Patents by Inventor Donald Brinkman

Donald Brinkman 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: 10691896
    Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods relating to conversational system user behavior identification. A user of the conversational system may be evaluated based on one or more factors. The one or more factors may be compared to an aggregated measure for a larger group of conversational system users, such that “anomalous” behavior (e.g., behavior that deviates from a normal behavior) may be identified. When a user is identified as exhibiting anomalous behavior, the conversational system may adapt its interactions with the user in order to encourage, discourage, or further observe the identified behavior. As a result, the conversational system may be able to verify a user's anomalous behavior, discourage the anomalous behavior, or take other action while interacting with the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Edwin Johnson, Jr., Emmanouil Koukoumidis, Donald Brinkman, Matthew Schuerman
  • Patent number: 10581765
    Abstract: Representative embodiments disclose mechanisms for discovering, synthesizing, presenting and interacting with multiple chat bots. A broker system can interact with a user and receive a query which is passed to a search engine. The search results are evaluated for bots provided by domains. The query can be submitted to the discovered bots. For domains that do not provide a bot, a bot can be synthesized if desired and the query submitted to the synthesized bots. Answers from the bots are retrieved. Answer are directly presented for bots that are directly surfaced to the user in the search results page. Answers can be fused for bots that are not directly surfaced to the user and presented via a broker bot. Answers from the one bot can be fed to other bots so that the bots can participate in a group chat between bots and the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Emmanouil Koukoumidis, Joseph Edwin Johnson, Jr., Donald Brinkman, Dustin Abramson, Oussama Elachqar, Hailong Mu, Maria Alexandropoulou
  • Patent number: 10535344
    Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods relating to conversational system user experience. In an example, a conversational system may use one or more sensors of a user device to affect the topic or direction of a conversation or to identify a new conversation topic. The conversational system may also receive input from a user, wherein a GUI may enable the user to specify or alter semantic information used during the conversation. The GUI may comprise one or more skeuomorphic elements designed to provide a familiar or intuitive way for the user to interact with the conversational system. The GUI may also be used to disambiguate messages or convey emotion or sentiment to the user. In another example, haptic or audio feedback may be provided alongside a message to convey emotion to the user during the conversation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Edwin Johnson, Jr., Emmanouil Koukoumidis, Donald Brinkman, Hailong Mu, Dustin Abramson, Hudong Wang, Dan Vann, Youssef Hammad
  • Publication number: 20190034411
    Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods relating to conversational system user behavior identification. A user of the conversational system may be evaluated based on one or more factors. The one or more factors may be compared to an aggregated measure for a larger group of conversational system users, such that “anomalous” behavior (e.g., behavior that deviates from a normal behavior) may be identified. When a user is identified as exhibiting anomalous behavior, the conversational system may adapt its interactions with the user in order to encourage, discourage, or further observe the identified behavior. As a result, the conversational system may be able to verify a user's anomalous behavior, discourage the anomalous behavior, or take other action while interacting with the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Edwin JOHNSON, JR., Emmanouil KOUKOUMIDIS, Donald BRINKMAN, Matthew SCHUERMAN
  • Publication number: 20180358008
    Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods relating to conversational system user experience. In an example, a conversational system may use one or more sensors of a user device to affect the topic or direction of a conversation or to identify a new conversation topic. The conversational system may also receive input from a user, wherein a GUI may enable the user to specify or alter semantic information used during the conversation. The GUI may comprise one or more skeuomorphic elements designed to provide a familiar or intuitive way for the user to interact with the conversational system. The GUI may also be used to disambiguate messages or convey emotion or sentiment to the user. In another example, haptic or audio feedback may be provided alongside a message to convey emotion to the user during the conversation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Edwin JOHNSON, JR., Emmanouil KOUKOUMIDIS, Donald BRINKMAN, Hailong MU, Dustin ABRAMSON, Hudong WANG, Dan VANN, Youssef HAMMAD
  • Patent number: 10120866
    Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods relating to conversational system user behavior identification. A user of the conversational system may be evaluated based on one or more factors. The one or more factors may be compared to an aggregated measure for a larger group of conversational system users, such that “anomalous” behavior (e.g., behavior that deviates from a normal behavior) may be identified. When a user is identified as exhibiting anomalous behavior, the conversational system may adapt its interactions with the user in order to encourage, discourage, or further observe the identified behavior. As a result, the conversational system may be able to verify a user's anomalous behavior, discourage the anomalous behavior, or take other action while interacting with the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Edwin Johnson, Jr., Emmanouil Koukoumidis, Donald Brinkman, Matthew Schuerman
  • Publication number: 20180314684
    Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods relating to conversational system user behavior identification. A user of the conversational system may be evaluated based on one or more factors. The one or more factors may be compared to an aggregated measure for a larger group of conversational system users, such that “anomalous” behavior (e.g., behavior that deviates from a normal behavior) may be identified. When a user is identified as exhibiting anomalous behavior, the conversational system may adapt its interactions with the user in order to encourage, discourage, or further observe the identified behavior. As a result, the conversational system may be able to verify a user's anomalous behavior, discourage the anomalous behavior, or take other action while interacting with the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Edwin JOHNSON, JR., Emmanouil KOUKOUMIDIS, Donald BRINKMAN, Matthew SCHUERMAN
  • Publication number: 20180287968
    Abstract: Representative embodiments disclose mechanisms for discovering, synthesizing, presenting and interacting with multiple chat bots. A broker system can interact with a user and receive a query which is passed to a search engine. The search results are evaluated for bots provided by domains. The query can be submitted to the discovered bots. For domains that do not provide a bot, a bot can be synthesized if desired and the query submitted to the synthesized bots. Answers from the bots are retrieved. Answer are directly presented for bots that are directly surfaced to the user in the search results page. Answers can be fused for bots that are not directly surfaced to the user and presented via a broker bot. Answers from the one bot can be fed to other bots so that the bots can participate in a group chat between bots and the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Emmanouil Koukoumidis, Joseph Edwin Johnson, JR., Donald Brinkman, Dustin Abramson, Oussama Elachqar, Hailong Mu, Maria Alexandropoulou
  • Patent number: 8872849
    Abstract: Technology for rendering representations of multi-faceted data are disclosed. As one example, the technology includes organizing and rendering multiple subsets of a dataset according to temporal or other linear attributes, e.g., for visual comparison and/or other visualization. A collection of subsets may be determined in response to a selection of a facet having multiple facet attributes. Each subset may include the entries of the dataset that have the facet attribute corresponding to that subset. Optionally, the multiple subsets may be rendered in alignment with corresponding portions of a hierarchical depiction, e.g., to visually represent the parameters of the subsets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jian Zhao, Steven M. Drucker, Danyel Fisher, Jr., Donald Brinkman
  • Patent number: 8788538
    Abstract: A navigation mechanism for hierarchical data uses a climb/dive and rotate inputs to traverse a hierarchical dataset. The hierarchical dataset may be arranged in a filial-heir arrangement for easy traversal. The navigation mechanism may be used with several different ways of displaying the data, some of which may display both overall context and detailed view of the data. One such example may have a context section and a detail section, where the context section may present the overall context of a focus node in relation to the overall dataset and the detail section may display other nodes that are at the same or lower level than the focus node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Donald Brinkman
  • Publication number: 20130194294
    Abstract: Technology for rendering representations of multi-faceted data are disclosed. As one example, the technology includes organizing and rendering multiple subsets of a dataset according to temporal or other linear attributes, e.g., for visual comparison and/or other visualization. A collection of subsets may be determined in response to a selection of a facet having multiple facet attributes. Each subset may include the entries of the dataset that have the facet attribute corresponding to that subset. Optionally, the multiple subsets may be rendered in alignment with corresponding portions of a hierarchical depiction, e.g., to visually represent the parameters of the subsets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jian Zhao, Steven M. Drucker, Danyel Fisher, Donald Brinkman
  • Publication number: 20130151564
    Abstract: A navigation mechanism for hierarchical data uses a climb/dive and rotate inputs to traverse a hierarchical dataset. The hierarchical dataset may be arranged in a filial-heir arrangement for easy traversal. The navigation mechanism may be used with several different ways of displaying the data, some of which may display both overall context and detailed view of the data. One such example may have a context section and a detail section, where the context section may present the overall context of a focus node in relation to the overall dataset and the detail section may display other nodes that are at the same or lower level than the focus node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Donald BRINKMAN
  • Publication number: 20120225722
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to maintain player scores within a gaming platform implemented as an advisory services network. Within the context of a serious game designed around a complex business problem of an organization, players can review and navigate a plurality of narrative scenes with associated evidence, extract items of evidence, participate in discussions, provide solution concepts, develop prototypes, and other related actions. A player can receive points for performing actions. In addition, the player can receive points for actions of disparate players when the actions of the disparate players are influenced by or reference actions of the player.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Warwick Holder, Pallaw Sharma, Donald Brinkman
  • Publication number: 20120107787
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to implement an advisory services network that enables organizations to identify complex business problems from apparent business problems, immerse a diverse group of people in the businesses of the organizations, and promote collaboration to develop viable solutions to the complex business problems. An enterprise organization can supply case studies of real-life scenarios, data, ethnographic interviews to convey multiple views of problematic areas, etc., to enable members of the diverse group of people to immerse themselves into the problem space, participate in creative communications, such as discussions, and brainstorm potential solutions. Further, the advisory services network can include a gaming platform on which instances of serious games can be developed and deployed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Dana Zimmerman, Jonathan Grudin, Pallaw Sharma, Warwick Holder, Alistair Lowe-Norris, Rick Maguire, Donald Brinkman, Frank Martinez