed pixel information of a video decoder and is used for detecting coding errors and a filter (418) that is coupled to the error control logic unit (404) and is used for preparing decompressed pixel information for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: James C. Brailean, David D. Nicozisin
  • Patent number: 6141453
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method (200, 400, 500, 600), device (300, 400, 500, 600, 700) and digital camera (800) for error control of a wavelet-based image codec, wherein wavelet coefficients are encoded using entropy coding. The method includes: A) utilizing, in a decoder, control information and a plurality of resynchronization markers inserted at arbitrary positions in a wavelet-based image bitstream wherein the control information provides decoding information for decoding at least a forward sequence of wavelet coefficients; and B) detecting errors in an image bitstream and limiting propagation of errors in a decoded image utilizing the control information and the plurality of resynchronization markers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark R. Banham, Salma Soudagar, James C. Brailean
  • Patent number: 5778192
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method (200, 400) and device (500) for, within a variable or fixed block size video compression scheme, providing optimal bit allocation among at least three critical types of data: segmentation, motion vectors and prediction error, or DFD. Since the amount of information represented by one bit for a particular type of data is not equivalent to the information represented by one bit for some other data type, this consideration is taken into account to efficiently encode the video sequence. Thus, a computationally efficient method is provided for optimally encoding a given frame of a video sequence wherein, for a given bit budget the proposed encoding scheme leads to the smallest possible distortion and vice versa, for a given distortion, the proposed encoding scheme leads to the smallest possible rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignees: Motorola, Inc., Northwestern University
    Inventors: Guido M. Schuster, Aggelos Katsaggelos, Mark R. Banham, James C. Brailean
  • Patent number: 5778191
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method (200) and device (300) for error control of a video compressed sequence in which error protection for both random and burst channel errors is provided. The error control syntax (100) applies a fixed length packet synchronization system to variable length coded compressed video data, which provides the capability to limit error propagation within the decoded video bit stream. The fixed length packet control information provides information to decode compressed video data in both forward and reverse directions to allow for the recovery of correctly decoded video data within a decoded frame after long bursts of channel errors while reducing the overhead for error control. The error control method also provides video error detection which may be used for error concealment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen N. Levine, James C. Brailean, Mark R. Banham
  • Patent number: 5764921
    Abstract: A method (100, 200), device (300) and microprocessor (400) are provided for selectively compressing video frames of a motion compensated prediction-based video codec based on a predetermined set of compression techniques. An energy estimate of the current displaced frame difference, DFD, is used to compute a ratio between the estimate and a historical mean of energy estimates. The ratio is iteratively compared to a predetermined set of thresholds which are associated with the predetermined set of compression techniques. The comparisons are used to choose a technique based on the thresholds, and a technique is selected to be used for encoding the current DFD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignees: Motorola, Northwestern University
    Inventors: Mark R. Banham, James C. Brailean, Stephen N. Levine, Aggelos K. Katsaggelos, Guido M. Schuster
  • Patent number: 5764307
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method (200) and an apparatus (100) for spatially adaptive filtering for video encoding. The apparatus filters a video sequence prior the encoding process. The apparatus comprises a noise variance determiner (102), a local variance determiner (104), a noise visibility function determiner (106), a Gaussian kernel determiner (108), and a convolver (110). The apparatus removes noise directly from a Displaced Frame Difference, DFD, signal. This novel approach removes noise and miscellaneous high frequency components from the DFD signal without the introduction of the filtering artifacts characteristic of current techniques. By reducing the miscellaneous high frequency components, the present invention is capable of reducing the amount of information that must be encoded by the video encoder without substantially degrading the decoded video sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignees: Motorola, Inc., Northwestern University
    Inventors: Taner Ozcelik, James C. Brailean, Aggelos K. Katsaggelos, Ozan Erdogan, Cheung Auyeung
  • Patent number: 5724369
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method (100, 200) and a device (300, 400, 600) for containing and concealing errors which occur in a transmitted video bitstream. Utilizing a plurality of predetermined scanning patterns, particular macroblocks are chosen per frame to have their intensity information encoded and transmitted. This approach provides an efficient method to limit the degradation to the visual quality of a video sequence decoded from a bitstream corrupted by an extended error burst. Concealment of areas within a video sequence that are affected by short error bursts and/or random errors is achieved by estimating the corresponding lost macroblock information from the remaining uncorrupted macroblocks. That is, for each lost macroblock a prediction of the intensity information is generated through the use of a motion vector from a neighboring uncorrupted macroblock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: Motorola Inc.
    Inventors: James C. Brailean, Kevin J. O'Connell, Mark R. Banham, Stephen N. Levine
  • Patent number: 5717463
    Abstract: A method and system for estimating the motion within a video sequence provides very accurate estimates of both the displacement vector field, as well as, the boundaries of moving objects. The system comprises a preprocessor (102), a spatially adaptive pixel motion estimator (104), a motion boundary estimator (106), and a motion analyzer (108). The preprocessor (102) provides a first estimate of the displacement vector field, and the spatially adaptive pixel motion estimator (104) provides a first estimate of object boundaries. The motion boundary estimator (106) and the motion analyzer (108) improve the accuracy of the first estimates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1998
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: James C. Brailean, Taner Ozcelik, Aggelos K. Katsaggelos
  • Patent number: 5646867
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method (600) and system (100) for predicting a differential vector field. The method and system enable the detection and encoding of an area where motion compensating the past image frame to the current image frame, fails. Based on the DFD signal, the present invention detects regions where the motion compensation has failed (102). The boundaries of these regions are encoded and sent to the decoder (104). The intensity values contained in this region, by the current intensity frame, are also encoded and sent to the decoder. Based on the decoded region boundaries, the decoder decodes the intensity values and places them into the correct regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Assignee: Motorola Inc.
    Inventors: Taner Ozcelik, James C. Brailean, Aggelos K. Katsaggelos, Stephen N. Levine