Patents by Inventor Joseph Hollinger

Joseph Hollinger 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: 11930058
    Abstract: Described herein are various embodiments directed to skipping the opening sequence of streaming content. An embodiment operates by streaming content to a display device and determining an end of a teaser portion has been reached using crowdsourced metadata. Responsive to the determining, a skin icon is provided to the display device for display. A selection of the skip icon is received to advance past the title sequence/opening credits portion of the content. An end to the title sequence/opening credits portion of the content is determined using the crowdsourced metadata. The streaming of the content is advanced to the end of the title sequence/opening credits portion of the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony Wood, Joseph Hollinger
  • Publication number: 20230396664
    Abstract: Described herein are various embodiments directed to skipping the opening sequence of streaming content. An embodiment operates by streaming content to a display device and determining an end of a teaser portion has been reached using crowdsourced metadata. Responsive to the determining, a skin icon is provided to the display device for display. A selection of the skip icon is received to advance past the title sequence/opening credits portion of the content. An end to the title sequence/opening credits portion of the content is determined using the crowdsourced metadata. The streaming of the content is advanced to the end of the title sequence/opening credits portion of the content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Anthony Wood, Joseph Hollinger
  • Publication number: 20220408216
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method, and/or computer program product embodiments for tracking proximities of devices and/or objects. In one embodiment, the system operates by determining whether a plurality of devices of a tethered segment are inside or outside a predefined area. The system also operates by determining that a first device of the plurality of devices is outside of the predefined area based at least partially on the determination of whether the plurality of devices are inside or outside the predefined area. The system further operates by transmitting at least one alert notification to at least one device based at least partially on the determination that the first device is outside the predefined area, wherein the alert notification identifies the first device outside the predefined area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: Roku, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph HOLLINGER
  • Patent number: 11431772
    Abstract: Described herein is an example apparatus for skipping a portion of content during streaming of the content to a display device, where the portion is of little or no interest to the user. The apparatus includes a memory having a database stored therein. The database stores metadata relating to the content. The metadata includes an index, where the index stores pointers to portions of the content. The apparatus includes a processor that is communicatively coupled to the memory. In operation, the processor streams the content for display on the display device. When the processor determines an end of a teaser portion has been reached in the stream of the content to the display device, it enables a skip command. Responsive to enabling the skip command, the processor receives command input from the user to skip a title sequence/opening credits portion of the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: ROKU, INC.
    Inventors: Anthony Wood, Joseph Hollinger
  • Patent number: 11412346
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method, and/or computer program product embodiments for tracking proximities of devices and/or objects. In one embodiment, the system operates by determining whether a plurality of devices of a tethered segment are inside or outside a predefined area. The system also operates by determining that a first device of the plurality of devices is outside of the predefined area based at least partially on the determination of whether the plurality of devices are inside or outside the predefined area. The system further operates by transmitting at least one alert notification to at least one device based at least partially on the determination that the first device is outside the predefined area, wherein the alert notification identifies the first device outside the predefined area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Hollinger
  • Patent number: 11381654
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are various for a providing streaming content based on clustered behavior patterns. In an embodiment, a request for content is received from a first receiver associated with a first user. Each member is grouped into the cluster based a user interface browsing behavior pattern. A plurality of skip commands associated with the requested content from a plurality of receivers associated with at least a subset of the plurality of users of the cluster is received. A crowd source skip history is generated for the requested content for the cluster using at least the received plurality of skip commands. The requested content is transmit to the first receiver associated with the first user who is a member of the cluster, wherein a portion of the requested content identified by the crowd source skip history is excluded from the transmitted requested content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Hollinger
  • Publication number: 20210218822
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are various for a providing streaming content based on clustered behavior patterns. In an embodiment, a request for content is received from a first receiver associated with a first user. Each member is grouped into the cluster based a user interface browsing behavior pattern. A plurality of skip commands associated with the requested content from a plurality of receivers associated with at least a subset of the plurality of users of the cluster is received. A crowd source skip history is generated for the requested content for the cluster using at least the received plurality of skip commands. The requested content is transmit to the first receiver associated with the first user who is a member of the cluster, wherein a portion of the requested content identified by the crowd source skip history is excluded from the transmitted requested content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventor: Joseph Hollinger
  • Publication number: 20210144512
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method, and/or computer program product embodiments for tracking proximities of devices and/or objects. In one embodiment, the system operates by determining whether a plurality of devices of a tethered segment are inside or outside a predefined area. The system also operates by determining that a first device of the plurality of devices is outside of the predefined area based at least partially on the determination of whether the plurality of devices are inside or outside the predefined area. The system further operates by transmitting at least one alert notification to at least one device based at least partially on the determination that the first device is outside the predefined area, wherein the alert notification identifies the first device outside the predefined area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: Roku, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph HOLLINGER
  • Publication number: 20210144187
    Abstract: Described herein is an example apparatus for skipping a portion of content during streaming of the content to a display device, where the portion is of little or no interest to the user. The apparatus includes a memory having a database stored therein. The database stores metadata relating to the content. The metadata includes an index, where the index stores pointers to portions of the content. The apparatus includes a processor that is communicatively coupled to the memory. In operation, the processor streams the content for display on the display device. When the processor determines an end of a teaser portion has been reached in the stream of the content to the display device, it enables a skip command. Responsive to enabling the skip command, the processor receives command input from the user to skip a title sequence/opening credits portion of the content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: ANTHONY WOOD, Joseph Hollinger
  • Patent number: 11005956
    Abstract: Streaming content based on skip histories is discussed herein. An embodiment operates by clustering a user into a group of users. A plurality of skip commands associated with a second content are received from a plurality of receivers associated with members of the group while the receivers are displaying the second content to the members of the group. A crowd source skip history is generated for the content for the group using at least the received skip commands A skip rating is calculated A request for the second content is received from a receiver associated with the clustered user. A stream of the second content is transmitted to the receiver, such that a portion of the second content identified by the crowd source skip history is excluded from the stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: ROKU, INC.
