Patents by Inventor STEVEN WAYNE ICKMAN
STEVEN WAYNE ICKMAN 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).
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Publication number: 20230359655Abstract: In non-limiting examples of the present disclosure, systems, methods, and devices for enabling conversational bot communications are presented. A marketplace comprising an identity of a plurality of skills may be maintained, each of the plurality of skills associated with a manifest and a conversational bot. A request for execution of a specific skill may be received. A plurality of conversational bots may be identified, each of the plurality of conversational bots being associated with a manifest for executing the specific skill. The plurality of conversational bots may be ranked. The specific skill may be caused to be executed by the highest ranked conversational bot. In some examples, a plurality of highest ranked conversational bots may be surfaced and a bot that is selected may execute the specific skill.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2023Publication date: November 9, 2023Inventors: Christopher Lee MULLINS, Scott Jeff GELLOCK, Thomas Matthew LAIRD-MCCONNELL, Steven Wayne ICKMAN, Gabriel GILABERT, John Anthony TAYLOR
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Patent number: 11741140Abstract: In non-limiting examples of the present disclosure, systems, methods and devices for enabling conversational bot communications are presented. A marketplace comprising an identity of a plurality of skills may be maintained, each of the plurality of skills associated with a manifest and a conversational bot. A request for execution of a specific skill may be received. A plurality of conversational bots may be identified, each of the plurality of conversational bots being associated with a manifest for executing the specific skill. The plurality of conversational bots may be ranked. The specific skill may be caused to be executed by the highest ranked conversational bot. In some examples, a plurality of highest ranked conversational bots may be surfaced and a bot that is selected may execute the specific skill.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2020Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Christopher Lee Mullins, Scott Jeff Gellock, Thomas Matthew Laird-McConnell, Steven Wayne Ickman, Gabriel Gilabert, John Anthony Taylor
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Patent number: 11669435Abstract: The present disclosure relates to processing operations configured to generate and present a chat bot diagnostic visualization that provides real-time visual insights into operation of a chat bot for debugging assistance. A chat bot diagnostic tool is programmed to launch a graphical user interface that displays a visual representation of diagnostic data for debugging a chat bot in real-time. To enable conversational specific data to be reviewed, the present disclosure is configured to implement a middleware adapter within in a run-time stack of a chat bot that is configured to trace data traffic between a chat bot and a channel of an application/service. This enables the chat bot diagnostic tool to observe data traffic and filter the data traffic to identify relevant data for debugging a chat bot. A debugging data visualization of a chat bot interaction is emulated through a graphical user interface of the chat bot diagnostic tool.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2019Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: John Anthony Taylor, Christopher Michael Whitten, Steven Wayne Ickman, Thomas Matthew Laird-McConnell, Christopher Lee Mullins, Scott Jeff Gellock
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Publication number: 20220405068Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems, methods and computer readable media for providing tools and features related to developing asset packages that may be incorporated within the framework of various bot packages. For example, systems disclosed herein can provide an asset development interface that enables a user of a computing device to develop various types of bot packages by adding and/or modifying asset packages. The systems provide a mechanism whereby a developer can obtain an asset package including one or more discrete action components that are pre-configured and pre-packaged in a way that enables the asset package to be incorporated into the framework of the bot or, alternatively, within the framework of another asset package. The systems described herein further enable content of the asset packages to be selectively accessible to users and associated computing devices that are authorized to view and use the asset packages.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2021Publication date: December 22, 2022Inventors: Benjamin Abraham BROWN, Steven Wayne ICKMAN, Christopher Lee MULLINS, Christopher Michael WHITTEN, Lili CHENG, Scott Jeff GELLOCK
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Patent number: 11468122Abstract: A method for utilizing shared memory spaces for data lifecycle management in a conversational AI system includes receiving one or more storage requests directing conversational data to multiple nodes of a conversational data object and storing the conversational data that is directed to each different one of the multiple nodes within a different one of multiple discrete memory spaces. Each of the multiple discrete memory spaces is governed by a scope policy defining a lifetime for data stored within the memory space. The method further provides for erasing data of each node of the multiple different nodes of the conversational data object according to the lifetime defined by the scope policy governing the memory space storing the node.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2019Date of Patent: October 11, 2022Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Steven Wayne Ickman, Thomas Matthew Laird-McConnell, Christopher Clayton McConnell, Carlos Castro, Christopher Lee Mullins, Scott J. Gellock
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Patent number: 11321532Abstract: In non-limiting examples of the present disclosure, systems, methods and devices for enabling conversational bot communications are presented. A natural language input may be received by a first conversational bot. A skill needed to fulfill a request in the natural language input may be identified. A determination may be made that the skill is not executable by the first conversational bot. A determination may be made that the skill is executable by a second conversational bot. A request for execution of the skill may be sent from the first conversational bot to the second conversational bot. A request for information needed for the second conversational bot to execute the skill may be received by the first conversational bot from the second conversational bot. The information may be sent from the first conversational bot to the second conversational bot. The skill may be executed.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2020Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Christopher Lee Mullins, Scott Jeff Gellock, Thomas Matthew Laird-McConnell, Steven Wayne Ickman, Gabriel Gilabert, John Anthony Taylor
