Patents by Inventor Robert Hardacker

Robert Hardacker 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: 20110080335
    Abstract: The brightness of a bed-mounted projector that projects images on a wall or ceiling is established in proportion to the ambient light level in the room. A motion detector can be used to operate room lights in the room only at user-defined times. Keystone correction of the image can be made based on the projection angle as sensed by an orientation sensor. An input strip on the headboard centerline can be used as a control input device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Inventors: ROBERT ALLAN UNGER, Robert Hardacker, Christopher Jensen Read
  • Patent number: 7911376
    Abstract: Antenna arrays are calibrated by providing one or more test signals from the antenna array to be calibrated to a receiving sensor while varying ambient operating conditions over some predetermined range of ambient operating conditions. The signal properties of these test signals may be measured by the receiving sensor or associated spectrum analyzer, and the ambient operating conditions under which the test signals are provided may be similarly measured. Thereafter, signal offsets for each of the antenna array's elements may be determined as a function of the measured ambient operating condition. Calibration information corresponding to these signal offsets may then be stored in a memory of the antenna array for use during operation of the antenna array. This calibration information may be in the form of a lookup table or a curve-fitting equation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, Bob Unger
  • Publication number: 20110064413
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for optical wireless communication. In one embodiment, a wireless optical video system in which video content (e.g., DVI or HDMI) is transmitted wirelessly between a digital video source and a display device. This wireless optical communication is accomplished using a laser, encoded with the digital video data, directed from an optical transmitter to an optical receiver. In another embodiment, the data to be communicated includes high-definition video content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Mark Champion, Robert A. Unger, Robert Hardacker
  • Publication number: 20110051019
    Abstract: An edge lighting control for a television set. A television set includes a display, an edge lighting bezel surrounding the display, a processor, and a memory component. The edge lighting bezel is operable to output light and its operation is user controllable, e.g., interaction between a GUI and a remote control. The processor controls the operation of the edge lighting bezel, e.g., dimming the output light and its color pattern, in response to user input. The memory component stores instructions and data for controlling the operation of the edge lighting bezel when processed by the processor. The edge lighting bezel may include a ring of light emitting diodes (LEDs) surrounding the display and a light pipe surrounding the ring. The ring is operable to emit light responsive to the user input and the light pipe is operable to transmit light emitted from the ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, Rafael Calderon, Steven Richman
  • Patent number: 7879111
    Abstract: Network registration for a device is achieved by providing the device with an RFID chip bearing a MAC address, cryptographic capabilities and keys, and then disposing the device near a registration server (such as a home network server/server TV) to cause the information on the RFID chip to be automatically transferred to the server and thus execute registration of the device on the network automatically, relieving a person from having to enter long strings of numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, Edgar Allan Tu
  • Patent number: 7860473
    Abstract: A radio frequency receiver includes a receiver circuit for processing RF signals, an antenna to receive millimeter wave RF signals, and an attenuator circuit, coupled between the receiver circuit and antenna. In one embodiment, the attenuator circuit may be used to determine a signal strength of the millimeter wave RF signals, compare this signal strength to a first threshold value. If the signal strength is above the first threshold value, a level of attenuation applied to the millimeter wave RF signals may then be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, Hiroyuki Mita, Kenichi Kawasaki
  • Publication number: 20100325680
    Abstract: In a home system in which a TV receives video from various sources over directional wireless links such as 60 GHz links, a mirror apparatus is provided that can be configured to physically steer a signal toward a receiver on the TV to optimize received signal strength. In this way, RF energy that otherwise would be radiated in non-productive directions away from the receiver is reflected toward the receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, James R. Milne, Robert Allen Unger
  • Patent number: 7839298
    Abstract: Control information is exchanged between a component and a remote control device or a server using RFID or using network discovery procedures. The control information if gathered by the server is provided to the remote. In this way, the need to manually program the remote with component code information is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, Ryuichi Iwamura, Peter Shintani, Edgar Allan Tu
  • Publication number: 20100289957
    Abstract: A processor, such as a TV processor, determines which one of at least two audio-video components is sending signals to a TV for display. Based on the determining act, the processor establishes a color of a bezel of the TV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, Rafael Calderon, Steven Richman
  • Publication number: 20100289942
    Abstract: A processor disposed inside of a display device analyzes the image received by a camera mounted on the display device to determine the optimum output intensity of a light source also mounted on the display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, Rafael Calderon, Steven Richman
  • Patent number: 7817035
