Patents by Inventor Mark Eyer

Mark Eyer 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: 10728611
    Abstract: Identification of services that carry the same or equivalent content. A reception apparatus includes circuitry configured receive first service information for a first service included in a first broadcast stream, and receive second service information for a second service included in a second broadcast stream. The first service is associated with a first virtual channel number and the second service is associated with a second virtual channel number. The circuitry is configured to determine whether the first service included in the first broadcast stream contains the same programming content as a service included in another broadcast stream based on the first service information. The first service information includes an identifier included in the second service information when the first service included in the first broadcast stream contains the same programming content as the second service included in the second broadcast stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Eyer
  • Patent number: 10708641
    Abstract: A reception apparatus includes receiver and processing circuitry. The receiver circuitry receives a broadcast stream that includes a television service selected by a user. The processing circuitry receives a user selection of the television service included in the broadcast stream and determines whether the selected television service is a digital rights management (DRM) protected service. When the selected television service is determined to be the DRM protected service, the processing circuitry outputs a quick response (QR) code for display, monitors the received broadcast stream for a DRM license that is associated with the unique identifier of the reception apparatus, acquires the DRM license that is associated with the unique identifier of the reception apparatus from the received broadcast stream, and decrypts at least one media component of the selected television service using the acquired DRM license.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mark Eyer
  • Publication number: 20200195990
    Abstract: A reception apparatus includes receiver and processing circuitry. The receiver circuitry is configured to receive a broadcast stream including a service list table (SLT) and a digital rights management (DRM) data service. The SLT includes service information for the DRM data service. The processing circuitry is configured to extract the service information for the DRM data service from the SLT included in the received broadcast stream. The service information for the DRM data service includes a DRM system identifier. The processing circuitry is configured to acquire DRM information from the DRM data service based on whether a condition regarding the reception apparatus or a user of the reception apparatus is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mark EYER, Tatsuya Igarashi, Brant Candelore, Paul Hearty
  • Patent number: 10681147
    Abstract: A method, reception apparatus, and computer-readable medium for communicating with a server to download or upload data. The method includes acquiring a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) message that includes a DNS (Domain Name System) name registered with the IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority). A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is generated based on the registered DNS name in the acquired URI message and a predetermined domain name. The data is downloaded from, or uploaded to, the server using the generated URL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC
    Inventor: Mark Eyer
  • Patent number: 10652609
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a reception apparatus including: a reception portion configured to receive AV content; a trigger acquisition portion configured to acquire trigger information for operating an application program to be executed in interlocked relation to the AV content; a table acquisition portion configured to acquire a correspondence table associating a command for controlling the operation of the application program with a valid time of the command; and a control portion configured such that when the time acquired from the trigger information as indicative of the progress of the AV content satisfies a predetermined condition of validity in reference to the valid time of the command on the basis of the acquired correspondence table, the control portion controls the operation of the application program in accordance with the command being valid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC
    Inventors: Naohisa Kitazato, Yasuaki Yamagishi, Yoshiharu Dewa, Mark Eyer
  • Patent number: 10602209
    Abstract: A reception apparatus includes receiver and processing circuitry. The receiver circuitry is configured to receive a broadcast stream including a service list table (SLT) and a digital rights management (DRM) data service. The SLT includes service information for the DRM data service. The processing circuitry is configured to extract the service information for the DRM data service from the received broadcast stream. The service information for the DRM data service includes a DRM system identifier. The processing circuitry is configured to acquire DRM information from the DRM data service when the DRM system identifier included in the service information for the DRM data service corresponds to a DRM system that is supported by the reception apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Eyer, Tatsuya Igarashi, Brant Candelore, Paul Hearty
  • Publication number: 20200045368
    Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and reception apparatus for extracting metadata, and an information providing apparatus for providing the metadata. The method for extracting metadata includes processing, by circuitry of the reception apparatus, content that includes the metadata embedded therein. The metadata is embedded as a watermark in a first portion of a video frame of the content. The circuitry determines symbol values of the watermark from the video frame based on luminance values in pixels of the first portion of the video frame of the content to extract the metadata. At least one of the luminance values is less than 16.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark EYER, Paul HEARTY
  • Patent number: 10547899
    Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and reception apparatus for extracting metadata, and an information providing apparatus for providing the metadata. The method for extracting metadata includes processing, by circuitry of the reception apparatus, content that includes the metadata embedded therein. The metadata is embedded as a watermark in a first portion of a video frame of the content. The circuitry determines symbol values of the watermark from the video frame based on luminance values in pixels of the first portion of the video frame of the content to extract the metadata. At least one of the luminance values is less than 16.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Eyer, Paul Hearty
  • Patent number: 10542321
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a computer-implemented method for a digital broadcast system is described. The method involves an operation of receiving an electronic questionnaire that includes a plurality of questions registered to avoid duplication of any one of the plurality of questions. The electronic questionnaire, when processed by a receiver of the digital broadcast system, generates for display a plurality of questions. The receiver acquires answers to the electronic questionnaire, where the answers are used in adjusting content subsequently downloaded to the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC
    Inventor: Mark Eyer
  • Patent number: 10531156
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a reception apparatus including: a reception portion configured to receive audio video content; a trigger extraction portion configured to extract trigger information for operating an application program transmitted along with the audio video content and executed in interlocked relation to the audio video content; a table acquisition portion configured to acquire a correspondence table for associating the trigger information with commands for controlling the operation of the application program; a command determination portion configured such that, based on the acquired correspondence table, the command determination portion determines the commands associated with the extracted trigger information; and a control portion configured to control the operation of the application program in response to the determined commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC
    Inventors: Naohisa Kitazato, Mark Eyer
  • Patent number: 10491966
    Abstract: A reception apparatus, method, computer program, and information providing apparatus for providing one or more alert services. The reception apparatus includes a receiver, a display interface, an input unit, and a processor. The receiver receives a notification of an alert service. The display interface presents the notification of the alert service on a display. Further, the input unit receives a request from a user of the reception apparatus to subscribe to the alert service. In response to receiving the subscription request, the processor registers a location of new content information associated with the alert service in a memory. Further, the processor determines whether new content corresponding to the alert service is available based on the new content information. When the new content is determined to be available, the processor downloads the new content and causes the display interface to present a pop-up alert based on the new content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC
    Inventor: Mark Eyer
  • Patent number: 10491965
    Abstract: Reception apparatus, method, computer-readable storage medium, and information providing apparatus for a trigger. The reception apparatus includes a tuner/demodulator and a processor. The tuner/demodulator is configured to receive content included in a transport stream from a content source. The transport stream includes a trigger associated with the content and references information included in the transport stream. The processor is configured to retrieve the trigger from the transport stream, and to retrieve the information from the transport stream based on the reference in the trigger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: SATURN LICENSING LLC.
