Patents by Inventor Thomas Christian Wiltzius

Thomas Christian Wiltzius 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: 9395871
    Abstract: A mechanism for automatically detecting and controlling active multimedia applications is provided. Software is installed on a computing device that detects a plurality of active multimedia sources, and then determines that one or more of the plurality of active multimedia sources accept remote control of one or more multimedia features. A software multimedia user interface, including graphically displayed interactive volume controls for the detected multimedia sources, is displayed and configured to enable a user to remotely control the respective audio levels of each detected multimedia program by graphic manipulation of respective interactive volume controls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Matthew Marra, Gideon Wald, Kathryn Cushing, Thomas Christian Wiltzius
  • Patent number: 9299076
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for determining a reliability of an online vendor. One or more groups of undesirable emails (for example, spam) are analyzed to determine a prevalence of a known vendor. A reliability indicator may be determined for the vendor based on the identified prevalence of the vendor in the emails. The reliability indicator may then be provided to a remote application for use in assessing the reliability of the vendor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Christian Wiltzius
  • Publication number: 20150253936
    Abstract: A mechanism for automatically detecting and controlling active multimedia applications is provided. Software is installed on a computing device that detects a plurality of active multimedia sources, and then determines that one or more of the plurality of active multimedia sources accept remote control of one or more multimedia features. A software multimedia user interface, including graphically displayed interactive volume controls for the detected multimedia sources, is displayed and configured to enable a user to remotely control the respective audio levels of each detected multimedia program by graphic manipulation of respective interactive volume controls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Matthew MARRA, Gideon WALD, Kathryn CUSHING, Thomas Christian WILTZIUS
  • Patent number: 9129116
    Abstract: A universal indicator may be provided to users accessing content over a network to help the users identify which content is safe and which content is not. The indicator may be a positive indicator for safe sites, or a negative indicator for unsafe sites, and may be conspicuously positioned on a portion of the browser to alert users which Internet sites are safe. The positive icon may be displayed only if all of a predetermined set of criteria are met, wherein the predetermined criteria consider network vulnerabilities, server vulnerabilities, and unscrupulous business practice vulnerabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Christian Wiltzius
  • Publication number: 20150219746
    Abstract: The disclosed subject matter relates to computer-implemented methods for determining a geographic location of a computing device. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a first set of authentication credentials, corresponding to a user, from a first computing device. The method further includes receiving a second set of authentication credentials, corresponding to the same user, from a second computing device. The method includes correlating the first set of authentication credentials and the second set of authentication credentials, to determine that the same user is associated with each of the first computing device and the second computing device. The method further includes receiving location information from the second computing device. The method further includes associating with the first computing device, based on the correlation, the location information received from the second computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Christian Wiltzius, Gregory Matthew Marra, Gideon Wald, Kathryn Cushing
  • Publication number: 20150213456
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for determining a reliability of an online vendor. One or more groups of undesirable emails (for example, spam) are analyzed to determine a prevalence of a known vendor. A reliability indicator may be determined for the vendor based on the identified prevalence of the vendor in the emails. The reliability indicator may then be provided to a remote application for use in assessing the reliability of the vendor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Christian Wiltzius
  • Patent number: 8959438
    Abstract: Methods, systems and computer programs are presented for generating media tabs for playing media files of various websites or applications. One method includes detecting a selected website through a browser and scanning the selected website to identify media files. For identified media files in the selected website, the method creates a media tab for association with the browser. The method generates a unified set of media controls for the media tab, where the unified set of media controls is mapped to native controls of the selected website having the media files. The method provides tab rendering data for the media tab. The tab rendering data is configured for associating the media tab with the browser. The tab rendering data, when associated with the browser, enables input at the media tab to be communicated to selected ones of the native controls, without accessing the native controls at the selected website.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Christian Wiltzius, Kathryn Cushing, Gideon Wald, Gregory Matthew Marra
  • Patent number: 8786458
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for displaying alerts in a web browser. An alert repeater is configured to receive an alert from an alert provider. A geographical determiner is configured to determine an effective geographical area for the alert. The alert repeater sends the alert over a browser update communication channel to an alert receiver in a web browser within effective geographical area. The alert receiver then displays the alert in the web browser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Christian Wiltzius, Kathryn Cushing, Gregory Matthew Marra, Gideon Wald
  • Publication number: 20140122234
    Abstract: Various aspects of the subject technology relate to systems, methods, and machine-readable media for targeting an advertisement based on an entity. A system is configured to receive a search query submitted by a user, identify an entity in a concept entity graph based on the search query, determine whether an advertisement corresponds to the identified entity, and provide, if the advertisement corresponds to the entity, the advertisement for display to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Inventors: Gideon WALD, Kathryn CUSHING, Thomas Christian WILTZIUS, Gregory Matthew MARRA
  • Publication number: 20140068440
    Abstract: Methods, systems and computer programs are presented for generating media tabs for playing media files of various websites or applications. One method includes detecting a selected website through a browser and scanning the selected website to identify media files. For identified media files in the selected website, the method creates a media tab for association with the browser. The method generates a unified set of media controls for the media tab, where the unified set of media controls is mapped to native controls of the selected website having the media files. The method provides tab rendering data for the media tab. The tab rendering data is configured for associating the media tab with the browser. The tab rendering data, when associated with the browser, enables input at the media tab to be communicated to selected ones of the native controls, without accessing the native controls at the selected website.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Christian Wiltzius, Kathryn Cushing, Gideon Wald, Gregory Matthew Marra