Patents Examined by William J. Deane, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10462298
    Abstract: Techniques for managing electronic user profiles are presented herein. An example method includes accessing, from a data structure, a user profile. The user profile can include a profile identifier and a plurality of data fields. The method also includes displaying, on a display device, an interactive user interface. The user interface can include a plurality of user interface action elements. Each of the user interface action elements can be associated with a data field in the data structure. Each of the user interface action elements can also be individually selectable by a respective user action to transmit the associated data field to a remote device. In response to receiving a selection of a user interface action element, the method can further include transmitting the associated data field and the profile identifier to a router configured to send, based on the profile identifier, the associated data field to the remote device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventors: Nikhil Firke, Michael Chan, Ralph Forsythe, Brian Peter Dickson, Todd Ryan Palmer
  • Patent number: 10462301
    Abstract: Techniques for call intent notification for establishing a call are described. According to one or more implementations, a user of a first user terminal attempts to establish a call with a second user terminal. Based on determining that the second user terminal and/or a user of the second user terminal is not available to answer the call, a call intent notification is sent to the second user terminal. According to one or more implementations, the call intent notification includes a number that enables the second user terminal to establish a call with the first user terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventor: Tanel Erm
  • Patent number: 10462302
    Abstract: In a method for executing the forwarding (or other type of routing) of the object of a communication activity (such as a telephone call, SMS, or e-mail), which is sent from a sender (50) to a first data and/or telephone connection (10, 12, 14) on to a second data and/or telephone connection (20, 22, 24), for the second data and/or telephone connection (20, 22, 24), a first person, in particular from the first data and/or telephone connection (10, 12, 14), defines the second data and/or telephone connection (20, 22, 24), a corresponding notification is sent (in particular to the second data and/or telephone connection (20, 22, 24) or otherwise to the related person U2) and then the user U2 is supposed to give an authorization, wherein the valid definition for executing the forwarding/routing is validly defined at the earliest after a first predetermined time period expires and at the latest after a second predetermined time period tmax expires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Unify Patente GmbH & Co. LG
    Inventor: Thomas Lederer
  • Patent number: 10455191
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for managing conference calling using a URL assigned to a conference call organizer. One method includes receiving, from a conference call organizer, a request to be placed into a conference call associated with a URL assigned to the organizer; and receiving, from a prospective conference call participant, a request to be placed into the conference call associated with the URL. Another method includes receiving, from a first user, through a web page of a URL assigned to the first user, a first phone number at which the first user can be called; receiving, from a second user, through the web page of the URL, a second phone number at which the second user can be called; and initiating phone calls to the first user at the first number and the second user at the second number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: LogMeIn, Inc.
    Inventors: John Lawrence Bracken, Daniel Boice
  • Patent number: 10445744
    Abstract: A user of a personal computing device may identify an item of interest displayed in a user interface provided by a network-based service and would like to obtain more information. The user may submit one or more electronic contact requests to a contact service in communication with a contact distribution system in order to obtain more information. The contact distribution system determines accurate, real-time availability of service agents and enables communications between the customer and an agent to be established in accordance with user contact information provided by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy A. Dashe, Jon R. Jay, Donald L. Kaufman, Yung-Chun Lin, Joseph D. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 10447855
    Abstract: A call-management method and system for distributing calls to agents, wherein each agent has a profile, e.g., defining agent skills, efficiency, etc. The call center management system implements an algorithm for selecting an agent to receive a call to optimize caller utility, call center efficiency, and agent training. Therefore, the algorithm does not seek to necessarily route a call to the agent having the skill set most suited to the call; rather, the call may be routed to an agent who needs experience in the area of the call, and thus serves as a training exercise. Skilled agents may be made available to shadow the training agent when available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Inventor: Steven M. Hoffberg
  • Patent number: 10440180
    Abstract: Techniques are described for generating metric(s) that predict survey score(s) for a service session. Model(s) may be trained, through supervised or unsupervised machine learning, using training data from previous service sessions between service representative(s) and individual(s). Training data may include, for previous service session(s), a session record (e.g., audio record) of the session and a set of survey scores provided by the serviced individual to rate the session on one or more criteria (e.g., survey questions). The model(s) may be trained to output, based on an input session record, metric(s) that each correspond to a survey score that would have been provided by the individual had they completed the survey. The model may be a concatenated model that is a combination of a language model output from a language classifier recurrent neural network, and an acoustic model output from an acoustic feature layer convolutional neural network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventors: Vijay Jayapalan, Gregory Yarbrough, Bipin Chadha, John McChesney TenEyck, Jr., Eric J. Smith
