Patents by Inventor Frank Maker

Frank Maker 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: 20250138888
    Abstract: In one aspect, disclosed in a method for use in connection with a local area network (LAN) system comprising a group of multiple devices that includes a first device and a separate set of devices. The method includes: the first device determining that a machine learning (ML)-based task is to be performed; the first device broadcasting to the separate set of devices, a ML-based task request for the ML-based task, (i) wherein the separate set of devices are configured to perform an arbitration process to select a second device, and (ii) wherein the second device is configured to perform the ML-based task in accordance with the ML-based task request, thereby generating ML-based task output, and to transmit the generated ML-based task output to the first device; and the first device receiving the generated output from the second device and using the received output to facilitate performing one or more operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2023
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventors: Frank Maker, Brian James Hetherman, Ian M. McIntosh
  • Publication number: 20250061799
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product aspects, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for locating a remote control. An example aspect operates by transmitting an encoded radio frequency to wake-up a proximate television remote and initiate a “find my remote” process. A passive circuit integrated within the television remote receives the transmitted encoded radio frequency signal. Once awake, the television remote may provide an indicator of location to a proximate user. Another example aspect operates by transmitting high frequency radar to a radar transponder circuit within the television remote so that it becomes visible to the radar. Once the transponder is activated, the radar may locate the television remote relative to the television and display the location of the television remote on-screen, on a mobile device screen, or other locator indicator constructs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2023
    Publication date: February 20, 2025
    Inventors: NEIL JOHNSON, FRANK MAKER, CARL SASSENRATH
  • Publication number: 20240428792
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling response to a voice-command utterance. An example method includes a computing system that is associated with the first device carrying out operations upon the first device receiving the voice-command utterance. The operations include (a) making a determination of whether any of one or more second devices received the voice-command utterance before the first device received the voice-command utterance and (b) controlling whether the computing system will trigger an action in response to the first device receiving the voice-command utterance, with the controlling being based on the determination of whether any of the one or more second devices received the voice-command utterance before the first device received the voice-command utterance. In an example implementation, the action could be controlling operation of a control target such as one or more lights.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2024
    Publication date: December 26, 2024
    Inventors: Soren Riise, Frank Maker, Carl Sassenrath, Abhay Bhorkar
  • Publication number: 20240364968
    Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) obtaining, by a media player of a media presentation system, an audio signal, where the audio signal includes a voice command and is obtained using a microphone of the media presentation system; (ii) identifying, by the media player, which of multiple speakers of a household uttered the voice command using the audio signal and a speaker-identification model; (iii) performing, by the media player, an action corresponding to the voice command; and (iv) based on the identifying of the speaker using the audio signal and the speaker-identification model, selecting, by the media player, a user profile associated with the identified speaker within a streaming channel so as to bypass a profile selection screen of the streaming channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Inventor: Frank Maker
  • Patent number: 12118997
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling response to a voice-command utterance. An example method includes a computing system that is associated with the first device carrying out operations upon the first device receiving the voice-command utterance. The operations include (a) making a determination of whether any of one or more second devices received the voice-command utterance before the first device received the voice-command utterance and (b) controlling whether the computing system will trigger an action in response to the first device receiving the voice-command utterance, with the controlling being based on the determination of whether any of the one or more second devices received the voice-command utterance before the first device received the voice-command utterance. In an example implementation, the action could be controlling operation of a control target such as one or more lights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Soren Riise, Frank Maker, Carl Sassenrath, Abhay Bhorkar
  • Patent number: 12075119
    Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) obtaining, by a media player of a media presentation system, an audio signal, where the audio signal includes a voice command and is obtained using a microphone of the media presentation system; (ii) identifying, by the media player, which of multiple speakers of a household uttered the voice command using the audio signal and a speaker-identification model; (iii) performing, by the media player, an action corresponding to the voice command; and (iv) based on the identifying of the speaker using the audio signal and the speaker-identification model, selecting, by the media player, a user profile associated with the identified speaker within a streaming channel so as to bypass a profile selection screen of the streaming channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventor: Frank Maker
  • Publication number: 20240177712
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for selecting a digital assistant from among multiple digital assistants. An embodiment operates by receiving a voice input containing a trigger word at a first voice adapter associated with a digital assistant that generates a first confidence score for the trigger word. The embodiment further receives the voice input at a second voice adapter that generates a second confidence score for the trigger word. The embodiment determines the first confidence score is higher than the second confidence score. The embodiment selects the digital assistant based on the determining.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2024
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Applicant: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank MAKER, Andrey Eltsov, Robert Curtis, Gregory Medding
  • Patent number: 11935537
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for selecting a digital assistant from among multiple digital assistants. An embodiment operates by receiving a voice input containing a trigger word at a first voice adapter associated with a digital assistant that generates a first confidence score for the trigger word. The embodiment further receives the voice input at a second voice adapter that generates a second confidence score for the trigger word. The embodiment determines the first confidence score is higher than the second confidence score. The embodiment selects the digital assistant based on the determining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Maker, Andrey Eltsov, Robert Curtis, Gregory Medding
  • Publication number: 20230403430
    Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) obtaining, by a media player of a media presentation system, an audio signal, where the audio signal includes a voice command and is obtained using a microphone of the media presentation system; (ii) identifying, by the media player, which of multiple speakers of a household uttered the voice command using the audio signal and a speaker-identification model; (iii) performing, by the media player, an action corresponding to the voice command; and (iv) based on the identifying of the speaker using the audio signal and the speaker-identification model, selecting, by the media player, a user profile associated with the identified speaker within a streaming channel so as to bypass a profile selection screen of the streaming channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventor: Frank Maker
