Patents by Inventor Mary P. Czerwinski

Mary P. Czerwinski 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: 20230083418
    Abstract: Various methods and apparatus relating to estimating and mitigating a stress level of a user are disclosed herein. Methods can include collecting potential stress indicator data from the user interacting with a computing device. The potential stress indicator data can include one or more of environmental data and contextual data associated with the user. Methods can include estimating the stress level of the user based on the potential stress indicator data. Methods can include performing an evaluation of whether to mitigate the stress level of the user via one or more stress mitigation interventions. Methods can include presenting the one or more stress mitigation interventions to the user via a graphical user interface (GUI) when the evaluation indicates that the stress level should be mitigated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel J. MCDUFF, Javier HERNANDEZ RIVERA, Mary P. CZERWINSKI, Kael R. ROWAN, Jin A. SUH, Gonzalo A. RAMOS
  • Publication number: 20220400994
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a user characteristic to a service provider for a virtual conference with a user are provided. In particular, a computing device may collect raw media data associated with the user during the virtual conference between the user and the service provider. During the virtual conference, the computing device may perform a first processing of the raw media data to extract intermediate user data, wherein the intermediate user data comprises one or more of a physiological signal and a behavioral signal associated the user. The computing device may further transform the raw media data into transformed media data and transmit the transformed media data with the intermediate user data to a server for second processing of the intermediate user data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Javier Hernandez RIVERA, Daniel J. MCDUFF, Jin A. SUH, Kael R. ROWAN, Mary P. CZERWINSKI
  • Publication number: 20220358308
    Abstract: The present disclosure relate to highlighting audience members with reactions to a presenter of an online meeting. Unlike physical, fact-to-face meeting that enables spontaneous interactions among the presenter and the audiences that are collocated with the presenter, presenting materials during an online meeting raises an issue of the present not being able to see real-time reactions or feedback by the audience members. The present disclosure addresses the issue by dynamically determining one or more audience members who indicate reactions during the online meeting or presentation and displaying faces of the one or more audience members under spotlight to the presenter. The presenter sees faces of the audience members with reactions during the online presentation and responds to the audience members and keep the audience engaged. The spotlight audience server analyzes video frames and determines types of reactions of the audience members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Javier HERNANDEZ RIVERA, Daniel J. MCDUFF, Jin A. SUH, Kael R. ROWAN, Mary P. CZERWINSKI, Prasanth MURALI, Mohammad AKRAM
  • Publication number: 20220138583
    Abstract: Generally discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for. A method can include obtaining a normalizing autoencoder, the normalizing autoencoder trained based on first data samples of a template person and second data samples of a variety of people, normalizing, by the normalizing autoencoder, an input data sample by combining dynamic characteristics of a person in the input data sample with static characteristics in the first data samples, to generate normalized data, and providing the normalized data as input to a classifier model to classify the input data based on the dynamic characteristics of the input data and the static characteristics of the first data samples.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Javier Hernandez Rivera, Daniel McDuff, Mary P. Czerwinski
  • Publication number: 20200279553
    Abstract: A conversational agent that is implemented as a voice-only agent or embodied with a face may match the speech and facial expressions of a user. Linguistic style-matching by the conversational agent may be implemented by identifying prosodic characteristics of the user's speech and synthesizing speech for the virtual agent with the same or similar characteristics. The facial expressions of the user can be identified and mimicked by the face of an embodied conversational agent. Utterances by the virtual agent may be based on a combination of predetermined scripted responses and open-ended responses generated by machine learning techniques. A conversational agent that aligns with the conversational style and facial expressions of the user may be perceived as more trustworthy, easier to understand, and create a more natural human-machine interaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Daniel J. McDUFF, Kael R. ROWAN, Mary P. CZERWINSKI, Deepali ANEJA, Rens HOEGEN
  • Patent number: 10719535
    Abstract: A single device that receives communications, resources, data, and/or other information intended for a user having multiple contact addresses is provided. The single device can receive various information intended for multiple telephone numbers, email aliases, screen names, aliases, other means of contact, or combinations thereof. The device can selectively forward the information to the user based on a current user role, user preferences, contact information, or based on other criteria. If information is to be forwarded to the user at substantially the same time as receipt, automatic means of notifying the user of the role for which the communication is intended are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Anoop Gupta, Roger S. Barga, Pavel Curtis, Raymond E. Ozzie, Mary P. Czerwinski, Rebecca Norlander, Richard J McAniff
