Patents by Inventor Randy Scott Zimler

Randy Scott Zimler 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: 8601519
    Abstract: The present invention is a comprehensive digital residential entertainment system. A system includes a data switch, a mass storage device, a tuner and a demodulator. The data switch has a plurality of switch ports, and the mass storage device is coupled to a switch port of the plurality of switch ports of the data switch. The tuner selects an information channel of a plurality of information channels. The demodulator is coupled to a switch port of the plurality of switch ports of the data switch and to the tuner. A Web-based graphical user interface can be provided for accessing and controlling the features and functions of the digital residential entertainment system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: John Alson Hicks, III, Randy Scott Zimler
  • Patent number: 8001574
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and products describe a video overlay processor connected to a system data bus and to a media bus. The video overlay processor superimposes a first audio-visual signal over a second audio-visual signal to produce a superimposed signal and sends the superimposed signal to the system data bus. A network bus connects to the system data bus and receives the superimposed signal. A data switch connects to the network bus, receives the superimposed signal, and sends the superimposed signal to one or more switch ports of the data switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L. P.
    Inventors: John Alson Hicks, III, Randy Scott Zimler
  • Publication number: 20100146539
    Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for multimedia-on-demand services. In an embodiment, a multimedia-on-demand system includes a mass storage device that receives and stores a multimedia content item. A processor and a memory are coupled to the mass storage device. The memory can store a multimedia-on-demand data table and multimedia-on-demand instructions. The multimedia-on-demand data table can include a multimedia content identifier field adapted to store a multimedia content identifier, where the multimedia content identifier corresponds to a multimedia content item stored on the mass storage device. The multimedia-on-demand data table can also include a multimedia content usage indicator field adapted to store a multimedia content usage indicator, where the multimedia content usage indicator is associated with the multimedia content item stored on the mass storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Inventors: John Alson Hicks, III, Randy Scott Zimler
  • Patent number: 7698723
    Abstract: The exemplary embodiments describe systems and methods for multimedia-on-demand services. A multimedia-on-demand system includes a mass storage device that receives and stores multimedia content items. Memory couples to the mass storage device and stores a multimedia-on-demand data table and multimedia-on-demand instructions. The multimedia-on-demand data table includes a multimedia content identifier field corresponding to a multimedia content item stored on the mass storage device. The multimedia-on-demand data table may also include a multimedia content usage indicator field associated with the multimedia content item. The multimedia-on-demand instructions are executed by a processor and include instructions to automatically receive the multimedia content items. The multimedia-on-demand instructions also send a multimedia-on-demand usage message based at least in part on the multimedia content usage indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: John Alson Hicks, III, Randy Scott Zimler
  • Publication number: 20040261112
    Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for multimedia-on-demand services. In an embodiment, a multimedia-on-demand system includes a mass storage device that receives and stores a multimedia content item. A processor and a memory are coupled to the mass storage device. The memory can store a multimedia-on-demand data table and multimedia-on-demand instructions. The multimedia-on-demand data table can include a multimedia content identifier field adapted to store a multimedia content identifier, where the multimedia content identifier corresponds to a multimedia content item stored on the mass storage device. The multimedia-on-demand data table can also include a multimedia content usage indicator field adapted to store a multimedia content usage indicator, where the multimedia content usage indicator is associated with the multimedia content item stored on the mass storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: John Alson Hicks, Randy Scott Zimler
  • Publication number: 20040255326
    Abstract: A digital residential entertainment system is disclosed recording video data of an event. One component of this digital residential entertainment system is a set-top box decoding digital signals. The set-top box includes a processor communicating with memory and an input to a data switch interface. The data switch interface receives digital information from a data switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: John Alson Hicks, Randy Scott Zimler