Patents by Inventor Bryan D. O'Connell

Bryan D. O'Connell 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: 9813250
    Abstract: A system and methods are provided for establishing an authenticated and encrypted communication connection between two devices with at most two round-trip communications. During establishment of an initial authenticated, encrypted communication connection (or afterward), a first device (e.g., a server) provides the second device (e.g., a client) with a token (e.g., a challenge) that lives or persists beyond the current connection. After that connection is terminated and the second device initiates a new connection, it uses the token as part of the handshaking process to reduce the necessary round-trip communications to one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: WHATSAPP INC.
    Inventors: Bryan D O'Connor, Eugene Fooksman
  • Publication number: 20170142215
    Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for relaying mobile communications is provided. The system hosts a communication application operated by mobile communication devices. When a communication is received for a user of a destination device that is off-line, the system determines whether the destination device is capable of receiving an unsolicited message (e.g., a push message, a peer-to-peer message). The system then selects a different mobile device capable of sending a peer-to-peer relay message to the destination device. A relay request is transmitted to the selected device, which causes it to generate and transmit toward the destination device a relay message that will cause the destination device to connect to the system. Either or both of the relay device and the destination device may delete the messages it sends and/or receives during this process, before a user of the device opens the message(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Michael Donohue, Bryan D. O'Connor, Jan Koum
  • Patent number: 9596577
    Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for relaying mobile communications is provided. The system hosts a communication application operated by mobile communication devices. When a communication is received for a user of a destination device that is off-line, the system determines whether the destination device is capable of receiving an unsolicited message (e.g., a push message, a peer-to-peer message). The system then selects a different mobile device capable of sending a peer-to-peer relay message to the destination device. A relay request is transmitted to the selected device, which causes it to generate and transmit toward the destination device a relay message that will cause the destination device to connect to the system. Either or both of the relay device and the destination device may delete the messages it sends and/or receives during this process, before a user of the device opens the message(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: WHATSAPP INC.
    Inventors: Michael Donohue, Bryan D. O'Connor, Jan Koum
  • Publication number: 20170019484
    Abstract: A system and methods are provided for aggregating communication connections. Multiple users connect to a system (e.g., a web-based system) that hosts an application or service for exchanging communications. Users who exchange communications among themselves may be considered “associates.” When one user who is on-line with the application sends a communication through the system for an associate, the system determines whether the associate is on-line or off-line. If the associate is off-line, the system crafts and sends toward the associate a notification regarding the communication, including an address of the communication server to which the one user is connected. When the associate's device receives the notification, the application may attempt to connect to the specified address. In this way associated users' connections will aggregate or gravitate toward the same communication server, thereby eliminating the latency and cost of exchanging users' communications between multiple communication servers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Applicant: WhatsApp Inc.
    Inventors: Jan Koum, Bryan D. O'Connor, Brian Acton
  • Publication number: 20170006577
    Abstract: A system and methods are provided for dynamically muting or suppressing notifications of new communications. When a new communication is received for a user of a communication device (e.g., a mobile telephone, a computer) while notifications are muted, no notification may be issued to the user or, alternatively, a muted notification that differs from a normal notification may be issued. A muted notification may have muted sound or no sound, abbreviated vibration or no vibration, or may otherwise be a dampened version of a normal notification. Dynamic muting may be applied or managed on the user's device or on a system that hosts the communication application for which notifications are muted. Different applications and/or communication sessions (e.g., different chat groups) may be muted differently (e.g., for different periods of time). When a group chat session is muted, the duration of muting may be proportional to the number of participants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Applicant: WhatsApp Inc.
    Inventors: Jan Koum, Bryan D. O'Connor, Brian Acton
  • Publication number: 20160380938
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting unwanted electronic content, such as spam. As a user operates an application to send messages, several metrics are tracked to allow the system to analyze her activity. Illustrative metrics may include, but are not limited to, block count (e.g., how many other users have blocked her), block rate (e.g., the rate at which other users block her), peer symmetry (e.g., percentage of her messages that are to other users that have her in their address book), message uniqueness (e.g., how unique her messages are from each other), peer uniqueness (e.g., how unique the addressees of her messages are), and message rate (e.g., the rate at which she sends messages). Periodically, metrics may be compared to corresponding thresholds. Depending on whether a threshold is crossed, and which threshold is crossed, she may be banned from using the application or placed on a watch list.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Applicant: WhatsApp Inc.
    Inventor: Bryan D. O'Connor
  • Patent number: 9503485
    Abstract: A system and methods are provided for aggregating communication connections. Multiple users connect to a system (e.g., a web-based system) that hosts an application or service for exchanging communications. Users who exchange communications among themselves may be considered “associates.” When one user who is on-line with the application sends a communication through the system for an associate, the system determines whether the associate is on-line or off-line. If the associate is off-line, the system crafts and sends toward the associate a notification regarding the communication, including an address of the communication server to which the one user is connected. When the associate's device receives the notification, the application may attempt to connect to the specified address. In this way associated users' connections will aggregate or gravitate toward the same communication server, thereby eliminating the latency and cost of exchanging users' communications between multiple communication servers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: WHATSAPP INC.
    Inventors: Jan Koum, Bryan D. O'Connor, Brian Acton
  • Patent number: 9473428
    Abstract: A system and methods are provided for dynamically muting or suppressing notifications of new communications. When a new communication is received for a user of a communication device (e.g., a mobile telephone, a computer) while notifications are muted, no notification may be issued to the user or, alternatively, a muted notification that differs from a normal notification may be issued. A muted notification may have muted sound or no sound, abbreviated vibration or no vibration, or may otherwise be a dampened version of a normal notification. Dynamic muting may be applied or managed on the user's device or on a system that hosts the communication application for which notifications are muted. Different applications and/or communication sessions (e.g., different chat groups) may be muted differently (e.g., for different periods of time). When a group chat session is muted, the duration of muting may be proportional to the number of participants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: WHATSAPP INC.
