Patents by Inventor Thomas C. Butcher
Thomas C. Butcher 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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Patent number: 10068588Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided for recognizing emotion in audio signals in real-time. An audio signal is detected and a rapid audio fingerprint is computed on a user's computing device. One or more features is extracted from the audio fingerprint and compared with features associated with defined emotions to determine relative degrees of similarity. Confidence scores are computed for the defined emotions based on the relative degrees of similarity and it is determined whether a confidence score for one or more particular emotions exceeds a threshold confidence score. If it is determined that a threshold confidence score for one or more particular emotions is exceeded, the particular emotion or emotions are associated with the audio signal. As desired, various action then may be initiated based upon the emotion/emotions associated with the audio signal.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2014Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Yaser Khan, Chris Huybreqts, Jaeyoun Kim, Thomas C. Butcher
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Publication number: 20160019915Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided for recognizing emotion in audio signals in real-time. An audio signal is detected and a rapid audio fingerprint is computed on a user's computing device. One or more features is extracted from the audio fingerprint and compared with features associated with defined emotions to determine relative degrees of similarity. Confidence scores are computed for the defined emotions based on the relative degrees of similarity and it is determined whether a confidence score for one or more particular emotions exceeds a threshold confidence score. If it is determined that a threshold confidence score for one or more particular emotions is exceeded, the particular emotion or emotions are associated with the audio signal. As desired, various action then may be initiated based upon the emotion/emotions associated with the audio signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 21, 2014Publication date: January 21, 2016Inventors: YASER KHAN, CHRIS HUYBREGTS, JAEYOUN KIM, THOMAS C. BUTCHER
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Publication number: 20150255068Abstract: Embodiments provide voice model and speaker recognition features including proactive retrieval and/or sharing of voice models, but the embodiments are not so limited. A device/system of an embodiment includes speaker recognition features configured in part to proactively retrieve and/or enable sharing of voice models for use in speaker identification operations. A method of an embodiment operates in part to proactively retrieve and/or enable sharing of voice models for use in speaker identification operations. Other embodiments are included.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2014Publication date: September 10, 2015Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Jaeyoun Kim, Yaser Masood Khan, Thomas C. Butcher, Michael Abraham Betser, Srinivas Rao Choudam
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Publication number: 20150249718Abstract: Devices are often configurable to perform actions automatically in response to a condition, such as an alarm presented at a time or date of a meeting; a message associated with a location specified by a geofence; or an automated response to a received message. Such conditions may be tangentially applied to actions involving an individual (e.g., a reminder presented during an anticipated meeting or a geofence associated with the individual's office), but may result in false positives when the individual is not actually present, and false negatives when an unanticipated presence of the individual arises. Instead, a device may be configured to detect the presence of the individual with the user (e.g., capturing a photo of the environment of the user, and identifying the face of the individual in the photo), and to perform an action for the user during the detected presence of the individual with the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2014Publication date: September 3, 2015Inventors: Chris Huybregts, Jaeyoun Kim, Michael A. Betser, Thomas C. Butcher, Yaser Masood Khan
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Patent number: 8849816Abstract: Personalized media charts are described. In embodiments, a request can be received for a personalized media chart that lists media assets as recommendations in a relevant order for a user. The media assets are initially ordered in the personalized media chart according to a chart rank for each media asset. A relevance factor is then determined for each of the media assets, where the relevance factor for a media asset indicates a relevance of the media asset to the user. A chart rank adjustment is calculated for each of the media assets based on the relevance factors for each of the media assets, and the media assets are then reordered in the personalized media chart according to the chart rank adjustments for each of the media assets.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2010Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Alexander Burba, Ismet E. Kahraman, Ivan P. Trindev, Zerelina R. Mukherjee, Chad C. Gibson, Thomas C. Butcher
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Patent number: 8775935Abstract: Personification techniques for software agents are described. In an implementation, a plurality of software agents is personified in a user interface to be selectable as friends in a social network service. Each of the software agents is executable to make one or more recommendations based on criteria of the software agent, respectively. Recommendations made by particular software agents are communicated via user accounts of the social network service that have selected the particular software agents as friends.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2009Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventor: Thomas C. Butcher
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Publication number: 20140172429Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for facilitating local recognition of audio content at a user device. In some embodiments, the method includes capturing, using a user device, audio data, at least some of which is processable to recognize the audio data. Thereafter, an audio fingerprint that uniquely represents perceptual information associated with the audio data is generated, and a local data store within the user device is referenced. Such a local data store can include reference audio fingerprints. Upon referencing the local data store, a determination can be made as to whether the generated audio fingerprint matches a reference audio fingerprint at least to an extent.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2012Publication date: June 19, 2014Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: THOMAS C. BUTCHER, KAZUHITO KOISHIDA, IAN STUART SIMON
