Patents by Inventor Richard W. Westerfer

Richard W. Westerfer 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: 8089502
    Abstract: A videophone system providing high resolution video transmission between videophones utilizes compressed video signals and audio signals which may be transmitted through any communications network, with the system providing real time adaptive error recovery and synchronization between the audio and video signals to produce high quality video images and sound. The system is highly resilient, adapting in real time to changing conditions in a network or to network errors due to data corruption or loss that can be produced, for example, by noise or line losses, thereby substantially eliminating fitter, signal packet loss or delay, or other errors which produce signal degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Worldgate Service, Inc.
    Inventors: Hal M. Krisbergh, Joseph E. Augenbraun, Randell E. Jesup, Maire D. Reavy, Randall J. Gort, Navneeth Kannan, Whitney D. Blackmon, Richard W. Westerfer, David E. Wachob
  • Patent number: 8063928
    Abstract: System and method for providing personal videotelephony in which a plurality of videophones are connected to a communications network that is configured for transmitted video and audio communications. Each of the videophones typically includes a camera, display device, telephone keypad, speaker and microphone all of which are operatively connected. The videophones further include means for selectably receiving and transmitting signals over the communications network, which signals represent images and/or sound, and for selectably displaying the signals representing any received signals representing the images on the display screen, and for playing any received signals representing the sounds on said speaker. Means are also provided for selectably accessing a remote location, such as, but not limited to, another videophone, using information entered or selected by a user of the videophone, and to retrieve the signals representing the images and sounds being transmitted from the remote location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Worldgate Service, Inc.
    Inventors: Hal M. Krisbergh, Joseph E. Augenbraun, Randell E. Jesup, Randall J. Gort, Maire D. Reavy, Navneeth Kannan, Whitney D. Blackmon, Richard W. Westerfer, David E. Wachob
  • Publication number: 20110228041
    Abstract: System and method for providing personal videotelephony in which a plurality of videophones are connected to a communications network that is configured for transmitted video and audio communications. Each of the videophones typically includes a camera, display device, telephone keypad, speaker and microphone all of which are operatively connected. The videophones further include means for selectably receiving and transmitting signals over the communications network, which signals represent images and/or sound, and for selectably displaying the signals representing any received signals representing the images on the display screen, and for playing any received signals representing the sounds on said speaker. Means are also provided for selectably accessing a remote location, such as, but not limited to, another videophone, using information entered or selected by a user of the videophone, and to retrieve the signals representing the images and sounds being transmitted from the remote location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventors: Hal M. Krisbergh, Joseph E. Augenbraun, Randell E. Jesup, Randall J. Gort, Maire D. Reavy, Navneeth Kannan, Whitney D. Blackmon, Richard W. Westerfer, David E. Wachob
  • Patent number: 7239338
    Abstract: System and method for providing personal videotelephony in which a plurality of videophones are connected to a communications network that is configured for transmitted video and audio communications. Each of the videophones typically includes a camera, display device, telephone keypad, speaker and microphone all of which are operatively connected. The videophones further include means for selectably receiving and transmitting signals over the communications network, which signals represent images and/or sound, and for selectably displaying the signals representing any received signals representing the images on the display screen, and for playing any received signals representing the sounds on said speaker. Means are also provided for selectably accessing a remote location, such as, but not limited to, another videophone, using information entered or selected by a user of the videophone, and to retrieve the signals representing the images and sounds being transmitted from the remote location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Worldgate Service, Inc.
    Inventors: Hal M. Krisbergh, Joseph A. Augenbraun, Randell E. Jesup, Randall J. Gort, Maire D. Reavy, Navneeth Kannan, Whitney D. Blackmon, Richard W. Westerfer, David E. Wachob
  • Publication number: 20020023271
    Abstract: Navigation techniques enable Internet web pages and other image frames to be navigated using a conventional keyboard or a television remote control, for example. In a first technique, a guide mapping application links objects in the various frames contained in an accessed web page so that when a user actuates a directional button on a remote control or a keyboard, the guide mapping application navigates the user to an object in the present frame or in another frame to which a currently selected object is linked. The guide mapping application also employs “edge of frame” indicators in those objects which are located on an edge of a frame. When an “edge of frame” indicator is detected, the application searches for and locates the appropriate adjacent frame, as well as the object within the adjacent frame that is located in the closest proximity to the object containing the “edge of frame” indicator, and then navigates the user to that object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Inventors: Joseph E. Augenbraun, Gerard K. Kunkel, Michael Mathiesen, Kitsel Outlaw, Scott A. Piette, Randell E. Jesup, Malia C. Flynn, Richard W. Westerfer, Richard L. Booth, Philip M. Faustine
  • Patent number: 5651065
    Abstract: A video signal is modified to include a supplemental burst signal on at least some of the scan lines for each frame. The supplemental burst signals are used to prevent a pirate decoder from descrambling horizontally sync suppressed scrambled signals by deriving a synchronization timing reference from the color burst signal. The supplemental burst signals can also or alternatively be used to carry data in an otherwise conventional analog video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1997
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation of Delaware
    Inventors: Alfred W. Stufflet, Richard W. Westerfer