Patents by Inventor Dwayne B. Mercredi

Dwayne B. Mercredi 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).

  • Publication number: 20230201726
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes, by a client system of a first user, presenting, by the client system, a display interface comprising a plurality of layers, where a first layer is a game container containing a first game, the display interface comprising an activatable element to access a video communication, receiving, by the client system, an input from the first user to initiate the video communication with a second user within the first layer of the display interface via a selection of the activatable element, generating, by the client system, a video container in a second layer of the display interface, where the second layer contains the video communication with the second user in a full-screen view, reducing, by the client system, the first layer containing the game container to a thumbnail within the display interface, and overlaying, by the client system, the first layer onto the second layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Shyamalan Pather, Pablo Jose Barvo, Dwayne B. Mercredi
  • Patent number: 11596871
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes, by a client system of a first user, presenting a communication interface including a plurality of layers, wherein a first layer of the communication interface includes a video communication of the second user, and wherein a second layer of the communication interface includes a thumbnail view of a video communication of the first user, receiving a request from the second user to initiate a first game, receiving a user input indicative an acceptance of the request to initiate the first game, generating a game container containing the first game in a third layer of the communication interface, reducing the first layer to a thumbnail within the communication interface, and overlaying the first layer onto the third layer, wherein the second layer is closed responsive to the overlaying of the first layer onto the third layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc.
    Inventors: Shyamalan Pather, Pablo Jose Barvo, Dwayne B. Mercredi
  • Patent number: 11146646
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes launching, by a client system of a first user, a video-call session to enable a video stream for display in a small-overlay-window on a display of the client system of the first user; receiving, by the client system of the first user, a video stream comprising video from a client system of a second user; determining at least one property for the small-overlay-window based on information associated with the second user; and displaying the video stream in the small-overlay-window, wherein the small-overlay-window is customized based on the determined at least one property, and wherein the small-overlay-window is positioned directly over an interface of an active application running on the client system of the first user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephane Taine, Edward Young Zhang, Dwayne B. Mercredi, Michael Leggett, Brendan Benjamin Aronoff, Peter Henry Martinazzi, Evan Patrick Noon, Duckjin Kang, John Randall Ehrhardt
  • Patent number: 11070677
    Abstract: Techniques to signal escalation of a peer-to-peer two-party media call to a multiway media call are described. An apparatus may comprise a communication client operative on caller and callee client devices. The communication client may comprise a user interface component to allow users of the device to initiate and take part in one-to-one and multiway calls; a network component operative to handle network communications between messaging servers and other client devices; a peer-to-peer media call component operative to perform peer-to-peer one-on-one media calls between client devices; a multiway media call component operative to join a multiway call at a multiway media relay system; and a media call management component operative to initiate the peer-to-peer media call, to detect a multiway media call escalation event and to transition the peer-to-peer media call to a multiway call session. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: FACEBOOK, INC.
    Inventors: Cameron James Pickett, Dwayne B Mercredi, David Kawai Wong
  • Patent number: 10965723
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes determining, by a computer server machine, that a callee-user is available for a communication session based on location information associated with a client system of the callee-user; sending, by the computer server machine, in response to determining that the callee-user is available, a notification to a client system of a caller-user indicating that the callee-user is available; receiving, by the computer server machine, a request from the client system of the caller-user to initiate the communication session; establishing, by the computer server machine, the communication session to enable a media stream comprising media captured at the client system of the caller-user to be received at the client system of a callee-user; and sending, by the computer server machine, the media captured at the client system of the caller-user to the client system of the callee-user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephane Taine, Edward Young Zhang, Dwayne B. Mercredi, Michael Leggett, Brendan Benjamin Aronoff, Peter Henry Martinazzi, Evan Patrick Noon, Duckjin Kang, John Randall Ehrhardt
  • Publication number: 20210023456
