Patents by Inventor Brian A. Reynolds

Brian A. Reynolds 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: 9538129
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for improving audio conferencing services. One aspect relates to processing audio content of a conference. A first audio signal is received from a first conference participant, and a start and an end of a first utterance by the first conference participant are detected from the first audio signal. A second audio signal is received from a second conference participant, and a start and an end of a second utterance by the second conference participant is detected from the second audio signal. The second conference participant is provided with at least a portion of the first utterance, wherein at least one of start time, start point, and duration is determined based at least in part on the start, end, or both, of the second utterance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Family Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Brian Reynolds
  • Patent number: 9515966
    Abstract: A topic room is provided in which one or more individuals or other entities may collaborate on topics of mutual interest. Multiple individuals or participants may use the topic room to communicate in real or non-real time and may work together to create, browse, modify, comment on, and perform any other suitable action on content. A chat room within the topic room receives, records, and transmits the communications and all activity in the topic room to all participants as messages. Client processes at a participant's user equipment may listen to the messages and take particular actions. For example, one participant can follow another participant as that participant browses through material by using the messages received from that participant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Family Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Brian Reynolds, Mark J. Conway
  • Patent number: 9472177
    Abstract: A music application guides a user with some musical, experience through the steps of creating and editing a musical enhancement file that enhances and plays in synchronicity with an audio signal of an original artist's recorded performance. This enables others, perhaps with lesser musical ability than the original artist, to play-along with the original artist by following melodic, chordal, rhythmic, and verbal prompts. The music application accounts for differences in the timing of the performance from a standard tempo by guiding the user through the process of creating a tempo map for the performance and by associating the tempo map with MIDI information of the enhancement file. Enhancements may contain. MIDI information, audio signal information, and/or video signal information which may be played back in synchronicity with the recorded performance to provide an aural and visual, aid to others playing-along who may have less musical experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Family Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Brian Reynolds, William B. Hudak
  • Patent number: 9463389
    Abstract: A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for obtaining game asset value is provided. One or more requests to add one or more first game assets to a game user interface of a player is received from a client device of the player. The first game assets are provided in response to the first requests. A second request to obtain a value associated with the second game asset on the game user interface is received, where the second game asset is different than the first game assets. It is determined whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, where the predetermined amount of time is based on a number of the first game assets. The value associated with the second game asset is provided to a game account of the player if the predetermined amount of time has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Zynga Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Brian Reynolds, Isaac Charles Ellis
  • Patent number: 9355404
    Abstract: A method of voting with your feet is disclosed. A notification regarding a survey question is communicated to a player of a computer implemented game. The notification includes an indication of a particular location-based action that is to be performed by the player to answer the survey question. The answer of the player to the survey question is determined based on detection of performance of the particular location-based action by the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Zynga Inc.
    Inventors: Amitt Mahajan, Matthew Adam Ocko, Brian Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20160005397
    Abstract: A speech recognition circuit comprising a circuit for providing state identifiers which identify states corresponding to nodes or groups of adjacent nodes in a lexical tree, and for providing scores corresponding to said state identifiers, the lexical tree comprising a model of words.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventors: Guy Larri, Mark Catchpole, Damian Kelly Harris-Dowsett, Timothy Brian Reynolds
  • Patent number: 9220985
    Abstract: A method of providing virtual items based on location-based action is disclosed. An indication is received of a performance of a location-based action by a player of a computer-implemented game. A virtual item is provided based on the receiving of the indication of the performance of the location-based action by the player of the computer-implemented game. The virtual item may be usable within the computer-implemented game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Zynga Inc.
    Inventors: Kathleen Auterio, Deniz Ersever, Nathan Arthur Etter, Hardik Kheskani, Serena Lam, Amitt Mahajan, Christopher Joseph Makarsky, Jay Monahan, Donald C. Mosites, Benjamin Mullin, Matthew Adam Ocko, Brian Reynolds, Shantanu Talapatra, Justin Waldron, Ian Wang, Jackson Wang
  • Publication number: 20150312518
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for improving audio conferencing services. One aspect relates to processing audio content of a conference. A first audio signal is received from a first conference participant, and a start and an end of a first utterance by the first conference participant are detected from the first audio signal. A second audio signal is received from a second conference participant, and a start and an end of a second utterance by the second conference participant is detected from the second audio signal. The second conference participant is provided with at least a portion of the first utterance, wherein at least one of start time, start point, and duration is determined based at least in part on the start, end, or both, of the second utterance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventor: Brian Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20150246287
    Abstract: A method of changing a virtual world of a computer-implemented game based on real-world locations of players of the computer-implemented game is disclosed. A presence of a player of the computer-implemented game is detected at a physical location. A presence of an additional player of the computer-implemented game is detected at the physical location based on a communication received from the player of the computer-implemented game. An aspect of the virtual world of the computer-implemented game is changed based on the detecting of the presence of the player at the physical location and the detecting of the presence of the additional player of the computer-implemented game at the physical location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Inventors: Nathan Arthur Etter, Jay Monahan, Matthew Adam Ocko, Brian Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20150244742
    Abstract: A method includes establishing, using a connection policy at a first device, a security association with a second device of an industrial process control and automation system. The method also includes, once the security association is established, activating a process data policy at the first device. The security association is established during first and second types of negotiations. The process data policy is activated during the second type of negotiation without the first type of negotiation. The second type of negotiation is faster than the first type of negotiation. The connection policy defines a communication channel between the devices using a non-process communication port of the first device. The process data policy defines a communication channel between the devices for real-time industrial process data. The first type of negotiation could include an IKE main mode negotiation, and the second type of negotiation could include an IKE quick mode negotiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Brian Reynolds, Senthilkumar Dhanagopalan, Ritwik Ganguly