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Patent number: 11170174Abstract: A computer-executed conversational system utilizing adaptive dialogs to provide dynamic modification of a conversation structure. The adaptive dialogs facilitate an adaptive and dynamic way to model conversations. A conversational rule may be associated with a trigger received at an adaptive dialog. The conversational rule may populate a plan with steps to provide the conversational structure of the conversational system. Modifying triggers may be received that allow conversational rules to amend the plan including adding steps, removing steps, or modifying steps from the plan. The adaptive dialogs and/or components thereof may be provided as constructible elements in a platform for building a bot such as a developer Software Development Kit (SDK) or the like. In turn, sophisticated conversational modeling may be conveniently facilitated to provide features such as a dialog dispatcher, the ability to handle interruptions, and to build a pluggable, extensible conversational system.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2019Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Steven Wayne Ickman, Thomas Matthew Laird-McConnell, Christopher Clayton McConnell, Carlos Castro
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Patent number: 11151333Abstract: Conversational event modeling for determining how to process an input in a dialog stack of a computer-executed conversational system. Receipt of an input at an active dialog in a dialog stack may result in generation of an event corresponding to the input. The event may be propagated through the dialog stack. Dialogs in the dialog stack may generate a confidence value in relation to processing the input, and selection of the dialog in the dialog stack for use in processing the input may be based at least in part on the confidence values. In turn, the conversational system may facilitate improved handling of ambiguous or unrelated inputs at dialogs by propagating the event associated with such an input through the dialog stack. The event creation and processing functions may be provided as parameters for dialogs in a modular dialog creation system.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2019Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLCInventors: Steven Wayne Ickman, Thomas Matthew Laird-McConnell, Christopher Clayton McConnell, Carlos Castro
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Publication number: 20210182341Abstract: In non-limiting examples of the present disclosure, systems, methods and devices for enabling conversational bot communications are presented. A marketplace comprising an identity of a plurality of skills may be maintained, each of the plurality of skills associated with a manifest and a conversational bot. A request for execution of a specific skill may be received. A plurality of conversational bots may be identified, each of the plurality of conversational bots being associated with a manifest for executing the specific skill. The plurality of conversational bots may be ranked. The specific skill may be caused to be executed by the highest ranked conversational bot. In some examples, a plurality of highest ranked conversational bots may be surfaced and a bot that is selected may execute the specific skill.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2020Publication date: June 17, 2021Inventors: Christopher Lee Mullins, Scott Jeff Gellock, Thomas Matthew Laird-McConnell, Steven Wayne Ickman, Gabriel Gilabert, John Anthony Taylor
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Publication number: 20210182497Abstract: In non-limiting examples of the present disclosure, systems, methods and devices for enabling conversational bot communications are presented. A natural language input may be received by a first conversational bot. A skill needed to fulfill a request in the natural language input may be identified. A determination may be made that the skill is not executable by the first conversational bot. A determination may be made that the skill is executable by a second conversational bot. A request for execution of the skill may be sent from the first conversational bot to the second conversational bot. A request for information needed for the second conversational bot to execute the skill may be received by the first conversational bot from the second conversational bot. The information may be sent from the first conversational bot to the second conversational bot. The skill may be executed.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2020Publication date: June 17, 2021Inventors: Christopher Lee Mullins, Scott Jeff Gellock, Thomas Matthew Laird-McConnell, Steven Wayne Ickman, Gabriel Gilabert, John Anthony Taylor
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Publication number: 20200409818Abstract: The present disclosure relates to processing operations configured to generate and present a chat bot diagnostic visualization that provides real-time visual insights into operation of a chat bot for debugging assistance. A chat bot diagnostic tool is programmed to launch a graphical user interface that displays a visual representation of diagnostic data for debugging a chat bot in real-time. To enable conversational specific data to be reviewed, the present disclosure is configured to implement a middleware adapter within in a run-time stack of a chat bot that is configured to trace data traffic between a chat bot and a channel of an application/service. This enables the chat bot diagnostic tool to observe data traffic and filter the data traffic to identify relevant data for debugging a chat bot. A debugging data visualization of a chat bot interaction is emulated through a graphical user interface of the chat bot diagnostic tool.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2019Publication date: December 31, 2020Inventors: John Anthony Taylor, Christopher Michael Whitten, Steven Wayne Ickman, Thomas Matthew Laird-McConnell, Christopher Lee Mullins, Scott Jeff Gellock
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Publication number: 20200394272Abstract: Conversational event modeling for determining how to process an input in a dialog stack of a computer-executed conversational system. Receipt of an input at an active dialog in a dialog stack may result in generation of an event corresponding to the input. The event may be propagated through the dialog stack. Dialogs in the dialog stack may generate a confidence value in relation to processing the input, and selection of the dialog in the dialog stack for use in processing the input may be based at least in part on the confidence values. In turn, the conversational system may facilitate improved handling of ambiguous or unrelated inputs at dialogs by propagating the event associated with such an input through the dialog stack. The event creation and processing functions may be provided as parameters for dialogs in a modular dialog creation system.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2019Publication date: December 17, 2020Inventors: Steven Wayne ICKMAN, Thomas Matthew LAIRD-MCCONNELL, Christopher Clayton MCCONNELL, Carlos CASTRO
