Patents Assigned to Amazon Technologies
  • Patent number: 9170821
    Abstract: A test document associated with a workflow definition is obtained, the test document including an input for an action of the workflow definition and an expected state for the workflow definition based on the input. The input is delivered for the action of a workflow instance, the workflow instance being an instance of the workflow definition executed by a workflow engine, and the action determined based upon a present state of the workflow instance. A next state of the workflow instance is obtained, where the next state is determined by the workflow engine based upon the present state, the action and the input. The next state of the workflow instance is compared to the expected state of the test document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramanathan Palaniappan, Gideon Shavit, Alan M. Steele, Simon K. Johnston
  • Patent number: 9171301
    Abstract: A mobile payment network may include a server receiving a request for payment from a device, where the request may include information related to a location for the device. The information related to location information for the device that is included within the request may then be used for deriving location information for the device. Given the location information for the device, a distance between the location information and a geographic area may be determined. The distance between the location information for the device and the geographic area may then serve, at least in part, as the basis for approving the request for payment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Diwakar Gupta, Paul C. Schattauer, Chih-Jen Huang, Kiran Kumar Meduri
  • Patent number: 9171195
    Abstract: An object recognition system may recognize an object in a query image by matching the image to one or more images in a database. The database may include images corresponding to multiple viewpoints of a particular device. Key points of the query image are compared to key points in the database images. Database images with many overlapping key points to the query image are selected as potential matches. The geometry of objects in the potential matches is verified to the geometry of the object in the query image to determine if the overlapping key points have a similar geographic relationship to each other across images. Objects in geometrically verified database images may be selected as potentially matching objects to the object in the query image. When a potential matching image is found, the system may confirm the match by performing matching with a second image of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Oleg Rybakov, Avinash Aghoram Ravichandran, Matias Omar Gregorio Benitez
  • Patent number: 9170915
    Abstract: The state of a workflow application in a distributed computing environment can be reconstructed by replaying previously executed portions of the workflow application. Embodiments maintain non-serialized event data relating to workflow history and use the data to determine subsequent actions to take in order to advance the workflow. In some embodiments, workflow instances can be serialized in order to create a checkpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Maxim E. Fateev
  • Patent number: 9172532
    Abstract: A multi-tiered encryption system efficiently regulates the use of encryption keys to encrypt and decrypt data. The system can include one or more encryption tiers. Each encryption tier can include a computing node programmed to service encryption and/or decryption requests and a key store to store encryption keys. At a root encryption tier, an unencrypted root encryption key can be stored in the key store. Each subsequent encryption tier includes encryption keys that are encrypted by encryption keys stored at a lower encryption tier. The encryption tiers collectively implement an encryption policy in which keys are automatically created and rotated such that a requesting device can request encryption services from the multi-tiered encryption system and receive the encryption services independent of key creation or key rotation and without access to the unencrypted root encryption key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Erik James Fuller, Adam Blair Kelly, KMR Mumit Khan, Timothy Peter Munro, Andrew Norimasa Nishigaya, Kerry Michael Wright
  • Patent number: 9171265
    Abstract: Techniques for utilizing a pool of human workers along with an automated classification feedback loop for identifying documents that meet certain criteria. As described herein, a requestor that desires to locate documents that meet certain specified criteria may first program a classifier with the specified criteria. The requestor may also determine the desired classes into which the classifier will categorize documents that are run against the classifier. The requestor may then locate one or more documents that represent each of the determined classes and then train the classifier using the documents. Thereafter, the requestor may publish a request to a pool of human workers soliciting documents meeting the criteria. Each of the documents may be run against the trained classifier and passed onto the requestor for further analysis if the classifier categorizes the respective document as acceptable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bhavnish H. Lathia, Leon Robert Warman
  • Patent number: 9171164
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for a trust establishment application. Machine instances executed in the same computing environment generate side channel patterns embodying data identifying themselves as trusted machine instances. The side channel patterns are detected to determine which machine instances are trusted. An operational mode of a machine instance is configured as a function of whether a quorum of trusted machine instances are executed in the computing environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jon Arron McClintock
