Patents by Inventor Todd Bowra

Todd Bowra 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: 20070133405
    Abstract: A congestion controller for a media server monitors both the buffer status of the client device as well as the network performance. The congestion controller may increase or decrease the pacing of packets transmitted over the network based on the fullness of a buffer on the client device, but may also change the bit rate of the packets based on the network performance. By monitoring both the client device status and network performance, the pacing and bit rate of the packets may be varied together to achieve an optimized throughput and maximized user experience of the media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Todd Bowra, Gurpratap Virdi, Hui Jin, Jeffrey Davis, Harry Pyle
  • Publication number: 20070058926
    Abstract: While streaming media content, trick mode operation is optimized to a level that can be readily accommodated by available resources of a media delivery system. In one possible strategy, a trick mode optimization module may decrease the bit rate of the media content stream by progressively dropping delta frames and then a fraction of the remaining key frames as needed. According to another possible strategy, the trick mode optimization module may decrease the bit rate of the media content by progressively dropping sequences of frames between successive key frames. In addition, the trick mode optimization module may combine strategies and drop sequences between key frames, as well as dropping delta frames from the remaining sequences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Publication date: March 15, 2007
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Gurpratap Virdi, Todd Bowra, Jeffrey Davis
  • Publication number: 20070058730
    Abstract: Defects and errors detected in media content supplied by a content source are corrected before the media content is delivered to a decoder. In one possible implementation, the detection and correction of defects and errors in the media content is conducted within a media stream analysis module. Correction of defects and errors may include the insertion, deletion or correction of headers, the insertion of broken link flags into the media content, the throttling of audio content in the media content versus video content in the media content, and the dropping of frames from the media content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Publication date: March 15, 2007
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Todd Bowra, Jeffrey Davis, Gurpratap Virdi
  • Publication number: 20070027983
    Abstract: A media experience policy engine includes three components: an information manager, a policy evaluator, and an enforcement module. The information manager collects information regarding the current state of a media delivery system, such as, for example, usage of a CPU, memory, hard disk, (I/O) interface, and a network. This collected data is then verified by the policy evaluator to see if resource contention is, or is close to, occurring. If so, existing or potential conflicts are dealt with by the enforcement module, which applies corrections, such as, for example, limiting the access of later chronologic users, or degrading the user experience of all users, in accordance with a desired policy in order to vitiate the resource contention and maintain a user experience consistent with the desired policy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Publication date: February 1, 2007
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Todd Bowra, Jeffrey Davis, Gurpratap Virdi, Nicholas Fang
  • Publication number: 20070011343
    Abstract: Real-time streaming of media content from a server to a device and reduction of startup latencies during distribution are described. In one configuration, once a latency inducing event is initiated (i.e. a channel change, a stopping and starting of the streaming of live media content, or transrating to different streaming rates) a pre-roll process includes decreasing the frame rate of the media content being streamed to the monitor from an initial rate to a reduced rate. Simultaneously, a jitter buffer is flushed and rebuilt with media content samples arriving at a decoder at the initial rate, and being used for playback at the reduced rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Davis, Todd Bowra, Gurpratap Virdi
  • Publication number: 20060258459
    Abstract: Program code enabling the streaming of HD content in real-time to a game console is stored on a storage medium remote from the game console. The game console executes software that facilitates transfer of the program code from the remote storage medium to the game console. The program code ensures that sufficient bandwidth exists on a network between the game console and a HD tuner, and enables the streaming of HD content in real-time to the game console.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Davis, Todd Bowra, Ashley Speicher, Gurpratap Virdi, Vu Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20060184697
    Abstract: A digital media system uses client buffer fullness reports to detect clock drift between a clock on a host/source device that delivers streaming media content and a clock on a client playback device that receives the streaming media content. The system provides a reduction in playback interruptions during playback of streaming media content and a greater potential that “live” content encoded by a host/source device can actually be experienced as “live” content through playback on a client device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Gurpratap Virdi, Jeffrey Davis, Todd Bowra