Patents by Inventor Benjamin S. Phipps

Benjamin S. Phipps 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).

  • Publication number: 20220021978
    Abstract: This relates to intelligent automated assistants and, more specifically, to the intelligent coordination of audio signal output adjustments among multiple electronic devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: Yifeng GUI, Benjamin S. PHIPPS
  • Patent number: 11217251
    Abstract: An example method includes, at an electronic device: receiving an indication of a notification; in accordance with receiving the indication of the notification: obtaining one or more data streams from one or more sensors; determining, based on the one or more data streams, whether a user associated with the electronic device is speaking; and in accordance with a determination that the user is not speaking: causing an output associated with the notification to be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: William M. York, Rebecca P. Fish, Gagan A. Gupta, Xinyuan Huang, Heriberto Nieto, Benjamin S. Phipps, Kurt Piersol
  • Patent number: 11183193
    Abstract: This relates to intelligent automated assistants and, more specifically, to intelligent context sharing and task performance among a collection of devices with intelligent automated assistant capabilities. An example method includes, at a first electronic device participating in a context-sharing group associated with a first location: receiving a user voice input; receiving, from a context collector, an aggregate context of the context-sharing group; providing at least a portion of the aggregate context and data corresponding to the user voice input to a remote device; receiving, from the remote device, a command to perform one or more tasks and a device identifier corresponding to a second electronic device; and transmitting the command to the second electronic device based on the device identifier, wherein the command causes the second electronic device to perform the one or more tasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Hansen, Nikrouz Ghotbi, Yifeng Gui, Xinyuan Huang, Benjamin S. Phipps, Eugene Ray, Mahesh Ramaray Shanbhag, Jaireh Tecarro, Sumit Wattal
  • Publication number: 20210352115
    Abstract: This relates to intelligent automated assistants and, more specifically, to intelligent context sharing and task performance among a collection of devices with intelligent automated assistant capabilities. An example method includes, at a first electronic device participating in a context-sharing group associated with a first location: receiving a user voice input; receiving, from a context collector, an aggregate context of the context-sharing group; providing at least a portion of the aggregate context and data corresponding to the user voice input to a remote device; receiving, from the remote device, a command to perform one or more tasks and a device identifier corresponding to a second electronic device; and transmitting the command to the second electronic device based on the device identifier, wherein the command causes the second electronic device to perform the one or more tasks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Bryan HANSEN, Nikrouz GHOTBI, Yifeng GUI, Xinyuan HUANG, Benjamin S. PHIPPS, Eugene RAY, Mahesh Ramaray SHANBHAG, Jaireh TECARRO, Sumit WATTAL
  • Publication number: 20210350803
    Abstract: This relates to intelligent automated assistants and, more specifically, to intelligent context sharing and task performance among a collection of devices with intelligent automated assistant capabilities. An example method includes, at a first electronic device participating in a context-sharing group associated with a first location: receiving a user voice input; receiving, from a context collector, an aggregate context of the context-sharing group; providing at least a portion of the aggregate context and data corresponding to the user voice input to a remote device; receiving, from the remote device, a command to perform one or more tasks and a device identifier corresponding to a second electronic device; and transmitting the command to the second electronic device based on the device identifier, wherein the command causes the second electronic device to perform the one or more tasks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Bryan HANSEN, Nikrouz GHOTBI, Yifeng GUI, Xinyuan HUANG, Benjamin S. PHIPPS, Eugene RAY, Mahesh Ramaray SHANBHAG, Jaireh TECARRO, Sumit WATTAL
  • Publication number: 20210350810
    Abstract: Systems and processes for operating an intercom system via a digital assistant are provided. The intercom system is trigger-free, in that users communicate, in real-time, via devices without employing a trigger to speak. Acoustic fingerprints are employed to associate users with devices. Acoustic fingerprints include vector embeddings of speech input in an acoustic-feature vector space. Speech heard at multiple devices, as embedded in a fingerprint, may be clustered in the vector space, and the structure of the clusters is employed to associate users and devices. Based on the fingerprints, a device is mapped to a user, and the user employs that device to participate in a conversation, via the intercom service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Benjamin S. PHIPPS, Sachin KAJAREKAR, Eugene RAY, Mahesh Ramaray SHANBHAG, Kisun YOU, Patrick L. Coffman
  • Publication number: 20210350799
    Abstract: This relates to intelligent automated assistants and, more specifically, to intelligent context sharing and task performance among a collection of devices with intelligent automated assistant capabilities. An example method includes, at a first electronic device participating in a context-sharing group associated with a first location: receiving a user voice input; receiving, from a context collector, an aggregate context of the context-sharing group; providing at least a portion of the aggregate context and data corresponding to the user voice input to a remote device; receiving, from the remote device, a command to perform one or more tasks and a device identifier corresponding to a second electronic device; and transmitting the command to the second electronic device based on the device identifier, wherein the command causes the second electronic device to perform the one or more tasks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Bryan HANSEN, Nikrouz GHOTBI, Yifeng GUI, Xinyuan HUANG, Benjamin S. PHIPPS, Eugene RAY, Mahesh Ramaray SHANBHAG, Jaireh TECARRO, Sumit WATTAL
