Patents Examined by Ahmad F. Matar
  • Patent number: 10880437
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for changing an interaction taking place between an agent and a party from a first channel of communication to a second channel of communication. A communication assembly comprising the interaction is linked to a first communication session currently being held between the agent and party using the first channel of communication. A second communication session to be held between the agent and party using the second channel of communication at a future time is reserved and linked to the communication assembly. The first communication session is then terminated and at the future time, a communication involving the party and using the second channel of communication is established. Accordingly, the communication is linked with the second communication session and routed to the agent so that the agent can interact with the party over the second channel of communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Noble Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Ellwood I. Neuer, III, Christopher S. Haggerty, Karl H. Koster
  • Patent number: 10878798
    Abstract: An earphone (1) comprising an earphone housing (2), a speaker unit (3), the speaker unit (3) comprising a diaphragm (4). A front chamber (29) is defined in the earphone between a front side (31) of the diaphragm (4) and the user (7), when the earphone (1) is worn. A rear chamber (27) is defined between the earphone housing (2) and a rear side (32) of the diaphragm (4). The earphone (1) comprises an active noise cancelling feedback microphone (9), which is arranged in the rear chamber (27) and which comprises a microphone opening (11). The diaphragm (4) comprises a cylindrical part (14), to which a voice coil (12) is attached, and an outer ring part (15) extending from the cylindrical part (14) in a direction away from a centre axis (30) of the diaphragm (4). The feedback microphone (9) is arranged farther from the centre axis (30) than the voice coil (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: GN AUDIO A/S
    Inventor: Jacob Reimert
  • Patent number: 10878792
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided and includes a first tire, a second tire, and a detector that is configured to detect an air pressure of the first tire. A vibration generator is configured to generate vibration in the second tire. A controller is configured to operate the vibration generator to cause the second tire vibrate when the air pressure of the first tire satisfies a predetermined normal condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jaehyuk Jang, Minsik Yang, Yonghwan Hwang, Young Kim, HyeonHee Kang
  • Patent number: 10868915
    Abstract: A method is presented for linking a requestor to an agent of an entity. The method includes receiving a request to connect to an agent of an entity from a given requestor, retrieving a pool of agents from a data store, and determining a first subset of agents from the pool of agents, where agents in the first subset of agents have highest rating amongst agents in the pool of agents. The method also includes determining a second subset of agents from the pool of agents, where the agents in the second subset of agents have lowest number of assigned customers amongst the agents in the pool of agents. The method also includes identifying an intersection between the first subset and second subset, and assigning a dedicated agent to the given requestor from the intersection. The method also includes establishing a communication link between the given requestor and the dedicated agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: CBDA Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Buehler, Robert Duebelbeis, Brandon M. Brumage
  • Patent number: 10862446
    Abstract: Systems and methods for limiting volume in an audio playback device using a feedback controller are disclosed herein. In one example, a gain stage modulates gain of an audio signal based in part on feedback from a downstream limiter. The gain stage receives a first audio signal as well as a feedback signal from the feedback controller. Based at least in part on the feedback signal from the feedback controller, the gain stage modulates a gain of the first audio signal to provide a second audio signal. The second audio signal is delivered to the limiter, which limits the second audio signal to produce an output signal. The output signal is played back via a transducer. The feedback controller receives a gain reduction value from the limiter and determines a feedback signal to provide to the gain stage upstream of the limiter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventor: Aurelio Ramos
  • Patent number: 10856074
    Abstract: A device configured to provide wireless service and power for a smart speaker includes at least one transceiver configured to wirelessly connect to a mobile broadband network and further configured to obtain internet access and the at least one transceiver further configured to wirelessly connect to the smart speaker and provide the internet access to the smart speaker. The device further includes a power supply configured to store power and the power supply further configured to provide power to the at least one transceiver. The power supply further configured to store power and the power supply further configured to provide power to the smart speaker. The device further includes a housing configured to house the at least one transceiver and the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: TracFone Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: James Zimmerman, Ricky Ramon, Elliot Garcia
  • Patent number: 10855308
    Abstract: Exemplary multipath digital microphone described herein can comprise exemplary embodiments of adaptive ADC range multipath digital microphones, which allow low power to be achieved for amplifiers or gain stages, as well as for exemplary adaptive ADCs in exemplary multipath digital microphone arrangements described herein, while still providing a high DR digital microphone systems. Further non-limiting embodiments can comprise an exemplary glitch removal component configured to minimize audible artifacts associated with the change in the gain of the exemplary adaptive ADCs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: INVENSENSE, INC.
