Patents by Inventor Simon Tickner

Simon Tickner 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: 8515766
    Abstract: A computing device is configured to initiate actions in response to speech input that includes a name or other indication of an entity, in a first spoken utterance, followed by user choosing an application related to an entity, in a second spoken utterance. The computing device receives the first spoken utterance, identifies an entity based on the first spoke utterance, and indicates a plurality of available applications related to the identified entity. The computing device then receives the second spoken utterance and identifies a selection of at least one of the available applications based on the second spoken utterance. The computing device then invokes the at least one selected application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Bjorn Erik Bringert, Pawel Pietryka, Peter John Hodgson, Simon Tickner, Henrique Penha, Richard Zarek Cohen, Luca Zanolin, Marcus Foster
  • Patent number: 8483366
    Abstract: A computing device displays a call history graphical user interface (GUI). The call history GUI includes a new list and an old list. The new list may include new missed call elements and missed call elements associated with new unopened voicemails. The old list may include other call history GUI elements, such as old missed call elements and missed call elements associated with opened voicemails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Flavio Lerda, Hugo Hudson, Debashish Chatterjee, Simon Tickner, Marcus Alexander Foster
  • Patent number: 8468022
    Abstract: A computing device may receive an incoming communication and, in response, generate a notification that indicates that the incoming communication can be accessed using a particular application on the communication device. The computing device may further provide an audio signal indicative of the notification and automatically activate a listening mode. The computing device may receive a voice input during the listening mode, and an input text may be obtained based on speech recognition performed upon the voice input. A command may be detected in the input text. In response to the command, the computing device may generate an output text that is based on at least the notification and provide a voice output that is generated from the output text via speech synthesis. The voice output identifies at least the particular application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Bjorn Erik Bringert, Pawel Pietryka, Peter John Hodgson, Dave Burke, Henrique Penha, Simon Tickner, Richard Zarek Cohen, Luca Zanolin, Michael J. LeBeau
  • Patent number: 8452602
    Abstract: A spoken utterance includes at least a first level of a multi-level command format, in which the first level identifies an application. The spoken utterance may also include a second level of the multi-level command format, in which the second level identifies an action. In response to receiving the spoken utterance at a computing device, a representation of the application identified by the first level is displayed on a display of the computing device. If the spoken utterance includes the second level of the multi-level command format, the action identified by the second level is initiated. If the spoken utterance does not include the second level of the multi-level command format, the computing device waits for a predetermined period of time and provides at least one of an audible or visual action prompt if the second level is not received within the predetermined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Bjorn Erik Bringert, Pawel Pietryka, Peter John Hodgson, Henrique Penha, Simon Tickner, Luca Zanolin, Richard Zarek Cohen, Michael J. LeBeau
  • Patent number: 8452597
    Abstract: The present application describes systems, articles of manufacture, and methods for continuous speech recognition for mobile computing devices. One embodiment includes determining whether a mobile computing device is receiving operating power from an external power source or a battery power source, and activating a trigger word detection subroutine in response to determining that the mobile computing device is receiving power from the external power source. In some embodiments, the trigger word detection subroutine operates continually while the mobile computing device is receiving power from the external power source. The trigger word detection subroutine includes determining whether a plurality of spoken words received via a microphone includes one or more trigger words, and in response to determining that the plurality of spoken words includes at least one trigger word, launching an application corresponding to the at least one trigger word included in the plurality of spoken words.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Bjorn Erik Bringert, Pawel Pietryka, Peter John Hodgson, Simon Tickner, Henrique Penha, Richard Zarek Cohen, Luca Zanolin, Dave Burke
  • Publication number: 20130085761
    Abstract: A computing device may receive an incoming communication and, in response, generate a notification that indicates that the incoming communication can be accessed using a particular application on the communication device. The computing device may further provide an audio signal indicative of the notification and automatically activate a listening mode. The computing device may receive a voice input during the listening mode, and an input text may be obtained based on speech recognition performed upon the voice input. A command may be detected in the input text. In response to the command, the computing device may generate an output text that is based on at least the notification and provide a voice output that is generated from the output text via speech synthesis. The voice output identifies at least the particular application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Inventors: Bjorn Erik Bringert, Pawel Pietryka, Peter John Hodgson, Dave Burke, Henrique Penha, Simon Tickner, Richard Zarek Cohen, Luca Zanolin, Michael J. LeBeau
  • Publication number: 20130085755
