Patents by Inventor Thomas L. Du Breuil

Thomas L. Du Breuil 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: 11908340
    Abstract: A method for modifying a video stream for display includes receiving a request to display a video stream in a display mode that facilitates viewing by visually impaired viewers. An unmodified region of interest (ROI) is identified in a current video frame of the video stream. A location of the unmodified ROI is tracked in each of the subsequent video frames. The unmodified ROI is magnified by a prescribed amount in at least some of the video frames in which the unmodified ROI is being tracked to produce a magnified ROI. For each of the video frames in which the unmodified ROI is being tracked and magnified, the magnified ROI is combined with at least a portion of the video frame in which the ROI is located to thereby produce a modified video stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC
    Inventor: Thomas L. Du Breuil
  • Publication number: 20230327970
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for determining the amount of latency between a video core and a remote device by inserting null packets in a data stream between the video core and the remote device, the null packets including respective time stamps demarking respective times of departure from the video core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Applicant: ARRIS Enterprises LLC
    Inventors: Thomas L. DU BREUIL, Robert S. Heiman, Joseph Wilson MONACO
  • Patent number: 11622144
    Abstract: Methods and systems to manage narrowcast bandwidth are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a channel tune request from a set top box associated with a service group, and determining whether current total bandwidth use by the service group is at or above a first predetermined threshold. The method additionally includes multicasting a high bitrate version of a requested channel to the set top boxes of the service group when the current total bandwidth use by the service group is below the first predetermined threshold. The requested channel corresponds to the received channel tune request. The method further includes multicasting a low bitrate version of the requested channel to the set top boxes of the service group when the current total bandwidth use by the service group is at or above the first predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC
    Inventors: Robert S. Heiman, Thomas L. du Breuil
  • Publication number: 20230021164
    Abstract: Advertisement preparation methods and systems are shown and disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes reviewing metadata of an advertisement. The metadata includes duration information for the advertisement, and determining actual duration of the advertisement. The method additionally includes determining whether the duration information matches the actual duration of the advertisement, and editing the advertisement when the duration information does not match the actual duration such that the actual duration of the edited advertisement matches the duration information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Applicant: ARRIS Enterprises LLC
    Inventor: Thomas L. du Breuil
  • Patent number: 11477540
    Abstract: Advertisement preparation methods and systems are shown and disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes reviewing metadata of an advertisement. The metadata includes duration information for the advertisement, and determining actual duration of the advertisement. The method additionally includes determining whether the duration information matches the actual duration of the advertisement, and editing the advertisement when the duration information does not match the actual duration such that the actual duration of the edited advertisement matches the duration information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC
    Inventor: Thomas L. du Breuil
  • Publication number: 20210306718
    Abstract: Advertisement preparation methods and systems are shown and disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes reviewing metadata of an advertisement. The metadata includes duration information for the advertisement, and determining actual duration of the advertisement. The method additionally includes determining whether the duration information matches the actual duration of the advertisement, and editing the advertisement when the duration information does not match the actual duration such that the actual duration of the edited advertisement matches the duration information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: ARRIS Enterprises LLC
    Inventor: Thomas L. du Breuil
  • Publication number: 20210160559
    Abstract: Methods and systems to manage narrowcast bandwidth are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a channel tune request from a set top box associated with a service group, and determining whether current total bandwidth use by the service group is at or above a first predetermined threshold. The method additionally includes multicasting a high bitrate version of a requested channel to the set top boxes of the service group when the current total bandwidth use by the service group is below the first predetermined threshold. The requested channel corresponds to the received channel tune request. The method further includes multicasting a low bitrate version of the requested channel to the set top boxes of the service group when the current total bandwidth use by the service group is at or above the first predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: ARRIS Enterprises LLC
