Patents by Inventor Michael L. Craner

Michael L. Craner 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: 11956514
    Abstract: Systems and methods for rewinding a video to a point before the video was first viewed. Video transmitted by a media source is cached by a remote server. Upon a trick-play request for the video, the server generates a rewind stream that includes the video that was transmitted by the media source before the user started to view the video. Upon receiving the rewind stream, the user's equipment may cache the rewind stream in a rewind buffer and rewind or play from the rewind buffer. The server may also generate and transmit a forward stream of the video that the media source has not yet transmitted. The user's equipment may cache the forward stream in a forward buffer. To perform trick-play operations with the video, the user's equipment may migrate the playback of the video to the rewind and forward buffers and rewind or fast-forward the video from the buffers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael L. Craner
  • Publication number: 20230379444
    Abstract: Systems and methods for recording programs using a user's equipment and a network recording device are provided. An interactive television application may determine whether the user's equipment has sufficient resources (e.g., tuners or space) to record a program selected for recording. If the interactive television application determines that the user's equipment does not have sufficient resources, the interactive television application may select, automatically or in response to a user instruction, the program for recording with a network recording device. In some embodiments, the user may have to pay for the use of the network recording device, or may be required to purchase a given tier level of service. The interactive television application may play back programs from the network recording device as VOD offerings, or may direct the network recording device to transfer recorded programs to the user's equipment when it has sufficient resources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventor: Michael L. Craner
  • Patent number: 11800181
    Abstract: On-demand systems and methods are provided to manage locally-stored on-demand content. A user's equipment controls the deletion of and/or access to on-demand content from a local storage device based on constraining criteria that may include rental conditions, dynamic factors, and keys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Ellis, Robert A. Knee, Michael L. Craner
  • Patent number: 11765329
    Abstract: Systems and methods for recording programs using a user's equipment and a network recording device are provided. An interactive television application may determine whether the user's equipment has sufficient resources (e.g., tuners or space) to record a program selected for recording. If the interactive television application determines that the user's equipment does not have sufficient resources, the interactive television application may select, automatically or in response to a user instruction, the program for recording with a network recording device. In some embodiments, the user may have to pay for the use of the network recording device, or may be required to purchase a given tier level of service. The interactive television application may play back programs from the network recording device as VOD offerings, or may direct the network recording device to transfer recorded programs to the user's equipment when it has sufficient resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
    Inventor: Michael L. Craner
  • Publication number: 20230239445
    Abstract: Systems and methods for recording programs using a user's equipment and a network recording device are provided. An interactive television application may determine whether the user's equipment has sufficient resources (e.g., tuners or space) to record a program selected for recording. If the interactive television application determines that the user's equipment does not have sufficient resources, the interactive television application may select, automatically or in response to a user instruction, the program for recording with a network recording device. In some embodiments, the user may have to pay for the use of the network recording device, or may be required to purchase a given tier level of service. The interactive television application may play back programs from the network recording device as VOD offerings, or may direct the network recording device to transfer recorded programs to the user's equipment when it has sufficient resources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventor: Michael L. Craner
  • Patent number: 11558594
    Abstract: Systems and methods for recording programs using a user's equipment and a network recording device are provided. An interactive television application may determine whether the user's equipment has sufficient resources (e.g., tuners or space) to record a program selected for recording. If the interactive television application determines that the user's equipment does not have sufficient resources, the interactive television application may select, automatically or in response to a user instruction, the program for recording with a network recording device. In some embodiments, the user may have to pay for the use of the network recording device, or may be required to purchase a given tier level of service. The interactive television application may play back programs from the network recording device as VOD offerings, or may direct the network recording device to transfer recorded programs to the user's equipment when it has sufficient resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
    Inventor: Michael L. Craner
  • Publication number: 20220030311
