Patents by Inventor Kenneth John MacKay

Kenneth John MacKay 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: 11991020
    Abstract: A smart home device (e.g., a voice assistant device) includes an audio control system that determines a set of one or more audio devices to include nearby devices that are capable of providing audio streams that are audibly detected by a microphone of the smart home device. The audio control system initiates a voice-interaction mode for operating the smart home device to receive voice commands from a user and provide audio output in response to the voice commands. The audio control system transmits an audio control signal to nearby devices that configures each nearby device to implement one or more of: reducing a volume level associated with the audio streams generated by the nearby devices while the smart home device is operating in the voice-interaction mode; and transmitting, to the smart home device, audio stream data associated with a current audio stream generated for audible output by the nearby device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth John Mackay, Nikita Gupta, Tomer Shekel
  • Publication number: 20230246872
    Abstract: A smart home device (e.g., a voice assistant device) includes an audio control system that determines a set of one or more audio devices to include nearby devices that are capable of providing audio streams that are audibly detected by a microphone of the smart home device. The audio control system initiates a voice-interaction mode for operating the smart home device to receive voice commands from a user and provide audio output in response to the voice commands. The audio control system transmits an audio control signal to nearby devices that configures each nearby device to implement one or more of: reducing a volume level associated with the audio streams generated by the nearby devices while the smart home device is operating in the voice-interaction mode; and transmitting, to the smart home device, audio stream data associated with a current audio stream generated for audible output by the nearby device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Kenneth John Mackay, Nikita Gupta, Tomer Shekel
  • Patent number: 11411763
    Abstract: A smart home device (e.g., a voice assistant device) includes an audio control system that determines a set of one or more audio devices to include nearby devices that are capable of providing audio streams that are audibly detected by a microphone of the smart home device. The audio control system initiates a voice-interaction mode for operating the smart home device to receive voice commands from a user and provide audio output in response to the voice commands. The audio control system transmits an audio control signal to nearby devices that configures each nearby device to implement one or more of: reducing a volume level associated with the audio streams generated by the nearby devices while the smart home device is operating in the voice-interaction mode; and transmitting, to the smart home device, audio stream data associated with a current audio stream generated for audible output by the nearby device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth John Mackay, Nikita Gupta, Tomer Shekel
  • Publication number: 20210167985
    Abstract: A smart home device (e.g., a voice assistant device) includes an audio control system that determines a set of one or more audio devices to include nearby devices that are capable of providing audio streams that are audibly detected by a microphone of the smart home device. The audio control system initiates a voice-interaction mode for operating the smart home device to receive voice commands from a user and provide audio output in response to the voice commands. The audio control system transmits an audio control signal to nearby devices that configures each nearby device to implement one or more of: reducing a volume level associated with the audio streams generated by the nearby devices while the smart home device is operating in the voice-interaction mode; and transmitting, to the smart home device, audio stream data associated with a current audio stream generated for audible output by the nearby device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Kenneth John Mackay, Nikita Gupta, Tomer Shekel
  • Patent number: 10958467
    Abstract: A smart home device (e.g., a voice assistant device) includes an audio control system that determines a set of one or more audio devices to include nearby devices that are capable of providing audio streams that are audibly detected by a microphone of the smart home device. The audio control system initiates a voice-interaction mode for operating the smart home device to receive voice commands from a user and provide audio output in response to the voice commands. The audio control system transmits an audio control signal to nearby devices that configures each nearby device to implement one or more of: reducing a volume level associated with the audio streams generated by the nearby devices while the smart home device is operating in the voice-interaction mode; and transmitting, to the smart home device, audio stream data associated with a current audio stream generated for audible output by the nearby device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth John Mackay, Nikita Gupta, Tomer Shekel
  • Publication number: 20190173687
    Abstract: A smart home device (e.g., a voice assistant device) includes an audio control system that determines a set of one or more audio devices to include nearby devices that are capable of providing audio streams that are audibly detected by a microphone of the smart home device. The audio control system initiates a voice-interaction mode for operating the smart home device to receive voice commands from a user and provide audio output in response to the voice commands. The audio control system transmits an audio control signal to nearby devices that configures each nearby device to implement one or more of: reducing a volume level associated with the audio streams generated by the nearby devices while the smart home device is operating in the voice-interaction mode; and transmitting, to the smart home device, audio stream data associated with a current audio stream generated for audible output by the nearby device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Kenneth John MacKay, Nikita Gupta, Tomer Shekel