Patents by Inventor Robert W. Estus

Robert W. Estus 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: 20240155164
    Abstract: A computerized system for targeted ad insertion receives a program content stream and detects images in the content stream. The system recognizes at least one visual object within the images and matches the recognized visual object to an advertisement that correlates with the recognized visual object. The system may then select an advertisement that advertises, correlates to, is directed to or is otherwise relevant to products or services falling under the theme, topic, category of interest and/or relevant viewer demographic and inserts an identifier of the matched advertisement at an insertion point into the program content stream. This enables playback of the matched advertisement during playback of the program content stream at a time that correlates to the insertion point into the program content stream of the identifier of the matched advertisement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2024
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Inventors: Robert W. Estus, Robert F. Percival
  • Patent number: 11910036
    Abstract: A computerized system for targeted ad insertion receives a program content stream and detects images in the content stream. The system recognizes at least one visual object within the images and matches the recognized visual object to an advertisement that correlates with the recognized visual object. The system may then select an advertisement that advertises, correlates to, is directed to or is otherwise relevant to products or services falling under the theme, topic, category of interest and/or relevant viewer demographic and inserts an identifier of the matched advertisement at an insertion point into the program content stream. This enables playback of the matched advertisement during playback of the program content stream at a time that correlates to the insertion point into the program content stream of the identifier of the matched advertisement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: DISH Network L.L.C.
    Inventors: Robert W. Estus, Robert F. Percival
  • Publication number: 20230247236
    Abstract: A computerized system for targeted ad insertion receives a program content stream and detects images in the content stream. The system recognizes at least one visual object within the images and matches the recognized visual object to an advertisement that correlates with the recognized visual object. The system may then select an advertisement that advertises, correlates to, is directed to or is otherwise relevant to products or services falling under the theme, topic, category of interest and/or relevant viewer demographic and inserts an identifier of the matched advertisement at an insertion point into the program content stream. This enables playback of the matched advertisement during playback of the program content stream at a time that correlates to the insertion point into the program content stream of the identifier of the matched advertisement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Robert W. Estus, Robert F. Percival
  • Patent number: 11589086
    Abstract: A computerized system for targeted ad insertion receives a program content stream and detects images in the content stream. The system recognizes at least one visual object within the images and matches the recognized visual object to an advertisement that correlates with the recognized visual object. The system may then select an advertisement that advertises, correlates to, is directed to or is otherwise relevant to products or services falling under the theme, topic, category of interest and/or relevant viewer demographic and inserts an identifier of the matched advertisement at an insertion point into the program content stream. This enables playback of the matched advertisement during playback of the program content stream at a time that correlates to the insertion point into the program content stream of the identifier of the matched advertisement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: DISH Network L.L.C.
    Inventors: Robert W. Estus, Robert F. Percival
  • Publication number: 20210329314
    Abstract: A computerized system for targeted ad insertion receives a program content stream and detects images in the content stream. The system recognizes at least one visual object within the images and matches the recognized visual object to an advertisement that correlates with the recognized visual object. The system may then select an advertisement that advertises, correlates to, is directed to or is otherwise relevant to products or services falling under the theme, topic, category of interest and/or relevant viewer demographic and inserts an identifier of the matched advertisement at an insertion point into the program content stream. This enables playback of the matched advertisement during playback of the program content stream at a time that correlates to the insertion point into the program content stream of the identifier of the matched advertisement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventors: Robert W. Estus, Robert F. Percival
  • Patent number: 11082724
    Abstract: A computerized system for targeted ad insertion receives a program content stream and detects images in the content stream. The system recognizes at least one visual object within the images and matches the recognized visual object to an advertisement that correlates with the recognized visual object. The system may then select an advertisement that advertises, correlates to, is directed to or is otherwise relevant to products or services falling under the theme, topic, category of interest and/or relevant viewer demographic and inserts an identifier of the matched advertisement at an insertion point into the program content stream. This enables playback of the matched advertisement during playback of the program content stream at a time that correlates to the insertion point into the program content stream of the identifier of the matched advertisement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: DISH NETWORK L.L.C.
    Inventors: Robert W. Estus, Robert F. Percival
  • Publication number: 20210058654
    Abstract: A computerized system for targeted ad insertion receives a program content stream and detects images in the content stream. The system recognizes at least one visual object within the images and matches the recognized visual object to an advertisement that correlates with the recognized visual object. The system may then select an advertisement that advertises, correlates to, is directed to or is otherwise relevant to products or services falling under the theme, topic, category of interest and/or relevant viewer demographic and inserts an identifier of the matched advertisement at an insertion point into the program content stream. This enables playback of the matched advertisement during playback of the program content stream at a time that correlates to the insertion point into the program content stream of the identifier of the matched advertisement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Robert W. Estus, Robert F. Percival
  • Patent number: 6549755
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling the operating point of a satellite transponder amplifier. In one aspect of the invention, a time domain signal received at a ground station is digitally sampled. Then, a histogram of the received signal is computed. To form the histogram, the digital samples are categorized according to which of a plurality of amplitude ranges each sample falls within. When plotted as a graph, the number of occurrences within each amplitude range forms the histogram. Under low compression levels, the histogram generally appears as an approximately bell-shaped curve. However, under higher compression levels, the bell-shaped curve becomes distorted. By correlating the acquired histogram to a template histogram, an amount of compression can be determined. This amount of compression indicates the operating point of the transponder amplifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Glowlink Communications Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey C. Chu, Michael L. Downey, Robert W. Estus
  • Publication number: 20020164950
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling the operating point of a satellite transponder amplifier. In one aspect of the invention, a time domain signal received at a ground station is digitally sampled. Then, a histogram of the received signal is computed. To form the histogram, the digital samples are categorized according to which of a plurality of amplitude ranges each sample falls within. When plotted as a graph, the number of occurrences within each amplitude range forms the histogram. Under low compression levels, the histogram generally appears as an approximately bell-shaped curve. However, under higher compression levels, the bell-shaped curve becomes distorted. By correlating the acquired histogram to a template histogram, an amount of compression can be determined. This amount of compression indicates the operating point of the transponder amplifiers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Applicant: Glowlink Communications Technology
    Inventors: Jeffrey C. Chu, Michael L. Downey, Robert W. Estus