Patents by Inventor Robert F. Smith

Robert F. Smith 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: 8767941
    Abstract: Systems and methods enable configuring and using speed dialing. A first user interface is displayed to a user, the first user interface providing a name field configured to display and/or receive a contact name and a phone address field configured to display and/or receive a phone address associated with the contact name. A speed dial field configured to receive and/or display a speed dial identifier associated with the phone address is provided. When the user later enters speed dial identifier via a telephone, the phone address is called.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Callwave Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Robert F. Smith, Leland W. Kirchhoff, Colin Kelley, David S. Trandal
  • Patent number: 8750469
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for processing calls. A call is received at a softswitch or other call processing system from a caller intended for a first subscriber. The first call is associated with signaling information, the signaling information including a phone number associated with the caller. A determination is made as to whether the first subscriber has previously received a call associated with the caller phone number at the softswitch. If the first subscriber has not previously received a call associated with the caller phone number at the softswitch, a first message is played to the caller. An indication that the first message was played to the caller is stored in association with an account record associated with the first subscriber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Callwave Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Adrian Van Haaften, David Giannini, Eric Johnson, David F. Hofstatter, David S. Trandal, Robert Duva, Robert F. Smith, John R. Day
  • Patent number: 8744061
    Abstract: The present invention provides flexible, user-definable call screening processes. The user can optionally define to which telecommunication terminals a screened call is to be broadcast to and under what conditions. An incoming call is forwarded to a call management system that asks the caller to leave a voice message. The call management system selectively couples the call to a POTS line or a VoIP-capable device so that the user can listen to the incoming message and thereby screen the incoming call. Based on the screening, the user can instruct the call management system to connect the caller to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Callwave Communications, LLC
    Inventors: David J. Brahm, David S. Trandal, Robert F. Smith
  • Patent number: 8718243
    Abstract: The present invention relates to telecommunications, and in particular, to systems and processes for processing telephone calls and providing telephony services. In one embodiment, a call processing system, compromises a first telephony interface configured to receive a call from a caller, a storage device configured to store a greeting, and a call answering system. The call answering system is configured to play the greeting in response to receiving the call, record a voice message from the caller, determine when the caller has completed recording the voice message, after determining that the caller has completed recording the voice message, play a prompt regarding the caller becoming a subscriber to call services provided by the call processing system, receive from the caller information used to establish a call services account, and establish a call services account for the caller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Callwave Communications, LLC
    Inventors: David Trandal, Robert Duva, Robert F. Smith, John R. Day
  • Patent number: 8688092
    Abstract: Systems and methods that can be utilized to convert a voice communication received over a telecommunication network to text are described. In an illustrative embodiment, a call processing system coupled to a telecommunications network receives a call from a caller intended for a first party, wherein the call is associated with call signaling information. At least a portion of the call signaling information is stored in a computer readable medium. A greeting is played the caller, and a voice communication from the caller is recorded. At least a portion of the voice communication is converted to text, which is analyzed to identify portions that are inferred to be relatively more important to communicate to the first party. A text communication is generated including at least some of the identified portions and including fewer words than the recorded voice communication. At least a portion of the text communication is made available to the first party over a data network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Callwave Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Anthony Bladon, David Giannini, David Frank Hofstatter, Colin Kelley, David C. McClintock, Robert F. Smith, David S. Trandal, Leland W. Kirchhoff
  • Publication number: 20130279683
    Abstract: The present invention provides flexible, user-definable call screening processes. The user can optionally define to which telecommunication terminals a screened call is to be broadcast to and under what conditions. An incoming call is forwarded to a call management system that asks the caller to leave a voice message. The call management system selectively couples the call to a POTS line or a VoIP-capable device so that the user can listen to the incoming message and thereby screen the incoming call. Based on the screening, the user can instruct the call management system to connect the caller to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventors: David J. Brahm, David S. Trandal, Robert F. Smith
  • Patent number: 8447285
