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Patents (27 issued to date)

# Document/Patent Issue Date Title Abstract Link
1 US-10514832-B2 12-24-2019 Method for locating regions of interest in a user interface The present disclosure is directed towards having a user interface that displays a number of cards or windows. A user can implement a command where the user interface will automatically change the position of the displayed cards to show regions of interest which are the parts of the cards that a user may have interested in. The user interest can be determined in accordance with user preference information. Optionally, cards which do not have regions of interest are removed from a display area and such cards are replaced with new cards that do have regions of interest. Preview
2 US-9990112-B2 06-05-2018 Method and apparatus for locating regions of interest in a user interface The present disclosure is directed towards having a user interface that displays a number of cards or windows. A user can implement a command where the user interface will automatically change the position of the displayed cards to show regions of interest which are the parts of the cards that a user may have interested in. The user interest can be determined in accordance with user preference information. Optionally, cards which do not have regions of interest are removed from a display area and such cards are replaced with new cards that do have regions of interest. Preview
3 US-9852442-B2 12-26-2017 Method and apparatus for providing customized selection of audio content over the internet using declared and behavior profile information A method an apparatus is provided for providing selected media files, which are chosen from among a plurality of media files, to a user over a packet-switched network such as the Internet. The method begins by receiving over the packet-switched network a request from the user to receive media content. Next, a user profile associated with the user is retrieved from a database. The user profile reflects user preferences in media content to be received over the packet-switched network. The plurality of media files are ranked based at least in part on the user profile. At least one highly ranked media file is selected from among the ranked plurality of media files. At least one of the highly ranked media files is forwarded to the user over the packet-switched network. Preview
4 US-9842350-B2 12-12-2017 Method and apparatus for forwarding media content interspersed with an advertisement A method an apparatus is provided for providing selected media files, which are chosen from among a plurality of media files, to a user over a packet-switched network such as the Internet. The method begins by receiving over the packet-switched network a request from the user to receive media content. Next, a user profile associated with the user is retrieved from a database. The user profile reflects user preferences in media content to be received over the packet-switched network. The plurality of media files are ranked based at least in part on the user profile. At least one highly ranked media file is selected from among the ranked plurality of media files. At least one of the highly ranked media files is forwarded to the user over the packet-switched network. Preview
5 US-9836190-B2 12-05-2017 Method and apparatus for restricting user operations when applied to cards or windows A user interface that displays a number of cards or windows is described where a user can move the cards in a horizontal direction freely. When a card resides in a locked zone, as defined by a user, the card will be able to be manipulated in a vertical direction, while cards that reside in a regular zone will not be able to be moved vertically. In addition, only cards that are in the locked zone can be subjected to a user action such as cutting content from the card, pasting content to the card, enlarging the contents of the card, or shrinking the contents of the card. Preview
6 US-8650314-B2 02-11-2014 Method and system for remote access of personal music In one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for storing audio files. The method includes: (a) receiving electronic files at a central location from a first device, those electronic files representing audio signals; (b) associating the audio files with identification information; (c) storing the audio files at the central location on at least a portion of a storage media, that portion being uniquely associated with the identification information; (d) receiving the identification information from a second device; and (e) transmitting the audio files to the second device upon receipt of the identification information. Preview
7 US-8589476-B2 11-19-2013 Method and appratus for providing a customized selection of audio content over the internet A method an apparatus is provided for providing selected media files, which are chosen from among a plurality of media files, to a user over a packet-switched network such as the Internet. The method begins by receiving over the packet-switched network a request from the user to receive media content. Next, a user profile associated with the user is retrieved from a database. The user profile reflects user preferences in media content to be received over the packet-switched network. The plurality of media files are ranked based at least in part on the user profile. At least one highly ranked media file is selected from among the ranked plurality of media files. At least one of the highly ranked media files is forwarded to the user over the packet-switched network. Preview
8 US-8286256-B2 10-09-2012 Method and system for restricted biometric access to content of packaged media A system, method, and user device for restricting access to the content of media over a network. Biometric information is collected and compared against pre-stored biometric information of a user to authenticate the identity of the user. The user then requests access to the content of a medium. Access is permitted to the requested content if the content is identified as content, or indicia identifying the content, that the user previously uploaded to the server. Access is denied to the requested content if the content is not identified as content, or indicia identifying the content, that the user previously uploaded to the server. Preview