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes, by a client system of a first user, presenting a communication interface including a plurality of layers, wherein a first layer of the communication interface includes a video communication of the second user, and wherein a second layer of the communication interface includes a thumbnail view of a video communication of the first user, receiving a request from the second user to initiate a first game, receiving a user input indicative an acceptance of the request to initiate the first game, generating a game container containing the first game in a third layer of the communication interface, reducing the first layer to a thumbnail within the communication interface, and overlaying the first layer onto the third layer, wherein the second layer is closed responsive to the overlaying of the first layer onto the third layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Shyamalan Pather, Pablo Jose Barvo, Dwayne B. Mercredi
  • Patent number: 10835827
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes, by a client system of a first user, receiving an input to initiate a first game within a first layer of a communication interface, wherein the communication interface comprises one or more layers containing a live video communication between the first user and a second user, wherein the first layer comprises a video communication of the second user; executing a gaming protocol associated with the first game; generating a game container in a second layer of the communication interface to contain the first game in a full-screen view of the communication interface; reducing the first layer containing the video communication of the second user to a thumbnail within the communication interface; and overlaying, by the client system, the first layer onto the second layer based on one or more parameters set by the gaming protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Shyamalan Pather, Pablo Jose Barvo, Dwayne B. Mercredi
  • Patent number: 10771737
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and devices for transitioning phone calls to video calls. Specifically, one or more embodiments allow users to transition from an active phone call over a telephone network to a video call. One or more embodiments determine a first user identifier for a first user and a second user identifier for a second user. Additionally, the systems and methods identify user client devices actively performing the phone call based on the user identifiers and provide an option to the identified client devices to switch the phone call to the video call. Transitioning the phone call to a video call involves generating a null connection prior to selection of the option to transition to the video call and then streaming media between the client devices using the generated null connection in response to selection of the option.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: FACEBOOK, INC.
    Inventors: Dwayne B. Mercredi, Pavol Mravec
  • Publication number: 20200162522
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes determining, by a computer server machine, that a callee-user is available for a communication session based on location information associated with a client system of the callee-user; sending, by the computer server machine, in response to determining that the callee-user is available, a notification to a client system of a caller-user indicating that the callee-user is available; receiving, by the computer server machine, a request from the client system of the caller-user to initiate the communication session; establishing, by the computer server machine, the communication session to enable a media stream comprising media captured at the client system of the caller-user to be received at the client system of a callee-user; and sending, by the computer server machine, the media captured at the client system of the caller-user to the client system of the callee-user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Stephane Taine, Edward Young Zhang, Dwayne B. Mercredi, Michael Leggett, Brendan Benjamin Aronoff, Peter Henry Martinazzi, Evan Patrick Noon, Duckjin Kang, John Randall Ehrhardt
  • Patent number: 10652285
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes sending an availability-notification a caller-user in response to an occurrence of a trigger event; establishing a call session to enable a media stream comprising media of the caller-user that is of a first type to be received by a callee-user; sending the media of the first media type to the callee-user; re-establishing the call session to enable a media stream comprising media of the callee-user that is of a second media type to be received by the caller-user; and sending the media of the second media type to the caller-user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephane Taine, Edward Young Zhang, Dwayne B. Mercredi, Michael Leggett, Brendan Benjamin Aronoff, Peter Henry Martinazzi, Evan Patrick Noon, Duckjin Kang, John Randall Ehrhardt
  • Patent number: 10609093
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes determining an occurrence of a trigger event; sending a notification to the caller-user; receiving a request from the caller-user to initiate the call session; establishing the call session to enable a media stream of the caller-user to be received by the callee-user; and sending the media stream to the callee-user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephane Taine, Edward Young Zhang, Dwayne B. Mercredi, Michael Leggett, Brendan Benjamin Aronoff, Peter Henry Martinazzi, Evan Patrick Noon, Duckjin Kang, John Randall Ehrhardt
  • Patent number: 10600224
    Abstract: Techniques for animating stickers with sound include receiving audio input by a first mobile device; animating a selected image according to an energy level of the audio input using a set of animation frames associated with the selected image in a user interface view of an application executing on the first mobile device; and presenting the animated image concurrently with receiving the audio input. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: FACEBOOK, INC.