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Publication number: 20140161263Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for facilitating recognition of real-time content are provided. In embodiments, a new audio fingerprint associated with live audio being presented is received. In accordance with the received audio fingerprint, at least one previously received fingerprint associated with the live audio from a real-time index is removed. Thereafter, the real-time index is updated to include the new audio fingerprint associated with the live audio being presented. Such a real-time index having the new audio fingerprint can be used to recognize the live audio being presented and, thereafter, an indication of the recognized live audio can be provided to the user device.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2012Publication date: June 12, 2014Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: KAZUHITO KOISHIDA, THOMAS C. BUTCHER, IAN STUART SIMON
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Patent number: 8671184Abstract: A tool for managing a computer network includes a gateway service module that identifies a gateway for a network and a network information service module. The network information service module identifies devices in the network, determines at least one property for each of the identified devices, and creates a network information data structure for storing device properties. A communication agent service module transmits at least one determined device property to other agent service modules associated with the network, receives at least one device property from another agent service module associated with the network, and provides the received at least one property device to the network information service module. A method of monitoring a computer network is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2011Date of Patent: March 11, 2014Assignee: Pure Networks LLCInventors: Steven M. Bush, Thomas C. Butcher, Matthew Tebbs, Justin Ferrari, Brett Marl, Ron Gery, Kristin Acker, Joshua Hinds
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Patent number: 8484332Abstract: A tool for managing a computer network includes a gateway service module that identifies a gateway for a network and a network information service module. The network information service module identifies devices in the network, determines at least one property for each of the identified devices, and creates a network information data structure for storing device properties. A communication agent service module transmits at least one determined device property to other agent service modules associated with the network, receives at least one device property from another agent service module associated with the network, and provides the received at least one property device to the network information service module. A method of monitoring a computer network is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2011Date of Patent: July 9, 2013Assignee: Pure Networks LLCInventors: Steven M. Bush, Thomas C. Butcher, Matthew Tebbs, Justin Ferrari, Brett Marl, Ron Gery, Kristin Acker, Joshua Hinds
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Patent number: 8463890Abstract: A tool for managing a computer network includes a gateway service module that identifies a gateway for a network and a network information service module. The network information service module identifies devices in the network, determines at least one property for each of the identified devices, and creates a network information data structure for storing device properties. A communication agent service module transmits at least one determined device property to other agent service modules associated with the network, receives at least one device property from another agent service module associated with the network, and provides the received at least one property device to the network information service module. A method of monitoring a computer network is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2011Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: Pure Networks LLCInventors: Steven M. Bush, Thomas C. Butcher, Matthew Tebbs, Justin Ferrari, Brett Marl, Ron Gery, Kristin Acker, Joshua Hinds
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Publication number: 20110314030Abstract: Personalized media charts are described. In embodiments, a request can be received for a personalized media chart that lists media assets as recommendations in a relevant order for a user. The media assets are initially ordered in the personalized media chart according to a chart rank for each media asset. A relevance factor is then determined for each of the media assets, where the relevance factor for a media asset indicates a relevance of the media asset to the user. A chart rank adjustment is calculated for each of the media assets based on the relevance factors for each of the media assets, and the media assets are then reordered in the personalized media chart according to the chart rank adjustments for each of the media assets.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2010Publication date: December 22, 2011Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Alexander Burba, Ismet E. Kahraman, Ivan P. Trindev, Zerelina R. Mukherjee, Chad C. Gibson, Thomas C. Butcher
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Publication number: 20110184792Abstract: Social network reward techniques are described. In an implementation, a method implemented by at least one computing device includes obtaining data that describes users' interaction with a social network service and determining influence of one or more said users on other said users via the social network service from the obtained data. A reward is computed based on the determined influence for at least one said user.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2010Publication date: July 28, 2011Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Thomas C. Butcher, Jessica E. Zahn