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically generating a playlist of series assets and systems and methods for grouping assets of a playlist in clusters are provided. In one embodiment, series assets may automatically be included into a playlist for that series. In another embodiment, an interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters based on one or more user selected parameters or may group assets in cluster based on automatically determined parameters. In yet another embodiment, the interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters and display at least one identifier in connection with each cluster to indicate a basis for forming the cluster. The identifier may be a key word or catch phrase that succinctly identifies a trait or characteristic of assets in a particular cluster associated with the identifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Michael D. Ellis, Jon P. Radloff, Robert A. Knee, Michael L. Craner, Joshua Berry
  • Publication number: 20220014721
    Abstract: Systems and methods for recording programs using a user's equipment and a network recording device are provided. An interactive television application may determine whether the user's equipment has sufficient resources (e.g., tuners or space) to record a program selected for recording. If the interactive television application determines that the user's equipment does not have sufficient resources, the interactive television application may select, automatically or in response to a user instruction, the program for recording with a network recording device. In some embodiments, the user may have to pay for the use of the network recording device, or may be required to purchase a given tier level of service. The interactive television application may play back programs from the network recording device as VOD offerings, or may direct the network recording device to transfer recorded programs to the user's equipment when it has sufficient resources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventor: Michael L. Craner
  • Publication number: 20210368229
    Abstract: On-demand systems and methods are provided to manage locally-stored on-demand content. A user's equipment controls the deletion of and/or access to on-demand content from a local storage device based on constraining criteria that may include rental conditions, dynamic factors, and keys.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Michael D. Ellis, Robert A. Knee, Michael L. Craner
  • Publication number: 20210360331
    Abstract: Systems and methods for rewinding a video to a point before the video was first viewed. Video transmitted by a media source is cached by a remote server. Upon a trick-play request for the video, the server generates a rewind stream that includes the video that was transmitted by the media source before the user started to view the video. Upon receiving the rewind stream, the user's equipment may cache the rewind stream in a rewind buffer and rewind or play from the rewind buffer. The server may also generate and transmit a forward stream of the video that the media source has not yet transmitted. The user's equipment may cache the forward stream in a forward buffer. To perform trick-play operations with the video, the user's equipment may migrate the playback of the video to the rewind and forward buffers and rewind or fast-forward the video from the buffers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventor: Michael L. Craner
  • Patent number: 11115719
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically generating a playlist of series assets and systems and methods for grouping assets of a playlist in clusters are provided. In one embodiment, series assets may automatically be included into a playlist for that series. In another embodiment, an interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters based on one or more user selected parameters or may group assets in cluster based on automatically determined parameters. In yet another embodiment, the interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters and display at least one identifier in connection with each cluster to indicate a basis for forming the cluster. The identifier may be a key word or catch phrase that succinctly identifies a trait or characteristic of assets in a particular cluster associated with the identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: ROVl GUIDES, INC.
    Inventors: Michael D. Ellis, Jon P. Radloff, Robert A. Knee, Michael L. Craner, Joshua Berry
  • Patent number: 11115707
    Abstract: On-demand systems and methods are provided to manage locally-stored on-demand content. A user's equipment controls the deletion of and/or access to on-demand content from a local storage device based on constraining criteria that may include rental conditions, dynamic factors, and keys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
    Inventors: Michael D. Ellis, Robert A. Knee, Michael L. Craner
  • Patent number: 11109113
    Abstract: Systems and methods for rewinding a video to a point before the video was first viewed. Video transmitted by a media source is cached by a remote server. Upon a trick-play request for the video, the server generates a rewind stream that includes the video that was transmitted by the media source before the user started to view the video. Upon receiving the rewind stream, the user's equipment may cache the rewind stream in a rewind buffer and rewind or play from the rewind buffer. The server may also generate and transmit a forward stream of the video that the media source has not yet transmitted. The user's equipment may cache the forward stream in a forward buffer. To perform trick-play operations with the video, the user's equipment may migrate the playback of the video to the rewind and forward buffers and rewind or fast-forward the video from the buffers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael L. Craner
  • Patent number: 11102464
