Patents by Inventor Benedict Davies

Benedict Davies 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: 20240127792
    Abstract: An audio playback system that provides intuitive audio playback of textual content responsive to user input actions, such as scrolling portions of textual content on a display. Playback of audio (e.g., text-to-speech audio) that includes textual content can begin based on a portion of textual content being positioned by a user input at a certain position on a device display. As one example, a user can simply scroll through a webpage or other content item to cause a text-to-speech system to perform audio playback of textual content displayed in one or more playback section(s) of the device's viewport (e.g., rather than requiring the user to perform additional tapping or gesturing to specifically select a certain portion of textual content).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: Rachel Ilan Simpson, Benedict Davies, Guillaume Boniface-Chang
  • Patent number: 11887581
    Abstract: An audio playback system that provides intuitive audio playback of textual content responsive to user input actions, such as scrolling portions of textual content on a display. Playback of audio (e.g., text-to-speech audio) that includes textual content can begin based on a portion of textual content being positioned by a user input at a certain position on a device display. As one example, a user can simply scroll through a webpage or other content item to cause a text-to-speech system to perform audio playback of textual content displayed in one or more playback section(s) of the device's viewport (e.g., rather than requiring the user to perform additional tapping or gesturing to specifically select a certain portion of textual content).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Rachel Ilan Simpson, Benedict Davies, Guillaume Boniface-Chang
  • Publication number: 20230094174
    Abstract: An audio playback system that provides intuitive audio playback of textual content responsive to user input actions, such as scrolling portions of textual content on a display. Playback of audio (e.g., text-to-speech audio) that includes textual content can begin based on a portion of textual content being positioned by a user input at a certain position on a device display. As one example, a user can simply scroll through a webpage or other content item to cause a text-to-speech system to perform audio playback of textual content displayed in one or more playback section(s) of the device's viewport (e.g., rather than requiring the user to perform additional tapping or gesturing to specifically select a certain portion of textual content).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Rachel Ilan Simpson, Benedict Davies, Guillaume Boniface-Chang
  • Publication number: 20220013104
    Abstract: A computing system and related techniques for selecting content to be automatically converted to speech and provided as an audio signal are provided. A text-to-speech request associated with a first document can be received that includes data associated with a playback position of a selector associated with a text-to-speech interface overlaid on the first document. First content associated with the first document can be determined based at least in part on the playback position, the first content including content that is displayed in the user interface at the playback position. The first document can be analyzed to identify one or more structural features associated with the first content. Speech data can be generated based on the first content and the one or more structural features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Benedict Davies, Guillaume Boniface-Chang, Jack Whyte, Jakub Adamek, Simon Tokumine, Alessio Macri, Matthias Quasthoff
  • Patent number: 11145288
    Abstract: A computing system and related techniques for selecting content to be automatically converted to speech and provided as an audio signal are provided. A text-to-speech request associated with a first document can be received that includes data associated with a playback position of a selector associated with a text-to-speech interface overlaid on the first document. First content associated with the first document can be determined based at least in part on the playback position, the first content including content that is displayed in the user interface at the playback position. The first document can be analyzed to identify one or more structural features associated with the first content. Speech data can be generated based on the first content and the one or more structural features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Benedict Davies, Guillaume Boniface, Jack Whyte, Jakub Adamek, Simon Tokumine, Alessio Macri, Matthias Quasthoff
  • Publication number: 20200035218
    Abstract: A computing system and related techniques for selecting content to be automatically converted to speech and provided as an audio signal are provided. A text-to-speech request associated with a first document can be received that includes data associated with a playback position of a selector associated with a text-to-speech interface overlaid on the first document. First content associated with the first document can be determined based at least in part on the playback position, the first content including content that is displayed in the user interface at the playback position. The first document can be analyzed to identify one or more structural features associated with the first content. Speech data can be generated based on the first content and the one or more structural features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Benedict Davies, Guillaume Boniface, Jack Whyte, Jakub Adamek, Simon Tokumine, Alessio Macri, Matthias Quasthoff
  • Patent number: 9619123
    Abstract: Systems, methods and devices described herein enable acquiring, selecting and sharing content elements, extracted from media content playing on a first device, using one or more second devices. For example, while a video stream is playing on a first client device, a second client device acquires and sends content information derived from the video stream to a server system. The server system identifies the video stream, generates a set of instructions and extracts content elements associated with the media content. The content elements may include, without limitation, individually selectable portions of text, images, suggested ratings, video clips, audio clips, etc. In some implementations, the set of instructions includes instructions to display the one or more content items using non-intersecting overlay regions that enable each respective content element to be individually selectable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Hughes, Benedict Davies
  • Patent number: 8588378
    Abstract: A computer-implemented voice mail method includes obtaining an electronic audio file of a recorded user message directed to a telephone user, automatically generating a transcript of the recorded user message, and identifying locations in the transcript in coordination with timestamps in the recorded user message so that successive portions of the transcript can be highlighted in coordination with playing of the recorded user message. The method also include identifying one or characteristics of the message using meta data relating to the recorded user message, and storing the recorded user message and information about the identified locations of the recorded user message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Benedict Davies, Christian Brunschen
  • Patent number: 8300776
    Abstract: A computer-implemented voice mail method includes obtaining an electronic audio file of a recorded user message directed to a telephone user, automatically generating a transcript of the recorded user message, and identifying locations in the transcript in coordination with timestamps in the recorded user message so that successive portions of the transcript can be highlighted in coordination with playing of the recorded user message. The method also include identifying one or characteristics of the message using meta data relating to the recorded user message, and storing the recorded user message and information about the identified locations of the recorded user message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Benedict Davies, Christian Brunschen
  • Publication number: 20120020465
    Abstract: A computer-implemented voice mail method includes obtaining an electronic audio file of a recorded user message directed to a telephone user, automatically generating a transcript of the recorded user message, and identifying locations in the transcript in coordination with timestamps in the recorded user message so that successive portions of the transcript can be highlighted in coordination with playing of the recorded user message. The method also include identifying one or characteristics of the message using meta data relating to the recorded user message, and storing the recorded user message and information about the identified locations of the recorded user message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Inventors: Benedict Davies, Christian Brunschen
  • Publication number: 20110246944
    Abstract: A text processing module can allow a user to compose text prior to selecting another application with which to use or communicate the text. A device can include the text processing module, which receives text input from a user via text input means. The device can display the text in a user interface, along with one or more icons associated with software applications with which the text can be used or communicated. After the user has entered text, the user can activate a displayed icon to select the applications. The text processing module receives the selection and interacts with the selected application to display the text in the selected application and/or communicate the text to another person using the selected application. The text processing module can interact with user contacts to identify possible recipients for the text based on information in the text.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Byrne, Brett Rolston Lider, Nicholas Jitkoff, Alexander H. Gruenstein, Benedict Davies
  • Publication number: 20110013756
    Abstract: A computer-implemented voice mail method includes obtaining an electronic audio file of a recorded user message directed to a telephone user, automatically generating a transcript of the recorded user message, and identifying locations in the transcript in coordination with timestamps in the recorded user message so that successive portions of the transcript can be highlighted in coordination with playing of the recorded user message. The method also include identifying one or characteristics of the message using meta data relating to the recorded user message, and storing the recorded user message and information about the identified locations of the recorded user message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventors: Benedict Davies, Christian Brunschen