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: 8898720
    Abstract: A method, computer program, reception apparatus, and information providing apparatus for accessing or providing access to content. The method includes receiving a transport stream from a content provider. A virtual channel table (VCT) is extracted from the transport stream. Further, a determination is made as to whether one or more services, corresponding to an entry included in the VCT, are supported by the reception apparatus based on one or more parameterized service descriptor (PSD) instances, which are associated with a predetermined Service Type and included in the VCT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Eyer
  • Patent number: 8896755
    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: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Naohisa Kitazato, Mark Eyer
  • Patent number: 8886009
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for creating and/or altering a video bookmark is described. The method comprises an operation of processing a request from a downloaded scripted object to create a video bookmark. The video bookmark may be information that is used for performing an action involving additional information related to the video content being played at a time of the request. Thereafter, the video bookmark is created based on the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Eyer
  • Publication number: 20140327825
    Abstract: A method of processing disparity data for closed captions for three dimensional video involves receiving closed caption data including closed caption text within a first Standard service block having a service number in the range of 1-6; receiving closed caption disparity data within a Standard service block having a service number equal to n, where n is between 1 and 6; receiving a linkage field which associates each instance of said disparity data to a corresponding Standard service; parsing the disparity data from the closed caption data appearing in service number n; and processing the caption text and disparity data to produce an output suitable for defining a rendering of a three dimensional image on a display of the caption text at a z-axis position defined by the disparity data. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mark EYER
  • Patent number: 8839338
    Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums for providing and/or processing service usage reporting 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 the service usage reporting 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 service usage reporting data within the second service block having the different service number in the range of 1-6. The processor provides service-usage information to a service-usage reporting server (SURS) based on the service usage reporting data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Eyer
  • Publication number: 20140253683
    Abstract: A method of decoding closed caption disparity data, involves a TV receiver receiving closed caption disparity data for a 3D display encoded as a sequence of frame interval/slope change pairs, with the frame interval representing a designated number of frames over which each linear function representing disparity is to be applied paired with a value indicating a change in slope from the slope of a preceding segment. A first segment in the sequence presumes a predetermined slope as a reference. A sequence of caption data packets specifies a closed caption display window containing closed caption text. The disparity value is used in each frame to determine a horizontal offset of left and right eye views of the CC display that establishes the closed caption display window's perceived z-axis position. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mark EYER, Ikuo TSUKAGOSHI
  • Publication number: 20140229979
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a reception apparatus including: a reception block configured to receive AV content; a trigger information capture block configured to capture trigger information for controlling an operation of an application program to be executed in coordination with said AV content; and a control block configured to control an operation of said application program in accordance with an operation mode specified in said trigger information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naohisa KITAZATO, Yasuaki Yamagishi, Yoshiharu Dewa, Jun Kitahara, Mark Eyer
  • Publication number: 20140053174
    Abstract: A method, computer program, and reception apparatus, and information providing apparatus for retrieving and/or providing PDI data, including a PDI questionnaire. The method includes receiving content from a content source. The received content is displayed on a display. A location of the PDI data associated with the received content is subsequently determined. Further, the reception apparatus retrieves the PDI data based on the determined location of the PDI data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mark EYER, Yasuaki Yamagishi
  • Publication number: 20140043540
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a reception apparatus including: a reception block configured to receive AV content; a trigger information capture block configured to capture trigger information for controlling an operation of an application program to be executed in coordination with said AV content; and a control block configured to control an operation of said application program in accordance with an operation mode specified in said trigger information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Naohisa KITAZATO, Yasuaki Yamagishi, Yoshiharu Dewa, Jun Kitahara, Mark Eyer
  • Publication number: 20140040965
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a receiving device including: a receiver that receives AV content; a trigger information acquirer that acquires trigger information adapted to identify control information to control operation of an application program run in conjunction with the AV content; a table acquirer that acquires a table in which the control information identified by the trigger information is stored in response to first version information that is included in the trigger information and indicates a version of the table; and a control section that controls the operation of the application program in response to the control information that is identified by the trigger information and is stored in the table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Naohisa KITAZATO, Yasuaki Yamagishi, Yoshiharu Dewa, Jun Kitahara, Mark Eyer