    Inventor: Joseph Hollinger
  • Patent number: 10939234
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method, and/or computer program product embodiments for tracking proximities of devices and/or objects. In one embodiment, the system operates by determining whether a plurality of devices of a tethered segment are inside or outside a predefined area. The system also operates by determining that a first device of the plurality of devices is outside of the predefined area based at least partially on the determination of whether the plurality of devices are inside or outside the predefined area. The system further operates by transmitting at least one alert notification to at least one device based at least partially on the determination that the first device is outside the predefined area, wherein the alert notification identifies the first device outside the predefined area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Hollinger
  • Patent number: 10938871
    Abstract: Described herein is an example apparatus for skipping a portion of content during streaming of the content to a display device, where the portion is of little or no interest to the user. The apparatus includes a memory having a database stored therein. The database stores metadata relating to the content. The metadata includes an index, where the index stores pointers to portions of the content. The apparatus includes a processor that is communicatively coupled to the memory. In operation, the processor streams the content for display on the display device. When the processor determines an end of a teaser portion has been reached in the stream of the content to the display device, it enables a skip command. Responsive to enabling the skip command, the processor receives command input from the user to skip a title sequence/opening credits portion of the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: ROKU, INC.
    Inventors: Anthony Wood, Joseph Hollinger
  • Patent number: 10820032
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for the detection of a mobile device to identify user preferences. An embodiment operates by detecting that a mobile device is within a vicinity of a computing device. A user ID that corresponds to the mobile device is identified. The user ID is provided to an application over a network, wherein the application identifies one or more preferences associated with the user ID. The one or more identified preferences are received from the application. The computing device is configured based on the one or more identified preferences associated with on the user ID, responsive to the detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: ROKU, INC.
    Inventors: Gregory M. Garner, Joseph Hollinger
  • Publication number: 20200220940
    Abstract: Streaming content based on skip histories is discussed herein. An embodiment operates by clustering a user into a group of users. A plurality of skip commands associated with a second content are received from a plurality of receivers associated with members of the group while the receivers are displaying the second content to the members of the group. A crowd source skip history is generated for the content for the group using at least the received skip commands A skip rating is calculated A request for the second content is received from a receiver associated with the clustered user. A stream of the second content is transmitted to the receiver, such that a portion of the second content identified by the crowd source skip history is excluded from the stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventor: Joseph HOLLINGER
  • Patent number: 10637940
    Abstract: Streaming content based on skip histories is discussed herein. An embodiment operates by receiving a plurality of skip commands associated with a content from receivers while the receivers are displaying the content to users; generating a crowd source skip history for the content using at least the received skip commands; receiving a request for the content from a receiver; and transmitting a stream of the content to the receiver using the crowd source skip history for the content, such that a portion of the content identified by the crowd source skip history is excluded from the stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: ROKU, INC.
    Inventor: Joseph Hollinger
  • Publication number: 20200120443
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method, and/or computer program product embodiments for tracking proximities of devices and/or objects. In one embodiment, the system operates by determining whether a plurality of devices of a tethered segment are inside or outside a predefined area. The system also operates by determining that a first device of the plurality of devices is outside of the predefined area based at least partially on the determination of whether the plurality of devices are inside or outside the predefined area. The system further operates by transmitting at least one alert notification to at least one device based at least partially on the determination that the first device is outside the predefined area, wherein the alert notification identifies the first device outside the predefined area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Publication date: April 16, 2020
    Inventor: Joseph HOLLINGER
  • Patent number: 10623796
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for detecting a smart phone to enable content. An embodiment operates by detecting that a mobile device is within a vicinity of a media device. A different set of media options corresponding to the mobile device is determined. The media device is configured with the different set of media options. An indication that the media device has been configured with the different set of media options is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: ROKU, INC.
    Inventors: Gregory M. Garner, Joseph Hollinger
  • Patent number: 10524090
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method, and/or computer program product embodiments for tracking proximities of devices and/or objects. In one embodiment, the system operates by determining whether a plurality of devices of a tethered segment are inside or outside a predefined area. The system also operates by determining that a first device of the plurality of devices is outside of the predefined area based at least partially on the determination of whether the plurality of devices are inside or outside the predefined area. The system further operates by transmitting at least one alert notification to at least one device based at least partially on the determination that the first device is outside the predefined area, wherein the alert notification identifies the first device outside the predefined area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Hollinger
  • Publication number: 20190191273
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method, and/or computer program product embodiments for tracking proximities of devices and/or objects. In one embodiment, the system operates by determining whether a plurality of devices of a tethered segment are inside or outside a predefined area. The system also operates by determining that a first device of the plurality of devices is outside of the predefined area based at least partially on the determination of whether the plurality of devices are inside or outside the predefined area. The system further operates by transmitting at least one alert notification to at least one device based at least partially on the determination that the first device is outside the predefined area, wherein the alert notification identifies the first device outside the predefined area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventor: Joseph HOLLINGER
  • Patent number: 10237686
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method, and/or computer program product embodiments for tracking proximities of devices and/or objects. In one embodiment, the system operates by determining whether a plurality of devices of a tethered segment are inside or outside a predefined area. The system also operates by determining that a first device of the plurality of devices is outside of the predefined area based at least partially on the determination of whether the plurality of devices are inside or outside the predefined area. The system further operates by transmitting at least one alert notification to at least one device based at least partially on the determination that the first device is outside the predefined area, wherein the alert notification identifies the first device outside the predefined area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Hollinger