Patents by Inventor John Cowgill

John Cowgill 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: 12058389
    Abstract: Dynamic transcoding can be used to provide supplemental content, selected to be played during breaks in a stream of primary content, that has the same format as the primary content. It can be desirable to provide supplemental content that is personalized. This may include additional content or advertising that may be of interest or relevance to a viewer. In many instances, the supplemental content will come from a different source and thus can be in a different format. Approaches in accordance with various embodiments can take advantage of dynamic transcoding of the supplemental content to provide properly formatted supplemental content through the same stream as the primary content. A custom manifest can be provided to the media player that points to the transcoded supplemental content. At an appropriate break in the playback, the media player can use the manifest to obtain the formatted supplemental content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Varun Ram, William Dirks, Meera Jindal, Sierra Anderson, John Cowgill, Kenneth Victor Chamberlin, Mark DeSpain, Matthew Brinkley, Khawaja Salman Shams, Alex Xiaoye Zhang
  • Publication number: 20220141507
    Abstract: Dynamic transcoding can be used to provide supplemental content, selected to be played during breaks in a stream of primary content, that has the same format as the primary content. It can be desirable to provide supplemental content that is personalized. This may include additional content or advertising that may be of interest or relevance to a viewer. In many instances, the supplemental content will come from a different source and thus can be in a different format. Approaches in accordance with various embodiments can take advantage of dynamic transcoding of the supplemental content to provide properly formatted supplemental content through the same stream as the primary content. A custom manifest can be provided to the media player that points to the transcoded supplemental content. At an appropriate break in the playback, the media player can use the manifest to obtain the formatted supplemental content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Varun Ram, William Dirks, Meera Jindal, Sierra Anderson, John Cowgill, Kenneth Victor Chamberlin, Mark DeSpain, Matthew Brinkley, Khawaja Salman Shams, Alex Xiaoye Zhang
  • Patent number: 11228792
    Abstract: Dynamic transcoding can be used to provide supplemental content, selected to be played during breaks in a stream of primary content, that has the same format as the primary content. It can be desirable to provide supplemental content that is personalized. This may include additional content or advertising that may be of interest or relevance to a viewer. In many instances, the supplemental content will come from a different source and thus can be in a different format. Approaches in accordance with various embodiments can take advantage of dynamic transcoding of the supplemental content to provide properly formatted supplemental content through the same stream as the primary content. A custom manifest can be provided to the media player that points to the transcoded supplemental content. At an appropriate break in the playback, the media player can use the manifest to obtain the formatted supplemental content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Varun Ram, William Dirks, Meera Jindal, Sierra Anderson, John Cowgill, Kenneth Victor Chamberlin, Mark DeSpain, Matthew Brinkley, Khawaja Salman Shams, Alex Xiaoye Zhang
  • Patent number: 8122629
    Abstract: A collapsible sign comprising a pivotal sign carrying member, an upright member hingedly attached to the pivotal sign carrying member, and a foldable support member adapted to stabilize the upright member and the pivotal sign carrying member. The pivotal sign carrying member may be adapted to lock into a substantially perpendicular arrangement with the upright member, or fold into a substantially parallel arrangement with the upright member. A flexible membrane may be rolled around the pivotal sign carrying member. Further, the collapsible sign may include a foldable support having an asymmetric arrangement of legs attached to the upright member. Alternatively, the collapsible sign may include a support member comprising a base member in a perpendicular arrangement with the upright member, and including penetration means for stabilizing the upright member and the sign carrying member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Inventor: John Cowgill
  • Publication number: 20100246337
    Abstract: An attractor timepiece apparatus. The apparatus may comprise a housing, a surface coupled to the housing, a plurality of numerals on the surface spanning more than 60 seconds, at least one actuator, and a rotatable arm structured to begin rotating from a starting position responsive to the actuator. The rotatable arm may be structured to automatically stop rotating at the starting position. Also disclosed is a method for self improvement using an attractor timepiece apparatus. The timepiece apparatus may begin counting from a starting position responsive to a first input from a user. The timepiece apparatus may notify the user to start meditating using a first sensory effect. Thereafter, a plurality of seconds may be traversed to an ending position more than 60 seconds from the starting position, and the timepiece apparatus may automatically stop counting at the ending position. The timepiece apparatus may notify the user to stop meditating using a second sensory effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventor: JOHN COWGILL
  • Publication number: 20090139124
    Abstract: A collapsible sign comprising a pivotal sign carrying member, an upright member hingedly attached to the pivotal sign carrying member, and a foldable support member adapted to stabilize the upright member and the pivotal sign carrying member. The pivotal sign carrying member may be adapted to lock into a substantially perpendicular arrangement with the upright member, or fold into a substantially parallel arrangement with the upright member. A flexible membrane may be rolled around the pivotal sign carrying member. Further, the collapsible sign may include a foldable support having an asymmetric arrangement of legs attached to the upright member. Alternatively, the collapsible sign may include a support member comprising a base member in a perpendicular arrangement with the upright member, and including penetration means for stabilizing the upright member and the sign carrying member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventor: John Cowgill
  • Patent number: D584362
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Inventor: John Cowgill