Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090092382 | Method and apparatus for storage and playback of programs - The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for playback of programs and other works recorded on random access storage media. One embodiment of the invention relates to random access storage media such as a DVD (“digital versatile disk” or “digital video disk”) used to distribute motion pictures and other audio/video programs or works. The invention involves a manner of utilizing secondary storage space of the storage media not used by the primary program being distributed to store secondary programs such as movie trailers and product advertisements, and to present the secondary programs to the user in a topical and interesting manner. In one embodiment, storage space, of a random access storage medium such as a DVD is allocated to a number of variously sized programs or program portions called “chapters.” In one embodiment, each primary and secondary program constitutes a separate chapter. In this embodiment, each time the primary chapter is played, the DVD playback device plays a limited selection of secondary chapters before and/or after the primary chapter. In one embodiment, the sequence of secondary chapters played back varies each time the DVD is played. In this manner, as a viewer repeatedly views the DVD over time, a large variety of promotional material can be presented to the viewer without overburdening the viewer with overly-long sequences of promotions and trailers. In addition, because the sequence of trailers changes each time the DVD is viewed viewer interest is maintained. | 04-09-2009 |
20100262518 | META-WEB - In a preferred embodiment, the invention dynamically generates content and presentation to a user by modifying conventional content, e.g. rendering, restructuring, filtering, or supplementing such content, based on information, e.g. annotations, stored in a database. The invention, referred to as the Meta-Web, allows a user at a Web browser, which may be any standard Web browser supported by a standard computing platform, to posit a query which is routed to a Meta-Web server. The Meta-Web server returns search results to the Web browser and the user may then explore the results, for example by clicking on a URL in the search results. The results returned to the user are produced after the Meta-Web server forwards the query to a search engine. The search engine then returns the results to the Meta-Web server. Unique to the invention is the provision of a registry | 10-14-2010 |
20100283830 | METHOD AND APPARATUS MAINTAINING EYE CONTACT IN VIDEO DELIVERY SYSTEMS USING VIEW MORPHING - A view morphing algorithm is applied to synchronous collections of video images from at least two video imaging devices, and interpolating between the images, creates a composite image view of the local participant. This composite image approximates what might be seen from a point between the video imaging devices, presenting the image to other video session participants. | 11-11-2010 |
20110153599 | Meta-Web - In one aspect, a system includes an information server, operable to perform operations comprising: receiving a search query from a user device; receiving search results responsive to the search query from a search engine; determining from a registry that user annotations or other metadata are associated with the received search results; ordering the search results according to their relevance, where the relevance is determined based at least in part on the user annotations or other metadata in the registry; generating a search results page including the ordered search results and an annotation tool, wherein the annotation tool provides functions that allow a user of the user device to provide annotations for a particular search result, and wherein the annotation tool receives annotations provided by the user for later use in generating search results pages; and transmitting the search results page to the user device for presentation. | 06-23-2011 |
20120296886 | Meta-Web - In one aspect, a system includes an information server, operable to perform operations comprising: receiving a search query from a user device; receiving search results responsive to the search query from a search engine; determining from a registry that user annotations or other metadata are associated with the received search results; ordering the search results according to their relevance, where the relevance is determined based at least in part on the user annotations or other metadata in the registry; generating a search results page including the ordered search results and an annotation tool, wherein the annotation tool provides functions that allow a user of the user device to provide annotations for a particular search result, and wherein the annotation tool receives annotations provided by the user for later use in generating search results pages; and transmitting the search results page to the user device for presentation. | 11-22-2012 |
20130027496 | THERMAL MARKING SYSTEM - One or more arrays of heating elements are configured with insulating regions to prevent the dissipation of heat to unintended regions of a thermochromic substrate. Methods include printing and arranging impressions on a two-sided substrate avoiding bleeding and other problems more-commonly associated with traditional two-sided thermal printing techniques. A simple and reliable thermal printing system is provided for use in ballot marking, including several mechanisms for receiving and detecting the orientation of a substrate within a thermal printing apparatus. | 01-31-2013 |
20130034218 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ESTABLISHING DATA LINK BASED ON AUDIO CONNECTION - In a communications system, after parties form a voice telephone connection, the parties respective communications devices automatically create or leverage machine readable features or content of the telephone connection to identify the parties to each other or to a rendezvous server, and thereafter the communications devices and/or the rendezvous server automatically establishes a data link between the parties. | 02-07-2013 |
20130147892 | THERMAL MARKING SYSTEM - One or more arrays of heating elements are configured with insulating regions to prevent the dissipation of heat to unintended regions of a thermochromic substrate. Methods include printing and arranging impressions on a two-sided substrate avoiding bleeding and other problems more-commonly associated with traditional two-sided thermal printing techniques. A simple and reliable thermal printing system is provided for use in ballot marking, including several mechanisms for receiving and detecting the orientation of a substrate within a thermal printing apparatus. | 06-13-2013 |
20130271552 | METHOD AND APPARATUS MAINTAINING EYE CONTACT IN VIDEO DELIVERY SYSTEMS USING VIEW MORPHING - A view morphing algorithm is applied to synchronous collections of video images from at least two video imaging devices, and interpolating between the images, creates a composite image view of the local participant. This composite image approximates what might be seen from a point between the video imaging devices, presenting the image to other video session participants. | 10-17-2013 |
20140294596 | WIND TURBINE DEFENSE - Embodiments of the invention provide a number of passive and active defense designs and methods that enable a wind turbine to escape high wind events. The disclosure includes descriptions of multiple designs and methods for lowering the elevated portion of a wind turbine. Other embodiments of the invention concern ways to connect the elevated portion of a wind turbine to the tower. Numerous counterweight systems are also disclosed which enable the lowering of the elevated portion of the wind turbine. | 10-02-2014 |
20140359744 | SECURITY INFORMATION CACHING ON AUTHENTICATION TOKEN - A method of operating a security token to authenticate a user in a multi-factor authentication system is disclosed. The method includes: monitoring user custody of the token, the token having an identifying characteristic representing a possession factor for use through possession factor authentication; during a period of continuous user custody of the token based on the monitoring, obtaining a knowledge factor from a user having the continuous user custody; caching the knowledge factor in a memory of the token; and in response to a second authentication request, retrieving the knowledge factor from the memory to demonstrate to an authentication system knowledge of the knowledge factor, during the period of the continuous user custody. | 12-04-2014 |