Patents by Inventor Mark Alan Fanty
Mark Alan Fanty 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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Patent number: 10235620Abstract: The operation of an application on a first device may be guided by a user operating a second device. The application on the first device may present a character on a display of the first device and obtain an audio signal of speech of a user of the first device. Audio data may be transmitted to the second device and corresponding audio may be played from speakers of the second device. The second device may present suggestions of phrases to be spoken by the character displayed on the first device. A user of the second device may select a phrase to be spoken by the character. Phrase data may be transmitted to the first device, and the first device may generate audio of the character speaking the phrase using a text-to-speech voice associated with the character.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2017Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: The Affinity Project, Inc.Inventors: Ronald Steven Suskind, John Nguyen, Stuart R. Patterson, Stephen R. Springer, Mark Alan Fanty
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Patent number: 10140882Abstract: A service may be provided that allows interacting users to interact with characters presented by devices of the interacting users. The operation of the character presented to an interacting user may be customized for that interacting user. For example, a first controlling user may specify first information for configuring or controlling the operation of the character when the character is interacting with a first interacting user, and a second controlling user may specify second information for configuring or controlling the operation of the character when the character is interacting with a second interacting user. The information provided by a controlling user may be used to select a segment to be used for a session between an interacting user and the character.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2016Date of Patent: November 27, 2018Assignee: The Affinity Project, Inc.Inventors: Mark Alan Fanty, Ronald Steven Suskind, Stuart R. Patterson, John Nguyen, Stephen R. Springer
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Publication number: 20170345324Abstract: A service may be provided that allows interacting users to interact with characters presented by devices of the interacting users. The operation of the character presented to an interacting user may be customized for that interacting user. For example, a first controlling user may specify first information for configuring or controlling the operation of the character when the character is interacting with a first interacting user, and a second controlling user may specify second information for configuring or controlling the operation of the character when the character is interacting with a second interacting user. The information provided by a controlling user may be used to select a segment to be used for a session between an interacting user and the character.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2016Publication date: November 30, 2017Applicant: The Affinity Project, Inc.Inventors: Mark Alan Fanty, Ronald Steven Suskind, Stuart R. Patterson, John Nguyen, Stephen R. Springer
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Publication number: 20170340256Abstract: Assistance may be provided to a first user of a first device by monitoring sensors of the first device and providing assistance via a character presented by the device. Sensor data, such as audio, video, or biometric data, may be transmitted to a server, and a server may process the sensor data to determine a state of the first user. The server may determine to request assistance based on the state of the first user. The server may then send a request to a second device of a second user to guide the character presented by the first device. The second user may then provide assistance to the first user by guiding the character presented by the first device.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2016Publication date: November 30, 2017Applicant: The Affinity Project, Inc.Inventors: Ronald Steven Suskind, Stuart R. Patterson, John Nguyen, Mark Alan Fanty, Stephen R. Springer, Erik Martin Gregory
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Patent number: 9802125Abstract: A first user of a first device may interact with a character presented on the first device where the character presented on the first device is guided by a second user of a second device. To begin a communications session, the first user may request to communicate with the character. A server may process the request to speak with the character and identify the second user from a plurality of guiding users, where the second user is identified by comparing profile information of the first user with profile information of the second user. The server may then send a request to the second device of the second user to guide the character presented by the first device. The first user may then communicate with the character with the guidance of the second user.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2016Date of Patent: October 31, 2017Assignee: The Affinity Project, Inc.Inventors: Ronald Steven Suskind, Stuart R. Patterson, John Nguyen, Mark Alan Fanty, Stephen R. Springer, Erik Martin Gregory
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Patent number: 9792825Abstract: A user of a device may interact with a character presented by the device. A session between the user and the character may be started by a user, may be triggered by an event, or may be started in other ways. The user of the of the device may be associated with one or more trigger events. Information about the trigger events may be obtained and processed to determine when a trigger event has occurred. When a trigger event has occurred, a session may be started on the device with the character. A segment may be selected to be presented during the session, and an interaction corresponding to the segment may be presented by the character to the user. For example, the character may speak a phrase using a text-to-speech voice.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2016Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: The Affinity Project, Inc.Inventors: Mark Alan Fanty, Ronald Steven Suskind, Stuart R. Patterson, John Nguyen, Stephen R. Springer
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Publication number: 20170220922Abstract: The operation of an application on a first device may be guided by a user operating a second device. The application on the first device may present a character on a display of the first device and obtain an audio signal of speech of a user of the first device. Audio data may be transmitted to the second device and corresponding audio may be played from speakers of the second device. The second device may present suggestions of phrases to be spoken by the character displayed on the first device. A user of the second device may select a phrase to be spoken by the character. Phrase data may be transmitted to the first device, and the first device may generate audio of the character speaking the phrase using a text-to-speech voice associated with the character.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2017Publication date: August 3, 2017Applicant: The Affinity Project, Inc.Inventors: Ronald Steven Suskind, John Nguyen, Stuart R. Patterson, Stephen R. Springer, Mark Alan Fanty
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Patent number: 9710613Abstract: The operation of an application on a first device may be guided by a user operating a second device. The application on the first device may present a character on a display of the first device and obtain an audio signal of speech of a user of the first device. Audio data may be transmitted to the second device and corresponding audio may be played from speakers of the second device. The second device may present suggestions of phrases to be spoken by the character displayed on the first device. A user of the second device may select a phrase to be spoken by the character. Phrase data may be transmitted to the first device, and the first device may generate audio of the character speaking the phrase using a text-to-speech voice associated with the character.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2016Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: The Affinity Project, Inc.Inventors: Ronald Steven Suskind, John Nguyen, Stuart R. Patterson, Stephen R. Springer, Mark Alan Fanty
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Publication number: 20160171971Abstract: The operation of an application on a first device may be guided by a user operating a second device. The application on the first device may present a character on a display of the first device and obtain an audio signal of speech of a user of the first device. Audio data may be transmitted to the second device and corresponding audio may be played from speakers of the second device. The second device may present suggestions of phrases to be spoken by the character displayed on the first device. A user of the second device may select a phrase to be spoken by the character. Phrase data may be transmitted to the first device, and the first device may generate audio of the character speaking the phrase using a text-to-speech voice associated with the character.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2016Publication date: June 16, 2016Applicant: The Affinity Project, Inc.Inventors: Ronald Steven Suskind, John Nguyen, Stuart R. Patterson, Stephen R. Springer, Mark Alan Fanty