Patents by Inventor Keith Ponting
Keith Ponting 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).
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Publication number: 20220006976Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and computer-readable media for detecting disturbances in a media stream from a participant on a communication. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving biometric information indicating a motion of the participant and determining that the motion indicates a visual disturbance in a video component of the first media stream. The method further provides identifying the visual disturbance in the video component of the first media stream and removing the visual disturbance from the video component of the first media stream.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2021Publication date: January 6, 2022Inventors: John F. Buford, Mehmet C. Balasaygun, Keith Ponting, Wendy Holmes
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Patent number: 11140359Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and computer-readable media for detecting disturbances in a media stream from a participant on a communication. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving biometric information indicating a motion of the participant and determining that the motion indicates a visual disturbance in a video component of the first media stream. The method further provides identifying the visual disturbance in the video component of the first media stream and removing the visual disturbance from the video component of the first media stream.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2019Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: AVAYA INC.Inventors: John F. Buford, Mehmet C. Balasaygun, Keith Ponting, Wendy Holmes
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Patent number: 10469802Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and computer readable media for detecting disturbances in a media stream from a participant on a communication. In a particular embodiment, a method provides identifying disturbance criteria defining a plurality of audible disturbances, a plurality of visual disturbances, and a plurality of communication disturbances. The method further provides identifying one or more audible disturbances from an audio component of the media stream based on predefined disturbance criteria and identifying one or more visual disturbances from a video component of the media stream based on the disturbance criteria. Additionally, the method provides correlating the audible disturbances with the visual disturbances to determine one or more combined disturbances for the participant based on the disturbance criteria, wherein each of the combined disturbances comprises at least one of the audible disturbances and at least one of the visual disturbances.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2015Date of Patent: November 5, 2019Assignee: Avaya Inc.Inventors: John F. Buford, Mehmet C. Balasaygun, Keith Ponting, Wendy Holmes
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Patent number: 10354654Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and computer readable media for analyzing a conversation between a plurality of participants. In a particular embodiment, a method provides determining a first speaker from the plurality of participants and determining a second speaker from the plurality of participants. The method further provides determining a first plurality of turns comprising portions of the conversation when the first speaker is speaking and determining a second plurality of turns comprising portions of the conversation when the second speaker is speaking The method also provides determining per-turn statistics for turns of the first and second pluralities of turns and identifying phases of the conversation based on the per-turn statistics.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2014Date of Patent: July 16, 2019Assignee: Avaya Inc.Inventors: Keith Ponting, Rein Sikveland, David Zeitlyn
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Publication number: 20190199968Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and computer-readable media for detecting disturbances in a media stream from a participant on a communication. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving biometric information indicating a motion of the participant and determining that the motion indicates a visual disturbance in a video component of the first media stream. The method further provides identifying the visual disturbance in the video component of the first media stream and removing the visual disturbance from the video component of the first media stream.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2019Publication date: June 27, 2019Inventors: John F. Buford, Mehmet C. Balasaygun, Keith Ponting, Wendy Holmes
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Patent number: 10229676Abstract: Methods and systems for identifying specified phrases within audio streams are provided. More particularly, a phrase is specified. An audio stream is them monitored for the phrase. In response to determining that the audio stream contains the phrase, verification from a user that the phrase was in fact included in the audio stream is requested. If such verification is received, the portion of the audio stream including the phrase is recorded. The recorded phrase can then be applied to identify future instances of the phrase in monitored audio streams.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2012Date of Patent: March 12, 2019Assignee: Avaya Inc.Inventors: Shmuel Shaffer, Keith Ponting, Valentine C. Matula
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Patent number: 10141011Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and computer readable media for analyzing a conversation between a plurality of participants. In a particular embodiment, a method provides determining a first speaker from the plurality of participants and determining a second speaker from the plurality of participants. The method further provides determining a first plurality of turns comprising portions of the conversation when the first speaker is speaking and determining a second plurality of turns comprising portions of the conversation when the second speaker is speaking. The method further provides determining a characterization for quality of the conversation based on gaps between turns of the first plurality of turns and turns of the second plurality of turns.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2014Date of Patent: November 27, 2018Assignee: Avaya Inc.Inventors: Rein Sikveland, David Zeitlyn, Keith Ponting