  • Patent number: 9170795
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for an ingestion process modifying digital items. A computing system receives an uploaded digital item configured to communicate with a testing server application when executed. The ingestion process reconfigures the digital item to communicate with a production server application when executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Rahul Ravikumar, Chirag Anil Mehta, Michael R. Siwapinyoyos, Stephen C. Johnson, Sunbir Gill, Mayank Arvindbhai Patel
  • Patent number: 9172640
    Abstract: High-speed processing of packets to, and from, a virtualization environment can be provided while utilizing hardware-based segmentation offload and other such functionality. A hardware vendor such as a network interface card (NIC) manufacturer can enable the hardware to support open and proprietary stateless tunneling in conjunction with a protocol such as single root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV) in order to implement a virtualized overlay network. The hardware can utilize various rules, for example, that can be used by the NIC to perform certain actions, such as to encapsulate egress packets and decapsulate packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Pradeep Vincent, Matthew David Klein, Samuel James McKelvie
  • Patent number: 9172791
    Abstract: Features are disclosed for estimating a noise level using a variable step size. An acoustic echo canceller (AEC) may be configured to perform echo cancellation. The acoustic echo canceller may determine an estimated echo using a playback signal. The acoustic echo canceller also may determine an estimated error using the estimated echo and a microphone signal. A variable step size may be determined using the estimated error and the microphone signal. Noise reduction may be performed using the variable step size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Ayrapetian, Arnaud Jean-Louis Charton, Yuwen Su
  • Patent number: 9170318
    Abstract: Electronic devices can identify other nearby devices, and determine the relative positions of those devices, using a combination of techniques. Various devices are able to project one or more instances of a unique identifier, such as a barcode, which can be imaged by other devices. The devices also can communicate position and/or orientation information over a wireless sideband channel. By combining the information relating to the projected identifier with information collected over the sideband channel, devices can automatically determine the location of various devices and associate a user or device identity with those devices. A user of a device then can view relative locations of those devices on a display element, including information about the user of the device. Further, the relative position determinations can enable a user to perform certain functions with respect to another device based at least in part upon the position and/or identity of that device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley J. Bozarth, Isaac Scott Noble, Mingjing Huang
  • Patent number: 9170891
    Abstract: A snapshot of a volume is taken by proactive uploading of scheduled snapshot data before the scheduled snapshot time has arrived. A volume snapshot schedule of once a day may be set up to a service provider using a speed-limited network connection. Using a determined upload speed of the network connection and a list of changes to the volume since a prior snapshot, a snapshot system may determine an appropriate time to start uploading volume data so that the snapshot may be completed at or after the scheduled snapshot time. By using the list of changes and available bandwidth of the network connection, the snapshot may be completed earlier than had it been started at the time of the snapshot and the available bandwidth of the network connection may be more efficiently used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Pradeep Vincent
  • Patent number: 9170712
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for presenting content items that are related to media items that are currently being consumed by a user. A media item in a stream of media items being presented to a client is identified. A content item that is relevant to the media item is determined. An entry is added to the entries of a relevant content listing. The entry includes a link to the content item. The entries in the relevant content listing are arranged in a time-based sequence such that the at least one entry correlates to a sequence of playback in the client of a plurality of media files. The relevant content listing is updated in a user interface that is being presented to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon Scott Durham, Paul William Roberts, Scott K. Meaker, Jim L. Dantzler, Randall E. Moss, Erin O. Anderson, Benjamin J. Shepherd
  • Patent number: 9172621
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for unified account metadata management are disclosed. A storage medium stores program instructions that when executed on a processor generate a graph representation of metadata associated with a client account of a provider network. At least a portion of the metadata is obtained using an internal mechanism of the provider network. The graph comprises a plurality of nodes (representing resources associated with the client account) and a plurality of edges (representing configuration relationships). The instructions when executed provide a visualization of resources and configuration relationships of the graph; and in response to a graphical interaction with the visualization, issue a command to a network-accessible service of the provider network to implement a configuration modification associated with a resource represented in the graph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Andries Petrus Johannes Dippenaar