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Publication number: 20200394268Abstract: A computer-executed conversational system utilizing adaptive dialogs to provide dynamic modification of a conversation structure. The adaptive dialogs facilitate an adaptive and dynamic way to model conversations. A conversational rule may be associated with a trigger received at an adaptive dialog. The conversational rule may populate a plan with steps to provide the conversational structure of the conversational system. Modifying triggers may be received that allow conversational rules to amend the plan including adding steps, removing steps, or modifying steps from the plan. The adaptive dialogs and/or components thereof may be provided as constructible elements in a platform for building a bot such as a developer Software Development Kit (SDK) or the like. In turn, sophisticated conversational modeling may be conveniently facilitated to provide features such as a dialog dispatcher, the ability to handle interruptions, and to build a pluggable, extensible conversational system.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2019Publication date: December 17, 2020Inventors: Steven Wayne ICKMAN, Thomas Matthew LAIRD-MCCONNELL, Christopher Clayton MCCONNELL, Carlos CASTRO
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Publication number: 20200394227Abstract: A method for utilizing shared memory spaces for data lifecycle management in a conversational AI system includes receiving one or more storage requests directing conversational data to multiple nodes of a conversational data object and storing the conversational data that is directed to each different one of the multiple nodes within a different one of multiple discrete memory spaces. Each of the multiple discrete memory spaces is governed by a scope policy defining a lifetime for data stored within the memory space. The method further provides for erasing data of each node of the multiple different nodes of the conversational data object according to the lifetime defined by the scope policy governing the memory space storing the node.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2019Publication date: December 17, 2020Inventors: Steven Wayne ICKMAN, Thomas Matthew LAIRD-MCCONNELL, Christopher Clayton MCCONNELL, Carlos CASTRO, Christopher Lee MULLINS, Scott J. GELLOCK
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Patent number: 9201666Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards using gesture input to position content elements (e.g., flow text) around an object such as an irregularly shaped image. The gesture input may be used to generate markup language code, which when processed by a renderer, automatically positions the elements based upon the markup language code. For example, div elements may be generated in HTML code, with margins set to values based upon the gesture so as to position the one or more content elements when they are rendered.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2011Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Richard Ignacio Zaragoza, Steven Wayne Ickman, William Lawrence Portnoy
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Publication number: 20140108960Abstract: Various embodiments provide an ability for users to locate relevant multimedia building blocks for use in adding to posts in a manner which robustly adds to a particular conversation. A thread of conversation can be created across many posts and times. The notion of textual of replies is extended by allowing a multimedia conversation across a series of posts. Multimedia conversation lineages can be tracked and visualized across a series of posts, thus allowing for a non-linear tree of connections among related posts. In addition, an integrated social search engine can be utilized to provide for a shared context for constructing derivative posts.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2012Publication date: April 17, 2014Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Richard Ignacio Zaragoza, Rejeev V. Karunakaran, Steven Wayne Ickman, Paul A. Steckler, William Lawrence Portnoy
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Publication number: 20130144868Abstract: Various embodiments provide a social search engine that enables a user to create posts that are shared with various other users and which can be dynamically updated and modified by the user and/or others. In at least some embodiments, posts that are created by a user can be curated and tailored by the user to personalize their posts, as well as posts of others. Customization of posts can allow for creation of posts that serve as an “answer” for other search queries. Previously created posts can be revisited to add content such as links, media, and social interactions such as comments and the like. In at least some embodiments, a relevant post community can author a particular post which, in at least some instances, serve as an “answer.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2011Publication date: June 6, 2013Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Steven Wayne Ickman, William Lawrence Portnoy
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Publication number: 20120324332Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards using gesture input to position content elements (e.g., flow text) around an object such as an irregularly shaped image. The gesture input may be used to generate markup language code, which when processed by a renderer, automatically positions the elements based upon the markup language code. For example, div elements may be generated in HTML code, with margins set to values based upon the gesture so as to position the one or more content elements when they are rendered.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2011Publication date: December 20, 2012Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Richard Ignacio Zaragoza, Steven Wayne Ickman, William Lawrence Portnoy
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Publication number: 20110178995Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for searching microblog entries. The microblog entries may be generated through a single microblog website or across multiple microblog sites. Upon receiving a search input, a series of microblog entries responsive to the search input may be displayed to the user. The displayed microblog entries may be the most recently generated microblog entries that are responsive to the search input. In another embodiment, the microblog entries returned are a best match to the search criteria, which may be based on a user authority score for a user that drafted a microblog entry and additional characteristics of the microblog entry.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2010Publication date: July 21, 2011Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: SEAN SUCHTER, RAJESH K. SHENOY, CHARLES C. CARSON, JR., STEVEN WAYNE ICKMAN, HO JOHN LEE, SHUBHA UMESH NABAR, CLEMENT WANG, XIANG JI, TOM MATTHEW LAIRD-MCCONNELL, ERIC R. SCHEEL