    Inventors: Patricia Anne McKenzie, Duckjin Kang, Dwayne B Mercredi, Aaron Nech
  • Patent number: 10499010
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer server machine receives, from one or more client devices, one or more video streams associated with a video session associated with one or more users. The one or more users are respectively associated with each client device. The computer server machine analyzes the one or more video streams to identify an interesting event and generates a marker for the one or more video streams based on a time associated with the identified interesting event. The computer server machine sends information regarding the marker to the one or more client devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwayne B. Mercredi, Pavol Mravec, Chi Wang Ho, Naizhi Li
  • Publication number: 20190215483
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer server machine receives, from one or more client devices, one or more video streams associated with a video session associated with one or more users. The one or more users are respectively associated with each client device. The computer server machine analyzes the one or more video streams to identify an interesting event and generates a marker for the one or more video streams based on a time associated with the identified interesting event. The computer server machine sends information regarding the marker to the one or more client devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Dwayne B. Mercredi, Pavol Mravec, Chi Wang Ho, Naizhi Li
  • Patent number: 10325395
    Abstract: Techniques for animating stickers with sound include receiving audio input by a first mobile device; animating a selected image according to an energy level of the audio input using a set of animation frames associated with the selected image in a user interface view of an application executing on the first mobile device; and presenting the animated image concurrently with receiving the audio input. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: FACEBOOK, INC.
    Inventors: Patricia Anne Mckenzie, Duckjin Kang, Dwayne B Mercredi, Aaron Nech
  • Publication number: 20190082023
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes launching, by a client system of a first user, a video-call session to enable a video stream for display in a small-overlay-window on a display of the client system of the first user; receiving, by the client system of the first user, a video stream comprising video from a client system of a second user; determining at least one property for the small-overlay-window based on information associated with the second user; and displaying the video stream in the small-overlay-window, wherein the small-overlay-window is customized based on the determined at least one property, and wherein the small-overlay-window is positioned directly over an interface of an active application running on the client system of the first user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Stephane Taine, Edward Young Zhang, Dwayne B. Mercredi, Michael Leggett, Brendan Benjamin Aronoff, Peter Henry Martinazzi, Evan Patrick Noon, Duckjin Kang, John Randall Ehrhardt
  • Patent number: 10187484
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes launching, by a client system of a first user, a video-call session; receiving, by the client system of the first user, a video stream including video captured at a client system of a second user; and displaying the video stream in a small-overlay-window on a display of the client system of the first user, wherein the small-overlay-window is positioned over an active application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephane Taine, Edward Young Zhang, Dwayne B. Mercredi, Michael Leggett, Brendan Benjamin Aronoff, Peter Henry Martinazzi, Evan Patrick Noon, Duckjin Kang, John Randall Ehrhardt
  • Patent number: 10148910
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer server machine receives, from one or more client devices, one or more video streams associated with a video session associated with one or more users. The one or more users are respectively associated with each client device. The computer server machine analyzes the one or more video streams to identify an interesting event and generates a marker for the one or more video streams based on a time associated with the identified interesting event. The computer server machine sends information regarding the marker to the one or more client devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwayne B. Mercredi, Pavol Mravec, Chi Wang Ho, Naizhi Li
  • Publication number: 20180300100
    Abstract: Techniques are described for determining what effects to apply to audiovisual content. An effect that is applied to audiovisual content may be an audio effect. When applied to an audiovisual content, an audio effect modifies an audio portion of the audiovisual content. The modified audiovisual content resulting from applying the effects to the audiovisual content may then be output via a user's device. For example, the modified audiovisual content may be output via an application executed by the user's device (e.g., a camera application) that is configured to output audiovisual content. An effect to be applied to audiovisual content may be determined based on various criteria such as, without limitation, attributes of the audiovisual content (e.g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Scott Snibbe, William J. Littlejohn, Dwayne B. Mercredi
  • Patent number: 10033963
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer server machine maintains a persistent real-time group chatroom comprising one or more participants. At any given time, zero or more participants are active in the group chatroom. The computer server machine receives one or more video streams associated with a video session associated with one or more users. The video streams are communicated from one or more client devices with each client device respectively associated with the one or more users. The computer server machine provides a notification to one or more non-active participants, wherein the one or more non-active participants are not active in the persistent real-time group chatroom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwayne B. Mercredi, Chi Wang Ho, Pavol Mravec