Patents by Inventor Paul Langer

Paul Langer 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: 10069559
    Abstract: Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and methods are described for assembling at least one transport stream from satellite transponder signals. In one example, the method includes capturing at least one satellite feed, the at least one satellite feed including a plurality of transponder signals; demodulating each of the plurality of transponder signals, each demodulated transponder signal corresponding to a transport stream including a plurality of input streams; parsing one or more selected streams from the plurality of input streams; assembling at least one new transport stream from the one or more selected streams; modulating the at least one new transport stream to generate at least one new transponder signal; adding the at least one new transponder signal to a channel stack; and transmitting the channel stack to a receiving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
    Inventor: Paul Langer
  • Patent number: 10008093
    Abstract: Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and methods are described for A user input device, such as a remote control device. In one implementation, the remote control device includes at least one pair of electrical contacts, at least one button configured to electrically connect the at least one pair of electrical contacts, and a degradation measurement module in electrical communication with at least one of the electrical contacts. The degradation measurement module is configured to determine a degradation level of the at least one button based on at least one electrical property of a circuit associated with the at least one button when the at least button electrically connects the at least one pair of electrical contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
    Inventors: Christopher Burns, Brad Bylund, Harold Jaramillo, Paul Langer, Jeremy Mickelsen
  • Publication number: 20180041999
    Abstract: Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods are described for wireless communication. In one example a first wireless signal is received in a first radio frequency spectrum using a first antenna exterior to a building. The first wireless signal is associated with a first wireless protocol. The first wireless signal is converted into a first intermediate signal associated with a coaxial protocol. The first intermediate signal is transmitted to an interior of the building using a coaxial cable. The first intermediate signal is converted into a second signal associated with a second wireless protocol. The second signal is then transmitted in a second radio frequency spectrum using a second antenna interior to the building. The second signal is transmitted using the second wireless protocol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: Mark Jackson, Paul Langer
  • Publication number: 20180042065
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are described for wireless communication. In one example a first wireless signal is received in a first radio frequency spectrum using a first antenna exterior to a building. The first wireless signal is associated with a first wireless protocol. The first wireless signal is converted into a first intermediate signal associated with a coaxial protocol. The first intermediate signal is transmitted to an interior of the building using a coaxial cable. The first intermediate signal is converted into a second signal associated with a second wireless protocol. The second signal is then transmitted in a second radio frequency spectrum using a second antenna interior to the building. The second signal is transmitted using the second wireless protocol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: Mark Jackson, Paul Langer
  • Publication number: 20170323552
    Abstract: Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and methods are described for A user input device, such as a remote control device. In one implementation, the remote control device includes at least one pair of electrical contacts, at least one button configured to electrically connect the at least one pair of electrical contacts, and a degradation measurement module in electrical communication with at least one of the electrical contacts. The degradation measurement module is configured to determine a degradation level of the at least one button based on at least one electrical property of a circuit associated with the at least one button when the at least button electrically connects the at least one pair of electrical contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Christopher Burns, Brad Bylund, Harold Jaramillo, Paul Langer, Jeremy Mickelsen
  • Patent number: 9801112
    Abstract: A system includes a media content processing device programmed to wirelessly communicate with an access point over a plurality of wireless communication channels. The communication channels include a first communication channel and a second communication channel. The media content processing device is programmed to receive a media content signal from the access point over the first communication channel, process the media content signal, and generate an authorization signal for the access point to transmit the media content signal over the second communication channel in response to detecting issues with the media content signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Paul Langer, Christopher Bruhn
  • Patent number: 9748784
    Abstract: A remote control is powered by multiple batteries connected in series. The remote control includes a voltage comparison circuit configured to compare a midpoint voltage from a node connecting two of the batteries to a reference voltage. The remote control is able to determine if there is a non-uniform drain rate in the batteries based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Nathan Hale, Paul Langer, Jeremy Mickelsen, Tom Monikowski, Adam Schafer
  • Publication number: 20170214457
    Abstract: Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and methods are described for assembling at least one transport stream from satellite transponder signals. In one example, the method includes capturing at least one satellite feed, the at least one satellite feed including a plurality of transponder signals; demodulating each of the plurality of transponder signals, each demodulated transponder signal corresponding to a transport stream including a plurality of input streams; parsing one or more selected streams from the plurality of input streams; assembling at least one new transport stream from the one or more selected streams; modulating the at least one new transport stream to generate at least one new transponder signal; adding the at least one new transponder signal to a channel stack; and transmitting the channel stack to a receiving device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventor: Paul Langer
  • Patent number: 9712778
    Abstract: A secondary television receiver device includes one or more television tuners that can be integrated into a whole-home television receiving system. The secondary device that is enhanced with tuner capability registers the tuners with a primary receiver, which allocates tuners from available sources as needed. The tuned video stream may be directed to the primary television receiver for storage, trick play or other features prior to re-transmission to the ultimate viewing device. Alternatively, the received video stream may be directly rendered to a video display attached to the enhanced secondary receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Eric Hieb, Paul Langer
  • Publication number: 20170194719
    Abstract: According to principles of the embodiments as disclosed herein, a device that determines its own orientation and selects an appropriately oriented antenna based on the device's orientation is provided. The device may include a housing including an interior having a base and a top and a first sidewall extending from a perimeter of the base to the top. A plurality of antenna may be coupled to the housing one or more orientation sensors may also be coupled to the housing. A controller may be electrically coupled to each of the plurality of antenna and the one or more orientation sensors, and may be configured to receive information from the one or more orientation sensors, determine an orientation of the housing, and select one of the plurality of antenna to transmit and receive data. A transceiver may be located within the housing and at least one of the plurality of antenna may be being electrically coupled to the antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: Christopher William Bruhn, Paul Langer