    Inventors: Jan Koum, Bryan D. O'Connor, Brian Acton
  • Patent number: 9455941
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting unwanted electronic content, such as spam. As a user operates an application to send messages, several metrics are tracked to allow the system to analyze her activity. Illustrative metrics may include, but are not limited to, block count (e.g., how many other users have blocked her), block rate (e.g., the rate at which other users block her), peer symmetry (e.g., percentage of her messages that are to other users that have her in their address book), message uniqueness (e.g., how unique her messages are from each other), peer uniqueness (e.g., how unique the addressees of her messages are), and message rate (e.g., the rate at which she sends messages). Periodically, metrics may be compared to corresponding thresholds. Depending on whether a threshold is crossed, and which threshold is crossed, she may be banned from using the application or placed on a watch list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: WHATSAPP INC.
    Inventor: Bryan D. O'Connor
  • Publication number: 20160087794
    Abstract: A system and methods are provided for establishing an authenticated and encrypted communication connection between two devices with at most two round-trip communications. During establishment of an initial authenticated, encrypted communication connection (or afterward), a first device (e.g., a server) provides the second device (e.g., a client) with a token (e.g., a challenge) that lives or persists beyond the current connection. After that connection is terminated and the second device initiates a new connection, it uses the token as part of the handshaking process to reduce the necessary round-trip communications to one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Applicant: WHATSAPP INC.
    Inventors: Bryan D. O'Connor, Eugene Fooksman
  • Patent number: 9270626
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting unwanted electronic content, such as spam. As a user operates an application to send messages, several metrics are tracked to allow the system to analyze her activity. Illustrative metrics may include, but are not limited to, block count (e.g., how many other users have blocked her), block rate (e.g., the rate at which other users block her), peer symmetry (e.g., percentage of her messages that are to other users that have her in their address book), message uniqueness (e.g., how unique her messages are from each other), peer uniqueness (e.g., how unique the addressees of her messages are), and message rate (e.g., the rate at which she sends messages). Periodically, metrics may be compared to corresponding thresholds. Depending on whether a threshold is crossed, and which threshold is crossed, she may be banned from using the application or placed on a watch list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: WHATSAPP INC.
    Inventor: Bryan D. O'Connor
  • Patent number: 9258261
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting unwanted electronic content, such as spam. As a user operates an application to send messages, several metrics are tracked to allow the system to analyze her activity. Illustrative metrics may include, but are not limited to, block count (e.g., how many other users have blocked her), block rate (e.g., the rate at which other users block her), peer symmetry (e.g., percentage of her messages that are to other users that have her in their address book), message uniqueness (e.g., how unique her messages are from each other), peer uniqueness (e.g., how unique the addressees of her messages are), and message rate (e.g., the rate at which she sends messages). Periodically, metrics may be compared to corresponding thresholds. Depending on whether a threshold is crossed, and which threshold is crossed, she may be banned from using the application or placed on a watch list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: WHATSAPP INC.
    Inventor: Bryan D. O'Connor
  • Patent number: 9225516
    Abstract: A system and methods are provided for establishing an authenticated and encrypted communication connection between two devices with at most two round-trip communications. During establishment of an initial authenticated, encrypted communication connection (or afterward), a first device (e.g., a server) provides the second device (e.g., a client) with a token (e.g., a challenge) that lives or persists beyond the current connection. After that connection is terminated and the second device initiates a new connection, it uses the token as part of the handshaking process to reduce the necessary round-trip communications to one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: WHATSAPP INC.
    Inventors: Bryan D. O'Connor, Eugene Fooksman
  • Publication number: 20150129342
    Abstract: A two-wheeled vehicle includes a frame having a front frame portion, a mid-frame portion, and a rear frame portion. The mid-frame portion is coupled to the rear frame portion and the front frame portion. The vehicle further includes a plurality of ground-engaging members for supporting the frame. The engine includes an air deflector to assist in cooling a rear cylinder of a V-twin engine. An accessory windshield is also shown which may be coupled to the handlebars and front forks of the vehicle. Also, a rear accessory attachment is shown mountable to the rear fender.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Bryan D. O`Rourke, Cal W. Johnson, Chad M. Cunningham, Neil P. Quade, Steven M. Hamlin, Lauren E. Parnofiello, David L. Bagnariol, Joel M. Notaro, Todd M. Zinda, Richard J. Christoph, Jeffrey D. Oltmans
  • Patent number: 8918473
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting unwanted electronic content, such as spam. As a user operates an application to send messages, several metrics are tracked to allow the system to analyze her activity. Illustrative metrics may include, but are not limited to, block count (e.g., how many other users have blocked her), block rate (e.g., the rate at which other users block her), peer symmetry (e.g., percentage of her messages that are to other users that have her in their address book), message uniqueness (e.g., how unique her messages are from each other), peer uniqueness (e.g., how unique the addressees of her messages are), message rate (e.g., the rate at which she sends messages). Periodically, metrics may be compared to corresponding thresholds. Depending on whether a threshold is crossed, and which threshold is crossed, she may be banned from using the application or placed on a watch list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: WhatsApp Inc.
    Inventor: Bryan D. O'Connor