Patents by Inventor Brian Alexander Oliver

Brian Alexander Oliver 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: 11875820
    Abstract: This disclosure describes, in part, context-driven device arbitration techniques to select a speech interface device from multiple speech interface devices to provide a response to a command included in a speech utterance of a user. In some examples, the context-driven arbitration techniques may include executing multiple pipeline instances to analyze audio signals and device metadata received from each of the multiple speech interface devices which detected the speech utterance. A remote speech processing service may execute the multiple pipeline instances and analyze the audio signals and/or metadata, at various stages of the pipeline instances, to determine which speech interface device is to respond to the speech utterance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tony Roy Hardie, Brian Alexander Oliver, Vikram Kumar Gundeti
  • Patent number: 11563708
    Abstract: Systems and methods to combine related messages are disclosed. Multiple messages may be combined into a single message for display and output on one or more devices based on one or more factors. The factors may include, for example, a determination that the multiple messages were sent by and/or received from the same device, user, user profile, and/or user account. The facts may also include a determination that the multiple messages were sent within a threshold amount of time of each other and/or that the messages have the same or similar themes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Christo Frank Devaraj, Sumedha Arvind Kshirsagar, Brian Alexander Oliver
  • Patent number: 11430434
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for privacy protection and user data obfuscation are disclosed. A speech-controlled device captures audio including a spoken command, and sends audio data corresponding thereto to a server(s). The server(s) 120 determines a user that spoke the command. The server(s) also determines, based on a profile of the user, user data (e.g., age, geographic location, etc.). The server(s) determines user group data encompassing the user data (e.g., including an age range encompassing the user's age, a geographic area encompassing the user geographic location, etc.). The server(s) determines a remote device(s) storing or having access to content responsive to the spoken command. The server(s) sends the user group data to the remote device(s), receives output content responsive to the spoken command and tailored to the user group data from the remote device(s), and causes the speech-controlled device to emit the output content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David Milstein, Brian Alexander Oliver, Christopher Schindler
  • Patent number: 11343374
    Abstract: Techniques for detecting spam accounts in a system are described. The system may analyze speech characteristics of communication content (e.g., telephone call content, VoIP content, audio messaging, etc.) to determine whether multiple devices or user profiles are associated with overlapping communications. The system may also analyze text transcriptions of communication content to determine whether multiple devices or user profiles are associated with overlapping communications. If so, the system may mitigate, such as throttling service, disabling accounts, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerome Alexander Rolia, Brian Alexander Oliver, Vikram Kumar Gundeti, Balraja Subbiah, Tony Roy Hardie
  • Patent number: 11133027
    Abstract: This disclosure describes, in part, context-driven device arbitration techniques to select a speech interface device from multiple speech interface devices to provide a response to a command included in a speech utterance of a user. In some examples, the context-driven arbitration techniques may include executing multiple pipeline instances to analyze audio signals and device metadata received from each of the multiple speech interface devices which detected the speech utterance. A remote speech processing service may execute the multiple pipeline instances and analyze the audio signals and/or metadata, at various stages of the pipeline instances, to determine which speech interface device is to respond to the speech utterance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tony Roy Hardie, Brian Alexander Oliver, Vikram Kumar Gundeti
  • Patent number: 11113426
    Abstract: A method of interacting with an electronic device while the display screen is deactivated and the electronic device is possibly locked is described. In one embodiment, the electronic devices generate a notification regarding a new event and/or device state using a notification element in response to receiving a predetermined key input from the hardware keyboard while the electronic device is in the locked state and while the display screen is deactivated, wherein the notification is generated while the display screen remains deactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Dapeng Gao, Brian Alexander Oliver
  • Patent number: 10715470
    Abstract: Techniques for detecting spam accounts in a system are described. When a system creates a user profile, the system may ingest a blocked communications list. The system may determine how many times each blocked communications number represented in the ingested blocked communications list is included in blocked communications lists of various users of the system. If a blocked communications number represented in the ingested blocked communications list is included in at least a threshold number of other blocked communications lists, the system may mark the communications number as spam at a system level and engage in appropriate mitigation techniques (e.g., throttle the phone numbers activity, disable the phone number's ability to communicate with system devices, etc.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerome Alexander Rolia, Brian Alexander Oliver, Vikram Kumar Gundeti, Balraja Subbiah, Tony Roy Hardie
  • Patent number: 10715671
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for call notifications to active communication devices are provided. At an apparatus comprising a processor and a communication interface, a call for a first device is received via the communication interface. When is determined that a second device is active, a notification of the call is transmitted to the second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Mihal Lazaridis, Brian Alexander Oliver, Andrew Douglas Bocking
  • Patent number: 10482904
    Abstract: This disclosure describes, in part, context-driven device arbitration techniques to select a speech interface device from multiple speech interface devices to provide a response to a command included in a speech utterance of a user. In some examples, the context-driven arbitration techniques may include executing multiple pipeline instances to analyze audio signals and device metadata received from each of the multiple speech interface devices which detected the speech utterance. A remote speech processing service may execute the multiple pipeline instances and analyze the audio signals and/or metadata, at various stages of the pipeline instances, to determine which speech interface device is to respond to the speech utterance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tony Roy Hardie, Brian Alexander Oliver, Vikram Kumar Gundeti
  • Publication number: 20190213360