  • Patent number: 10353697
    Abstract: A hierarchical shared resources spatial visualization system and method including a visualization runtime user interface that quickly and efficiently displays a spatial layout of a shared resource having a hierarchical nature. The user interface provides a spatial layout of the hierarchical shared resource and overlays salient activity information of a group's interaction with the shared resource. In software development, the user interface provides software teams with awareness of activity by other developers in the group regarding files in the shared source code base. The salient activity includes active file information (such as which files are open and by whom) and source repository actions (such as a developer's activity within a project's source repository system). Visual geometry and colors are employed to create a visually distinctive environment that is used to convey the salient activity information quickly and efficiently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jacob T. Biehl, George G. Robertson, Gregory R. Smith, Mary P. Czerwinski
  • Patent number: 10042512
    Abstract: The present invention provides a three-dimensional user interface for a computer system that allows a user to combine and store a group of windows as a task. The image of each task can be positioned within a three-dimensional environment such that the user may utilize spatial memory in order remember where a particular task is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: George G. Robertson, Mary P. Czerwinski, Kenneth P. Hinckley, Kirsten C. Risden, Daniel C. Robbins, Maarten R. van Dantzich
  • 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
  • Patent number: 9350690
    Abstract: Determining user use context for electronic messaging and disseminating a subset of the user use context to recipients and/or senders of such electronic message is disclosed herein. By way of example, the user use context can be based on a general context of recipients, such as speed with which a message is disseminated or consumed, number of child messages spawned, rate at which such messages are spawned, and so on. Additionally, user use context can also be based on individual context, by comparing individual interaction to a message (e.g., time to read, time to delete, number of child messages, etc.), with a baseline usage context determined for the individual. The context can be disseminated to recipients of the message or to the sender, to provide an overview of perception of the electronic message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Henricus Johannes Maria Meijer, Dragos A. Manolescu, Matthew Jason Pope, Matthew B. MacLaurin, F. David Jones, Mary P. Czerwinski, Raymond E. Ozzie
  • Publication number: 20160063874
    Abstract: A digital personal assistant is described that determines a mental or emotional state of a user based on one or more signals and, based on the determined mental or emotional state, provides the user with feedback concerning an item of content generated thereby or an activity to be conducted thereby. An API is described that can be used by diverse applications and/or services to communicate with the digital personal assistant for the purpose of obtaining information about the current mental or emotional state of the user. Content tagging logic is described that identifies one or more items of content generated or interacted with by the user and stores metadata in association with the identified item(s) of content. The metadata includes information indicative of the current mental or emotional state of the user during the time period when the user generated or interacted with the content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventors: Mary P. Czerwinski, Melissa N. Lim, Ran Gilad-Bachrach, Ivan Tashev, Margaret Mitchell, MariaElaina Martinelli, William B. Dolan
  • 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
  • Patent number: 9076125
    Abstract: Providing for graphical visualization of contextual information pertinent to electronic messaging is described herein. By way of example, contextual network usage information or messaging disposition can be determined for a set of participants to electronic communication. The contextual information is compiled into categories and organized at least as a function of category. The compiled data can be transformed into a visualization of user disposition or context and output to a user device as a multi-dimensional graphical rendering. By rendering contextual data graphically, the rich and diverse information available from usage histories, current user context and user dispositions can be output and consumed rapidly and efficiently, resulting in productive electronic interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Dragos A. Manolescu, Matthew Jason Pope, Raymond E. Ozzie, Henricus Johannes Maria Meijer, F. David Jones, Mary P. Czerwinski
  • Publication number: 20150172236
    Abstract: Determining user use context for electronic messaging and disseminating a subset of the user use context to recipients and/or senders of such electronic message is disclosed herein. By way of example, the user use context can be based on a general context of recipients, such as speed with which a message is disseminated or consumed, number of child messages spawned, rate at which such messages are spawned, and so on. Additionally, user use context can also be based on individual context, by comparing individual interaction to a message (e.g., time to read, time to delete, number of child messages, etc.), with a baseline usage context determined for the individual. The context can be disseminated to recipients of the message or to the sender, to provide an overview of perception of the electronic message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Henricus Johannes Maria Meijer, Dragos A. Manolescu, Matthew Jason Pope, Matthew B. MacLaurin, F. David Jones, Mary P. Czerwinski, Raymond E. Ozzie
