Patents by Inventor Tobin L. Gimber

Tobin L. Gimber 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).

  • Electronic television program guide with selective updating
    Patent number: 5917481
    Abstract: A method and device for receiving and storing an electronic television (TV) program guide. In a satellite, cable or broadcast TV system, electronic TV program guides may be coded into the video signals received by the TV receiver. Many currently available TV receivers also allow users to program a list of "select-channels." When the receiver is in its select-channel mode, the receiver only tunes to the channels the user stored in the list of select channels. The present invention limits the memory and processing power required to store an electronic TV program guide by only storing program guide information associated with the channels stored by the user in connection with the select-channels function of the receiver. In receivers having a second tuner, the second tuner may be used to automatically update the stored program guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Corporation of America
    Inventors: Theodore S. Rzeszewski, Tobin L. Gimber
  • Electronic television program guide for a television system having two tuners
    Patent number: 5699125
    Abstract: A method and device for receiving and storing an electronic television (TV) program guide. In a satellite, cable or broadcast TV system, electronic TV program guides may be coded into the video signals received by the TV receiver. Many currently available TV receivers also allow users to program a list of "select-channels." When the receiver is in its select-channel mode, the receiver only tunes to the channels the user stored in the list of select channels. The present invention limits the memory and processing power required to store an electronic TV program guide by only storing program guide information associated with the channels stored by the user in connection with the select-channels function of the receiver. In receivers having a second tuner, the second tuner may be used to automatically update the stored program guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Corporation of America
    Inventors: Theodore S. Rzeszewski, Tobin L. Gimber