9 US-8046325-B2 10-25-2011 Method and system for distributing product information A method and system of associating product codes with product characteristics, and using those product codes to send and receive information about those characteristics to destinations on a network when the values of those characteristics change. Preview
10 US-8037316-B2 10-11-2011 Method and system for user information verification A system and method for authenticating users based on personal information. The personal information may include age-related data where the users are interested in receiving age-restricted content. The personal information may include an address and a permission request is sent to the address. Biometric information may also be associated with the personal information. Preview
11 US-8024419-B2 09-20-2011 Method and system for remote access of personal music In one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for storing audio files. The method includes: (a) receiving electronic files at a central location from a first device, those electronic files representing audio signals; (b) associating the audio files with identification information; (c) storing the audio files at the central location on at least a portion of a storage media, that portion being uniquely associated with the identification information; (d) receiving the identification information from a second device; and (e) transmitting the audio files to the second device upon receipt of the identification information. Preview
12 US-7739335-B2 06-15-2010 Method and apparatus for providing a customized selection of audio content over the internet A method and apparatus is provided for providing selected media files, which are chosen from among a plurality of media files, to a user over a packet-switched network such as the Internet. The method begins by receiving over the packet-switched network a request from the user to receive media content. Next, a user profile associated with the user is retrieved from a database. The user profile reflects user preferences in media content to be received over the packet-switched network. The plurality of media files are ranked based at least in part on the user profile. At least one highly ranked media file is selected from among the ranked plurality of media files. At least one of the highly ranked media files is forwarded to the user over the packet-switched network. Preview
13 US-7472104-B2 12-30-2008 Method and system for distributing product information A method and system of associating product codes with product characteristics, and using those product codes to send and receive information about those characteristics to destinations on a network when the values of those characteristics change. Preview
14 US-7373671-B2 05-13-2008 Method and system for user information verification A system and method for authenticating users based on personal information. The personal information may include age-related data where the users are interested in receiving age-restricted content. The personal information may include an address and a permission request is sent to the address. Biometric information may also be associated with the personal information. Preview
15 US-7313621-B2 12-25-2007 Personalized interface with adaptive content presentation An apparatus, program product and method personalize an on-line interface by identifying and tracking a computing environment of a user so that on-line content is tailored to the subjective preferences of the user. In addition, the computing environment advantageously includes objectively distinguishable factors such as one or more of preference settings, cookies (i.e., previously viewed web sites), time/date, location, navigation click stream, autonomic reaction to viewed on-line content and type of computer platform. Thus, one or more usage profile records for each user may be maintained, each tailored for the computing environment and user's subjective preferences when in that computing environment. Preview
16 US-7216095-B2 05-08-2007 Method and system for distributing product information A method and system of associating product codes with product characteristics, and using those product codes to send and recieve information about those characteristics to destinations on a network. Preview
17 US-7140032-B2 11-21-2006 System and method for establishing TV channel A system and method for automatically establishing TV channels, based on time/date/geographic location/location of the TV within the home either entered manually or using a locater system such as GPS. Preview
18 US-7140045-B2 11-21-2006 Method and system for user information verification A system and method for authenticating users based on personal information. The personal information may include age-related data where the users are interested in receiving age-restricted content. The personal information may include an address and a permission request is sent to the address. Biometric information may also be associated with the personal information. Preview
19 US-7055737-B1 06-06-2006 Electronic network and method for obtaining topic-specific information regarding a product A method of obtaining, from a remote location, topic-specific information regarding a product includes: electronically receiving one of a plurality of machine-readable codes electronically navigating to an information resource at a remote location; and displaying the information resource's topic-specific information about the product on an electronic display device. In further detail, each of the machine-readable codes is associated with an information topic relating to a product, with at least one machine-readable code having an associated information topic which is different from that of the other machine-readable code or codes. Also, each of the machine-readable codes encodes an identifier which is associated with a corresponding information resource at a remote location. At least one corresponding information resource includes topic-specific information about the product which is different from that of the other corresponding information resource or resources. In the electronic-navigation step, the corresponding information resource at the remote location is the resource associated with the identifier encoded by the machine-readable code. Preview
