Patents by Inventor Benjamin Ralph Hollis

Benjamin Ralph Hollis 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).

  • Patent number: 11960472
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for synchronizing messages. The systems and methods include operations for: identifying a difference between a current state of a messaging application and a shared synchronization database, wherein the shared synchronization database is updated via a third-party application in response to the third-party application receiving, from a server, a notification related to the messaging application, the messaging application and the third-party application being implemented on a client device; retrieving information from the shared synchronization database to update the current state of the messaging application based on the identified difference; and transmitting, to the server by the messaging application, a request for content based on the update to the current state of the messaging application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Jonik, Kent Tam, Bradley Baron, Benjamin Ralph Hollis
  • Patent number: 11956304
    Abstract: Method of dynamically assigning storage locations starts with the processor receiving a signal from a first client device associated with a first user. Processor stores a current location of the first client device in a historical database and determines whether a home location data associated with the first user matches the current location. In response to determining that the home location data associated with the first user does not match the current location, processor determines whether the first user has been associated with the current location at a greater frequency than the home location data based on the historical database. In response to determining that the first user has been associated with the current location at a greater frequency, processor updates the home location data associated with the first user to the current location. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley Baron, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, Samuel Young, John Krzemien
  • Patent number: 11943283
    Abstract: Method of dynamically assigning storage locations starts with the processor updating first user's home location data. Processor selects communication session between first user and second user and determines second user's home location data. Processor determines a session location data that indicates current storage location that stores data of communication session received from first and second client devices. Processor identifies available data storage locations based on first user and second user's home location data and determines whether to update the session location data based on an average of a distance over network fiber using the first user and second user's home locations, current storage location, and available storage locations. In response to determining to update the session location data, processor updates session location data to indicate one of the available storage locations, and causes transfer of data of communication session to one of the available storage locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley Baron, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, John Krzemien, Samuel Young
  • Patent number: 11936611
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for transmitting events. The systems and methods include operations for: receiving data indicating a level of user engagement with a messaging application for a given user; determining that the level of user engagement is below a specified threshold; prioritizing a plurality of events, associated with the messaging application, for transmission to a client device of the given user in response to determining that the level of user engagement is below the specified threshold; and transmitting a first event of the plurality of events to the client device based on prioritizing the plurality of events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Schumacher, Bradley Baron, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, Thiago Hirai
  • Patent number: 11902360
    Abstract: Method of dynamically assigning storage locations starts with the processor updating first user's home location data. Processor selects communication session between first user and second user and determines second user's home location data. Processor determines a session location data that indicates current storage location that stores data of communication session received from first and second client devices. Processor identifies available data storage locations based on first user and second user's home location data and determines whether to update the session location data based on an average of a distance over network fiber using the first user and second user's home locations, current storage location, and available storage locations. In response to determining to update the session location data, processor updates session location data to indicate one of the available storage locations, and causes transfer of data of communication session to one of the available storage locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley Baron, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, John Krzemien, Samuel Young
  • Patent number: 11893420
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for managing dynamically allocated storage and processing units. The systems and methods include operations for determining, a usage pattern having a peak usage portion and a low usage portion; reserving a first collection of units on a dynamic unit allocation system during the peak usage portion; detecting a transition from the peak usage portion to the low usage portion; in response to detecting the transition, instructing the dynamic unit allocation system to reduce the first collection of units to reserve a second collection of units corresponding to a second amount of the low usage portion; selecting asynchronous tasks that consume a set of units greater than the second collection of units; and during a period of time that the dynamic unit allocation system is reducing the first collection of units, causing the asynchronous tasks to be executed by the dynamic allocation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley Baron, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, Peter Cardwell, John Krzemien
  • Patent number: 11895077
