Patents by Inventor Alexander Collins

Alexander Collins 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).

  • Publication number: 20200211248
    Abstract: Described is a system, method, and computer program product that substantially advances the art of animating Lip Sync in 3D computer animated characters by automatically producing data from a Phoneme Transcription of a dialog audio file, which data results in Lip Sync animation that is more realistic, smooth, and aesthetically pleasing than that produced by current Phoneme-Target Lip Sync systems. This Invention works by converting a Phoneme Transcription of a recorded dialog audio file into KeyFrame Data which dynamically controls 16 independent animation Parameters, each associated with a different part of the animated character's mouth, then algorithmically modifying that data such that it conforms to the previously unknown complex, subtle and context-specific relationships between audible phonemes and visible mouth movements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicant: ESPIRITU TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventor: Alexander Collin Baker
  • Patent number: 10659418
    Abstract: First notification data is sent to a first client service and second notification data to a second client service. The first notification data and the second notification data notify a user of a message about an activity that is of interest to the user. A read notification is received indicating that the first notification data sent to the first client service has been interacted with by the user. The second notification data sent to the second client service is determined not to have been interacted with by the user. Responsive to determining that the second notification data sent to the second client service has not been interacted with by the user, a modify instruction is sent to the second client device that hosts the second client service. The modify instruction to cause a modification of the second notification data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Collins, Brandon Bilinski
  • Patent number: 10580039
    Abstract: Systems and methods for entity-based searching with content selection include receiving a search query and determining that the search query corresponds to a search entity. The search entity may be associated with an online action, thereby forming an entity-action pair. Auction parameters that specify the entity-action pair may be used to select third-party content. A visual layout for the third-party content may be generated based on the relationship between a search query and the entity-action pair and used as part of the presentation of the third-party content on a search result screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Collins, Ian James Leader, Yunkai Zhou
  • Publication number: 20200012400
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for providing media guidance are provided. In some implementations, a method for providing media guidance is provided, the method comprising: receiving device data from a mobile device associated with a display device; identifying a media content item being presented on the display device; determining a first indication that the mobile device has been interacted with during the presentation of the media content item; storing a first timestamp corresponding to the first indication; determining a second indication that the interaction with the mobile device has ceased; storing a second timestamp corresponding to the second indication; receiving an indication that the media content item is to be played back; determining, using a hardware processor, a first playback position in the media content item based on the first timestamp; and causing the media content item to be presented from the determined first playback position in response to receiving the indication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventors: Brandon Bilinski, Alexander Collins
  • Patent number: 10416853
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for providing media guidance are provided. In some implementations, a method for providing media guidance is provided, the method comprising: receiving device data from a mobile device associated with a display device; identifying a media content item being presented on the display device; determining a first indication that the mobile device has been interacted with during the presentation of the media content item; storing a first timestamp corresponding to the first indication; determining a second indication that the interaction with the mobile device has ceased; storing a second timestamp corresponding to the second indication; receiving an indication that the media content item is to be played back; determining, using a hardware processor, a first playback position in the media content item based on the first timestamp; and causing the media content item to be presented from the determined first playback position in response to receiving the indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Brandon Bilinski, Alexander Collins
  • Patent number: 10346519
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium for providing content to a user. A method includes: identifying a first resource, the first resource including one or more links to second, other resources and at least one slot for filling with third party content, wherein first selection criteria are associated with a first slot of the at least one slots; determining for at least one of the second other resources entities associated therewith, including evaluating a page associated with the second other resource to identify entities that are associated with content presented on the page; using the determined entities to either augment or filter the first selection criteria producing enhanced selection criteria; and determining one or more content items for presentation to a user in the first slot, wherein determining includes using the enhanced selection criteria to identify the one or more content items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventor: Alexander Collins
  • Patent number: 10270728
    Abstract: A system and method identify first notification data and second notification that notify a user of a message about an activity that is of interest to the user. The system and method send the first notification data to a first client service and the second notification data to a second client service. The system and method receive a read notification indicating that the first notification data sent to the first client service has been interacted with by the user. The system and method update a first read status associated with the first notification data and a second read status associated with the second notification data. The system and method send a modify instruction to the second client service that instructs the second client service to modify the second notification data that has not been interacted to reflect that the first notification data has been interacted with by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Collins, Brandon Bilinski
  • Publication number: 20180225375
    Abstract: Routing packetized actions in a voice activated data packet based computer network environment is provided. A system can receive audio signals detected by a microphone of a device. The system can parse the audio signal to identify trigger keyword and request, and generate an action data structure. The action data structure can include digital components and entity-action pairs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Collins, Ian James Leader, Yunkai Zhou, Gaurav Bhaya, Robert Stets
  • Patent number: 10007703
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a feed upload for search entity based content selection include receiving a feed. The feed has feed items that include identification data, a feed item type, and an online action. The identification data and item type are used to identify a unique search entity that corresponds to a named entity in the physical world. An entity-action pair is generated based on the identified search entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Collins, Ian James Leader, Yunkai Zhou
  • Patent number: 9953085
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a feed upload for search entity based content selection include receiving a feed. The feed has feed items that include identification data, a feed item type, and an online action. The identification data and item type are used to identify a unique search entity that corresponds to a named entity in the physical world. An entity-action pair is generated based on the identified search entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Collins, Ian James Leader, Yunkai Zhou
