Patents by Inventor Robert Blanchard

Robert Blanchard 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).

  • Publication number: 20100225830
    Abstract: In accord with embodiments and implementations consistent with the present invention, rather than perform a full scan of every frequency to find a channel, the tuner is programmed to find a reasonable sample of channels. For example, the tuner can search for at least two or three (generalized as N) channels to determine the frequency plan of the channels (by virtue of detection of at least one channel) and then use one of the known plans to directly identify the frequency map. The process can then step quickly through each frequency, without optimizing or fine tuning each channel, to determine the existence of a channel. With this process the number of tunable channels is found quicker and the initial setup time is shortened. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Inventors: Robert Blanchard, Robert L. Hardacker
  • Publication number: 20100229194
    Abstract: A system and method for customizing a user interface. The method includes receiving an input signal from a remote control device. The input signal may include an input command and identification information operable to be used for identifying the remote control device. A determination is made as to whether the remote control device has sufficient rights for execution of the input command by a content access system. In response to a determination of sufficient rights, a profile associated with the remote control is accessed. A customized user interface is then presented according to the profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Robert Blanchard, Mehrdad Memarnegad, Peter Shintani
  • Publication number: 20100123735
    Abstract: A method of processing television images consistent with certain implementations involves receiving a command from a television user interface to capture a television image; capturing and storing a frame of the television image to a frame memory device; receiving commands from the television user interface for editing the captured image to at least isolate a portion of the image; editing the captured image in accord with the editing commands; and storing the isolated portion of the image to a storage device for subsequent retrieval. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Inventors: Robert Blanchard, Peter Rae Shintani
  • Publication number: 20100083337
    Abstract: A method of processing a boot sequence for a processor forming a part of a module apparatus involves interrogating a host television device to determine if the host television device requires use of an application execution engine residing on the module apparatus; receiving a reply to the interrogation; and responsive to the reply, establishing a mode of operation wherein the application execution engine is used to execute application code for the host television device. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: George Williams, Xudong Yu, Toshiro Ozawa, Rolf Toft, Leo M. Pedlow, JR., Brant L. Candelore, David Boyden, Robert Blanchard, Christopher Jensen Read
  • Publication number: 20100075591
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for broadcasting and receiving a terrestrial broadcast signal containing emergency alert information in machine-readable format. The method includes the steps of scanning a Transport Stream associated with the terrestrial broadcast signal. The Transport Stream contains one or more Transport Stream packets and a plurality of tables, which are parsed to identify a channel having a type specified as containing emergency alert information. An MPEG-2 program having said emergency alert information may then be acquired for delivery through a terrestrial broadcast receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATATION, SONY ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Mark Eyer, Robert Blanchard
  • Publication number: 20100071019
    Abstract: A mobile receiver is programmed with available channels by initially searching for all potentially available channels and autoprogramming the receiver with channels that are detected by the receiver. Subsequently, only potentially available channels that have not been programmed into the receiver are searched for to reduce autoprogramming time when, e.g., the mobile receiver is carried to a higher elevation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Inventors: Robert Blanchard, Peter Shintani
  • Patent number: 7669702
    Abstract: A transmission box (3) for a wheeled machine includes a motor input shaft (4) driving a drive wheel (8) to actuate at least one drive shaft (9A, 9B) of at least one wheel (2A, 2B) of the machine (1). A clutch mechanism (13) is disposed between the drive wheel (8) and a drive shaft (9A, 9B) and is actuated by driving in rotation the drive wheel (8) and deactuated by driving in rotation the drive shaft (9A, 9B) when the motor input shaft (4) is stopped or when the speed of rotation of the drive shaft (9A, 9B) is greater than the speed of rotation of the drive wheel (8). The box (3) contains two clutch mechanisms (13), each coacting with one drive shaft (9A, 9B) to permit the free wheeling of one and/or the other of a pair of wheels (2A, 2B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: France Reducteurs
    Inventor: Robert Blanchard
  • Patent number: 7665589
    Abstract: A transmission box (3) for a wheeled machine having, within the box (3), a motor input shaft (4) driving a drive wheel to actuate at least one drive shaft of at least one wheel (2A, 2B) of the machine (1). A clutch mechanism is disposed between the drive wheel and the drive shaft of the wheels (2A, 2B) of the machine (1), this clutch mechanism being actuated by driving in rotation the drive wheel and axial movement of a member on the drive shaft of the wheels (2A, 2B) and deactuated by driving in rotation the drive shaft of the wheels (2A, 2B). The member which is axially movable in the drive shaft of the wheels carries ramps coacting with a member secured in rotation with the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: France Reducteurs
    Inventor: Robert Blanchard
  • Patent number: 7651146
    Abstract: A vehicle cargo sidewall structure includes a vertical inboard wall panel, a vertical outboard wall panel, door panel and a storage bin. The inboard wall panel includes an access opening. The outboard wall panel extends along side the inboard wall panel to define a side wall structure with a concealed storage space located between the inboard and outboard wall panels. The storage space is accessible via the access opening. The door panel moves between a closed position overlaying the access opening concealing the storage space and an opened position exposing the storage space. The storage bin is coupled to the door panel for movement therewith such that with the door panel in the closed position the storage bin is disposed within the storage space and with the door panel in the opened position the storage bin at least partially extends out of the storage space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Erik Anderson, Richard Miller, Robert Blanchard
  • Patent number: 7649949