  • Publication number: 20140020042
    Abstract: A method, computer program, reception apparatus, and information providing apparatus for accessing or providing access to content. The method includes receiving a transport stream from a content provider. A virtual channel table (VCT) is extracted from the transport stream. Further, a determination is made as to whether one or more services, corresponding to an entry included in the VCT, are supported by the reception apparatus based on one or more parameterized service descriptor (PSD) instances, which are associated with a predetermined Service Type and included in the VCT.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Inventor: Mark EYER
  • Publication number: 20140013379
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a receiving device including: a receiver configured to receive broadcast content; a trigger information acquirer configured to acquire trigger information for identifying a command to control an operation of an application program that is run in conjunction with the broadcast content and is delivered via a network; a correspondence table acquirer configured to acquire a correspondence table in which the command is associated with information for identifying the command; and a control section configured to control operations of a subject application program and another application program other than the subject application program in response to the command identified by the trigger information and the correspondence table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Naohisa KITAZATO, Mark Eyer
  • Publication number: 20130340007
    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. The reception apparatus 20 receives a first trigger associated with the received content. The reception apparatus retrieves a trigger parameters table (TPT) based on the 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 determines whether to process the at least one event included in the TPT based on one or a combination of a protocol version and one or more capabilities defined in the TPT.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Inventor: Mark EYER
  • Publication number: 20130291022
    Abstract: A method, computer program, reception apparatus, and information providing apparatus for providing one or more virtual channel tables corresponding to one or more content sources. The reception apparatus includes an input unit and a processor. The input unit receives a channel selection from a user. The processor determines a source of content associated with the channel selection based on at least one virtual channel table stored in a memory. Based on the determined source of content, the processor controls a first communication interface to receive first content or a second communication interface to receive second content. The processor controls the first communication interface to receive the first content when the selected channel is determined to be associated with a first source, and controls the second communication interface to receive the second content when the selected channel is determined to be associated with a second source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventor: Mark EYER
  • Publication number: 20130283311
    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: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mark EYER
  • Publication number: 20130258191
    Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums for providing and/or processing service usage reporting 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 the service usage reporting 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 service usage reporting data within the second service block having the different service number in the range of 1-6. The processor provides service-usage information to a service-usage reporting server (SURS) based on the service usage reporting data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mark EYER
  • Publication number: 20130250173
    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: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mark EYER
  • Publication number: 20130254824
    Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and reception apparatus for processing one or more triggers associated with audio/video (A/V) content, and an information providing apparatus for providing the one or more triggers. The method includes receiving by the reception apparatus the A/V content and a first trigger associated with the received A/V content. Further, the reception apparatus retrieves a trigger parameters table (TPT), associated with the A/V content, from a TPT server identified in the received first trigger. The TPT defines at least one event associated with the A/V content and defines, for each of the at least one event, a parameter used to perform a process and corresponding to the respective event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mark EYER
  • Publication number: 20130215327
    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: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicants: Sony Electronics Inc., Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Naohisa KITAZATO, Mark Eyer
  • Patent number: 8407734
    Abstract: A method of transmitting/receiving a broadcasting signal and a broadcasting receiver are disclosed. A rating region table (RRT) including a rating value identifier identifying rating information is stored, and, when broadcasting contents are received, the rating value identifier is obtained from a descriptor (or service discovery information) including the rating information of the contents. Then, the received broadcasting contents can be blocked according to the rating value identifier obtained from the descriptor and the rating value identifier of the RRT. Accordingly, although the RRT is changed, the broadcasting contents can be conveniently blocked using the unchanged rating value identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Gomer Thomas, Jae Hyung Song, Mark Eyer