  • Patent number: 9948592
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing notifications are provided. One of the methods includes sending notification data to a first client service and a second client service for a message. The method further includes receiving an indication that the notification data has been interacted with using the first or second client service. The method includes updating a read status of the notification data when the indication is received, such that the notification data at the first and second client services has a same status indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Collins, Brandon Bilinski
  • Publication number: 20180075141
    Abstract: Implementations of the disclosed subject matter provide techniques for recommending a song to a user based on the user's application usage information. A method may include receiving an indication of playback of a first song, by a first user, in a media application operating on a first device. It may be determined that a first content item is active on the first device during playback of the first song. An association may be stored of the first content item with the first song. Next, an indication may be received that the first content item is active on the first device. As a result, a second song associated with the first content item, based on the association of the first content item with the first song, may be recommended to the first user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Brandon Bilinski, Alexander Collins
  • Patent number: 9805102
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for selecting content items based on presentation context are presented. In one aspect, a method includes for each of a plurality of content item slots of a resource: obtaining first performance data based on a performance of content items that were presented in a navigational context in the content item slot; obtaining second performance data based on a performance of content items that were presented in a non-navigational context in the content item slot; determining, from the first and second performance data, a navigational performance adjustment factor for the content item slot, the navigational performance adjustment factor indicating, for the content item slot, a performance of content items presented in the navigational context relative to a performance of content items presented in the non-navigational context.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Collins, Gary Sivek
  • Publication number: 20170277376
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for providing media guidance are provided. In some implementations, a method for providing media guidance is provided, the method comprising: receiving device data from a mobile device associated with a display device; identifying a media content item being presented on the display device; determining a first indication that the mobile device has been interacted with during the presentation of the media content item; storing a first timestamp corresponding to the first indication; determining a second indication that the interaction with the mobile device has ceased; storing a second timestamp corresponding to the second indication; receiving an indication that the media content item is to be played back; determining, using a hardware processor, a first playback position in the media content item based on the first timestamp; and causing the media content item to be presented from the determined first playback position in response to receiving the indication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Brandon Bilinski, Alexander Collins
  • Patent number: 9773057
    Abstract: Implementations of the disclosed subject matter provide techniques for recommending a song to a user based on the user's application usage information. A method may include receiving an indication of playback of a first song, by a first user, in a media application operating on a first device. It may be determined that a first content item is active on the first device during playback of the first song. An association may be stored of the first content item with the first song. Next, an indication may be received that the first content item is active on the first device. As a result, a second song associated with the first content item, based on the association of the first content item with the first song, may be recommended to the first user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon Bilinski, Alexander Collins
  • Patent number: 9690455
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for providing media guidance are provided. In some implementations, a method for providing media guidance is provided, the method comprising: receiving device data from a mobile device associated with a display device; identifying a media content item being presented on the display device; determining a first indication that the mobile device has been interacted with during the presentation of the media content item; storing a first timestamp corresponding to the first indication; determining a second indication that the interaction with the mobile device has ceased; storing a second timestamp corresponding to the second indication; receiving an indication that the media content item is to be played back; determining, using a hardware processor, a first playback position in the media content item based on the first timestamp; and causing the media content item to be presented from the determined first playback position in response to receiving the indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon Bilinski, Alexander Collins
  • Patent number: 9560001
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing notifications are provided. One of the methods includes sending notification data to a first client service and a second client service for a message. The method further includes receiving an indication that the notification data has been interacted with using the first or second client service. The method includes updating a read status of the notification data when the indication is received, such that the notification data at the first and second client services has a same status indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Collins, Brandon Bilinski
  • Patent number: 9536259
    Abstract: Systems and methods for entity-based searching with content selection include receiving a search query and determining that the search query corresponds to a search entity. The search entity may be associated with an online action, thereby forming an entity-action pair. Auction parameters that specify the entity-action pair may be used to select third-party content. A visual layout for the third-party content may be generated based on the relationship between a search query and the entity-action pair and used as part of the presentation of the third-party content on a search result screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Collins, Ian James Leader, Yunkai Zhou
  • Patent number: 9438941
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for using second screen devices to augment media engagement metrics. In one aspect, a method includes accessing user activity data describing user activities performed by a user on a first user device during a first time period, and accessing data describing presentation of one or more content items during the first time period on second user devices. For the first user device, determining based on the user activity data, for each of a plurality of second time periods that are sub-periods of the first time period, a first level of user engagement with the first user device, and determining, based on the user activity data, for each second time period that is a sub-period of the first time period, a second level of user engagement with the one or more content items presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Collins, Brandon Bilinski
  • Patent number: 9436946
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium for providing content to a user. A method includes: receiving a query; receiving query results based on the query; determining for each of a predetermined number of top results entities associated therewith; using the determined entities to either augment or filter the query producing an enhanced query; and using the enhanced query to identify one or more sponsored content items for presentation to a user along with the query results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Collins, Andrew T. Wansley