Patents by Inventor Andrew Tomkins

Andrew Tomkins 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: 20240146671
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to identifying one or more messages sent by a user-identifying two or more contacts that are associated with one or more of the messages, determining a strength of relationship score between identified contacts, and utilizing the strength of relationship scores to provide additional information related to the contacts. A strength of relationship score between a contact and one or more other contacts may be determined based on one or more properties of one or more of the messages. In some implementations, contacts groups maybe determined based on the strength of relationship scores. In some implementations, contacts groups may be utilized to disambiguate references to contacts in messages. In some implementations, contacts group may be utilized to provide suggestions to the user of additional contacts of a contacts group that includes the indicated recipient contact of a message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2024
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Andrew Tomkins, Shanmugasundaram Ravikumar, Shalini Agarwal, Mylinh Yang, Bo Pang, Mark Yinan Li
  • Publication number: 20240126792
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to associating a task with a user based on the user selecting a task suggestion that is provided to the user in response to a user query. In some implementations, the task may be identified based on similarities between the words and/or phrases of the user query and a task suggestion that is associated with a task. In some implementations, the task may be identified based on user data associated with the user. In some implementations, the task may be associated with additional information related to completing the task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: Andrew Tomkins, Tristan Harris, Can Sar, Angelo DiNardi
  • Patent number: 11941420
    Abstract: Implementations are directed to facilitating user device and/or agent device actions during a communication session. An interactive communications system provides outputs, as outlined below, that are tailored to enhance the functionality of the communication session, reduce the number of dialog “turns” of the communications session and/or the number of user inputs to devices involved in the session, and/or otherwise mitigate consumption of network and/or hardware resources during the communication session. In various implementations, the communication session involves user device(s) of a user, agent device(s) of an agent, and the interactive communications system. The interactive communications system can analyze various communications from the user device(s) and/or agent device(s) during a communication session in which the user (via the user device(s)) directs various communications to the agent, and in which the agent (via the agent device(s)) optionally directs various communications to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Robin Dua, Andrew Tomkins, Sujith Ravi
  • Patent number: 11876760
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to identifying one or more messages sent by a user, identifying two or more contacts that are associated with one or more of the messages, determining a strength of relationship score between identified contacts, and utilizing the strength of relationship scores to provide additional information related to the contacts. A strength of relationship score between a contact and one or more other contacts may be determined based on one or more properties of one or more of the messages. In some implementations, contacts groups may be determined based on the strength of relationship scores. In some implementations, contacts groups may be utilized to disambiguate references to contacts in messages. In some implementations, contacts group may be utilized to provide suggestions to the user of additional contacts of a contacts group that includes the indicated recipient contact of a message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Tomkins, Shanmugasundaram Ravikumar, Shalini Agarwal, MyLinh Yang, Bo Pang, Mark Yinan Li
  • Patent number: 11768864
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to associating a task with a user based on the user selecting a task suggestion that is provided to the user in response to a user query. In some implementations, the task may be identified based on similarities between the words and/or phrases of the user query and a task suggestion that is associated with a task. In some implementations, the task may be identified based on user data associated with the user. In some implementations, the task may be associated with additional information related to completing the task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Tomkins, Tristan Harris, Can Sar, Angelo DiNardi
  • Patent number: 11734311
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to determining additional features for a user task entry of a user based on a user habit of the user. For example, one or more aspects of a user task entry of a user may be compared to one or more aspects of a user habit of the user to determine a correlation measure between the task entry and the user habit. If the correlation measure satisfies a threshold, one or more additional features of the user task entry may be determined based on the user habit. For example, the user habit may include one or more trigger indicators that indicate an actual entry or anticipated entry of the user into the user habit, and one or more of the trigger indicators may be utilized to determine task trigger indicators for the user task entry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Erwin Can Sar, Timothy Youngjin Sohn, Andrew Tomkins
  • Publication number: 20230237074
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for list accumulation and reminder triggering. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, at a data processing apparatus, a first input comprising a plurality of terms; determining, by the data processing apparatus, that one or more of the terms in the first input specify an item that belongs to a reminder category, the reminder category being associated with a collection of items that belong to the category and for which reminders may be generated; and in response to the determination, storing data that associates a reminder type with the item specified by the one or more terms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Fergus Gerard Hurley, Robin Dua, Sangsoo Sung, Andrew Tomkins