    Abstract: The present application describes systems, articles of manufacture, and methods for continuous speech recognition for mobile computing devices. One embodiment includes determining whether a mobile computing device is receiving operating power from an external power source or a battery power source, and activating a trigger word detection subroutine in response to determining that the mobile computing device is receiving power from the external power source. In some embodiments, the trigger word detection subroutine operates continually while the mobile computing device is receiving power from the external power source. The trigger word detection subroutine includes determining whether a plurality of spoken words received via a microphone includes one or more trigger words, and in response to determining that the plurality of spoken words includes at least one trigger word, launching an application corresponding to the at least one trigger word included in the plurality of spoken words.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Bjorn Erik Bringert, Pawel Pietryka, Peter John Hodgson, Simon Tickner, Henrique Penha, Richard Zarek Cohen, Luca Zanolin, Dave Burke
  • Publication number: 20130085753
    Abstract: A computing device is able to use an embedded speech recognizer and a network speech recognizer for speech recognition. In response to detecting speech in the captured audio, the computing device may forward the captured audio to its embedded speech recognizer and to a speech client for the network speech recognizer. The embedded speech recognizer provides an embedded-recognizer result for the captured audio. If a network-recognition criterion is met, the speech client forwards the captured audio to the network speech recognizer and receives a network-recognizer result for the captured audio from the network speech recognizer. A speech recognition result for the captured audio is forwarded to at least one application, wherein the speech recognition result is based on at least one of the embedded-recognizer result and the network-recognizer result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Bjorn Erik Bringert, Johan Schalkwyk, Michael J. LeBeau, Richard Zarek Cohen, Luca Zanolin, Simon Tickner
  • Publication number: 20130078960
    Abstract: A computing device displays a call history graphical user interface (GUI). The call history GUI includes a new list and an old list. The new list may include new missed call elements and missed call elements associated with new unopened voicemails. The old list may include other call history GUI elements, such as old missed call elements and missed call elements associated with opened voicemails.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Flavio Lerda, Hugo Hudson, Debashish Chatterjee, Simon Tickner, Marcus Alexander Foster
  • Patent number: 8300777
    Abstract: A computing device displays a call history graphical user interface (GUI). The call history GUI includes a new list and an old list. The new list may include new missed call elements and missed call elements associated with new unopened voicemails. The old list may include other call history GUI elements, such as old missed call elements and missed call elements associated with opened voicemails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Flavio Lerda, Hugo Hudson, Debashish Chatterjee, Simon Tickner, Marcus Alexander Foster
  • Publication number: 20120182381
    Abstract: A method of controlling a user interface to display participants of a call in dependence upon the participants' speech activity in the call, the method including monitoring the speech activity of the participants in the call and determining whether a participant is an active participant or an inactive participant in dependence on the participants' speech activity over a minimum time period of the call. In response to determining whether a participant is an active or inactive participant, an active participant is displayed in a first area of the user interface and an inactive participant is displayed in a second area of the user interface. The first area of the user interface is larger than the second area of the user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Inventors: Umberto Abate, Michael Bartlett, Dmytro Izotoy, Ole Mahrt, Torsten Rehberg, Simon Tickner, Hando Tint
  • Patent number: 8223749
    Abstract: A method of sorting communication events at a user terminal connected to a communication network and executing a communication client arranged to be operable by a user is provided. The method comprises storing an event list comprising a list of identifiers, each identifier having information relating to at least one previously received communication event associated therewith, wherein the identifier identifies the initiator of the associated at least one previously received communication event and each identifier is listed only once in the list of identifiers. The event list is displayed in a user interface of the communication client. The method further comprises receiving an incoming communication event at the user terminal from an initiating user over the communication network and determining whether the initiating user is present in the list of identifiers stored in the event list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Skype
    Inventors: Duncan Lamb, Torsten Rehberg, Simon Tickner, Priidu Zilmer, Dmytro Izotov, Mike Bartlett, Bettina Sutter
  • Publication number: 20090268716
    Abstract: A method of sorting communication events at a user terminal connected to a communication network and executing a communication client arranged to be operable by a user is provided. The method comprises storing an event list comprising a list of identifiers, each identifier having information relating to at least one previously received communication event associated therewith, wherein the identifier identifies the initiator of the associated at least one previously received communication event and each identifier is listed only once in the list of identifiers. The event list is displayed in a user interface of the communication client. The method further comprises receiving an incoming communication event at the user terminal from an initiating user over the communication network and determining whether the initiating user is present in the list of identifiers stored in the event list.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Inventors: Duncan Lamb, Torsten Rehberg, Simon Tickner, Priidu Zilmer, Dmytro Izotov, Mike Bartlett, Bettina Sutter