  • Publication number: 20210264913
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to using voice interaction to access call functionality of a companion device. In an example process, a user utterance is received. Based on the user utterance and contextual information, the process causes a server to determine a user intent corresponding to the user utterance. The contextual information is based on a signal received from the companion device. In accordance with the user intent corresponding to an actionable intent of answering the incoming call, a command is received. Based on the command, instructions are provided to the companion device, which cause the companion device to answer the incoming call and provide audio data of the answered incoming call. Audio is outputted according to the audio data of the answered incoming call.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Karl Ferdinand SCHRAMM, Justin BINDER, Benjamin S. PHIPPS, Po Keng SUNG
  • Patent number: 11102259
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a network system to enable content playback on multiple devices. An electronic device can receive information associated with media playback request and resolve a media item and intended playback device for the media request based on a set of available media items and player devices. The device can then transmit, via the data interface, a request to play the media item at the player device via a secure device to device communication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bob Bradley, Bryan E. Hansen, Vincent M. Lane, Benjamin S. Phipps, Karl F. Schramm, Andrew J. Sinesio, Jaireh Tecarro
  • Patent number: 11043220
    Abstract: This relates to intelligent automated assistants and, more specifically, to intelligent context sharing and task performance among a collection of devices with intelligent automated assistant capabilities. An example method includes, at a first electronic device participating in a context-sharing group associated with a first location: receiving a user voice input; receiving, from a context collector, an aggregate context of the context-sharing group; providing at least a portion of the aggregate context and data corresponding to the user voice input to a remote device; receiving, from the remote device, a command to perform one or more tasks and a device identifier corresponding to a second electronic device; and transmitting the command to the second electronic device based on the device identifier, wherein the command causes the second electronic device to perform the one or more tasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Hansen, Nikrouz Ghotbi, Yifeng Gui, Xinyuan Huang, Benjamin S. Phipps, Eugene Ray, Mahesh Ramaray Shanbhag, Jaireh Tecarro, Sumit Wattal
  • Patent number: 11038934
    Abstract: This relates to intelligent automated assistants and, more specifically, to intelligent context sharing and task performance among a collection of devices with intelligent automated assistant capabilities. An example method includes, at a first electronic device participating in a context-sharing group associated with a first location: receiving a user voice input; receiving, from a context collector, an aggregate context of the context-sharing group; providing at least a portion of the aggregate context and data corresponding to the user voice input to a remote device; receiving, from the remote device, a command to perform one or more tasks and a device identifier corresponding to a second electronic device; and transmitting the command to the second electronic device based on the device identifier, wherein the command causes the second electronic device to perform the one or more tasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Hansen, Nikrouz Ghotbi, Yifeng Gui, Xinyuan Huang, Benjamin S. Phipps, Eugene Ray, Mahesh Ramaray Shanbhag, Jaireh Tecarro, Sumit Wattal
  • Patent number: 10984798
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to using voice interaction to access call functionality of a companion device. In an example process, a user utterance is received. Based on the user utterance and contextual information, the process causes a server to determine a user intent corresponding to the user utterance. The contextual information is based on a signal received from the companion device. In accordance with the user intent corresponding to an actionable intent of answering the incoming call, a command is received. Based on the command, instructions are provided to the companion device, which cause the companion device to answer the incoming call and provide audio data of the answered incoming call. Audio is outputted according to the audio data of the answered incoming call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Karl Ferdinand Schramm, Justin Binder, Benjamin S. Phipps, Po Keng Sung
  • Publication number: 20200382513
    Abstract: A device implementing a system for sharing a voice profile includes a processor configured to receive a request to share a first voice profile corresponding to a first user account associated with a first device, with a second device associated with a second user account, the second device being voice-enabled, the first voice profile being stored on a first data store associated with the first user account. The processor is further configured to update a second data store associated with the second user account to include a reference to the first voice profile stored on the first data store, and to send, to the second device, a notification that the second data store has been updated to include the reference to the first voice profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Anumita BISWAS, Karl F. SCHRAMM, Benjamin S. PHIPPS
  • Publication number: 20200380980
