Patents by Inventor Catherine L. Maritan

Catherine L. Maritan 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).

  • Leveraging user signals for improved interactions with digital personal assistant
    Patent number: 9807559
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are described for implementing a digital personal assistant. The digital personal assistant is capable of determining that a user has asked a question or made a statement that is intended to engage with a persona of the digital personal assistant. In response to determining that the user has asked such a question or made such a statement, the digital personal assistant provides a response thereto by displaying or playing back a multimedia object associated with a popular culture reference within or by a user interface of the digital personal assistant. Additionally or alternatively, in response to determining that the user has asked such a question or made such a statement, the digital personal assistant provides the response thereto by generating or playing back speech that comprises an impersonation of a voice of a person associated with the popular culture reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Lee Dicks Clark, Deborah B. Harrison, Susan Hendrich, David Gardner, Sogol Malekzadeh, Catherine L. Maritan, Melissa Lim, Mary P. Czerwinski, Ran Gilad-Bachrach
  • LEVERAGING USER SIGNALS FOR IMPROVED INTERACTIONS WITH DIGITAL PERSONAL ASSISTANT
    Publication number: 20150382147
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are described for implementing a digital personal assistant. The digital personal assistant is capable of determining that a user has asked a question or made a statement that is intended to engage with a persona of the digital personal assistant. In response to determining that the user has asked such a question or made such a statement, the digital personal assistant provides a response thereto by displaying or playing back a multimedia object associated with a popular culture reference within or by a user interface of the digital personal assistant. Additionally or alternatively, in response to determining that the user has asked such a question or made such a statement, the digital personal assistant provides the response thereto by generating or playing back speech that comprises an impersonation of a voice of a person associated with the popular culture reference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Lee Dicks Clark, Deborah B. Harrison, Susan Hendrich, David Gardner, Sogol Malekzadeh, Catherine L. Maritan, Melissa Lim, Mary P. Czerwinski, Ran Gilad-Bachrach