    Inventors: Robert S. Heiman, Thomas L. du Breuil
  • Patent number: 10945005
    Abstract: A method is provided for presenting a program having a selected program rating when a user request is received through a client device to present a program at a selected program rating level. A version of the program is selected from among a plurality of different versions which corresponds to the selected program rating level. The selected version of the program is caused to be presented on a display device associated with the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC
    Inventors: Michael R. Kahn, Thomas L. Du Breuil
  • Publication number: 20210029306
    Abstract: A method for modifying a video stream for display includes receiving a request to display a video stream in a display mode that facilitates viewing by visually impaired viewers. An unmodified region of interest (ROI) is identified in a current video frame of the video stream. A location of the unmodified ROI is tracked in each of the subsequent video frames. The unmodified ROI is magnified by a prescribed amount in at least some of the video frames in which the unmodified ROI is being tracked to produce a magnified ROI. For each of the video frames in which the unmodified ROI is being tracked and magnified, the magnified ROI is combined with at least a portion of the video frame in which the ROI is located to thereby produce a modified video stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventor: Thomas L. Du Breuil
  • Publication number: 20200186851
    Abstract: A method is provided for presenting a program having a selected program rating when a user request is received through a client device to present a program at a selected program rating level. A version of the program is selected from among a plurality of different versions which corresponds to the selected program rating level. The selected version of the program is caused to be presented on a display device associated with the client device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Michael R. Kahn, Thomas L. Du Breuil
  • Patent number: 10659828
    Abstract: A system for delivering content is provided that uses switched digital video (SDV), adaptive bit rate (ABR) streaming techniques and an ABR to Legacy Transport Stream (ALTS) converter for converting the ABR streams to a QAM-based transport stream, all under control of the SDV session manager. In operation, the SDV system can be used to select an ABR profile for a service that is destined for a QAM set top terminal based on the currently available bandwidth. Moreover, the ABR profile may be changed upward (i.e., a profile requiring a greater bandwidth) or downward (i.e., a profile requiring less bandwidth) on a dynamic basis as the number of requested services changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC
    Inventors: Thomas L. Du Breuil, Robert S. Heiman
  • Publication number: 20190364330
    Abstract: A method is provided that broadcasts channels to set top boxes (STB), processes them, and makes them available in ABR streaming format to clients in a home network. The method includes the steps of: transmitting a plurality of streams for each channel broadcast, wherein each stream is at a different bitrate and is segmentable into chunks; receiving the plurality of streams for one or more channels at the STB; and storing a plurality of segmentable chunk durations for each of the plurality of streams for each channel received. In some embodiments, HLS is packaged as MPEG transport without a manifest file, and a set top box (STB) caches HLS chunks for at least the consumer's most viewed channels, reducing acquisition time of those HLS streams. The STB reconstitutes the HLS playlist and chunks for delivery throughout the home.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Paul Moroney, Thomas L. Du Breuil
  • Publication number: 20190191197
    Abstract: A system for delivering content is provided that uses switched digital video (SDV), adaptive bit rate (ABR) streaming techniques and an ABR to Legacy Transport Stream (ALTS) converter for converting the ABR streams to a QAM-based transport stream, all under control of the SDV session manager. In operation, the SDV system can be used to select an ABR profile for a service that is destined for a QAM set top terminal based on the currently available bandwidth. Moreover, the ABR profile may be changed upward (i.e., a profile requiring a greater bandwidth) or downward (i.e., a profile requiring less bandwidth) on a dynamic basis as the number of requested services changes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas L. Du Breuil, Robert S. Heiman
  • Patent number: 10250949
    Abstract: In embodiments of broadcast content to HTTP client conversion, a client converter receives video content as an input of broadcast content data streams from a content distribution system. The client converter can join a content data stream of the broadcast input, and convert the content data stream to unicast HTTP data, such as video content segments that are buffered for communication to a client device or to a media player of a client device. An HTTP server of the client converter can then communicate the unicast HTTP data to the client device or to the media player for playback of the video content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: GOOGLE TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventors: Ajay K. Luthra, Praveen N. Moorthy, Mark S. Schmidt, Haifeng Xu, Thomas L. du Breuil, Glen Peter Goffin, II