    Abstract: A method of interacting with an electronic device while the display screen is deactivated and the electronic device is possibly locked is described. In one embodiment, the electronic devices generate a notification regarding a new event and/or device state using a notification element in response to receiving a predetermined key input from the hardware keyboard while the electronic device is in the locked state and while the display screen is deactivated, wherein the notification is generated while the display screen remains deactivated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2018
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Dapeng GAO, Brian Alexander OLIVER
  • Publication number: 20190089837
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for call notifications to active communication devices are provided. At an apparatus comprising a processor and a communication interface, a call for a first device is received via the communication interface. When is determined that a second device is active, a notification of the call is transmitted to the second device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Mihal LAZARIDIS, Brian Alexander OLIVER, Andrew Douglas BOCKING
  • Patent number: 10169620
    Abstract: A method of interacting with an electronic device while the display screen is deactivated and the electronic device is possibly locked is described. In one embodiment, the electronic devices generate a notification regarding a new event and/or device state using a notification element in response to receiving a predetermined key input from the hardware keyboard while the electronic device is in the locked state and while the display screen is deactivated, wherein the notification is generated while the display screen remains deactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Dapeng Gao, Brian Alexander Oliver
  • Patent number: 10148912
    Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for providing lighting indications in speech-based systems. For instance, a remote system may receive, from a conferencing system, a first message indicating that a first electronic device is participating in a conference call with at least a second electronic device and a third electronic device. The remote system can then associate the second electronic device with a first visual indication, and then cause the first electronic device to display the first visual indication. The remote system can further associate the third electronic device with a second visual indication, and then cause the first electronic device to display the second visual indication. Additionally, the remote system may receive a second message indicating that the first electronic device disconnected from the conference call and, in response, cause the first electronic device to cease from displaying the first visual indication and the second visual indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Alexander Oliver, Tony Roy Hardie
  • Patent number: 10135991
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for call notifications to active communication devices are provided. At an apparatus comprising a processor and a communication interface, a call for a first device is received via the communication interface. When it is determined that a second device is active, a notification of the call is transmitted to the second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Mihal Lazaridis, Brian Alexander Oliver, Andrew Douglas Bocking
  • Patent number: 9998604
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for call notifications to active communication devices are provided. At an apparatus comprising a processor and a communication interface, a call for a first device is received via the communication interface. When is determined that a second device is active, a notification of the call is transmitted to the second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Mihal Lazaridis, Brian Alexander Oliver, Andrew Douglas Bocking
  • Publication number: 20170279966
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for call notifications to active communication devices are provided. At an apparatus comprising a processor and a communication interface, a call for a first device is received via the communication interface. When is determined that a second device is active, a notification of the call is transmitted to the second device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Mihal LAZARIDIS, Brian Alexander OLIVER, Andrew Douglas BOCKING
  • Patent number: 9720735
    Abstract: Communication devices capable of at least two communication modes (e.g. WLAN, WMAN and WWAN and/or wired modes) can be configured to optimize communications using a policy-based mechanism to configure connections and routes. A rules engine evaluates its policies on a state change (e.g. network availability, time of day, etc.) to configure a routing table and, together with communication APIs, provides an appropriate connection to an application for its respective communications. Policies may be responsive to various factors such as Radio Access Technology (high/low bandwidth), cost, presence, time of day, location, application type and quality of service (QoS) requirements among others to optimize communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Montemurro, Nicholas Alfano, John-Luc Bakker, Richard George, Brian Alexander Oliver
  • Patent number: 9525779
    Abstract: A method of managing communications services begins with a communications platform receiving a request for a communications service to be provided to a communications device by a source other than the communications platform. The communications platform determines an authorization of the communications device to receive the communications service. The authorization comprises a permission of the communications device to receive the communications service during a lifetime of a communications session maintained with the communications device. The communications network authorizes delivery of the communications service to the communications device during the lifetime of the communications session, in accordance with the authorization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Christopher Labrador, Brian Alexander Oliver, Douglas Michael Gisby, Susan Elizabeth Simon Daniels, Brian Edward Anthony McColgan, Adrian Michael Logan, Eric Allan Fritzley, Nicholas Patrick Alfano, Richard John George
  • Publication number: 20160253528
    Abstract: A method of interacting with an electronic device while the display screen is deactivated and the electronic device is possibly locked is described. In one embodiment, the electronic devices generate a notification regarding a new event and/or device state using a notification element in response to receiving a predetermined key input from the hardware keyboard while the electronic device is in the locked state and while the display screen is deactivated, wherein the notification is generated while the display screen remains deactivated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Dapeng GAO, Brian Alexander OLIVER
  • Patent number: 9413589
    Abstract: A method for discovering a communication device is disclosed. The method includes: receiving in the communication device a communication including a request for an address and an identification of an application, in response to receiving the communication, associating a dynamic address of the communication device with the identified application, and sending a second communication directly or indirectly to a client device, the second communication including the dynamic address. The communication device may further obtain a dynamic address in response to receiving the communication. The dynamic address may be used for a dedicated purpose, such as for receiving a file for subsequent use by the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Brian Alexander Oliver, Richard John George, Tu Dien Do, Scott Peter Gammon, Kapil Nayar