    Abstract: Systems and methods for recording programs using a user's equipment and a network recording device are provided. An interactive television application may determine whether the user's equipment has sufficient resources (e.g., tuners or space) to record a program selected for recording. If the interactive television application determines that the user's equipment does not have sufficient resources, the interactive television application may select, automatically or in response to a user instruction, the program for recording with a network recording device. In some embodiments, the user may have to pay for the use of the network recording device, or may be required to purchase a given tier level of service. The interactive television application may play back programs from the network recording device as VOD offerings, or may direct the network recording device to transfer recorded programs to the user's equipment when it has sufficient resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael L. Craner
  • Publication number: 20200236321
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically generating a playlist of series assets and systems and methods for grouping assets of a playlist in clusters are provided. In one embodiment, series assets may automatically be included into a playlist for that series. In another embodiment, an interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters based on one or more user selected parameters or may group assets in cluster based on automatically determined parameters. In yet another embodiment, the interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters and display at least one identifier in connection with each cluster to indicate a basis for forming the cluster. The identifier may be a key word or catch phrase that succinctly identifies a trait or characteristic of assets in a particular cluster associated with the identifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Michael D. Ellis, Jon P. Radloff, Robert A. Knee, Michael L. Craner, Joshua Berry
  • Patent number: 10587835
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically generating a playlist of series assets and systems and methods for grouping assets of a playlist in clusters are provided. In one embodiment, series assets may automatically be included into a playlist for that series. In another embodiment, an interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters based on one or more user selected parameters or may group assets in cluster based on automatically determined parameters. In yet another embodiment, the interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters and display at least one identifier in connection with each cluster to indicate a basis for forming the cluster. The identifier may be a key word or catch phrase that succinctly identifies a trait or characteristic of assets in a particular cluster associated with the identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Ellis, Jon P. Radloff, Robert A. Knee, Michael L. Craner, Joshua Berry
  • Publication number: 20190356945
    Abstract: On-demand systems and methods are provided to manage locally-stored on-demand content. A user's equipment controls the deletion of and/or access to on-demand content from a local storage device based on constraining criteria that may include rental conditions, dynamic factors, and keys.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventors: Michael D. Ellis, Robert A. Knee, Michael L. Craner
  • Patent number: 10419810
    Abstract: On-demand systems and methods are provided to manage locally-stored on-demand content. A user's equipment controls the deletion of and/or access to on-demand content from a local storage device based on constraining criteria that may include rental conditions, dynamic factors, and keys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Ellis, Robert A. Knee, Michael L. Craner
  • Publication number: 20190268582
    Abstract: Systems and methods for recording programs using a user's equipment and a network recording device are provided. An interactive television application may determine whether the user's equipment has sufficient resources (e.g., tuners or space) to record a program selected for recording. If the interactive television application determines that the user's equipment does not have sufficient resources, the interactive television application may select, automatically or in response to a user instruction, the program for recording with a network recording device. In some embodiments, the user may have to pay for the use of the network recording device, or may be required to purchase a given tier level of service. The interactive television application may play back programs from the network recording device as VOD offerings, or may direct the network recording device to transfer recorded programs to the user's equipment when it has sufficient resources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventor: Michael L. Craner
  • Publication number: 20190141408
    Abstract: Systems and methods for rewinding a video to a point before the video was first viewed. Video transmitted by a media source is cached by a remote server. Upon a trick-play request for the video, the server generates a rewind stream that includes the video that was transmitted by the media source before the user started to view the video. Upon receiving the rewind stream, the user's equipment may cache the rewind stream in a rewind buffer and rewind or play from the rewind buffer. The server may also generate and transmit a forward stream of the video that the media source has not yet transmitted. The user's equipment may cache the forward stream in a forward buffer. To perform trick-play operations with the video, the user's equipment may migrate the playback of the video to the rewind and forward buffers and rewind or fast-forward the video from the buffers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventor: Michael L. Craner