    Abstract: A system and method for effectively determining a current physical location of a remote control device includes a television device that is configured to receive television control information over an RC-TV communications link. The remote control device transmits the device control information over the RC-device communications link for controlling various functions of the television device. In situations in which the current physical location of the remote control device is unknown, a system user may initiate a location search procedure with a search trigger event to locate the remote control device. The remote control device then generates one or more location indicators in response to the search trigger event to thereby facilitate determining the current physical location of the remote control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, Thomas Dawson
  • Publication number: 20100253572
    Abstract: Antenna arrays are calibrated by providing one or more test signals from the antenna array to be calibrated to a receiving sensor while varying ambient operating conditions over some predetermined range of ambient operating conditions. The signal properties of these test signals may be measured by the receiving sensor or associated spectrum analyzer, and the ambient operating conditions under which the test signals are provided may be similarly measured. Thereafter, signal offsets for each of the antenna array's elements may be determined as a function of the measured ambient operating condition. Calibration information corresponding to these signal offsets may then be stored in a memory of the antenna array for use during operation of the antenna array. This calibration information may be in the form of a lookup table or a curve-fitting equation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, Bob Unger
  • Publication number: 20100245668
    Abstract: A computer dock communicates with a TV over a HDMI link and a USB and/or Ethernet link. The dock can include a keyboard and mouse and the user can select whether the keyboard/mouse signals are sent to the computer or the TV. The input devices of the computer in the dock and/or the input devices of the dock can be used to provide navigation input to the TV to navigate around user interfaces such as a cross-media bar (XMB).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, Christopher Jensen Read, Robert Allan Unger
  • Publication number: 20100226466
    Abstract: A quantized channel rate and corresponding rate multiplier is determined on a transmitter-side of a communication system based on a measured minimum required bandwidth. In certain embodiments, the quantized data rate may be an integer multiple of the system's reference clock. The determined rate multiplier is then transmitted to the receiver-side at a default data rate prior to or near the beginning of a data transmission session, such as upon initialization. Prior to transmission, the data stream may be padded with some determined amount of null data such that the actual transmitted data rate is approximately equal to the quantized channel rate, and the receiver-side can readily recover the data clock using its known reference clock and the previously-provided rate multiplier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, Robert A. Unger
  • Publication number: 20100202046
    Abstract: Various ways are provided to visually distinguish one pair of TV 3D glasses from another in a home, including numbering the glasses, providing a white space on each pair of glasses that can be marked, color coding the glasses, and providing a visually unique band for each pair of glasses that can be engaged with the stem of the glasses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Inventor: Robert Hardacker
  • Publication number: 20100186057
    Abstract: A web-based subscription service PVR system. An Internet server maintains, for each subscriber, the subscriber's aggregated content including digital rights management (DRM) rules for each piece of content as defined by the content provider. Pointers to requested content are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, Robert Allan Unger
  • Publication number: 20100178883
    Abstract: The return channel in a multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) communication system is used to provide signal information on an individual-channel basis. In one embodiment, in a controlled factory environment, this information may be used to incrementing up or down the variable gain amplifier and/or the power amplifier of a MIMO transmitter and/or receiver so as to generate a default signal power offset to be used during normal operation. Thereafter, such signal information may similarly be provided via the return channel and used to further adjust the transmit parameters to account for location-specific signal conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, James R. Milne, Robert A. Unger
  • Publication number: 20100159855
    Abstract: Techniques for sending and receiving signals include pre-distorting signals before transmission across a communication path. The signals are pre-distorted as a function of a distortion on the communication path. In one embodiments, transmitter a broadcasts to receiver b and there is also a transmitter b broadcasting to receiver a. This return channel enables both transmitters a and b to have a priori information regarding the transmission medium and path the signal takes. In this way, the nature of the distortion or interference is known to the transmitter, therefore, it pre-distorts the transmitted signal to compensate for the receiver exceeding its capabilities in recovering signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, INC., SONY ELECTRONICS
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, Kenichi Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 7733287
    Abstract: A plurality of high-frequency beam-forming RF antenna arrays are used to enable parallel data transmission at multi-Gigabit per second data rates. In one embodiment, the 60 GHz band is used for parallel transmission of data from an antenna array printed on the substrate or packaging of an integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Hardacker
  • Publication number: 20100134696
    Abstract: A transmit digital processing system for wireless transmission of HDMI and/or DVI data using an FPGA. The FPGA converts the data into two data streams and includes a front end component multiplexing video data with control data. A complementary receive FPGA is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Inventors: Mark Champion, Robert Allan Unger, Robert Hardacker