    Abstract: Systems and methods that can be utilized to convert a voice communication received over a telecommunication network to text are described. In an illustrative embodiment, a call processing system coupled to a telecommunications network receives a call from a caller intended for a first party, wherein the call is associated with call signaling information. At least a portion of the call signaling information is stored in a computer readable medium. A greeting is played the caller, and a voice communication from the caller is recorded. At least a portion of the voice communication is converted to text, which is analyzed to identify portions that are inferred to be relatively more important to communicate to the first party. A text communication is generated including at least some of the identified portions and including fewer words than the recorded voice communication. At least a portion of the text communication is made available to the first party over a data network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Callwave Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Anthony Bladon, David Giannini, David F. Hofstatter, Colin Kelley, David C. McClintock, Robert F. Smith, David S. Trandal, Leland W. Kirchhoff
  • Patent number: 8351591
    Abstract: The present invention provides flexible call processing. For example, a call processor system can receive an inbound call intended for a called party and place an outbound call to the called party. The call processing system can provide the called party with a call transfer option.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Callwave Communications LLC
    Inventors: Leland W. Kirchhoff, David S. Trandal, Colin Kelley, David J. Brahm, Robert F. Smith, David Frank Hofstatter, Robert A. Dolan
  • Patent number: 8259911
    Abstract: The present invention relates to telecommunications, and in particular, to systems and processes for processing telephone calls and providing telephony services. In one embodiment, a call processing system, compromises a first telephony interface configured to receive a call from a caller, a storage device configured to store a greeting, and a call answering system. The call answering system is configured to play the greeting in response to receiving the call, record a voice message from the caller, determine when the caller has completed recording the voice message, after determining that the caller has completed recording the voice message, play a prompt regarding the caller becoming a subscriber to call services provided by the call processing system, receive from the caller information used to establish a call services account, and establish a call services account for the caller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Callwave Communications, LLC
    Inventors: David Trandal, Robert Duva, Robert F. Smith, John R. Day
  • Patent number: 8044388
    Abstract: Manufacturers encounter limitations in forming low resistance ohmic electrical contact to semiconductor material P-type Gallium Nitride (p-GaN), commonly used in photonic applications, such that the contact is highly transparent to the light emission of the device. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can address this problem due to their combined metallic and semiconducting characteristics in conjunction with the fact that a fabric of CNTs has high optical transparency. The physical structure of the contact scheme is broken down into three components, a) the GaN, b) an interface material and c) the metallic conductor. The role of the interface material is to make suitable contact to both the GaN and the metal so that the GaN, in turn, will make good electrical contact to the metallic conductor that interfaces the device to external circuitry. A method of fabricating contact to GaN using CNTs and metal while maintaining protection of the GaN surface is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Nantero, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan W. Ward, Benjamin Schlatka, Mitchell Meinhold, Robert F. Smith, Brent M. Segal
  • Publication number: 20110026701
    Abstract: The present invention provides flexible call processing. For example, a call processor system can receive an inbound call intended for a called party and place an outbound call to the called party. The call processing system can provide the called party with a call transfer option.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: CALLWAVE, INC.
    Inventors: Leland W. Kirchhoff, David S. Trandal, Colin Kelley, David J. Brahm, Robert F. Smith, David Frank Hofstatter, Robert A. Dolan
  • Publication number: 20110025577
    Abstract: A nanotube based microstrip antenna element is provided along with arrays of same. The nanotube based microstrip antenna element comprises a dielectric substrate layer sandwiched between a ground plane layer and a conductive nanotube layer, the conductive nanotube layer shaped to form a radiating structure. In more advanced embodiments, the nanotube based microstrip antenna element further includes an integrated two terminal nanotube switch device such as to provide a selectability function to such microstrip antenna elements and reconfigurable arrays of same. Anisotropic nanotube fabric layers are also used to provide substantially transparent microstrip antenna structures which can be deposited over display screens and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: NANTERO, INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan W. WARD, Robert F. Smith, Brent M. SEGAL
  • Patent number: 7855969
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system for testing systems involving high speed SERDES cores by exposing an internal nature of signals. The signals are tapped at various external test points. The present invention may take one or more test points in receive and/or transmit paths of high speed SERDES cores, and expose the test points by routing signals to the pins/balls on a chip. Programmable directing (multiplexing) of signals may be utilized to restrict number of output debug ports. Consequently, the number of the pin count required for the chip may be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Danny Vogel, Bryan Robb, Robert F Smith
  • Patent number: 7822188
    Abstract: The present invention provides flexible call processing. For example, a call processor system can receive an inbound call intended for a called party and place an outbound call to the called party. The call processing system can provide the called party with a call transfer option.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Callwave, Inc.