20 US-7009659-B2 03-07-2006 System and method for establishing TV settings A system and method for automatically establishing TV audio/video/closed captioning, based on time/date/geographic location/location of the TV within the home. Preview
21 US-6967588-B2 11-22-2005 System and method for controlling a home entertainment system A system and method for controlling a home entertainment system includes a television having one more peripheral electronic entertainment devices connected thereto. Also, the system includes a single remote control unit for controlling all of the system components. The television, the peripheral devices, and the remote control unit include respective memory slots with which a portable memory media can be engaged. Accordingly, the memory media can be engaged with the television or the peripheral devices so that control commands and user defined preferences are downloaded thereto. Thereafter, the memory can be engaged with the remote control unit so that the control commands and user defined preferences for each component are uploaded thereto. As intended by the present invention, the remote control unit includes a microprocessor for resolving any conflicting command codes or user defined preferences. Preview
22 US-6874037-B1 03-29-2005 Method and apparatus for synchronizing device information Two electronic devices automatically perform a synchronization session when one of the electronic devices is brought in proximity to the other electronic device. The synchronization session is initiated without user intervention based simply on the fact that the two devices have recently been brought within a predetermined distance of each other. The two electronic devices communicate in a wireless manner. The two devices may determine that they are within a predetermined distance of each other using global positioning technology, via which one of the devices determines its own position and compares it to a known position of the other electronic device. Alternatively, one of the electronic devices may output a low level signal that can be received by the other electronic device when within a certain range. Once the low level signal is received, the recipient of the low level signal outputs a stronger signal to ensure that it is received by the other electronic device requesting a synchronization session, which once established enables synchronization of information between the two devices. Preview
23 US-6851092-B2 02-01-2005 System and method for establishing viewer shopping preferences basd on viewing and listening preferences A system and method for establishing recommended items for purchase or rental at a shopping kiosk, based on TV/DVD/CD etc. viewing profiles. A removable media such as a flash memory device can be inserted into an entertainment device receptacle, and the viewer's subsequent viewing (or listening) habits, including selected programming and related data such as TV program category, title, etc., recorded to establish a profile. The media can be removed and taken to the shopping kiosk, where it is inserted and used by the kiosk to present a list of recommended items for purchase or rental, based on the viewing habit profile of the viewer. Preview
24 US-6809779-B2 10-26-2004 System and method for automatically configuring remote control device using removable storage media A system and method for allowing a viewer to easily program a remote control device with the parameters of various home entertainment components such as TVs, VCRs, DVDs, etc. A removable media is inserted into each component, with the remote control parameters or model identification of the component being downloaded to the media. The media is then removed from the component and inserted into the remote control device, which uploads the model data or control parameters so that the remote control device can be used to control the component without requiring a person to manually set or configure, for each component, the “universal” master remote. Preview
25 US-6687671-B2 02-03-2004 Method and apparatus for automatic collection and summarization of meeting information A method is applied for providing electronically collected and summarized meeting information. First, verbal sounds are electronically collected. The verbal sounds are transmitted to a processor. The processor automatically converts the verbal sounds, as collected, into an electronic text file. The text from the file is then automatically scanned and summarized, in accordance with a predetermined algorithm for identifying one or more key terms in the text file, into an electronic summary file. The text file and/or the summary file are then automatically and electronically distributed to a predetermined number of users. Preview
26 US-6313887-B1 11-06-2001 Television Remote Commander with data reception capability A novel television remote control unit receives transmissions from a paging system and incorporates a display device to provide data delivery to television viewers. Data may be gather for dissemination by a service provider from any public or proprietary source, preferably including the Internet. The receiver may also be incorporated into a television set and provide a display of received data on the display device of the television set. Preview
27 US-5603077-A 02-11-1997 Satellite system and method for remote control of a satellite signal receiver A satellite broadcast system using an airwave message signal to remotely control a signal receiver. The system includes a system manager to issue a message, a message service to broadcast the message in the airwave message signal, and a signal receiver to select a satellite and a channel of a downlink signal from the satellite carrying a desired program. The program may include audio/video, text, pictures, software, or data. In the preferred embodiment, the message service is a pager service. Preview