Robert A Saunders

US Patent:

6937188, Aug 30, 2005

Filed:

Nov 13, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/008424

Inventors:

Robert A. Saunders - Marietta GA, US
Scott R. Swix - Duluth GA, US

Assignee:

BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation - Wilmington DE

International Classification:

H01Q003/00

US Classification:

342359

Abstract:

A portable device for assessing the degree of alignment between antenna and a satellite. In one embodiment, the device includes a portable housing that includes components for producing an audio and/or visual indication of the antenna's alignment with the satellite. The device may be self-contained and provide power to the antenna's frequency converter during the alignment process.

US Patent:

8136691, Mar 20, 2012

Filed:

Aug 3, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/849590

Inventors:

Robert Mitchell Saunders - Palm Beach Gardens FL, US

International Classification:

B65D 25/24
B65D 90/12

US Classification:

220630, 220908

Abstract:

A mixing bucket has a cylindrical sidewall with longitudinally separated lower and upper bucket rims defining a bucket interior volume. A laterally oriented bucket bottom spans the sidewall and separates the bucket interior volume into upper and lower bucket volumes. At least one aperture is located in the sidewall and provides substantially laterally oriented access between an ambient environment and the lower bucket volume. At least one laterally oriented channel extends from at least one aperture and is located within the lower bucket volume. An elongate anchoring structure has first and second anchor ends laterally separated by an anchor body. The anchoring structure engages the bucket by the anchor body being at least partially positioned within the channel. An anchoring force is exerted upon the anchoring structure while the anchoring structure is engaged with the bucket, and the anchoring force counteracts a mixing force being exerted upon the bucket.

US Patent:

20120269259, Oct 25, 2012

Filed:

Oct 17, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/275297

Inventors:

Mark Sauer - Bragg Creek, CA
Robert D. Saunders - Alpharetta GA, US

International Classification:

H04N 7/26

US Classification:

37524002, 375E07154

Abstract:

Various embodiments of methods and systems for buffering a video stream to smooth out the variable bit rate in an MPEG 2 transport stream to a capped bit rate, while not causing packet loss on the network, and allowing the streams to pass through a bit rate constrained IP network are disclosed. One method includes conditioning a variable bit rate video content stream such that the frames are packed back to back into a constant bit rate stream such that filler packets are not required to approximate a constant bit rate. The packed video content stream, having a constant bit rate due to portions of the frames being packed into a given transmission segment, may be transmitted across a channel in a constant bit rate network.

US Patent:

20210006455, Jan 7, 2021

Filed:

Sep 21, 2020

Appl. No.:

17/027235

Inventors:

- Norcross GA, US
Robert Saunders - Alpharetta GA, US
David Borges - Buford GA, US

International Classification:

H04L 12/24
H04N 21/24
H04N 21/231
H04L 29/06
H04L 29/08

Abstract:

Multiple segmentation servers are synchronized to provide failover capacity in such a way that should a failover occur, the segment numbers/playlists/encryption keys/decryption keys are identical on each of the segmentation servers. Synchronizing the contents of a segmentation server on one or more backup segmentation servers ensures that the delivery of a content stream is immune to the failure of segmentation servers, provided at least one segmentation server remains fault-free. A caching server may further facilitate the fault tolerance by checking the availability of the individual segmentation servers, collect content segments from one of the segmentation servers, and serve the content segment to clients. The caching server automatically checks a primary segmentation server to ensure it is available (e.g., online), and provides automatic failover to a backup segmentation server should the primary server experience a fault (e.g., go offline).

