Patents by Inventor Jerald R. Howcroft
Jerald R. Howcroft 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: 10531143Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller configured to identify audio content of interest associated with an audio portion of a media program. Alternate audio content is identified. Responsive to a detection of the audio content of interest within a textual representation of the audio portion, an indicator including a pointer is inserted into the media program. The pointer points to the alternate audio content and is inserted at a start point of the occurrence of the audio content of interest within the media program. The alternate audio content is retrieved based on the pointer and substituted with the alternate audio content beginning at the start point. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2018Date of Patent: January 7, 2020Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventors: Jerald R. Howcroft, Michael Raftelis
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Publication number: 20180139483Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller configured to identify audio content of interest associated with an audio portion of a media program. Alternate audio content is identified. Responsive to a detection of the audio content of interest within a textual representation of the audio portion, an indicator including a pointer is inserted into the media program. The pointer points to the alternate audio content and is inserted at a start point of the occurrence of the audio content of interest within the media program. The alternate audio content is retrieved based on the pointer and substituted with the alternate audio content beginning at the start point. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2018Publication date: May 17, 2018Applicant: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventors: Jerald R. Howcroft, Michael Raftelis
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Patent number: 9906826Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller configured to identify audio content of interest associated with an audio portion of a media program. Alternate audio content is identified. Responsive to a detection of the audio content of interest within a textual representation of the audio portion, an indicator including a pointer is inserted into the media program. The pointer points to the alternate audio content and is inserted at a start point of the occurrence of the audio content of interest within the media program. The alternate audio content is retrieved based on the pointer and substituted with the alternate audio content beginning at the start point. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2015Date of Patent: February 27, 2018Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventors: Jerald R. Howcroft, Michael Raftelis
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Publication number: 20160100208Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller configured to identify audio content of interest associated with an audio portion of a media program. Alternate audio content is identified. Responsive to a detection of the audio content of interest within a textual representation of the audio portion, an indicator including a pointer is inserted into the media program. The pointer points to the alternate audio content and is inserted at a start point of the occurrence of the audio content of interest within the media program. The alternate audio content is retrieved based on the pointer and substituted with the alternate audio content beginning at the start point. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2015Publication date: April 7, 2016Inventors: Jerald R. Howcroft, Michael Raftelis
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Patent number: 9241185Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller configured to receive a selection from a computing device during presentation of a media program comprising at least one of audio content and textual content associated with the audio content, wherein the selection identifies media content of interest, receive a selection from the computing device identifying replacement content for the media program, detect whether the media program contains the identified media content of interest, and replace the identified media content of interest with the replacement content if the identified media content of interest is detected in the media program. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2009Date of Patent: January 19, 2016Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.Inventors: Jerald R. Howcroft, Michael Raftelis
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Patent number: 9106937Abstract: A method includes sending a polling message from a management system to a set-top box device. The polling message requests service data related to quality of service associated with the set-top box device. The method includes receiving, at the management system, quality parameters from the set-top box device in response to the polling message. The method includes selecting a representative color that corresponds to the quality of service. The method also includes sending a quality indicator from the management system to a display. The quality indicator displays the representative color and an identification of the set-top box device.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2013Date of Patent: August 11, 2015Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.Inventors: Jerald R. Howcroft, Zhi Li, Christine E. Bouamalay, Jeffrey Multach
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Patent number: 8769264Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set-top-box having a controller to transmit a request to a remote management server for status information associated with a x.509 certificate intended for the STB, and receive the status information associated with the x.509 certificate from the remote management server, where events associated with the status information are received by the remote management server from at least one of the STB, a certificates proxy, an external certificate web service, and a certificate authority, and where the status information comprises at least a portion of the received events. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2012Date of Patent: July 1, 2014Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LPInventors: Jerald R. Howcroft, Benjamin Jahner