  • Publication number: 20230205813
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for training an image embedding model. In one aspect, a method comprises: obtaining training data comprising a plurality of training examples, wherein each training example comprises: an image pair comprising a first image and a second image; and selection data indicating one or more of: (i) a co-click rate of the image pair, and (ii) a similar-image click rate of the image pair; and using the training data to train an image embedding model having a plurality of image embedding model parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Zhen Li, Yi-Ting Chen, Yaxi Gao, Da-Cheng Juan, Aleksei Timofeev, Chun-Ta Lu, Futang Peng, Sujith Ravi, Andrew Tomkins, Thomas J. Duerig
  • Patent number: 11681604
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to determining one or more user habits for a user. A group of one or more past user activity occurrences of a user may be determined based on similarity between the past user activity occurrences of the group. A user habit may be determined based on the past user activity occurrences of the group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Erwin Can Sar, Timothy Youngjin Sohn, Andrew Tomkins
  • Patent number: 11586927
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for training an image embedding model. In one aspect, a method comprises: obtaining training data comprising a plurality of training examples, wherein each training example comprises: an image pair comprising a first image and a second image; and selection data indicating one or more of: (i) a co-click rate of the image pair, and (ii) a similar-image click rate of the image pair; and using the training data to train an image embedding model having a plurality of image embedding model parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Zhen Li, Yi-ting Chen, Yaxi Gao, Da-Cheng Juan, Aleksei Timofeev, Chun-Ta Lu, Futang Peng, Sujith Ravi, Andrew Tomkins, Thomas J. Duerig
  • Patent number: 11562005
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for list accumulation and reminder triggering. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, at a data processing apparatus, a first input comprising a plurality of terms; determining, by the data processing apparatus, that one or more of the terms in the first input specify an item that belongs to a reminder category, the reminder category being associated with a collection of items that belong to the category and for which reminders may be generated; and in response to the determination, storing data that associates a reminder type with the item specified by the one or more terms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Fergus Gerard Hurley, Robin Dua, Sangsoo Sung, Andrew Tomkins
  • Patent number: 11556231
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to determining a ranking of class members of a task component class. A task component class identifier may be identified, the task component class identifier having a plurality of associated class members. One or more task completion indicators having the identified at least one task component class identifier may be determined. Each of the task completion indicators may indicate which of the associated class members was utilized to complete a task. One or more of the associated class members for the task component class identifier may be ranked. The ranking may be based on frequency of occurrence of the given associated class member in the task completion indicators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Erwin Can Sar, Timothy Youngjin Sohn, Andrew Tomkins, Vijay Umapathy
  • Publication number: 20220377037
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to identifying one or more messages sent by a user, identifying two or more contacts that are associated with one or more of the messages, determining a strength of relationship score between identified contacts, and utilizing the strength of relationship scores to provide additional information related to the contacts. A strength of relationship score between a contact and one or more other contacts may be determined based on one or more properties of one or more of the messages. In some implementations, contacts groups may be determined based on the strength of relationship scores. In some implementations, contacts groups may be utilized to disambiguate references to contacts in messages. In some implementations, contacts group may be utilized to provide suggestions to the user of additional contacts of a contacts group that includes the indicated recipient contact of a message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Andrew Tomkins, Shanmugasundaram Ravikumar, Shalini Agarwal, MyLinh Yang, Bo Pang, Mark Yinan Li
  • Publication number: 20220358498
    Abstract: In one embodiment, techniques include receiving, by a computing device associated with a payment service system, a request to create a blockchain-enforced contract corresponding to a new transaction between a merchant and a customer. Techniques include generating, based on analysis using machine-learned models of a transaction history associated with the merchant, a condition of the blockchain-enforced contract requisite for completion of the new transaction. Techniques includes generating the blockchain-enforced contract including the condition. Techniques include providing the blockchain-enforced contract to nodes in a blockchain network. Techniques include creating a blockchain transaction addressed to the blockchain-enforced contract and including information regarding the condition. Techniques include providing the blockchain transaction to the nodes. Techniques include receiving confirmation that the nodes have validated the blockchain transaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Brian John Mullins, Kay Sueru Feker, Steffano Santiago Chavez, Michael Andrew Tomkins, Nicole Antonio Maulino, Ryan Yi-Lin Tai
  • Patent number: 11423398
