Patents by Inventor Ann E. SKUDLARK

Ann E. SKUDLARK 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).

  • Patent number: 9519712
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to evaluate a search engine using search results retrieved from a plurality of different search engines. For example, a controller can randomly distribute a set of pre-formulated queries to a plurality of computers to query the search engines at random times to obtain search results and combine the search results to evaluate the completeness of a query result provided by a particular search engine. The controller may simulate the random queries from users using a set of computers and may reduce the burden on the search engines by spreading out the query activities over a period of time, such as a month.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Colin R. Goodall, Sylvia Halasz, Wen-Ling Hsu, Guy Joseph Jacobson, Ritu Kumar, Bradley Keith Mohs, Ann E. Skudlark
  • Publication number: 20160205528
    Abstract: A method and system for identifying short message service (SMS) spammers identifies senders as spammers by determining that the senders are sending SMS messages to devices included in a grey phone space. Devices in the grey phone space are identified using various methods including an analysis of call detail records. A grey ratio for a sender is determined as a ratio of messages sent to grey phone numbers by the sender to messages sent to all phone numbers by the sender. A sender is identified based on a difference between the grey ratio for the sender and a second grey ratio being above a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Yu JIN, Ann E. SKUDLARK, Nan JIANG
  • Patent number: 9357362
    Abstract: A method and system for identifying short message service (SMS) spammers identifies senders as spammers by determining that the senders are sending SMS messages to devices included in a grey phone space. Devices in the grey phone space are identified using various methods including an analysis of call detail records. A grey ratio for a sender is determined as a ratio of messages sent to grey phone numbers by the sender to messages sent to all phone numbers by the sender. A sender is identified based on a difference between the grey ratio for the sender and a second grey ratio being above a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Yu Jin, Ann E. Skudlark, Nan Jiang
  • Publication number: 20160142352
    Abstract: A cloud based mobile internet protocol messaging spam defense. Short message service (SMS) messages are analyzed by a cloud based virtual machine to determine if should be considered potentially unwanted messages (e.g., spam). The cloud based virtual machine uses a user specific algorithm for determining if a message should be considered to be a potentially unwanted message. Messages that are determined to be potentially unwanted messages trigger a notification to be sent to a user device associated with the virtual machine. The notification requests confirmation from the user that the potentially unwanted message is an unwanted message. The user's response to a request for confirmation is then used to update an unwanted message database associated with the user and the user device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Applicant: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Ann E. Skudlark, Lien K. Tran, Yu Jin
  • Publication number: 20150319586
    Abstract: A method and system for identifying short message service (SMS) spammers identifies senders as spammers by determining that the senders are sending SMS messages to devices included in a grey phone space. Devices in the grey phone space are identified using various methods including an analysis of call detail records. A grey ratio for a sender is determined as a ratio of messages sent to grey phone numbers by the sender to messages sent to all phone numbers by the sender. A sender is identified based on a difference between the grey ratio for the sender and a second grey ratio being above a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicant: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Yu Jin, Ann E. Skudlark, Nan Jiang
  • Publication number: 20150148006
    Abstract: A crowd-sourced mobile messaging spam detection and defense system includes an application running on a mobile device. The application uses an unwanted message detection algorithm to analyze and classify messages as potential unwanted messages. The potential unwanted messages are presented to a user for confirmation that the messages are unwanted messages. In response to confirmation, the mobile device transmits a notification to a virtual machine associated with the user. The virtual machine uses the notification to update the unwanted message detection algorithm which may then be transmitted to the mobile device. The virtual machine may also transmit the notification to a global virtual machine. The global virtual machine may use the notification to update a set of classification rules maintained by the global virtual machine and transmit the set of classification rules as necessary to the multiple virtual machines for use in updating the unwanted message detection algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Ann E. Skudlark, Jeffrey Erman, Yu Jin, Abhinav Srivastava, Lien K. Tran
  • Publication number: 20140370843
    Abstract: Network traffic usage information for a set of registered devices is monitored, analyzed, and reported within a cellular service provider portion of a communications network. The network traffic usage information can relate to data traffic, voice traffic, and/or short message service traffic. Reporting the network traffic usage information is customizable such that parameters associated with the network traffic usage can be changed, depending on the parameters that are of current interest to an organization affiliated with the set of registered devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Cynthia Cama, Jeffrey Erman, Wen-Ling Hsu, Yu Jin, Ann E. Skudlark, Lien K. Tran
  • Publication number: 20140109223
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a notification service in a wireless network are disclosed. For example, the method registers a mobile device associated with a customer for the notification service, collects traffic data related to the mobile device of the customer, determines if an anomaly is detected for the traffic data that is collected for the mobile device, and provides a notification to the mobile device of the customer, if the anomaly is detected for the traffic data that is collected for the mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: YU JIN, Cynthia Cama, Ann E. Skudlark, Lien K. Tran
  • Publication number: 20100174736
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to evaluate a search engine using search results retrieved from a plurality of different search engines. For example, a controller can randomly distribute a set of pre-formulated queries to a plurality of computers to query the search engines at random times to obtain search results and combine the search results to evaluate the completeness of a query result provided by a particular search engine. The controller may simulate the random queries from users using a set of computers and may reduce the burden on the search engines by spreading out the query activities over a period of time, such as a month.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2009
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicants: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P., AT&T INTERACTIVE
    Inventors: Colin R. GOODALL, Sylvia HALASZ, Wen-Ling HSU, Guy Joseph JACOBSON, Ritu KUMAR, Bradley Keith MOHS, Ann E. SKUDLARK