Patents by Inventor William Lee Howard, Jr.

William Lee Howard, Jr. 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).

  • Content discovery and playback in a network environment
    Patent number: 9674581
    Abstract: A processing resource detects that a subscriber entity subscribes to at least a first content service provider and a second content service provider. The processing resource receives a first message indicating content available to the subscriber entity for selective retrieval from the first content service provider. The processing resource receives a second message indicating content available to the subscriber entity for selective retrieval from the second content service provider. Based on at least the first message and the second message, the processing resource produces a content guide to include at least first content available to the subscriber entity for retrieval from the first service provider and second content available to the subscriber entity for retrieval from the second service provider. Via display of the content guide, a respective subscriber is able to view content available from multiple service providers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC
    Inventor: William Lee Howard, Jr.
  • Content discovery and playback in a network environment
    Patent number: 9462347
    Abstract: A processing resource detects that a subscriber entity subscribes to at least a first content service provider and a second content service provider. The processing resource receives a first message indicating content available to the subscriber entity for selective retrieval from the first content service provider. The processing resource receives a second message indicating content available to the subscriber entity for selective retrieval from the second content service provider. Based on at least the first message and the second message, the processing resource produces a content guide to include at least first content available to the subscriber entity for retrieval from the first service provider and second content available to the subscriber entity for retrieval from the second service provider. Via display of the content guide, a respective subscriber is able to view content available from multiple service providers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC
    Inventor: William Lee Howard, Jr.
  • CONTENT DISCOVERY AND PLAYBACK IN A NETWORK ENVIRONMENT
    Publication number: 20160241921
    Abstract: A processing resource detects that a subscriber entity subscribes to at least a first content service provider and a second content service provider. The processing resource receives a first message indicating content available to the subscriber entity for selective retrieval from the first content service provider. The processing resource receives a second message indicating content available to the subscriber entity for selective retrieval from the second content service provider. Based on at least the first message and the second message, the processing resource produces a content guide to include at least first content available to the subscriber entity for retrieval from the first service provider and second content available to the subscriber entity for retrieval from the second service provider. Via display of the content guide, a respective subscriber is able to view content available from multiple service providers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventor: William Lee Howard, JR.
  • Content discovery and playback in a network environment
    Patent number: 9197924
    Abstract: A processing resource detects that a subscriber entity subscribes to at least a first content service provider and a second content service provider. The processing resource receives a first message indicating content available to the subscriber entity for selective retrieval from the first content service provider. The processing resource receives a second message indicating content available to the subscriber entity for selective retrieval from the second content service provider. Based on at least the first message and the second message, the processing resource produces a content guide to include at least first content available to the subscriber entity for retrieval from the first service provider and second content available to the subscriber entity for retrieval from the second service provider. Via display of the content guide, a respective subscriber is able to view content available from multiple service providers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC
    Inventor: William Lee Howard, Jr.
  • CONTENT DISCOVERY AND PLAYBACK IN A NETWORK ENVIRONMENT
    Publication number: 20150033265
    Abstract: A processing resource detects that a subscriber entity subscribes to at least a first content service provider and a second content service provider. The processing resource receives a first message indicating content available to the subscriber entity for selective retrieval from the first content service provider. The processing resource receives a second message indicating content available to the subscriber entity for selective retrieval from the second content service provider. Based on at least the first message and the second message, the processing resource produces a content guide to include at least first content available to the subscriber entity for retrieval from the first service provider and second content available to the subscriber entity for retrieval from the second service provider. Via display of the content guide, a respective subscriber is able to view content available from multiple service providers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventor: William Lee Howard, JR.
  • Content discovery and playback in a network environment
    Patent number: 8925017
    Abstract: A processing resource detects that a subscriber entity subscribes to at least a first content service provider and a second content service provider. The processing resource receives a first message indicating content available to the subscriber entity for selective retrieval from the first content service provider. The processing resource receives a second message indicating content available to the subscriber entity for selective retrieval from the second content service provider. Based on at least the first message and the second message, the processing resource produces a content guide to include at least first content available to the subscriber entity for retrieval from the first service provider and second content available to the subscriber entity for retrieval from the second service provider. Via display of the content guide, a respective subscriber is able to view content available from multiple service providers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC
    Inventor: William Lee Howard, Jr.