Patents by Inventor James H. Stephens, Jr.

James H. Stephens, Jr. 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: 10225591
    Abstract: Provided are methods and systems whereby a user device can monitor the attributes of content presented to a plurality of users. The user device can monitor interaction between each of the plurality of users and one or more of the content and the user device. The user device can generate a plurality of profile clusters based on one or more of the monitored attributes and the monitored interactions over a time period. The user device can generate a plurality of user profiles based on the plurality of profile clusters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20160112735
    Abstract: Provided are methods and systems whereby a user device can monitor the attributes of content presented to a plurality of users. The user device can monitor interaction between each of the plurality of users and one or more of the content and the user device. The user device can generate a plurality of profile clusters based on one or more of the monitored attributes and the monitored interactions over a time period. The user device can generate a plurality of user profiles based on the plurality of profile clusters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, JR.
  • Patent number: 9230017
    Abstract: Techniques for providing automated media commentary are provided. A user agent requests audio commentary for media. In response, a service searches data sources to identify the specified media, finds information related to those entities, generates text that represents those information, combines the text into a textual monologue, and synthesizes speech audio from that textual monologue. The service selects relevant information to be likely unknown to the user while also being desired by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Morphism LLC
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20150293979
    Abstract: An event processor accepts event representations that comprise perdurance and epistemological relationships among entities or entity references, and the event processor stores information derived from event representations in a datastore. A search component searches entities based on local epistemological and perdurance properties, and a perdurance engine traverses the perdurance relationships obtained from the datastore. An epistemological propagator generates derived epistemological relationships using the perdurance engine and local epistemological data obtained from the datastore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: Morphism LLC
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, JR.
  • Patent number: 9075830
    Abstract: An event processor accepts event representations that comprise perdurance and epistemological relationships among entities or entity references, and the event processor stores information derived from event representations in a datastore. A search component searches entities based on local epistemological and perdurance properties, and a perdurance engine traverses the perdurance relationships obtained from the datastore. An epistemological propagator generates derived epistemological relationships using the perdurance engine and local epistemological data obtained from the datastore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Morphism LLC
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9070365
    Abstract: Techniques for training and applying prosody models for speech synthesis are provided. A speech recognition engine processes audible speech to produce text annotated with prosody information. A prosody model is trained with this annotated text. After initial training, the model is applied during speech synthesis to generate speech with non-standard prosody from input text. Multiple prosody models can be used to represent different prosody styles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Morphism LLC
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20150012277
    Abstract: Techniques for training and applying prosody models for speech synthesis are provided. A speech recognition engine processes audible speech to produce text annotated with prosody information. A prosody model is trained with this annotated text. After initial training, the model is applied during speech synthesis to generate speech with non-standard prosody from input text. Multiple prosody models can be used to represent different prosody styles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: MORPHISM LLC
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, JR.
  • Patent number: 8881275
    Abstract: Techniques for verifying work performed by untrusted computing nodes are provided. A central computing system determines a first computation that is to be performed, at least in part, by a first untrusted computing node. The central computing system also determines a transformation function that is applied to the first computation to produce an equivalent second computation that is to be performed, at least in part, by a second untrusted computing node. The central computing system assigns the first computation to the first untrusted computing node and the second computation to the second untrusted computing node while keeping the transformation function secret. The central computing system receives a first result for the first computation and a second result for the second computation. The central computing system analyzes the first and second results to verify the work performed by the first and second untrusted computing nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8856008
    Abstract: Techniques for training and applying prosody models for speech synthesis are provided. A speech recognition engine processes audible speech to produce text annotated with prosody information. A prosody model is trained with this annotated text. After initial training, the model is applied during speech synthesis to generate speech with non-standard prosody from input text. Multiple prosody models can be used to represent different prosody styles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Morphism LLC
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8793210
    Abstract: Methods evaluating propositions about timeseries are provided. A service accepts a proposition about one or more timeseries, and the service monitors those timeseries. A proposition can reference multiple timeseries with different time intervals and different units. When new data is available, the service evaluates the proposition to determine if the proposition is true, false, or neither. The service automatically performs unit conversions and selects relevant, previously observed values before evaluating a proposition when new data is available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Morphism, LLC
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20140200895
    Abstract: Techniques for providing automated media commentary are provided. A user agent requests audio commentary for media. In response, a service searches data sources to identify the specified media, finds information related to those entities, generates text that represents those information, combines the text into a textual monologue, and synthesizes speech audio from that textual monologue. The service selects relevant information to be likely unknown to the user while also being desired by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, JR.