  • Patent number: 10439578
    Abstract: A cloud-based equalizer system for a plurality of smart speakers. Each speaker has a wireless range extender connecting to a wireless access point to directly send and receive data, including audio packet transmissions, to and from the cloud. Equalizer settings associated with the audio packet transmissions are retrieved from a cloud-based search and are communicated to and implemented by at least one of the speakers in the plurality of smart speakers. A wireless communication protocol prioritizes audio packet transmissions over other data that may be transmitted to and from each speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventor: Srinath Arunachalam
  • Patent number: 10432790
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automated telephone host system interaction. A system can include one or more client applications executable by respective communication devices and a server in communication with the respective communication devices. The system can store user information for a user and receive, from the user, requests associated with a service provider. Responsive to the requests, the system can cause initiation of a call center call to a call center associated with the service provider, automatically navigate a call handling system of the call center, monitor a held call center call, and detect when a live agent answers the call. Responsive to detecting the live agent, the system can initiate a call to the user device and bridge the calls such that the user can speak to the live agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: REPNOW INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Boone, Stanfell Boone, Fredrick Korfin
  • Patent number: 10432793
    Abstract: A computing apparatus uses an interactive user assessment test to identify and/or assess the need and skills of the user as part of an enrollment process for the user to register for the services of the system that provides real time communications connections between users and advisers. The advisers provide coaching services over real time communications connections provided via the system. A recommendation engine is configured to use the assessment results to recommend advisers for the user based on the need and skills of the user, as well as the real time availability of the advisers to provide the coaching services.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: INGENIO, LLC.
    Inventor: Neeraj Jandwani
  • Patent number: 10432787
    Abstract: A telecommunication system is configurable so that there can be flexible control of a switching command issued by an application to a platform where the switching command is executable in (a) a first execution mode in which the switching command is executed simultaneous with switching and verified or (b) a second execution mode in which the switching command is executed immediately and without verification. The application can be run to cause the switching command to be sent to the platform and the platform can execute the switching command received from the application. At least one of testing on a case-by-case basis and deciding which execution mode should be utilized for execution of the switching command can also occur before the sending of the switching command and/or before the executing of the switching command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Claus Rist
  • Patent number: 10418959
    Abstract: A noise suppression apparatus disclosed is capable of suppressing pulse noise in an input signal even in a situation in which the level of the input signal changes. The pulse noise mixed in the input signal is suppressed, and linear prediction coefficients for the input signal is derived by linear prediction analysis. A prediction residual signal is then calculated from the input signal using the linear prediction coefficient. A threshold value is calculated based on the signal level of the input signal and the signal level of the prediction residual signal is compared with the threshold value. A limit control is performed on the prediction residual signal depending on a result of the comparison, and an output signal is generated based on the prediction residual signal having been subjected to the limit control using the linear prediction coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventor: Shinichi Yuzuriha
  • Patent number: 10419612
    Abstract: A method, system, and a computer program product are provided for monitoring an emotional state of a conversation by monitoring a communication between first and second persons to determine an emotional state of the communication, providing a visual representation of the emotional state of the communication for display to a person having access to the communication, and performing an intervention action to improve the emotional state of the communication in response to detecting the emotional state of the communication meets one or more specified intervention criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas G. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 10404860
    Abstract: Systems and methods of managing customer journeys are implemented using one or more processors in a computing system. Each journey may comprise a succession of interactions at interaction points such as telephone conversations, responses to an interactive voice response “IVR” system and viewing a web page. Customer journey scores are determined for customers at one or more interaction points along the customer journey and the customer journey score is used to determine whether and when an intervention should take place. Models for determining customer journey scores may be created for a set of customers based on one or both of subjective and objective data relating to a subset of the set of customers that have made some or part of the journey, e.g. customers that have responded to polls. An intervention may take place during the journey or after completion of the journey.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Nice Ltd.