    Abstract: In one embodiment, techniques include receiving, from a device associated with a merchant, a request to create blockchain-enforced contract corresponding to a new transaction between the merchant and a customer. Techniques include generating a condition of the blockchain-enforced contract requisite for completion of the new transaction. Techniques include receiving a selection of at least one option for determining that the condition is satisfied. Techniques include generating the blockchain-enforced contract and providing the blockchain-enforced contract to one or more nodes in the blockchain network. Techniques include receiving an input comprising information regarding the condition, creating a blockchain transaction addressed to the blockchain-enforced contract and sending the blockchain transaction to nodes in the blockchain network. Techniques include transferring a corresponding to the new transaction from an escrow account to a merchant account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Block, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian John Mullins, Kay Sueru Feker, Steffano Santiago Chavez, Michael Andrew Tomkins, Nicole Antonio Maulino, Ryan Yi-Lin Tai
  • Patent number: 11411894
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to identifying one or more messages sent by a user, identifying two or more contacts that are associated with one or more of the messages, determining a strength of relationship score between identified contacts, and utilizing the strength of relationship scores to provide additional information related to the contacts. A strength of relationship score between a contact and one or more other contacts may be determined based on one or more properties of one or more of the messages. In some implementations, contacts groups may be determined based on the strength of relationship scores. In some implementations, contacts groups may be utilized to disambiguate references to contacts in messages. In some implementations, contacts group may be utilized to provide suggestions to the user of additional contacts of a contacts group that includes the indicated recipient contact of a message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Tomkins, Shanmugasundaram Ravikumar, Shalini Agarwal, MyLinh Yang, Bo Pang, Mark Yinan Li
  • Publication number: 20220188133
    Abstract: Implementations are directed to facilitating user device and/or agent device actions during a communication session. An interactive communications system provides outputs, as outlined below, that are tailored to enhance the functionality of the communication session, reduce the number of dialog “turns” of the communications session and/or the number of user inputs to devices involved in the session, and/or otherwise mitigate consumption of network and/or hardware resources during the communication session. In various implementations, the communication session involves user device(s) of a user, agent device(s) of an agent, and the interactive communications system. The interactive communications system can analyze various communications from the user device(s) and/or agent device(s) during a communication session in which the user (via the user device(s)) directs various communications to the agent, and in which the agent (via the agent device(s)) optionally directs various communications to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Robin Dua, Andrew Tomkins, Sujith Ravi
  • Patent number: 11295359
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving one or more selected options for one or more of multiple contract conditions generated based on transaction information associated with a request to create a blockchain-related invoice and generating instructions for a blockchain-enforced contract based on the transaction information and the one or more selected options. The instructions for the blockchain-enforced contract correspond to a first nested contract including a first contract condition required for a transfer of a value and a second nested contract including a second contract condition required for at least a partial reversal of the transfer of the value. The method also includes, in response to receiving an input regarding the second contract condition, cause the instructions for the blockchain-enforced contract to be executed on a blockchain network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Block, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian John Mullins, Kay Sueru Feker, Steffano Santiago Chavez, Michael Andrew Tomkins, Nicole Antonio Maulino, Ryan Yi-Lin Tai
  • Patent number: 11288705
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, for detour based content selection. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, at a data processing apparatus, location data for a plurality of users, the location data describing, for each user, locations of a user device of the user; determining, from the location data, route data for the plurality of users, the route data describing, for each user, a route traveled by the user; determining, by the data processing apparatus, for at least one or more of the users, a detour from the route traveled by the user to a retail location of the offeror; determining, by the data processing apparatus, for each of the at least one or more of the users, whether the user is eligible for an offer of the offeror based on the detour; and for each user eligible for an offer, enabling the offeror to provide an offer to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Fergus Gerard Hurley, Michael Schwarz, Robin Dua, Sang Soo Sung, Andrew Tomkins
  • Patent number: 11269666
    Abstract: Implementations are directed to facilitating user device and/or agent device actions during a communication session. An interactive communications system provides outputs, as outlined below, that are tailored to enhance the functionality of the communication session, reduce the number of dialog “turns” of the communications session and/or the number of user inputs to devices involved in the session, and/or otherwise mitigate consumption of network and/or hardware resources during the communication session. In various implementations, the communication session involves user device(s) of a user, agent device(s) of an agent, and the interactive communications system. The interactive communications system can analyze various communications from the user device(s) and/or agent device(s) during a communication session in which the user (via the user device(s)) directs various communications to the agent, and in which the agent (via the agent device(s)) optionally directs various communications to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Robin Dua, Andrew Tomkins, Sujith Ravi