    Inventor: Michael Perrott
  • Patent number: 10847173
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for selecting, for communicating, between signals provided by various pickups on the basis of a calculated signal to noise ratio (SNR) are disclosed. The various pickups may include a microphone and a vibration sensor. Signals from the microphone may be compared with signals from the vibration sensor by extracting a root-mean-square (RMS) profile for each, and comparing the RMS profiles to determine an SNR estimate for the microphone signal. The microphone signal may be selected if the SNR estimate is below a predetermined threshold, otherwise the vibration sensor signal may be selected. The vibration sensor signal may be subject to further processing if selected to approximate the microphone signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Hector Alfonso Cordourier Maruri, Jonathan Huang, Paulo Lopez Meyer, Willem Beltman
  • Patent number: 10848893
    Abstract: A method assists in playing sound of a graphical representation for an electronic communication between a first person with a first portable electronic device (PED) to a second person with a second PED. The method displays a first visual indication that when selected plays the sound of the graphical representation in stereo or mono sound and a second visual indication that when selected plays the sound of the graphical representation in binaural sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Inventor: Philip Scott Lyren
  • Patent number: 10848879
    Abstract: The invention proposes a method for improving the spatial hearing perception of a binaural hearing aid, said binaural hearing aid comprising a first local unit and a second local unit, wherein in the first local unit, a first input signal is generated from an environment sound by a first input transducer, and a first reference signal is derived from the first input signal, wherein in the second local unit, a second input signal is generated from the environment sound by a second input transducer, and a second reference signal is derived from the second input signal, wherein from the first reference signal and the second reference signal, a first binaural beamformer signal is derived, wherein from the first reference signal and the first binaural beamformer signal, a first coherence parameter is derived, wherein from the first coherence parameter, a first mixing parameter is derived, and wherein the first reference signal and the first binaural beamformer signal are mixed by means of the first mixing parameter
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hala As'Ad, Martin Bouchard, Homayoun Kamkar-Parsi
  • Patent number: 10839432
    Abstract: A method for automating interactions with enterprises includes: receiving, through a user interface, a natural language request from a customer; determining a customer intent from the natural language request; conducting an automated interaction by: determining, by a personal bot controller circuit, an enterprise to service the customer intent; loading an enterprise library for interacting with an application programming interface (API) of the enterprise, the enterprise library including one or more library functions; identifying a library function for servicing the customer intent from among the one or more library functions; generating a request based on the identified library function and the customer intent; transmitting the generated request to the enterprise to initiate an interaction; receiving a response from the enterprise; and notifying the customer of a result of the interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Inventors: Yochai Konig, Ron Harlev, Javier Villalobos, James Hvezda, Archana Sekar
  • Patent number: 10834262
    Abstract: Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for enhancing a customer service process. Aspects include receiving customer data associated with a customer and creating a customer profile based on the customer data. Aspects also include obtaining customer service representative data comprising a customer service profile for each of a plurality of customer service representatives and determining a matching subset of the plurality of customer service representatives for the customer based upon the customer profile and the customer service representative data. Next, aspects include displaying, to the customer, the matching subset of the plurality of customer services representatives for the customer. Aspects also include selecting a first customer service representative from the matching subset of the plurality of customer service representatives for the customer based on a customer input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Vijai Kalathur, Rajaram B. Krishnamurthy, Robert J. C. Paquin, Philip A. Siconolfi, Moses J. Vaughan
  • Patent number: 10832695
    Abstract: Audio receive beamforming is performed by a computing system. A set of audio signals are obtained via a microphone array and a set of inertial signals are obtained via a set of inertial sensors of a mobile device. A location of a targeted object to beamform is identified within a camera feed captured via a set of one or more cameras imagining an environment of the mobile device. A parameter of a beamforming function is determined that defines a beamforming region containing the targeted object based on the set of inertial signals and the location of the targeted object. The beamforming function is applied to the set of audio signals using the parameter to obtain a set of processed audio signals that increases a signal-to-noise ratio of an audio source within the beamforming region relative to the set of audio signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Eugene Mouncer, Syavosh Zadissa