    Abstract: An external module for use with a host television device consistent with certain embodiments wherein the host television device receives at least one content service has a connector for attaching to the module. Java™ code is received from the content service being received by the host television device over the connector. An application execution engine residing on the external module carries out execution of the Java™ code. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: George Williams, Xudong Yu, Toshiro Ozawa, Rolf Toft, Leo M. Pedlow, Jr., Brant L. Candelore, David Boyden, Robert Blanchard, Christopher Jensen Read
  • Publication number: 20100002134
    Abstract: A communication system includes: providing preferences; sending the preferences to a source device or a display device; and delivering data with the preferences from the source device to the display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Mark Eyer, Robert Blanchard
  • Patent number: 7641580
    Abstract: The invention relates to a transmission, in particular between a drive shaft and a wheel driving shaft of an engine, in particular of an automotive engine, such as a riding mower engine, whereby this transmission is of the belt-controlled variable-speed drive unit type (2) combined with a clutch device (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: France Reducteurs
    Inventor: Robert Blanchard
  • Publication number: 20090189404
    Abstract: A vehicle cargo sidewall structure includes a vertical inboard wall panel, a vertical outboard wall panel, door panel and a storage bin. The inboard wall panel includes an access opening. The outboard wall panel extends along side the inboard wall panel to define a side wall structure with a concealed storage space located between the inboard and outboard wall panels. The storage space is accessible via the access opening. The door panel moves between a closed position overlaying the access opening concealing the storage space and an opened position exposing the storage space. The storage bin is coupled to the door panel for movement therewith such that with the door panel in the closed position the storage bin is disposed within the storage space and with the door panel in the opened position the storage bin at least partially extends out of the storage space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: NISSAN TECHNICAL CENTER NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Erik Anderson, Richard Miller, Robert Blanchard
  • Patent number: 7555968
    Abstract: A transmission device between a primary drive shaft and an output shaft includes a housing inside of which is housed at least partially a reduction gear mechanism that consists of an engine-driving element, meshed with a driven element, adapted to be coupled to or uncoupled from the output shaft by a clutch mechanism that is activated/deactivated by axial movement of the gearwheel on the shaft. The clutch mechanism, retracted to the disengaged position, assumes the shape of a plate that is integral in rotation with the output shaft. The plate has on its face opposite the gearwheel, ramps designed to work during the engagement phase with ramps that are supported by the gearwheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: France Reducteurs
    Inventor: Robert Blanchard
  • Publication number: 20090138903
    Abstract: An interceptor detects command signals from a TV remote control and logs the signals. The signals can be correlated not just to channel number but also to programs by accessing a program/channel database. A log of channels/programs that have been viewed by, e.g., a child can thus be obtained and viewed by a parent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Inventors: Robert Blanchard, Behram Dacosta, Peter Shintani
  • Publication number: 20090138905
    Abstract: Parental control settings are provided to a display device by a user. In one embodiment, the display device generates a message, such as a consumer electronic control (CEC) message, which corresponds to the user-provided parental control settings. This message may then be transmitted to one or more source devices to which the display device is connected via an HDMI interface. The HDMI-connected devices may then modify or otherwise conform their own parental control settings in accordance with the parent control data in the received message. In one embodiment, the display device may then receive content from the HDMI-connected devices which has already been pre-filtered in accordance with the parental control settings that were provided directly to the display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Robert Blanchard, Mark Eyer, Peter Shintani
  • Publication number: 20090078085
    Abstract: This invention relates to a transmission between a drive element and a drive shaft (1) of the wheels of a self-propelled tractor vehicle, in particular with an accompanying driver walking behind the vehicle, such as a lawn mower, whereby the transmission comprises—generally housed at least partially inside a box (40)—a progressive friction clutch of the type that comprises at least one rotary driving element (30) and two driven elements (5A, 5B) that are carried by the drive shaft (1) and are integral in rotation with the latter, whereby these driving elements (30) and driven elements (5A, 5B) are, under the action of a control element (20), brought into variable-tightening support contact to obtain a variation of the torque that is transmitted to the shaft (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicant: FRENCH SOCIETE PAR ACTIONS SIMPLIFIEE
    Inventor: Robert BLANCHARD
  • Publication number: 20090060055
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding data into a digital program stream includes receiving a digital program stream having a pre-allocated data channel, where the pre-allocated data channel has a pre-defined bandwidth. In one embodiment, metadata may be received and an unused portion of the pre-defined bandwidth of the pre-allocated channel may be determined. In another embodiment, metadata may be encoded into the unused portion of the pre-defined bandwidth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Robert Blanchard, Mark Eyer
  • Publication number: 20080314696
    Abstract: A device for braking an elongated rotating body, includes at least two parts with coaxial conical surfaces, able to be slipped onto the body, and one, a so-called male cone, mounted integrally in rotation with the body, and the other, a so-called female cone, mounted fixed in rotation relative to the body. The female cone assumes the shape of a wheel with an axial bore with a conical bearing, and the male cone has a center recess. The cones are controlled in terms of axial relative movement by a control element. The male cone is, when the cones are close to one another, corresponding to the braking position, housed inside the axial bore of the female cone, with its conical external peripheral surface being held, by contact with a support, with the conical bearing of the female cone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: FRENCH SOCIETE PAR ACTIONS SIMPLIFIEES
    Inventor: Robert BLANCHARD
  • Publication number: 20080244097
    Abstract: A method and structure for establishing faster transmission of Consumer Electronic Control (CEC) commands between first and second HDMI-compatible devices. The first and second devices may transmit CEC commands via a shared alternate interface, a signaling path distinct from a standard HDMI CEC interface between the first and second devices. Authentication may furthermore be performed prior to use of the alternate interface to confirm that the communication is authorized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Brant Candelore, Aravind Asam, Peter R. Shintani, Robert Blanchard, Takashi Hironaka