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Patent number: 8631022Abstract: A repository receives metadata from databases associated with different service providers. The repository converts the received metadata to a common format, such as MPEG7, and stores the converted metadata in a central database. The repository can also receive a query from a client device. The repository retrieves metadata associated with the query from the central database and provides it to the requesting client device. The repository can also convert the provided metadata to an appropriate format for the requesting device. Because the metadata is stored at a common location in a common format, content from different providers can be efficiently identified.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2012Date of Patent: January 14, 2014Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LPInventors: Jerald R. Howcroft, David Gibbon, Vishwa M. Prasad
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Patent number: 8627380Abstract: A set-top box for an Internet protocol television (IPTV) network includes a radio interface module, a remote control interface module, and a display interface module. The radio interface module accesses an Internet radio service on the IPTV network and outputs a list of Internet radio stations received from the Internet radio service to a particular IPTV channel on the display interface module, receives a selection of an Internet radio station from the remote control interface module, retrieves an Internet radio stream associated with the selected Internet radio station from the Internet radio service in response to receiving the first selection, and outputs the Internet radio steam on the particular IPTV channel of the display interface module.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2013Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LPInventors: Jerald R. Howcroft, Paul Van Vleck
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Patent number: 8626898Abstract: A maintenance system for an IPTV network includes a logging module, a ticketing module, and an operations module. The logging module receives a fault alert from a service provider and sends the alert to the ticketing module. The ticketing module determines the urgency of the fault, generates a ticket, assigns priority to the ticket based upon the urgency, and sends the ticket to the operations module. The operations module allocates the ticket and sends a message to a mobile device regarding the ticket. A method includes receiving a fault alert from a service provider, sending the alert to a ticketing module, determining the urgency of the event, generating a ticket, assigning priority to the ticket based upon the urgency, sending the ticket to an operations module, allocating the ticket, and sending a message to a mobile device the ticket.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2009Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LPInventor: Jerald R. Howcroft
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Publication number: 20130247097Abstract: A set-top box for an Internet protocol television (IPTV) network includes a radio interface module, a remote control interface module, and a display interface module. The radio interface module accesses an Internet radio service on the IPTV network and outputs a list of Internet radio stations received from the Internet radio service to a particular IPTV channel on the display interface module, receives a selection of an Internet radio station from the remote control interface module, retrieves an Internet radio stream associated with the selected Internet radio station from the Internet radio service in response to receiving the first selection, and outputs the Internet radio steam on the particular IPTV channel of the display interface module.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2013Publication date: September 19, 2013Applicant: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LPInventors: Jerald R. Howcroft, Paul Van Vleck
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Patent number: 8458749Abstract: A set-top box for an Internet protocol television (IPTV) network includes a radio interface module, a remote control interface module, and a display interface module. The radio interface module accesses an Internet radio service on the IPTV network and outputs a list of Internet radio stations received from the Internet radio service to a particular IPTV channel on the display interface module, receives a selection of an Internet radio station from the remote control interface module, retrieves an Internet radio stream associated with the selected Internet radio station from the Internet radio service in response to receiving the first selection, and outputs the Internet radio steam on the particular IPTV channel of the display interface module.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2009Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LPInventors: Jerald R. Howcroft, Paul Van Vleck
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Patent number: 8438604Abstract: A method of indicating quality of service includes determining values of a plurality of video quality parameters at a set-top box device. The method also includes selecting a color from a plurality of colors based on at least one of the values. The method also includes activating a video quality indicator, wherein the video quality indicator includes the selected color.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2007Date of Patent: May 7, 2013Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LPInventors: Jerald R. Howcroft, Zhi Li, Christine E. Bouamalay, Jeffrey Multach
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Patent number: 8359320Abstract: A repository receives metadata from databases associated with different service providers. The repository converts the received metadata to a common format, such as MPEG7, and stores the converted metadata in a central database. The repository can also receive a query from a client device. The repository retrieves metadata associated with the query from the central database and provides it to the requesting client device. The repository can also convert the provided metadata to an appropriate format for the requesting device. Because the metadata is stored at a common location in a common format, content from different providers can be efficiently identified.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2007Date of Patent: January 22, 2013Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LPInventors: Jerald R. Howcroft, David C. Gibbons, Vishwa M. Prasad