    Abstract: Systems and processes for operating an intelligent automated assistant are provided. An example method includes receiving, from one or more external electronic devices, a plurality of speaker profiles for a plurality of users; receiving a natural language speech input; determining, based on comparing the natural language speech input to the plurality of speaker profiles: a first likelihood that the natural language speech input corresponds to a first user of the plurality of users; and a second likelihood that the natural language speech input corresponds to a second user of the plurality of users; determining whether the first likelihood and the second likelihood are within a first threshold; and in accordance with determining that the first likelihood and the second likelihood are not within the first threshold: providing a response to the natural language speech input, the response being personalized for the first user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Stephen H. SHUM, Corey J. PETERSON, Sachin S. KAJAREKAR, Benjamin S. PHIPPS, Erik MARCHI, Jessica PECK, Anumita BISWAS, Harry SIMMONDS, Chas MANNEMALA
  • Publication number: 20200357406
    Abstract: An example method includes, at an electronic device: receiving an indication of a notification; in accordance with receiving the indication of the notification: obtaining one or more data streams from one or more sensors; determining, based on the one or more data streams, whether a user associated with the electronic device is speaking; and in accordance with a determination that the user is not speaking: causing an output associated with the notification to be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: William M. YORK, Rebecca P. FISH, Gagan A. GUPTA, Xinyuan HUANG, Heriberto NIETO, Benjamin S. PHIPPS, Kurt PIERSOL
  • Patent number: 10791176
    Abstract: Systems and processes for operating an intelligent automated assistant are provided. In one example process, a first instance of a digital assistant operating on a first electronic device receives a natural-language speech input indicative of a user request. The first electronic device obtains a set of data corresponding to a second instance of the digital assistant on a second electronic device, and updates one or more settings of the first instance of the digital assistant based on the received set of data. The first instance of the digital assistant performs one or more tasks based on the updated one or more settings and provides an output indicative of whether the one or more tasks are performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin S. Phipps, Gennaro Frazzingaro, Karl F. Schramm
  • Publication number: 20200302932
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to using voice interaction to access call functionality of a companion device. In an example process, a user utterance is received. Based on the user utterance and contextual information, the process causes a server to determine a user intent corresponding to the user utterance. The contextual information is based on a signal received from the companion device. In accordance with the user intent corresponding to an actionable intent of answering the incoming call, a command is received. Based on the command, instructions are provided to the companion device, which cause the companion device to answer the incoming call and provide audio data of the answered incoming call. Audio is outputted according to the audio data of the answered incoming call.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Karl Ferdinand SCHRAMM, Justin BINDER, Benjamin S. PHIPPS, Po Keng SUNG
  • Publication number: 20200267222
    Abstract: Systems and processes for operating an intelligent automated assistant are provided. In one example process, a first instance of a digital assistant operating on a first electronic device receives a natural-language speech input indicative of a user request. The first electronic device obtains a set of data corresponding to a second instance of the digital assistant on a second electronic device, and updates one or more settings of the first instance of the digital assistant based on the received set of data. The first instance of the digital assistant performs one or more tasks based on the updated one or more settings and provides an output indicative of whether the one or more tasks are performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Benjamin S. PHIPPS, Gennaro FRAZZINGARO, Karl F. SCHRAMM
  • Publication number: 20200236152
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a network system to enable content playback on multiple devices. An electronic device can receive information associated with media playback request and resolve a media item and intended playback device for the media request based on a set of available media items and player devices. The device can then transmit, via the data interface, a request to play the media item at the player device via a secure device to device communication system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Bob Bradley, Bryan E. Hansen, Vincent M. Lane, Benjamin S. Phipps, Karl F. Schramm, Andrew J. Sinesio, Jaireh Tecarro
  • Patent number: 10720160
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to using voice interaction to access call functionality of a companion device. In an example process, a user utterance is received. Based on the user utterance and contextual information, the process causes a server to determine a user intent corresponding to the user utterance. The contextual information is based on a signal received from the companion device. In accordance with the user intent corresponding to an actionable intent of answering the incoming call, a command is received. Based on the command, instructions are provided to the companion device, which cause the companion device to answer the incoming call and provide audio data of the answered incoming call. Audio is outputted according to the audio data of the answered incoming call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Karl Ferdinand Schramm, Justin Binder, Benjamin S. Phipps, Po Keng Sung