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Patent number: 9602666Abstract: An event associated with a communication session between a first party and a second party is detected. The event is related to the communication session. For example, the event may be a phrase spoken in the communication session or a presentation of a call progression screen to a contact center agent. At this point, the communication session is analyzed for a period of non-communication that meets a defined threshold during a monitoring period associated with the event. If a period of non-communication is detected that is longer than the threshold during the monitoring period, the period of non-communication is flagged. The flagged period of non-communication can then be used to evaluate how a contact center agent is performing.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2015Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignee: Avaya Inc.Inventors: Keith Ponting, Wendy J Holmes, David Skiba
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Patent number: 9595264Abstract: To detect events in an audio stream, frames of an audio signal (e.g., frames generated by a codec for a voice call or music stream) are received. Based on information in the frames, an index is used to look up an entry in a table associated with the codec. Each entry in the table indicates a likelihood that a frame matches a sound model element. The likelihood is used in the search for a sound bite, word, and/or phrase in the audio signal. The process of dynamic programming is used to find the combined likelihood for a match of the word, phrase, and/or sound bite to a region of the audio stream. Upon detection of the word, phrase, and/or sound bite in the audio stream, an event is generated, such as, notifying a person or logging the event in a database.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2014Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: Avaya Inc.Inventors: John Jacob, Keith Ponting, Wendy J. Holmes
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Publication number: 20170048492Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and computer readable media for detecting disturbances in a media stream from a participant on a communication. In a particular embodiment, a method provides identifying disturbance criteria defining a plurality of audible disturbances, a plurality of visual disturbances, and a plurality of communication disturbances. The method further provides identifying one or more audible disturbances from an audio component of the media stream based on predefined disturbance criteria and identifying one or more visual disturbances from a video component of the media stream based on the disturbance criteria. Additionally, the method provides correlating the audible disturbances with the visual disturbances to determine one or more combined disturbances for the participant based on the disturbance criteria, wherein each of the combined disturbances comprises at least one of the audible disturbances and at least one of the visual disturbances.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2015Publication date: February 16, 2017Inventors: John F. Buford, Mehmet C. Balasaygun, Keith Ponting, Wendy Holmes
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Publication number: 20170004178Abstract: Conferences comprise a number of listening, viewing, and/or speaking participants. A conference participant may ask a question or make a statement that can be answered or verified against an authoritative source. A reference validity checker is provided to receive the conference content, recorded or in real-time, determine that a question or statement was made that can be answered or verified, query a knowledgebase, and present indicia of the response. The indicia may be an indicator (e.g., true/false, verified, etc.) and/or a link to a source, such as a particular entry in a knowledgebase. The knowledgebase may be selected from internal sources or external sources depending on factors, such as the type of question/statement or topic associated therewith. The indicia may annotate a transcript or recording of the conference so that a subsequent review may have the ability to locate the source of the answer/response as desired.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2015Publication date: January 5, 2017Inventors: Keith Ponting, Wendy J. Holmes, David Skiba, Ajita John
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Patent number: 9491293Abstract: Agents of a contact center often encounter conversational delays when speaking with a customer. These delays may be introduced by transmission delays, which include the distance between the agent and the customer, and processing delays, such as those introduced by systems and processes within a contact center. By providing an agent with information based on the amount of the delay, the agent can be prompted to overtalk the customer by a target amount. As a result, the customer may experience a more natural conversation with the agent. Furthermore, if a customer prefers more or less of a delay, such as based on their cultural norms, the delay may be modified to account for those cultural norms and better accommodate the conversational preferences of a diverse customer base.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2015Date of Patent: November 8, 2016Assignee: Avaya Inc.Inventors: Valentine C. Matula, Keith Ponting
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Publication number: 20160301803Abstract: An event associated with a communication session between a first party and a second party is detected. The event is related to the communication session. For example, the event may be a phrase spoken in the communication session or a presentation of a call progression screen to a contact center agent. At this point, the communication session is analyzed for a period of non-communication that meets a defined threshold during a monitoring period associated with the event. If a period of non-communication is detected that is longer than the threshold during the monitoring period, the period of non-communication is flagged. The flagged period of non-communication can then be used to evaluate how a contact center agent is performing.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2015Publication date: October 13, 2016Inventors: Keith Ponting, Wendy J. Holmes, David Skiba