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Publication number: 20120011529Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, network device having a controller programmed to track a number of times that a particular service channel is distributed to a subscriber device from at least a network device selected from the group of a unicast stream server, a multicast stream router, or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) which is used in an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network when the subscriber device is initially tuned to the particular service channel and to obtain real time viewership information by polling the network device in the IPTV network to determine how many subscriber devices are tuned to each service channel in the IPTV network. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2010Publication date: January 12, 2012Applicant: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.Inventors: JERALD R. HOWCROFT, WILLIAM R. HURST, DAVID A. LEVINE
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Publication number: 20110153749Abstract: A maintenance system for an IPTV network includes a logging module, a ticketing module, and an operations module. The logging module receives a fault alert from a service provider and sends the alert to the ticketing module. The ticketing module determines the urgency of the fault, generates a ticket, assigns priority to the ticket based upon the urgency, and sends the ticket to the operations module. The operations module allocates the ticket and sends a message to a mobile device regarding the ticket. A method includes receiving a fault alert from a service provider, sending the alert to a ticketing module, determining the urgency of the event, generating a ticket, assigning priority to the ticket based upon the urgency, sending the ticket to an operations module, allocating the ticket, and sending a message to a mobile device the ticket.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2009Publication date: June 23, 2011Applicant: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.Inventor: Jerald R. Howcroft
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Publication number: 20110131600Abstract: A set-top box for an Internet protocol television (IPTV) network includes a radio interface module, a remote control interface module, and a display interface module. The radio interface module accesses an Internet radio service on the IPTV network and outputs a list of Internet radio stations received from the Internet radio service to a particular IPTV channel on the display interface module, receives a selection of an Internet radio station from the remote control interface module, retrieves an Internet radio stream associated with the selected Internet radio station from the Internet radio service in response to receiving the first selection, and outputs the Internet radio steam on the particular IPTV channel of the display interface module.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2009Publication date: June 2, 2011Applicant: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.Inventors: Jerald R. Howcroft, Paul Van Vleck
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Publication number: 20100180308Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a controller to search a portal in response to a user query for a plurality of related content items of disparate formats accessible across a plurality of platforms, present search results and a graphical user interface for the consumption of the plurality of related content items of disparate formats from the single portal in response to the searching, and select a set of the plurality of related content items of disparate formats from the single portal for provisioning on a first device with a first disparate format and at least a second device with a second disparate format. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2009Publication date: July 15, 2010Applicant: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.Inventors: JERALD R. HOWCROFT, Edward Walter
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Publication number: 20090112808Abstract: A repository receives metadata from databases associated with different service providers. The repository converts the received metadata to a common format, such as MPEG7, and stores the converted metadata in a central database. The repository can also receive a query from a client device. The repository retrieves metadata associated with the query from the central database and provides it to the requesting client device. The repository can also convert the provided metadata to an appropriate format for the requesting device. Because the metadata is stored at a common location in a common format, content from different providers can be efficiently identified.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2007Publication date: April 30, 2009Applicant: AT&T KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, LPInventors: Jerald R. Howcroft, David C. Gibbon, Vishwa M. Prasad
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Publication number: 20080288996Abstract: A method and apparatus for provisioning media content in a multi-user environment is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a Set-Top Box having a controller element to: receive multimedia content from a communication system; configure individual access to the multimedia content among a group of users in accordance with individual user profiles, wherein each of the individual user profiles has a separate service package provided by one or more broadband providers; and provision a delivery of the multimedia content to a media device in accordance with access settings defined at least in part in the individual user profiles. Additional embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2007Publication date: November 20, 2008Applicant: AT&T KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, LPInventors: EDWARD WALTER, LARRY B. PEARSON, JERALD R. HOWCROFT