  • Patent number: 9087521
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for improving audio conferencing services. One aspect relates to processing audio content of a conference. A first audio signal is received from a first conference participant, and a start and an end of a first utterance by the first conference participant are detected from the first audio signal. A second audio signal is received from a second conference participant, and a start and an end of a second utterance by the second conference participant is detected from the second audio signal. The second conference participant is provided with at least a portion of the first utterance, wherein at least one of start time, start point, and duration is determined based at least in part on the start, end, or both, of the second utterance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Family Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Brian Reynolds
  • Patent number: 9076441
    Abstract: A speech recognition circuit comprising a circuit for providing state identifiers which identify states corresponding to nodes or groups of adjacent nodes in a lexical tree, and for providing scores corresponding to said state identifiers, the lexical tree comprising a model of words; a memory structure for receiving and storing state identifiers identified by a node identifier identifying a node or group of adjacent nodes, said memory structure being adapted to allow lookup to identify particular state identifiers, reading of the scores corresponding to the state identifiers, and writing back of the scores to the memory structure after modification of the scores; an accumulator for receiving score updates corresponding to particular state identifiers from a score update generating circuit which generates the score updates using audio input, for receiving scores from the memory structure, and for modifying said scores by adding said score updates to said scores; and a selector circuit for selecting at least o
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Zentian Limited
    Inventors: Guy Larri, Mark Catchpole, Damian Kelly Harris-Dowsett, Timothy Brian Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20150169538
    Abstract: A topic room is provided in which one or more individuals or other entities may collaborate on topics of mutual interest. Multiple individuals or participants may use the topic room to communicate in real or non-real time and may work together to create, browse, modify, comment on, and perform any other suitable action on content. A chat room within the topic room receives, records, and transmits the communications and all activity in the topic room to all participants as messages. Client processes at a participant's user equipment may listen to the messages and take particular actions. For example, one participant can follow another participant as that participant browses through material by using the messages received from that participant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Brian Reynolds, Mark J. Conway
  • Patent number: 9033803
    Abstract: A method of changing a virtual world of a computer-implemented game based on real-world locations of players of the computer-implemented game is disclosed. A presence of a player of the computer-implemented game is detected at a physical location. A presence of an additional player of the computer-implemented game is detected at the physical location based on a communication received from the player of the computer-implemented game. An aspect of the virtual world of the computer-implemented game is changed based on the detecting of the presence of the player at the physical location and the detecting of the presence of the additional player of the computer-implemented game at the physical location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Zynga Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Arthur Etter, Jay Monahan, Matthew Adam Ocko, Brian Reynolds
  • Patent number: 9013057
    Abstract: A starter circuit includes a battery, a starter electrically coupled with the battery, a relay disposed between the battery and the starter, and a starter switch mounted remotely from the starter. The starter includes a switch assembly and a starter motor. The switch assembly includes an actuator and a start signal switch. The relay is configured to operate to provide current to the switch assembly to close the start signal switch in response to a received signal. The starter switch closes in response to the start signal switch being closed, whereby the battery delivers current to the starter motor when the starter switch is closed. A starter unit is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joaquin A. Pelaez, Brian Reynolds, Kevin Ireland, Hiromichi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8965989
    Abstract: A topic room is provided in which one or more individuals or other entities may collaborate on topics of mutual interest. Multiple individuals or participants may use the topic room to communicate in real or non-real time and may work together to create, browse, modify, comment on, and perform any other suitable action on content. A chat room within the topic room receives, records, and transmits the communications and all activity in the topic room to all participants as messages. Client processes at a participant's user equipment may listen to the messages and take particular actions. For example, one participant can follow another participant as that participant browses through material by using the messages received from that participant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Family Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Brian Reynolds, Mark J. Conway
  • Publication number: 20150012270
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for improving audio conferencing services. One aspect relates to processing audio content of a conference. A first audio signal is received from a first conference participant, and a start and an end of a first utterance by the first conference participant are detected from the first audio signal. A second audio signal is received from a second conference participant, and a start and an end of a second utterance by the second conference participant is detected from the second audio signal. The second conference participant is provided with at least a portion of the first utterance, wherein at least one of start time, start point, and duration is determined based at least in part on the start, end, or both, of the second utterance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventor: Brian Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20140349769
    Abstract: This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods to provide an asynchronous social event in a computer-implemented game. The social event may for example be a virtual party that is staged in a game instance of a host player and may comprise automated attendance of player characters associated with one or more guest players. An event invitation may be sent to the guest players, with the player characters of guest players who accept the invitation being displayed as automatically attending the social event. The social event may be played back to the guest players asynchronously upon request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Brian Reynolds, Matthew Deegler, Virginia Ellen McArthur
  • Patent number: 8808093
    Abstract: This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods to provide an asynchronous social event in a computer-implemented game. The social event may for example be a virtual party that is staged in a game instance of a host player and may comprise automated attendance of player characters associated with one or more guest players. An event invitation may be sent to the guest players, with the player characters of guest players who accept the invitation being displayed as automatically attending the social event. The social event may be played back to the guest players asynchronously upon request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Zynga Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Reynolds, Matthew Deegler, Virginia Ellen McArthur
  • Patent number: 8812356
    Abstract: A method of voting with your feet is disclosed. A performance of a location-based action by a player of a computer-implemented game is associated with a vote on a matter. The performance of the location-based action by the player is detected. A count of votes corresponding to the vote on the matter is incremented based on the detecting of the performance of the location-based action by the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Zynga Inc.
    Inventors: Amitt Mahajan, Matthew Adam Ocko, Brian Reynolds