Patents by Inventor Jerry Howcroft

Jerry 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).

  • Publication number: 20150143430
    Abstract: A method includes performing, at a media recorder device, a comparison of a user defined criterion to information descriptive of content items associated with a set of series subscriptions. The content items and the set of series subscriptions are stored at the media recorder device. The user defined criterion indicates that reruns of episodes associated with a particular series subscription of the set of series subscriptions have not been recorded within a time period. The method includes identifying, at the media recorder device, multiple series subscriptions of the set of series subscriptions based on the comparison. The method includes deleting the multiple series subscriptions from the media recorder device. The method further includes sending, from the media recorder device, a notification to a display device, the notification indicating that a cleanup operation has been performed on the set of series subscription stored at the media recorder device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Jerry Howcroft, Kathy Piatt, Michael Raftelis
  • Patent number: 8959552
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that include receiving an instruction to compare at least one criterion to content items associated with multiple series subscriptions. A method includes issuing an instruction to selectively perform an action upon those content items that match the at least one criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Jerry Howcroft, Kathy Piatt, Michael Raftelis
  • Patent number: 8356172
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set-top-box (STB) 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, wherein at least one of the STB and the remote management server operate in an interactive television (iTV) network, and receive the status information associated with the x.509 certificate from the remote management server, wherein 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 wherein the status information comprises at least a portion of the received events. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Jerry Howcroft, Benjamin Jahner
  • Publication number: 20110087881
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set-top-box (STB) 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, wherein at least one of the STB and the remote management server operate in an interactive television (iTV) network, and receive the status information associated with the x.509 certificate from the remote management server, wherein 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 wherein the status information comprises at least a portion of the received events. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, LP
    Inventors: Jerry Howcroft, Benjamin Jahner
  • Publication number: 20110078754
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Jerry Howcroft, MICHAEL RAFTELIS