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Patent number: 9456075Abstract: In order to detect a specific codec sequence being used, a signal that is based on a codec sequence is analyzed. The signal is analyzed to determine if there is a pattern in the signal. A pattern of a codec sequence can be a unique pattern of frames, frequencies and/or frequency ranges that are generated based on a specific codec sequence. The pattern is compared to one or more previously stored patterns of codec sequences to see if there is a match. If there is a match, an event is generated. For example, if a known codec sequence that has a poor signal quality is determined to be in use for a voice call, the parties may be notified that the call is likely to be a low quality voice call.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2014Date of Patent: September 27, 2016Assignee: Avaya Inc.Inventors: Keith Ponting, David Skiba, Valentine C. Matula
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Publication number: 20160140223Abstract: System and method to search audio data, including: receiving audio data representing speech; receiving a search query related to the audio data; compiling, by use of a processor, the search query into a hierarchy of scored speech recognition sub-searches; searching, by use of a processor, the audio data for speech identified by one or more of the sub-searches to produce hits; and combining, by use of a processor, the hits by use of at least one combination function to provide a composite search score of the audio data. The combination function may include an at-least-M-of-N function that produces a high score when at least M of N function inputs exceed a predetermined threshold value. The composite search score employ a soft time window such as a spline function.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2016Publication date: May 19, 2016Inventor: Keith Ponting
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Publication number: 20160112567Abstract: Agents of a contact center often encounter conversational delays when speaking with a customer. These delays may be introduced by transmission delays, which include the distance between the agent and the customer, and processing delays, such as those introduced by systems and processes within a contact center. By providing an agent with information based on the amount of the delay, the agent can be prompted to overtalk the customer by a target amount. As a result, the customer may experience a more natural conversation with the agent. Furthermore, if a customer prefers more or less of a delay, such as based on their cultural norms, the delay may be modified to account for those cultural norms and better accommodate the conversational preferences of a diverse customer base.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2015Publication date: April 21, 2016Inventors: Valentine C. Matula, Keith Ponting
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Publication number: 20160105543Abstract: In order to detect a specific codec sequence being used, a signal that is based on a codec sequence is analyzed. The signal is analyzed to determine if there is a pattern in the signal. A pattern of a codec sequence can be a unique pattern of frames, frequencies and/or frequency ranges that are generated based on a specific codec sequence. The pattern is compared to one or more previously stored patterns of codec sequences to see if there is a match. If there is a match, an event is generated. For example, if a known codec sequence that has a poor signal quality is determined to be in use for a voice call, the parties may be notified that the call is likely to be a low quality voice call.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2014Publication date: April 14, 2016Inventors: Keith Ponting, David Skiba, Valentine C. Matula
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Publication number: 20160098999Abstract: To detect events in an audio stream, frames of an audio signal (e.g., frames generated by a codec for a voice call or music stream) are received. Based on information in the frames, an index is used to look up an entry in a table associated with the codec. Each entry in the table indicates a likelihood that a frame matches a sound model element. The likelihood is used in the search for a sound bite, word, and/or phrase in the audio signal. The process of dynamic programming is used to find the combined likelihood for a match of the word, phrase, and/or sound bite to a region of the audio stream. Upon detection of the word, phrase, and/or sound bite in the audio stream, an event is generated, such as, notifying a person or logging the event in a database.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2014Publication date: April 7, 2016Inventors: John Jacob, Keith Ponting, Wendy J. Holmes
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Patent number: 9258421Abstract: Agents of a contact center often encounter conversational delays when speaking with a customer. These delays may be introduced by transmission delays, which include the distance between the agent and the customer, and processing delays, such as those introduced by systems and processes within a contact center. By providing an agent with information based on the amount of the delay, the agent can be prompted to overtalk the customer by a target amount. As a result, the customer may experience a more natural conversation with the agent. Furthermore, if a customer prefers more or less of a delay, such as based on their cultural norms, the delay may be modified to account for those cultural norms and better accommodate the conversational preferences of a diverse customer base.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2014Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: Avaya Inc.Inventors: Valentine C. Matula, Keith Ponting
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Publication number: 20150364130Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and computer readable media for analyzing a conversation between a plurality of participants. In a particular embodiment, a method provides determining a first speaker from the plurality of participants and determining a second speaker from the plurality of participants. The method further provides determining a first plurality of turns comprising portions of the conversation when the first speaker is speaking and determining a second plurality of turns comprising portions of the conversation when the second speaker is speaking The method also provides determining per-turn statistics for turns of the first and second pluralities of turns and identifying phases of the conversation based on the per-turn statistics.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2014Publication date: December 17, 2015Inventors: Keith Ponting, Rein Sikveland, David Zeitlyn