US Patent:

20190335216, Oct 31, 2019

Filed:

Jul 9, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/506406

Inventors:

- Norcross GA, US
Robert Saunders - Alpharetta GA, US

International Classification:

H04N 21/242
H04N 21/236
H04N 21/2343
H04N 21/854
H04L 29/06
H04N 21/43
H04N 21/4402
H04N 21/6437

Abstract:

A video distribution system synchronizes video output streams on multiple encoders without communication therebetween. Each of the encoders is configured to decode a source video content stream into a sequence of uncompressed frames, where each frame in the sequence is marked with an associated presentation time stamp (PTS) clock value. The encoders calculate a number of clock cycles between instantaneous decoder refresh (IDR)-frames. For each frame in the sequence, the encoders calculate a remainder after a division of an associated PTS clock value of a given frame by the number of clock cycles between IDR-frames. The encoders mark each frame in the sequence as an IDR-frame where the corresponding remainder is strictly less than the number of PTS clock cycles per frame and mark a remainder of the frames in the sequence as an internal frame within a group of pictures (GOP) to produce a marked set of video frames. The encoders pass the marked set video frames through a video codec to produce the synchronized video output streams.

US Patent:

20190069008, Feb 28, 2019

Filed:

Aug 24, 2017

Appl. No.:

15/685110

Inventors:

- Norcross GA, US
Robert Saunders - Alpharetta GA, US

International Classification:

H04N 21/242
H04L 29/06
H04N 21/2343
H04N 21/4402
H04N 21/43
H04N 21/6437
H04N 21/854

Abstract:

A video distribution system synchronizes video output streams on multiple encoders without communication therebetween. Each of the encoders is configured to decode a source video content stream into a sequence of uncompressed frames, where each frame in the sequence is marked with an associated presentation time stamp (PTS) clock value. The encoders calculate a number of clock cycles between instantaneous decoder refresh (IDR)-frames. For each frame in the sequence, the encoders calculate a remainder after a division of an associated PTS clock value of a given frame by the number of clock cycles between IDR-frames. The encoders mark each frame in the sequence as an IDR-frame where the corresponding remainder is strictly less than the number of PTS clock cycles per frame and mark a remainder of the frames in the sequence as an internal frame within a group of pictures (GOP) to produce a marked set of video frames. The encoders pass the marked set video frames through a video codec to produce the synchronized video output streams.

US Patent:

20190069046, Feb 28, 2019

Filed:

Aug 24, 2017

Appl. No.:

15/685106

Inventors:

- Norcross GA, US
Robert Saunders - Alpharetta GA, US

International Classification:

H04N 21/845
H04L 29/06
H04L 29/08
H04N 21/2343
H04N 21/40

Abstract:

A video distribution system minimizes bandwidth use between a headend and a remote video distribution center through an origin segmentation server and an edge segmentation server. The origin segmentation server is located at the headend and creates segments and playlists for every video stream originating at the headend. An edge segmentation server is located at the remote video distribution center and receives a request for a playlist of a content stream from CPE. The edge segmentation server joins a multicast group with the content stream and requests the playlist from the origin segmentation server. The edge segmentation server constructs a second playlist with a predetermined final number of segments from the playlist to return to the CPE, generates segments from the content stream received from the headend, identifies and obtains missing segments from the origin segmentation server, and updates the second playlist with the missing segments and segments generated by the edge segmentation server.

US Patent:

20190036763, Jan 31, 2019

Filed:

Jul 28, 2017

Appl. No.:

15/662870

Inventors:

- Norcross GA, US
Robert Saunders - Alpharetta GA, US
David Borges - Buford GA, US

International Classification:

H04L 12/24
H04L 29/06
H04L 29/08

Abstract:

Multiple segmentation servers are synchronized to provide failover capacity in such a way that should a failover occur, the segment numbers/playlists/encryption keys/decryption keys are identical on each of the segmentation servers. Synchronizing the contents of a segmentation server on one or more backup segmentation servers ensures that the delivery of a content stream is immune to the failure of segmentation servers, provided at least one segmentation server remains fault-free. A caching server may further facilitate the fault tolerance by checking the availability of the individual segmentation servers, collect content segments from one of the segmentation servers, and serve the content segment to clients. The caching server automatically checks a primary segmentation server to ensure it is available (e.g., online), and provides automatic failover to a backup segmentation server should the primary server experience a fault (e.g., go offline).