  • Publication number: 20170171582
    Abstract: Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and methods are described for modifying over-the-air (OTA) channels for coaxial distribution. In one example, a method includes capturing at least one set of over the air (OTA) channels, each OTA channel being associated with a broadcast frequency within an OTA frequency spectrum; selecting a subset of OTA channels from the at least one set of OTA channels; translating the selected subset of OTA channels to a set of secondary frequencies within a secondary frequency spectrum; combining the translated subset of OTA channels and one or more satellite transponder signals into a coaxial feed; and transmitting the coaxial feed to a receiving device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Inventors: Paul Langer, Henry Gregg Martch
  • Publication number: 20170163335
    Abstract: Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and methods are described for assembling at least one transport stream from satellite transponder signals. In one example, the method includes capturing at least one satellite feed, the at least one satellite feed including a plurality of transponder signals; demodulating each of the plurality of transponder signals, each demodulated transponder signal corresponding to a transport stream including a plurality of input streams; parsing one or more selected streams from the plurality of input streams; assembling at least one new transport stream from the one or more selected streams; modulating the at least one new transport stream to generate at least one new transponder signal; adding the at least one new transponder signal to a channel stack; and transmitting the channel stack to a receiving device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventor: Paul Langer
  • Patent number: 9654205
    Abstract: Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and methods are described for assembling at least one transport stream from satellite transponder signals. In one example, the method includes capturing at least one satellite feed, the at least one satellite feed including a plurality of transponder signals; demodulating each of the plurality of transponder signals, each demodulated transponder signal corresponding to a transport stream including a plurality of input streams; parsing one or more selected streams from the plurality of input streams; assembling at least one new transport stream from the one or more selected streams; modulating the at least one new transport stream to generate at least one new transponder signal; adding the at least one new transponder signal to a channel stack; and transmitting the channel stack to a receiving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
    Inventor: Paul Langer
  • Publication number: 20160295486
    Abstract: A system includes a media content processing device programmed to wirelessly communicate with an access point over a plurality of wireless communication channels. The communication channels include a first communication channel and a second communication channel. The media content processing device is programmed to receive a media content signal from the access point over the first communication channel, process the media content signal, and generate an authorization signal for the access point to transmit the media content signal over the second communication channel in response to detecting issues with the media content signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Paul Langer, Christopher Bruhn
  • Publication number: 20160127786
    Abstract: Media device systems and methods are operable to provide security against unauthorized access to content or unauthorized control of the media device. An exemplary embodiment detects a wireless signal, with an identifier, that is emitted by at least one mobile electronic device that is currently in possession of a user, determines the identifier of the at least one mobile electronic device, retrieves a plurality of stored mobile device identifiers that identify each one of a plurality of mobile electronic devices, compares the identifier of the at least one mobile electronic device with the plurality of stored mobile device identifiers, and then permits access to restricted content or permits the media device to perform a restricted function only when the identifier of the at least one mobile electronic device matches one of the plurality of stored mobile device identifiers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Applicant: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventor: Paul Langer
  • Publication number: 20150195478
    Abstract: A secondary television receiver device includes one or more television tuners that can be integrated into a whole-home television receiving system. The secondary device that is enhanced with tuner capability registers the tuners with a primary receiver, which allocates tuners from available sources as needed. The tuned video stream may be directed to the primary television receiver for storage, trick play or other features prior to re-transmission to the ultimate viewing device. Alternatively, the received video stream may be directly rendered to a video display attached to the enhanced secondary receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Inventors: Eric Hieb, Paul Langer
  • Patent number: 8966042
    Abstract: A content player accesses content via a content access list shared by a network of players. The content is stored by one or more of the players. One or more of the players may be thin clients that can access content stored by other players but cannot themselves store content. The content access list lists available stored content. The content player associates a bookmark with the content and includes identification information that identifies the requestor related to generation of the bookmark. When the content player presents the content access list, bookmarks associated with content included in list are also be along with the identification information. In some implementations, the requestor related to generation of the respective bookmark may be the content player that generated the bookmark, the specific user that entered input that prompted generation of the bookmark, and/or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Paul A. Langer, Dan J. Minnick
  • Publication number: 20140153927
    Abstract: A system and method for detection of a remote control for configuration of a universal remote control is provided. The system and method compare a received identifying signal from a first remote control to a database of known remote control signals and corresponding remote control programming codes. The system and method then select a corresponding remote control programming code for programming the universal remote control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
    Inventor: Paul Langer
  • Patent number: 8633808
    Abstract: Described herein are techniques for locating a lost remote control. The method includes receiving user input, at a controlled device, the user input requesting to locate a lost remote control for the controlled device. The method further includes lowering a volume of the output of content associated with the controlled device responsive to the user input and transmitting a message from the controlled device to the remote control, the message requesting the remote control to activate an indicator device (e.g., sound, visual, physical or the like) of the remote control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Paul Langer
  • Publication number: 20130132543
    Abstract: A content player accesses content via a content access list shared by a network of players. The content is stored by one or more of the players. One or more of the players may be thin clients that can access content stored by other players but cannot themselves store content. The content access list lists available stored content. The content player associates a bookmark with the content and includes identification information that identifies the requestor related to generation of the bookmark. When the content player presents the content access list, bookmarks associated with content included in list are also be along with the identification information. In some implementations, the requestor related to generation of the respective bookmark may be the content player that generated the bookmark, the specific user that entered input that prompted generation of the bookmark, and/or a combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Paul A. Langer, Dan J. Minnick