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Publication number: 20110167145Abstract: A tool for managing a computer network includes a gateway service module that identifies a gateway for a network and a network information service module. The network information service module identifies devices in the network, determines at least one property for each of the identified devices, and creates a network information data structure for storing device properties. A communication agent service module transmits at least one determined device property to other agent service modules associated with the network, receives at least one device property from another agent service module associated with the network, and provides the received at least one property device to the network information service module. A method of monitoring a computer network is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2011Publication date: July 7, 2011Inventors: Steven M. Bush, Thomas C. Butcher, Matthew Tebbs, Justin Ferrari, Brett Marl, Ron Gery, Kristin Acker, Joshua Hinds
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Publication number: 20110167154Abstract: A tool for managing a computer network includes a gateway service module that identifies a gateway for a network and a network information service module. The network information service module identifies devices in the network, determines at least one property for each of the identified devices, and creates a network information data structure for storing device properties. A communication agent service module transmits at least one determined device property to other agent service modules associated with the network, receives at least one device property from another agent service module associated with the network, and provides the received at least one property device to the network information service module. A method of monitoring a computer network is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2011Publication date: July 7, 2011Inventors: Steven M. Bush, Thomas C. Butcher, Matthew Tebbs, Justin Ferrari, Brett Marl, Ron Gery, Kristin Acker, Joshua Hinds
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Publication number: 20110167141Abstract: A tool for managing a computer network includes a gateway service module that identifies a gateway for a network and a network information service module. The network information service module identifies devices in the network, determines at least one property for each of the identified devices, and creates a network information data structure for storing device properties. A communication agent service module transmits at least one determined device property to other agent service modules associated with the network, receives at least one device property from another agent service module associated with the network, and provides the received at least one property device to the network information service module. A method of monitoring a computer network is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2011Publication date: July 7, 2011Inventors: Steven M. Bush, Thomas C. Butcher, Matthew Tebbs, Justin Ferrari, Brett Marl, Ron Gery, Kristin Acker, Joshua Hinds
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Publication number: 20110145040Abstract: Content recommendation techniques are described. In an implementation, content preferences for a group are determined by identifying an intersection of content preferences for individual users in the group. Content that is currently available for presentation is recommended based on the intersection by comparing the content preferences for the group with metadata for the content that is available for presentation.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2009Publication date: June 16, 2011Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Jessica E. Zahn, Thomas C. Butcher
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Publication number: 20110131507Abstract: Personification techniques for software agents are described. In an implementation, a plurality of software agents is personified in a user interface to be selectable as friends in a social network service. Each of the software agents is executable to make one or more recommendations based on criteria of the software agent, respectively. Recommendations made by particular software agents are communicated via user accounts of the social network service that have selected the particular software agents as friends.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2009Publication date: June 2, 2011Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventor: Thomas C. Butcher
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Patent number: 7925729Abstract: A tool for managing a computer network includes a gateway service module that identifies a gateway for a network and a network information service module. The network information service module identifies devices in the network, determines at least one property for each of the identified devices, and creates a network information data structure for storing device properties. A communication agent service module transmits at least one determined device property to other agent service modules associated with the network, receives at least one device property from another agent service module associated with the network, and provides the received at least one property device to the network information service module. A method of monitoring a computer network is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2005Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.Inventors: Steven M. Bush, Thomas C. Butcher, Matthew Tebbs, Justin Ferrari, Brett Marl, Ron Gery, Kristin Acker, Joshua Hinds
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Publication number: 20110081967Abstract: An interactive media social game is described. In embodiments, a social game service administrates a networked social game based on media asset interactions. Media asset interaction data is received that identifies media assets when they are downloaded or played at a user device. The media assets are correlated with a social game entity, such as a music pet that is a token entity of the networked social game. The music pet adaptively changes according to characteristics of the media assets. The media asset interaction data is also compiled as a media asset selection history corresponding to a user that is associated with the user device. A media asset recommendation for the user can be generated based on the media asset selection history, and the media asset recommendation is communicated as a recommendation message from the music pet to the user that is associated with the user device.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2009Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Thomas C. Butcher, Sahil Thaker, Christopher B. Weare