    Inventors: Leland W. Kirchhoff, David S. Trandal, Colin Kelley, David J. Brahm, Robert F. Smith, David Frank Hofstatter, Robert A. Dolan
  • Publication number: 20100148183
    Abstract: Manufacturers encounter limitations in forming low resistance ohmic electrical contact to semiconductor material P-type Gallium Nitride (p-GaN), commonly used in photonic applications, such that the contact is highly transparent to the light emission of the device. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can address this problem due to their combined metallic and semiconducting characteristics in conjunction with the fact that a fabric of CNTs has high optical transparency. The physical structure of the contact scheme is broken down into three components, a) the GaN, b) an interface material and c) the metallic conductor. The role of the interface material is to make suitable contact to both the GaN and the metal so that the GaN, in turn, will make good electrical contact to the metallic conductor that interfaces the device to external circuitry. A method of fabricating contact to GaN using CNTs and metal while maintaining protection of the GaN surface is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: Jonathan W. Ward, Benjamin Schlatka, Michell Meinhold, Robert F. Smith, Brent M. Segal
  • Publication number: 20090259225
    Abstract: A minimally invasive surgical assembly broadly includes an outer hollow needle which has an outer diameter, a longitudinal axis, and a sharp distal end. An insulating member extends through the hollow needle and is movable relative to the hollow needle. An elongated member extends through the insulating member and is movable relative to both the insulating member and the hollow needle. A resilient wire projects from the elongated member and is retractable within and extendable outside of the insulating member and the hollow needle. The insulating member, elongated member, and resilient wire are movable relative to the needle using first and second moving means whereby the surgical assembly assumes various configurations having different operational functions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Inventors: Sundaram Ravikumar, H. Allan Alward, Robert F. Smith, JR.
  • Patent number: 7563711
    Abstract: Manufacturers encounter limitations in forming low resistance ohmic electrical contact to semiconductor material P-type Gallium Nitride (p-GaN), commonly used in photonic applications, such that the contact is highly transparent to the light emission of the device. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can address this problem due to their combined metallic and semiconducting characteristics in conjunction with the fact that a fabric of CNTs has high optical transparency. The physical structure of the contact scheme is broken down into three components, a) the GaN, b) an interface material and c) the metallic conductor. The role of the interface material is to make suitable contact to both the GaN and the metal so that the GaN, in turn, will make good electrical contact to the metallic conductor that interfaces the device to external circuitry. A method of fabricating contact to GaN using CNTs and metal while maintaining protection of the GaN surface is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Nantero, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan W. Ward, Benjamin Schlatka, Mitchell Meinhold, Robert F. Smith, Brent M. Segal
  • Publication number: 20090173964
    Abstract: Manufacturers encounter limitations in forming low resistance ohmic electrical contact to semiconductor material P-type Gallium Nitride (p-GaN), commonly used in photonic applications, such that the contact is highly transparent to the light emission of the device. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can address this problem due to their combined metallic and semiconducting characteristics in conjunction with the fact that a fabric of CNTs has high optical transparency. The physical structure of the contact scheme is broken down into three components, a) the GaN, b) an interface material and c) the metallic conductor. The role of the interface material is to make suitable contact to both the GaN and the metal so that the GaN, in turn, will make good electrical contact to the metallic conductor that interfaces the device to external circuitry. A method of fabricating contact to GaN using CNTs and metal while maintaining protection of the GaN surface is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: Nantero, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan W. Ward, Benjamin Schlatka, Mitchell Meinhold, Robert F. Smith, Brent M. Segal
  • Patent number: 7409048
    Abstract: The present invention relates to telecommunications, and in particular, to systems and processes for processing telephone calls and providing telephony services. In one embodiment, a call processing system, compromises a first telephony interface configured to receive a call from a caller, a storage device configured to store a greeting, and a call answering system. The call answering system is configured to play the greeting in response to receiving the call, record a voice message from the caller, determine when the caller has completed recording the voice message, after determining that the caller has completed recording the voice message, play a prompt regarding the caller becoming a subscriber to call services provided by the call processing system, receive from the caller information used to establish a call services account, and establish a call services account for the caller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Callwave, Inc.
    Inventors: David Trandal, Robert Duva, Robert F. Smith, John R. Day
  • Patent number: 7111764
    Abstract: A clamp assembly secures a first article to a second article. The clamp assembly includes first and second spaced-apart article holders adapted for engaging respective first and second articles. An elongated gear rack interconnects the first and second article holders. A pinion operatively engages the gear rack, and is adapted for moving the first article holder along the gear rack relative to the second article holder. A locking bar has a plurality of spaced teeth adapted for meshing with respective teeth of the gear rack in a locked position. The locking bar is moveable between the locked position and a released position. In the locked position, the meshing teeth of the locking bar and gear rack cooperate to prevent linear movement of the first article holder relative to the second article holder, thereby securing the first article to the second article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Nordman Corporation of NC
    Inventors: Robert F. Smith, Michael S. Richardson