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for deleting messages. The systems and methods include operations for: establishing, by a computing device, a communication session between a plurality of users, the communication session being associated with a first feature of a plurality of features of a messaging application; automatically deleting a first set of messages exchanged in the communication session based on a default deletion policy of the first feature; changing the default deletion policy of the first feature to a second deletion policy; and automatically deleting a second set of messages exchanged in the communication session based on the second deletion policy instead of the default deletion policy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley Baron, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, Samuel Young
  • Patent number: 11888803
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for exchanging messages between gateways. The systems and methods include operations for: storing, in a first gateway located in a first geographical region of a plurality of geographical regions, data that associates a plurality of users with the plurality of geographical regions; receiving, by the first gateway, a message directed to a given user of the plurality of users; determining, based on the data, that a second geographical region of the plurality of geographical regions is associated with the given user; and transmitting, by the first gateway, the message to a second gateway located in the second geographical region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley Baron, Peter Cardwell, Benjamin Ralph Hollis
  • Publication number: 20230388370
    Abstract: Method of dynamically assigning storage locations starts with the processor receiving a signal from a first client device associated with a first user. Processor stores a current location of the first client device in a historical database and determines whether a home location data associated with the first user matches the current location. In response to determining that the home location data associated with the first user does not match the current location, processor determines whether the first user has been associated with the current location at a greater frequency than the home location data based on the historical database. In response to determining that the first user has been associated with the current location at a greater frequency, processor updates the home location data associated with the first user to the current location. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Bradley Baron, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, Samuel Young, John Krzemien
  • Publication number: 20230336519
    Abstract: A messaging system for exchanging data over a network, configuring an intermediate connection tier system that provides a multi-tier connections messaging framework. The intermediate connection tier system generates, based on the contact data of a user, an intermediate tier of connected user accounts. Each account in the intermediate tier of connected user accounts is provided with messaging privileges with respect to the account of the user, without being associated with expanded access connection tier links, sometimes referred to as friendship links, between their respective accounts with respect to the account of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Nathan Kenneth Boyd, Benedict Copping, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, Susan Marie Territo, Jeremy Baker Voss, Yu Wang
  • Patent number: 11789972
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for data synchronization for client application generated data. Content may be generated by a client application executed by a creator client device and sent to a server system that may distribute the content to one or more additional client devices of recipients of the content. The server system can push content to the recipient client devices without receiving a request for the content from the recipient client devices. The content generated by the creator client device may be stored by each of the creator client device, by the server system, and by the one or more recipient client devices. The server system may also generate version data related to respective versions of content that may be consumed by a client application. The version data may be used by client devices to determine versions of content that may be missing from the client devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: David Andrew Killian, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, Bradley Baron
  • Publication number: 20230308411
    Abstract: In some examples, a method includes maintaining first electronic contact data for a plurality of users of an interaction system, and relationship data relating to relationships between the plurality of users. The method also includes, using the first electronic contact data and the relationship data, automatically generating composite electronic contact data. The composite electronic contact data includes a first electronic contact record for a first user with which a specific user has a relationship as reflected in the relationship data, and a second electronic contact record for a second user with which the specific user has no relationship as reflected in the relationship data. The composite electronic contact data is presented within the interaction system in a manner that visually distinguishes between the first electronic contact record and the second electronic contact record. The specific user is enabled to initiate an electronic interaction with the second user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Yuanchen Bai, Nathan Kenneth Boyd, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, Vinay Kola, Qi Li, Ketan Sethi, Wade Spires, Susan Marie Territo, Jeremy Baker Voss, Yu Wang, Aleksandr Zhang
  • Publication number: 20230300176
    Abstract: A web calling client that enhances video conferencing is described. The web calling client is provided by a messaging system that facilitates exchanging data over a network. The web calling client is launched in a web browser of a user device to display a user interface that includes an output of a digital image sensor of a camera. The web calling client is configured to provide augmented reality experiences provided by the messaging system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Nathan Kenneth Boyd, Laurent Desserrey, Alex Edelsburg, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, David Paliwoda, Jerymy Baker Voss
  • Patent number: 11765117