  • Patent number: 10834259
    Abstract: Techniques for benchmarking performance in a contact center system are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for benchmarking contact center system performance comprising cycling, by at least one computer processor configured to perform contact center operations, between a first contact-agent pairing strategy and a second contact-agent pairing strategy for pairing contacts with agents in the contact center system; determining an agent-utilization bias in the first contact-agent pairing strategy comprising a difference between a first agent utilization of the first contact-agent pairing strategy and a balanced agent utilization; and determining a relative performance of the second contact-agent pairing strategy compared to the first contact-agent pairing strategy based on the agent-utilization bias in the first contact-agent pairing strategy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Afiniti Europe Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Zia Chishti
  • Patent number: 10834264
    Abstract: Systems and methods balance loads of traffic directed to various response entities. Systems and methods alternatively or complementarily generate simulated loads of traffic for handling by various response entities or load balancing algorithms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventors: Lambros Petropoulos, Bipin Chadha, Michael P. Gout
  • Patent number: 10827286
    Abstract: A hearing device includes: a sound analyser configure to receive a sound signal and determine a contribution of at least one sound source associated with the sound signal; a difference estimator coupled to the sound analyser, and configured to estimate spatial cue information of the at least one sound source for storage in the hearing device; and a communication device configured to receive from a second hearing device information related to the at least one sound source; wherein the difference estimator is configured to update the stored spatial cue information of the at least one sound source based on the information received by the communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: GN Hearing A/S
    Inventor: Antonie Johannes Hendrikse
  • Patent number: 10827243
    Abstract: A method of fabricating an information handling system chassis may comprise operably connecting an A-cover housing a digital display to a chassis base, via a hinge, forming an opening into a space between the A-cover and the digital display, inserting a first interchangeable vibration actuator housing a first vibration actuator, selected from a plurality of different types of vibration actuators into the opening of the A-cover, such that a first surface of the first vibration actuator housing lies substantially coplanar with the rear surface of the A-cover, and a second surface of the first vibration actuator housing is situated adjacent the rear surface of the digital display. The method may also include transmitting code instructions to the first vibration actuator, and transducing the code instructions, via the first vibration actuator, to cause a first corresponding movement of at least a portion of the digital display to produce a vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Stefan Peana, Maxwell S. Andrews
  • Patent number: 10820131
    Abstract: A method and system for creating binaural immersive audio for an audiovisual content. The method includes steps of receiving the video and the audio; selecting at least one frame of the video; analyzing the selected frame of the video to identify audio contributing object within the frame; analyzing at least one portion of the audio; associating the analyzed audio with the corresponding identified audio contributing object within the frame; using the association to generate the binaural audio for the audiovisual content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Turku University of Applied Sciences LTD
    Inventors: David Oliva Elorza, Pertti Ranttila
  • Patent number: 10809973
    Abstract: An example embodiment may involve determining that a client device (such as a smartphone, tablet, or in-automobile audio device) is in an automobile and that the client device has access to a playlist of audio content. Possibly based on the client device being in the automobile and having access to the playlist of audio content, the client device may request a stream of the audio content. As a consequence of making the request, the client device may receive the stream of the audio content and begin audible playout of the audio content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Gracenote Digital Ventures, LLC
    Inventor: Venkatarama Anilkumar Panguluri
  • Patent number: 10812919
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for a hearing prosthesis, and more particularly to a hearing prosthesis with a rigidly coupled vibrating transducer. In embodiments, the mechanical stimulating hearing prosthesis comprises, for example, at least one sound input device configured to sense a sound signal, and a transducer configured to generate a vibration based on the sound, wherein the sound input device is rigidly coupled to the transducer. Systems and methods are also described for reducing a well-defined mechanical feedback generated by a transducer in a hearing prosthesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Martin Hillbratt, Marcus Andersson, Kristian Asnes