    Inventor: Mark Eyer
  • Publication number: 20190320029
    Abstract: A method, reception apparatus, and computer-readable medium for communicating with a server to download or upload data. The method includes acquiring a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) message that includes a DNS (Domain Name System) name registered with the IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority). A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is generated based on the registered DNS name in the acquired URI message and a predetermined domain name. The data is downloaded from, or uploaded to, the server using the generated URL.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mark EYER
  • Publication number: 20190297391
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus, method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for processing an image in which a plurality of symbols is encoded. The information processing apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to determine luminance values of a plurality of pixels included in a line of an image in which a plurality of 2-bit symbols is encoded. Each of the plurality of 2-bit symbols is encoded in a subset of the plurality of pixels. The processing circuitry is further configured to determine a data value of one of the plurality of 2-bit symbols based on the luminance values of the subset of the plurality of pixels in which the one of the plurality of 2-symbols is encoded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mark EYER
  • Patent number: 10375350
    Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums for providing and/or processing non-closed caption data. The reception apparatus includes a receiver, a parser, and a processor. The receiver receives closed caption service data. The closed caption service data includes closed caption data within a first service block having a service number in the range of 1-6, and non-closed caption data within a second service block having a different service number in the range of 1-6. The closed caption data includes closed caption text. The parser parses the non-closed caption data within the second service block having the different service number in the range of 1-6. The processor performs a function based on the parsed non-closed caption data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC
    Inventor: Mark Eyer
  • Publication number: 20190230393
    Abstract: A reception apparatus includes receiver and processing circuitry. The receiver circuitry is configured to receive a broadcast stream including a service list table (SLT) and a digital rights management (DRM) data service. The SLT includes service information for the DRM data service. The processing circuitry is configured to extract the service information for the DRM data service from the received broadcast stream. The service information for the DRM data service includes a DRM system identifier. The processing circuitry is configured to acquire DRM information from the DRM data service when the DRM system identifier included in the service information for the DRM data service corresponds to a DRM system that is supported by the reception apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Inventors: Mark Eyer, Tatsuya Igarashi, Brant Candelore, Paul Hearty
  • Patent number: 10341715
    Abstract: A method, computer program, and reception apparatus, and information providing apparatus. The method includes receiving content from a content source, and displaying the received content on a display. A first trigger is extracted from closed caption data associated with the received content. The reception apparatus retrieves a trigger parameters table (TPT) based on the extracted first trigger. The TPT includes at least one event associated with one or a combination of a trigger identifier and a first media time of the received content, and is stored in a memory of the reception apparatus. Further, the reception apparatus processes the event based on one or a combination of a second trigger including the trigger identifier and the first media time equaling a current media time of the received content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC
    Inventor: Mark Eyer
  • Patent number: 10313764
    Abstract: A reception apparatus, method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for processing an image in which a plurality of symbols is encoded. The reception apparatus includes circuitry configured to receive or retrieve an image in which one of a plurality of predetermined run-in patterns and a plurality of symbols is encoded using a set of luminance values, and determine which of the plurality of run-in patterns is encoded in the image. The circuitry is configured to determine a slice point used to determine data values of the plurality of symbols encoded in the image based on which of the plurality of predetermined run-in patterns is determined to be encoded in the image. Further, the circuitry is configured to determine the data values of the plurality of symbols encoded in the image based on the determined slice point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mark Eyer
  • Publication number: 20190166392
    Abstract: A reception apparatus includes receiver and processing circuitry. The receiver circuitry receives a broadcast stream that includes a television service selected by a user. The processing circuitry receives a user selection of the television service included in the broadcast stream and determines whether the selected television service is a digital rights management (DRM) protected service. When the selected television service is determined to be the DRM protected service, the processing circuitry outputs a quick response (QR) code for display, monitors the received broadcast stream for a DRM license that is associated with the unique identifier of the reception apparatus, acquires the DRM license that is associated with the unique identifier of the reception apparatus from the received broadcast stream, and decrypts at least one media component of the selected television service using the acquired DRM license.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mark EYER
  • Patent number: 10291954
    Abstract: A method, computer program, and reception apparatus, and information providing apparatus. The method includes receiving content from a content source, and displaying the received content on a display. A first trigger is extracted from closed caption data associated with the received content. The reception apparatus retrieves a trigger parameters table (TPT) based on the extracted first trigger. The TPT includes at least one event associated with one or a combination of a trigger identifier and a first media time of the received content, and is stored in a memory of the reception apparatus. Further, the reception apparatus processes the event based on one or a combination of a second trigger including the trigger identifier and the first media time equaling a current media time of the received content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC
    Inventor: Mark Eyer