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for storing data based on device location. The systems and methods include operations for: determining, by a messaging application server, a geographical location associated with a client device; identifying, by the messaging application server, a plurality of storage devices located in different geographical regions; computing, by the messaging application server, a plurality of distances between the geographical location associated the client device and the geographical regions of the plurality of storage devices; selecting, by the messaging application server based on the computed plurality of distances, a first storage device of the plurality of storage device that is in a geographical region that is closest to the geographical location associated with the client device; and storing, by the messaging application server on the first storage device, data associated with a messaging application implemented on the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley Baron, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, Joshua Schumacher
  • Patent number: 11743222
    Abstract: A messaging system for exchanging data over a network, configuring an intermediate connection tier system that provides a multi-tier connections messaging framework. The intermediate connection tier system generates, based on the contact data of a user, an intermediate tier of connected user accounts. Each account in the intermediate tier of connected user accounts is provided with messaging privileges with respect to the account of the user, without being associated with expanded access connection tier links, sometimes referred to as friendship links, between their respective accounts with respect to the account of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Kenneth Boyd, Benedict Copping, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, Susan Marie Territo, Jeremy Baker Voss, Yu Wang
  • Publication number: 20230254275
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for transmitting events. The systems and methods include operations for: receiving data indicating a level of user engagement with a messaging application for a given user; determining that the level of user engagement is below a specified threshold; prioritizing a plurality of events, associated with the messaging application, for transmission to a client device of the given user in response to determining that the level of user engagement is below the specified threshold; and transmitting a first event of the plurality of events to the client device based on prioritizing the plurality of events.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Joshua Schumacher, Bradley Baron, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, Thiago Hirai
  • Publication number: 20230239342
    Abstract: Method of dynamically assigning storage locations starts with the processor updating first user's home location data. Processor selects communication session between first user and second user and determines second user's home location data. Processor determines a session location data that indicates current storage location that stores data of communication session received from first and second client devices. Processor identifies available data storage locations based on first user and second user's home location data and determines whether to update the session location data based on an average of a distance over network fiber using the first user and second user's home locations, current storage location, and available storage locations. In response to determining to update the session location data, processor updates session location data to indicate one of the available storage locations, and causes transfer of data of communication session to one of the available storage locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Bradley Baron, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, John Krzemien, Samuel Young
  • Publication number: 20230208799
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for deleting messages. The systems and methods include operations for: establishing, by a computing device, a communication session between a plurality of users, the communication session being associated with a first feature of a plurality of features of a messaging application; automatically deleting a first set of messages exchanged in the communication session based on a default deletion policy of the first feature; changing the default deletion policy of the first feature to a second deletion policy; and automatically deleting a second set of messages exchanged in the communication session based on the second deletion policy instead of the default deletion policy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Bradley Baron, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, Samuel Young
  • Publication number: 20230208797
    Abstract: A messaging system for exchanging data over a network, configuring an intermediate connection tier system that provides a multi-tier connections messaging framework. The intermediate connection tier system generates, based on the contact data of a user, an intermediate tier of connected user accounts. Each account in the intermediate tier of connected user accounts is provided with messaging privileges with respect to the account of the user, without being associated with expanded access connection tier links, sometimes referred to as friendship links, between their respective accounts with respect to the account of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Nathan Kenneth Boyd, Benedict Copping, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, Susan Marie Territo, Jeremy Baker Voss, Yu Wang
  • Publication number: 20230209307
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for displaying widgets. In some aspects, criteria for ranking widgets may be dynamically evaluated based on conditions associated with each widget. In some aspects, the conditions may consider a time or location of an event a social network user is scheduled to attend, and a relation to that time and location to a current time and/or current user location. Evaluation of the conditions may contribute to the determination of weights for each of the respective widgets, with the ranking based on the weights. Widgets with the highest rank may be invoked, and selectively displayed on an electronic display. Multiple possible parameter values for the displayed widgets may also be dynamically ranked and selected values applied when invoking the widget.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: William Alexander Strand, Travis M. Grigsby, Benjamin Ralph Hollis, Bobby Lo, Christie Marie Heikkinen