  • Publication number: 20230252992
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for selecting a digital assistant from among multiple digital assistants. An embodiment operates by receiving a voice input containing a trigger word at a first voice adapter associated with a digital assistant that generates a first confidence score for the trigger word. The embodiment further receives the voice input at a second voice adapter that generates a second confidence score for the trigger word. The embodiment determines the first confidence score is higher than the second confidence score. The embodiment selects the digital assistant based on the determining.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank MAKER, Andrey ELTSOV, Robert CURTIS, Gregory MEDDING
  • Patent number: 11664026
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for selecting a digital assistant from among multiple digital assistants. An embodiment operates by receiving a voice input containing a trigger word at a first voice adapter associated with a digital assistant that generates a first confidence score for the trigger word. The embodiment further receives the voice input at a second voice adapter that generates a second confidence score for the trigger word. The embodiment determines the first confidence score is higher than the second confidence score. The embodiment selects the digital assistant based on the determining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Maker, Andrey Eltsov, Robert Curtis, Gregory Medding
  • Patent number: 11641505
    Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) obtaining, by a media player of a media presentation system, an audio signal, where the audio signal includes a voice command and is obtained using a microphone of the media presentation system; (ii) identifying, by the media player, which of multiple speakers of a household uttered the voice command using the audio signal and a speaker-identification model; (iii) performing, by the media player, an action corresponding to the voice command; and (iv) based on the identifying of the speaker using the audio signal and the speaker-identification model, selecting, by the media player, a user profile associated with the identified speaker within a streaming channel so as to bypass a profile selection screen of the streaming channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventor: Frank Maker
  • Patent number: 11489748
    Abstract: A processor and a memory connected to the processor store instructions executed by the processor to collect playback statistics including audio attributes or video attributes associated with playback of specified content from multiple devices, aggregate the playback statistics, and establish a playback configuration for the specified content based on the playback statistics. The specified device here may be a type of content player or server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: ROKU, INC.
    Inventors: Pat Brouillette, Frank Maker
  • Publication number: 20210383807
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for selecting a digital assistant from among multiple digital assistants. An embodiment operates by receiving a voice input containing a trigger word at a first voice adapter associated with a digital assistant that generates a first confidence score for the trigger word. The embodiment further receives the voice input at a second voice adapter that generates a second confidence score for the trigger word. The embodiment determines the first confidence score is higher than the second confidence score. The embodiment selects the digital assistant based on the determining.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Frank MAKER, Andrey ELTSOV, Robert CURTIS, Gregory MEDDING
  • Patent number: 11145298
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for selecting a digital assistant from among multiple digital assistants. An embodiment operates by receiving a voice input containing a trigger word at a first voice adapter associated with a digital assistant that generates a first confidence score for the trigger word. The embodiment further receives the voice input at a second voice adapter that generates a second confidence score for the trigger word. The embodiment determines the first confidence score is higher than the second confidence score. The embodiment selects the digital assistant based on the determining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Maker, Andrey Eltsov, Robert Curtis, Gregory Medding
  • Publication number: 20200313993
    Abstract: A processor and a memory connected to the processor store instructions executed by the processor to collect playback statistics including audio attributes or video attributes associated with playback of specified content from multiple devices, aggregate the playback statistics, and establish a playback configuration for the specified content based on the playback statistics. The specified device here may be a type of content player or server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Pat BROUILLETTE, Frank MAKER
  • Patent number: 10516591
    Abstract: A processor and a memory connected to the processor store instructions executed by the processor to collect playback statistics including audio attributes or video attributes associated with playback of specified content from multiple devices, perform an aggregation of the playback statistics, wherein the aggregation comprises a distribution of the audio attributes or video attributes associated with the playback of the specified content, identify a mean value of the distribution, and establish a playback configuration for the specified content based upon the mean value. Aggregation of audio attributes or video attributes may be for a specified device type, wherein the specified device type is a category of playback devices to which a device belongs. The specified device here may be a type of content player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Pat Brouillette, Frank Maker
  • Publication number: 20190251960
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for selecting a digital assistant from among multiple digital assistants. An embodiment operates by receiving a voice input containing a trigger word at a first voice adapter associated with a digital assistant that generates a first confidence score for the trigger word. The embodiment further receives the voice input at a second voice adapter that generates a second confidence score for the trigger word. The embodiment determines the first confidence score is higher than the second confidence score. The embodiment selects the digital assistant based on the determining.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Frank MAKER, Andrey Eltsov, Robert Curtis, Gregory Medding
  • Publication number: 20180216484
    Abstract: A fluid induced instability detection system and method is provided to monitor various vibration characteristics of a turbomachine. The fluid induced instability detection system detects abnormalities in the vibration data and provides an indication of one or more potential faults in the turbomachine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Kiran VANGARI, Edward MICHEL, Scott Alan WOOD, Timothy Frank MAKER
  • Publication number: 20170366434
    Abstract: A processor and a memory connected to the processor store instructions executed by the processor to collect playback statistics including audio attributes or video attributes associated with playback of specified content from multiple devices, perform an aggregation of the playback statistics, wherein the aggregation comprises a distribution of the audio attributes or video attributes associated with the playback of the specified content, identify a mean value of the distribution, and establish a playback configuration for the specified content based upon the mean value. Aggregation of audio attributes or video attributes may be for a specified device type, wherein the specified device type is a category of playback devices to which a device belongs. The specified device here may be a type of content player.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Applicant: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Pat Brouillette, Frank Maker