  • Publication number: 20140129555
    Abstract: Methods and systems for collaborative, incremental specification of identities are provided. Users of an information processing system collaborate to define and refine identities of entities, and users can create references for those identities. Relationships among the identifiers imply related keywords that can be used to improve search, navigation, and integration. Relationship factoring can be used to maintain efficient logical and physical representations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, JR.
  • Patent number: 8706494
    Abstract: Methods and systems for providing a network-accessible text-to-speech synthesis service are provided. The service accepts content as input. After extracting textual content from the input content, the service transforms the content into a format suitable for high-quality speech synthesis. Additionally, the service produces audible advertisements, which are combined with the synthesized speech. The audible advertisements themselves can be generated from textual advertisement content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Aeromee Development L.L.C.
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8700663
    Abstract: Various implementations for contextual keyword-based access control are disclosed comprising one or more methods, systems, computer-readable media comprising instructions, and devices for annotating content with keywords, assigning a user to a group, associating the group with the keywords in a context and determining a privilege for the user to access the content based on the keywords, the context and the group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8683493
    Abstract: Technologies described herein generally relate to allocating annunciators to provide annunciations in response to annunciation requests in a computing device. The computing device may include a platform application, which may be configured to receive annunciation requests from applications for providing annunciations. The platform application may discover annunciators capable of providing the at least one annunciation. The platform application may schedule the annunciation request with one of the discovered annunciators and upon scheduling the annunciation request with one of the discovered annunciator, may cause the scheduled annunciator to provide the annunciation in response to the annunciation request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20140082191
    Abstract: Techniques for verifying work performed by untrusted computing nodes are provided. A central computing system determines a first computation that is to be performed, at least in part, by a first untrusted computing node. The central computing system also determines a transformation function that is applied to the first computation to produce an equivalent second computation that is to be performed, at least in part, by a second untrusted computing node. The central computing system assigns the first computation to the first untrusted computing node and the second computation to the second untrusted computing node while keeping the transformation function secret. The central computing system receives a first result for the first computation and a second result for the second computation. The central computing system analyzes the first and second results to verify the work performed by the first and second untrusted computing nodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: Empire Technology Development LLC
    Inventor: James H. STEPHENS, JR.
  • Patent number: 8661537
    Abstract: Techniques for verifying work performed by untrusted computing nodes are provided. A central computing system determines a first computation that is to be performed, at least in part, by a first untrusted computing node. The central computing system also determines a transformation function that is applied to the first computation to produce an equivalent second computation that is to be performed, at least in part, by a second untrusted computing node. The central computing system assigns the first computation to the first untrusted computing node and the second computation to the second untrusted computing node while keeping the transformation function secret. The central computing system receives a first result for the first computation and a second result for the second computation. The central computing system analyzes the first and second results to verify the work performed by the first and second untrusted computing nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20140019138
    Abstract: Techniques for training and applying prosody models for speech synthesis are provided. A speech recognition engine processes audible speech to produce text annotated with prosody information. A prosody model is trained with this annotated text. After initial training, the model is applied during speech synthesis to generate speech with non-standard prosody from input text. Multiple prosody models can be used to represent different prosody styles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: Morphism LLC
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, JR.
  • Patent number: 8577883
    Abstract: Methods and systems for collaborative, incremental specification of identities are provided. Users of an information processing system collaborate to define and refine identities of entities, and users can create references for those identities. Relationships among the identifiers imply related keywords that can be used to improve search, navigation, and integration. Relationship factoring can be used to maintain efficient logical and physical representations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Morphism LLC
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, Jr.
  • Patent number: RE44794
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for representing and navigating search results from a database on a computer system. A graphical user interface is generated to receive user input including a data source to search for information and a query indicating information which is desired from the data source. The user input is transmitted to the data source, the search is performed and information responsive to the query resulting from the search is received from the data source. The search results include characteristics of the responsive information. The responsive information is clustered into a plurality groups based on selected characteristic information and the user may select at least one group of the responsive information to be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Frederick Monocacy LLC
    Inventor: James H. Stephens, Jr.