  • Patent number: 9171278
    Abstract: An inventory item to be picked may be selected along with an inventory location (e.g., storage bin) storing a particular unit of the item among a units of heterogeneous items also stowed in the inventory location. One or more images of the inventory location may be obtained and analyzed to determine a position of the unit of the item. Instructions may be sent to direct a device to illuminate the determined position of the unit of the item, and pick instructions may be sent to the same or a different the device. A device may receive the position instructions from a control system, and illuminate the determined position of the unit of the item within the inventory location. The pick instructions may direct an agent or mobile storage bin to a particular location and direct the agent to pick the unit of the item from the illuminated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Cheuk-Man Kong, Mohan Krishna Rao, Morley Duncan Abbott, Balasubramaneyam Maniymaran
  • Patent number: 9171019
    Abstract: A system that implements a distributed lock service may include a failure detector for servers and sessions, and may track the state of sessions on a per-client-connection basis. It may include an external lock information database that stores lock state information and that supports a higher write throughput rate than a distributed state manager. Each database record may store an identifier of a session during which a lock on a respective item was obtained (if any) and a staleness indicator. A distributed state manager may maintain a session identifier and a respective staleness indicator for each established session, and may push updates to this session information to interested client processes, which may cache the information. A client process wishing to lock an item may determine whether it can do so dependent on the information in a corresponding database record and on its own cached session information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Bryan James Donlan
  • Patent number: 9171552
    Abstract: An audio-based system may perform dynamic level adjustment by detecting voice activity in an input signal and evaluating voice levels during periods of voice activity. The current voice level is compared to a plurality of thresholds to determine a corresponding gain strategy, and the input signal is scaled in accordance with this gain strategy. Further adjustment to the signal is performed to reduce output clipping that might otherwise be produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jun Yang
  • Publication number: 20150301901
    Abstract: A system that implements a data storage service may store data on behalf of storage service clients. The system may maintain data in multiple replicas of partitions that are stored on respective computing nodes in the system. A master replica for a replica group may increment a membership version indicator for the group, and may propagate metadata (including the membership version indicator) indicating a membership change for the group to other members of the group. Propagating the metadata may include sending a log record containing the metadata to the other replicas to be appended to their respective logs. Once the membership change becomes durable, it may be committed. A replica attempting to become the master of a replica group may determine that another replica in the group has observed a more recent membership version, in which case logs may be synchronized or snipped, or the attempt may be abandoned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: TIMOTHY ANDREW RATH, JAKUB KULESZA, DAVID ALAN LUTZ
  • Publication number: 20150304407
    Abstract: Embodiments may include a load balancer configured to, for a given packet received from a remote client, select a host computer of a plurality of host computers according to a load balancing protocol, the selection based on load information updates received from the plurality of host computers. Each load information update may indicate a measure of the respective host computer's capacity to service additional connections with remote clients. The load balancer may provide the given packet to the selected host computer for processing by an application component on the selected host computer, and subsequent to determining that a specific application component on one of the plurality of host computers does not have capacity for additional connections based on the load information updates, continue to send packets for existing connections serviced by the specific application component to the respective host computer without sending packets for new connections to that host computer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: JAMES CHRISTOPHER `SORENSON, III, DAVID CARL SALYERS
  • Patent number: 9167313
    Abstract: A method of transferring video data for storage at a remote location includes storing the video data recorded at a site to a local storage device at the site. The local storage device is coupled to a remote storage device by way of a network connection. Available bandwidth of the network connection between the local storage device and the remote storage device is automatically monitored. Upon one or more predetermined criteria being met for available bandwidth, video data from the local storage device is transferred to the remote storage device over the network connection. The time of initiation of transfer of the video data or the rate of transfer of the video data over the network connection may be based on the available bandwidth of the network connection at one or more times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Edward M. Bacco