  • Publication number: 20150143338
    Abstract: A hierarchical shared resources spatial visualization system and method including a visualization runtime user interface that quickly and efficiently displays a spatial layout of a shared resource having a hierarchical nature. The user interface provides a spatial layout of the hierarchical shared resource and overlays salient activity information of a group's interaction with the shared resource. In software development, the user interface provides software teams with awareness of activity by other developers in the group regarding files in the shared source code base. The salient activity includes active file information (such as which files are open and by whom) and source repository actions (such as a developer's activity within a project's source repository system). Visual geometry and colors are employed to create a visually distinctive environment that is used to convey the salient activity information quickly and efficiently.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Jacob T. BIEHL, George G. ROBERTSON, Gregory R. SMITH, Mary P. CZERWINSKI
  • Publication number: 20150140527
    Abstract: A computer system is described for providing intervention suggestion information to a user, for the purpose of changing a psychological state of the user. The information suggestion information identifies at least one recommended intervention, selected from a pool of candidate interventions. Each candidate intervention, in turn, involves a type of computer-related activity with which the user is likely already familiar. The computer system formulates the intervention suggestion information in the form of one or more messages, delivered to one or more user devices, such as a mobile user device, or a mobile user device in conjunction with an ambient presentation device. According to one optional aspect, the computer system chooses the recommended interventions based on context information. According to another aspect, the computer system selects interventions by adopting a particular balance between an exploitation mode and an exploration mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Ran Gilad-Barach, Pablo Enrique Paredes Castro, Mary P. Czerwinski, Paul R. Johns, Ashish Kapoor, Laura R. Pina, Asta J. Roseway, Kael R. Rowan
  • Publication number: 20150058791
    Abstract: The present invention provides a three-dimensional user interface for a computer system that allows a user to combine and store a group of windows as a task. The image of each task can be positioned within a three-dimensional environment such that the user may utilize spatial memory in order remember where a particular task is located.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: George G. Robertson, Mary P. Czerwinski, Kenneth P. Hinckley, Kirsten C. Risden, Daniel C. Robbins, Maarten R. van Dantzich
  • Patent number: 8963987
    Abstract: Non-linguistic signal information relating to one or more participants to an interaction may be determined using communication data received from the one or more participants. Feedback can be provided based on the determined non-linguistic signals. The participants may be given an opportunity to opt in to having their non-linguistic signal information collected, and may be provided complete control over how their information is shared or used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Byungki Byun, Philip A. Chou, Mary P. Czerwinski, Ashish Kapoor, Bongshin Lee
  • Patent number: 8949769
    Abstract: A hierarchical shared resources spatial visualization system and method including a visualization runtime user interface that quickly and efficiently displays a spatial layout of a shared resource having a hierarchical nature. The user interface provides a spatial layout of the hierarchical shared resource and overlays salient activity information of a group's interaction with the shared resource. In software development, the user interface provides software teams with awareness of activity by other developers in the group regarding files in the shared source code base. The salient activity includes active file information (such as which files are open and by whom) and source repository actions (such as a developer's activity within a project's source repository system). Visual geometry and colors are employed to create a visually distinctive environment that is used to convey the salient activity information quickly and efficiently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jacob T. Biehl, George G. Robertson, Gregory R. Smith, Mary P. Czerwinski
  • Patent number: 8909546
    Abstract: The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can mitigate privacy concerns in connection with ad targeting or data collection. In particular, architecture can be included in a personal mobile communication device such as a cell phone. During communication transactions between the host device and a peer device, shared information can be extracted either from content included in the communication or from metadata. Based upon the shared information, a social graph maintained on the host device can be updated. In addition, the host device can receive a large set of ads and select or tailor a custom ad from the set based upon the social graph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Eric J. Horvitz, Brett D. Brewer, Mary P. Czerwinski, Melissa W. Dunn, Karim T. Farouki, Jason Garms, Alexander G. Gounares, Milind V. Mahajan, Jayaram NM Nanduri, Timothy D. Sharpe, Darrell Leroy Blegen