Michael S Perkins

US Patent:

20050252266, Nov 17, 2005

Filed:

May 6, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/123276

Inventors:

Michael Perkins - Sweetwater TN, US

International Classification:

B21D017/04

US Classification:

072211000

Abstract:

A portable hand beading tool having a pair of handles pivoted together for relative rotation about a pivot axis. The tool has a pair of spindles each mounted on a respective handle and rotatable about spindle axes parallel to the pivot axis. The spindles have adjacent circumferential surfaces separated by a variable width gap controlled by relative rotation of the handles about the pivot axis so that a workpiece may be clamped between the spindles. The circumferential surfaces of both spindles have mating profiles that are formed on a workpiece clamped between the spindles. A multi-position lock holds the handles in position during workpiece deformation. The tool is positioned parallel to the edge of the workpiece so that on passage of an edge of said workpiece between the counter-rotating spindles, the workpiece is deformed by the spindles to form a continuous bead profile.

US Patent:

20130254159, Sep 26, 2013

Filed:

Oct 25, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/660733

Inventors:

Michael Perkins - Lafayette CO, US
Jeff Osborn - Broomfield CO, US

Assignee:

CLIP INTERACTIVE, LLC - Boulder CO

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707609

Abstract:

A system and method for providing digital audio services is described. One embodiment is a method for proving digital audio services, comprising receiving, using a communications interface, an audio stream from a content provider; determining a timestamp for a first audio stream segment; determining a timestamp for a second audio stream segment; updating playlist with a representation of the audio stream; receiving query for content information; and sending offer information, in response to receiving the query for content information.

US Patent:

57174644, Feb 10, 1998

Filed:

Dec 18, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/573933

Inventors:

Michael Perkins - Louisville CO
David Arnstein - Fremont CA

Assignee:

Divicom, Inc. - Milpitas CA

International Classification:

H04N 736

US Classification:

348419

Abstract:

Successive frames in a video sequence are encoded by a video encoder. The bits are apportioned among successive frames to maximize overall perceived video quality when the encoded video sequence is decoded and displayed. The ongoing allocation process is constrained by the need to avoid decoder buffer exception, i. e. , buffer underflow and overflow conditions, at the decoder.

US Patent:

58619194, Jan 19, 1999

Filed:

Nov 10, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/966832

Inventors:

Michael Perkins - Louisville CO
David Arnstein - Fremont CA

Assignee:

Divicom - Milpitas CA

International Classification:

H04N 726

US Classification:

348385

Abstract:

The present invention relates to a method for dynamically allocating bandwidth to each encoder in an ensemble of video encoders whose output bit streams share a single communications channel. In accordance with the present invention, the channel bandwidth is allocated to the individual encoders in the ensemble in such a way that differences in a quality measure among the decoders are reduced. The quality measure includes a term that behaves like a peak-signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and a term that measures the "masking effect" in a video signal. The "masking effect" results because an encoded frame with a high visual complexity masks coding artifacts from the viewer when it is decoded and displayed.

US Patent:

54206391, May 30, 1995

Filed:

Apr 1, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/041670

Inventors:

Michael G. Perkins - Lawrenceville GA

Assignee:

Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. - Norcross GA

International Classification:

H04N 732

US Classification:

348418

Abstract:

Methods for compressing data in a system employing vector quantization (VQ) and Huffman coding comprise: First, quantizing an input vector by representing the input vector with a VQ codevector selected from a VQ codebook partitioned into subsets, wherein each subset comprises codevectors and each codevector is stored at a corresponding address in the VQ codebook. Next, generating a rate dependent Huffman codeword for the selected codevector, wherein the rate dependent Huffman codeword identifies the subset of the VQ codebook in which the selected codevector is stored. And finally, generating a substantially rate independent Huffman codeword for the selected codevector, wherein the substantially rate independent Huffman codeword identifies a particular VQ codevector within the subset identified by the rate dependent Huffman codeword.

US Patent:

58596607, Jan 12, 1999

Filed:

Feb 29, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/609132

Inventors:

Michael G. Perkins - Louisville CO
William L. Helms - Boulder CO

International Classification:

H04N 710

US Classification:

348 9

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for non-seamless splicing of audio-video transport streams configured in accordance with MPEG-2 or other suitable techniques. A first transport stream is to be spliced with a second transport stream at a splice point. The first stream is configured such that the final first stream frame to be displayed will be a black frame or will have another suitable characteristic. Null packets are then delivered in place of the first stream transport packets for a predetermined period of time after the splice point. The predetermined time is generally greater than the sum of the splice decoding delay associated with the splice point and the maximum frame duration in the first stream. The transport packets of the second stream are then delivered. Null packets may be again delivered for a period of time sufficient to allow the final frame of the second stream to be displayed.

US Patent:

58284141, Oct 27, 1998

Filed:

Feb 23, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/606197

Inventors:

Michael G. Perkins - Louisville CO
Thomas Lookabaugh - Sunnyvale CA

Assignee:

Divicom, Inc. - Milpitas CA

International Classification:

H04N 712

US Classification:

348423

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for reducing program clock reference (PCR) jitter in transport packets of a transport stream compliant with MPEG-2 or another suitable audio-video encoding standard. The PCRs from a given single program transport stream (SPTS) of a multi-program transport stream are processed in a phase-locked loop (PLL) to generate dejittered PCRs for that SPTS. The PLL for a given SPTS receives as inputs the PCRs from that SPTS and a cycle count for each PCR indicative of the number of asynchronous clock cycles counted since the previous PCR. The PLL generates a given dejittered PCR as a function of the previous dejittered PCR, the cycle count for the given PCR, and a clock frequency mismatch estimate for the given program clock. The clock frequency mismatch estimate is generated by filtering a sequence of jitter estimates, each corresponding to the difference between a previous PCR and its corresponding dejittered PCR. The SPTS transport packets may then be restamped with the dejittered PCRs from the PLL to provide a dejittered multi-program transport stream.

US Patent:

61887293, Feb 13, 2001

Filed:

Apr 1, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/041446

Inventors:

Michael G. Perkins - Lawrenceville GA

Assignee:

Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. - Norcross GA

International Classification:

H04N 730

US Classification:

3752402

Abstract:

A video compression system comprises a control computer 52; a plurality of encoders 54, 56, 58; a plurality of encoder buffers 60, 62, 64; a multiplexor 66; a data channel 70; a demultiplexor 80; a decoder buffer 82; a decoder 84; and display 86. The control computer controls the encoders and the multiplexor 66 to avoid overflows and underflows of data provided to the decoder buffer 82.