  • Publication number: 20180338168
    Abstract: A method is provided for providing splice points in a video stream for encoding the video. The primary video stream has one or more splice points denoted therein at which a secondary video stream is to be inserted. The primary stream is encoded using a model of a hypothetical decoder input buffer that assigns a predetermined buffer occupancy level to the hypothetical decoder input buffer at each of the splice points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventor: Thomas L. Du Breuil
  • Patent number: 10061904
    Abstract: There is a performing of digital rights management (DRM), operable in an offline mode with respect to a communications network. The performing includes identifying a stored rights object associated with a stored asset. The stored rights object includes reporting duration information associated with the stored asset. The performing also includes determining, utilizing a processor, whether a transmission of an early status message is a successful communication based on an early status message determination. If a failure in communicating the early status message is determined, utilizing the stored asset. The performing may also include transmitting an early status message and/or later status message after identifying the stored rights object. There is also a performing of digital rights management (DRM) associated with a DRM system and operable in an offline mode with respect to a communications network. There are also client devices, communicating systems, computer readable mediums and protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: GOOGLE TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventors: Nicol C. So, Thomas L. Du Breuil, Barry P. Falvo, Rama Raju Kaldindi, Ambikacharan P. Makam, Geetha Mangalore, Paul Moroney
  • Patent number: 10003860
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for an adaptive bit rate system. The method may include streaming media content at a server, determining a discontinuity in the streaming media content based on boundaries corresponding to changes in the streaming media content, and dividing the streaming media content into a plurality of variable duration segments, wherein a duration of one of the plurality of variable duration segments is to be adjusted based on the determined discontinuity to cause the one of the plurality of variable duration segments to end at the determined discontinuity in the streaming media content. The method may further include transmitting the plurality of variable duration segments of the streaming media content from the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: GOOGLE TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventors: Sean T. McCarthy, Thomas L. Du Breuil, Gary Hughes, Mark R. Magee, Wendell Sun
  • Patent number: 9794562
    Abstract: A method of processing a video transport stream includes receiving a video transport stream and identifying at least one portion of the video transport stream that is not to undergo modification when processed by a rate shaping device. An indicator is inserted into the video transport stream. The indicator is used to signal the statistical multiplexer that the at least one portion of the video transport stream is not to be modified when the video transport stream is processed by the rate shaping device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark E. Gregotski, Thomas L. Du Breuil, Fabrice M. Quinard
  • Patent number: 9591363
    Abstract: A method includes: storing, via a network storage device, information related to the playback history of a content playing device; receiving, via a network digital video recorder scheduler, a request to record requested content; receiving, via a network digital video recorder, the requested content in a first format and the requested content in a second format; and storing, via the network digital video recorder, only one of the requested content in the first format or the requested content in a second format based on the information related to the playback history.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: David M Bjordammen, Thomas L Du Breuil
  • Patent number: 9336365
    Abstract: There is a performing of digital rights management (DRM), operable in an offline mode with respect to a communications network. The performing includes identifying a stored rights object associated with a stored asset. The stored rights object includes reporting duration information associated with the stored asset. The performing also includes determining, utilizing a processor, whether a transmission of an early status message is a successful communication based on an early status message determination. If a failure in communicating the early status message is determined, utilizing the stored asset. The performing may also include transmitting an early status message and/or later status message after identifying the stored rights object. There is also a performing of digital rights management (DRM) associated with a DRM system and operable in an offline mode with respect to a communications network. There are also client devices, communicating systems, computer readable mediums and protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Nicol C. So, Thomas L. Du Breuil, Barry P. Falvo, Rama Raju Kaldindi, Ambikacharan P. Makam, Geetha Mangalore, Paul Moroney