    Inventors: Natalia Beatriz Piaggio, Leonard Michael Newnham
  • Patent number: 10397285
    Abstract: When a parameter included in a session start request indicates that a session-start-request-transmitting terminal device has reserved a resource, a parameter value rewrite unit rewrites the value of the parameter into a value indicating the resource unreserved. A session start request transmission control unit controls a communication unit to cause a session start request after the value of the parameter is rewritten to be transmitted to a session-start-request-receiving network. When the parameter value rewrite unit has not rewritten the value of the parameter, the received session start request is transmitted. When receiving a response indicating that a resource is reserved in a session-start-request-receiving terminal device, a calling-in-progress notification transmission control unit controls the communication unit so that calling-in-progress notification is transmitted to the session-start-request-transmitting terminal device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koichi Sarashiya
  • Patent number: 10382628
    Abstract: A work routing system of an enterprise is disclosed for allocating resources for routing a work request in an enterprise. The work routing system includes a resource monitoring module configured to determine resource-occupancy of a plurality of resources available in the enterprise, wherein the plurality of resources are grouped into one or more groups based on a predefined strategy. The work routing system further includes a group monitoring module configured to determine group-occupancy of the one or more groups based on at least one predefined criteria, wherein the group-occupancy is determined for a predefined time period. The work routing system further includes an assignment module configured to assign the work request to one of the one or more groups based on the group-occupancy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Neil O'Connor, Robert C. Steiner, Tony McCormack, John McGreevy
  • Patent number: 10375242
    Abstract: A system and method for user notification regarding detected events is provided. A plurality of messages are accessed from one or more sources. Those of the messages associated with one or more potential events are identified. The potential events are detected based on the messages. At least one of the potential events is identified as an event based on a number of messages associated with that potential event. Metadata regarding the event is extracted by from the messages associated with the event. Information regarding the event is obtained from a third party different from the one or more sources of the monitored messages. A message regarding the event is generated, the generated message comprising the extracted metadata and the information. At least one user associated with the event is identified, wherein the at least one user is notified of the event using the generated message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Intellisist, Inc.
    Inventors: David Milstein, Gilad Odinak, Howard M. Lee
  • Patent number: 10366786
    Abstract: Electronic records are formatted according to recipient addresses. When an electronic database record is received by a server or other device, the electronic database record has any formatting, herein termed a legacy format. The electronic database record is destined for delivery to device identified by a recipient address. The recipient address is associated with a software agent that reformats the legacy format into a different format. The electronic database record is thus reformatted according to software agent associated with the recipient address. A reformatted database record is thus sent to the recipient address, and the reformatted database record has the different format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: David L. Wellons, Diane Brown Turcan
  • Patent number: 10348904
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for routing a communication in a contact center. Specifically, a treatment is selected for a communication from a plurality of treatments. Here, each treatment includes a plurality of agents to handle communications placed in the treatment and a set of queues in which each queue includes a value range. A determination is made as to whether the communication is using a chaining or non-chaining channel. If the communication is using a chaining channel, then a target agent designated to handle communications placed in the treatment using the chaining channel and corresponding queue are identified based on a value of the communication. If the communication is using a non-chaining channel, then a queue is selected from the set of queues for the treatment based on the value of the communication falling within the value range for the queue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Noble Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Michael L. Howard
  • Patent number: 10333997
    Abstract: A subscriber to a universal point of contact service designates a preferred point of contact at which a communication initiator, such as a telephone caller, can contact the subscriber. Such an initiator desiring to contact the subscriber uses the subscriber's email address to establish a communication session with a device associated with the subscriber's preferred point of contact. The subscriber's email address is input to an initiating device, preferably a telephone or facsimile machine, using an entry device capable of entering an email address. A requestor unit, receiving the email address, locates a repository of the subscriber's point of contact information, and requests that information. The repository sends the point of contact information the subscriber has designated as preferred, and the requestor unit uses that information to control a telephone switch to establish a communication session between the initiating device and the subscriber's preferred point of contact device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Ayman LLC
    Inventors: Ayman Hariri, Scott Birnbaum