Patents by Inventor Steve McDuff

Steve McDuff 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).

  • Publication number: 20190019212
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method, computer system, and computer program product for detecting a promotion exposure is provided. The present embodiment may include receiving a plurality of promotional data detailing one or more current promotions. The embodiment may also include receiving a plurality of audio data captured by a sensor. The embodiment may further include determining an exposure of an individual to a promotion within the one or more current promotions based on the received plurality of audio data and the received plurality of promotional data. The embodiment may also include identifying the individual exposed to the promotion using the received plurality of audio data. The embodiment may further include calculating a dwell time for the identified individual. The embodiment may also include determining the calculated dwell time satisfies a dwell time threshold. The embodiment may further include recording the exposure to a data repository.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Inventors: Ben Z. Akselrod, Anthony Di Loreto, Steve McDuff, Kyle D. Robeson
  • Patent number: 10171405
    Abstract: A device identifies an email address of a recipient listed in an email. The device determines whether the email address is erroneous and based on determining that the email address is erroneous, the device displays a recommended email address to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ben Z. Akselrod, Anthony Di Loreto, Steve McDuff, Kyle D. Robeson
  • Patent number: 10169879
    Abstract: A system and method for modifying an operation of a vehicle in response to detection of an obstruction. The system includes a camera coupled to a vehicle and configured to capture image data from a vehicle, and a computing device that includes a processor configured to: detect an edge of a roadway on which the vehicle is traveling; detect objects located proximate an edge of the roadway, based on the captured image data; calculate a distance between each detected object and the edge of the roadway, wherein a location of each detected object is determined based on the captured image data; and determine that one object of the detected objects is an obstruction, based on at least the calculated distance between the one object and the edge of the roadway being below a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ben Z. Akselrod, Anthony Di Loreto, Steve McDuff, Kyle D. Robeson
  • Patent number: 10169461
    Abstract: One or more processors determine a first amount of data that was provided to a program by a data source. One or more processors analyze a degree of usage of the first amount of data by the program. One or more processors determine a second amount of data that was used by the program based, at least in part, on the degree of usage. The second amount of data is a portion of the first amount of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Steve McDuff
  • Publication number: 20180352401
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for initiating actions based on mobile device location of a user. The method includes one or more processors determining that a user is within a defined proximity to a zone within a venue, based on monitoring a computing device of the user moving through the venue. The method further includes one or more processors identifying an action associated with the zone, where the action includes performing a function of the computing device of the user. The method further includes one or more processors initiating the identified action associated with the zone on the computing device of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Lisa Seacat DeLuca, Steve McDuff
  • Publication number: 20180352400
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for initiating actions based on mobile device location of a user. The method includes one or more processors determining that a user is within a defined proximity to a zone within a venue, based on monitoring a computing device of the user moving through the venue. The method further includes one or more processors identifying an action associated with the zone, where the action includes performing a function of the computing device of the user. The method further includes one or more processors initiating the identified action associated with the zone on the computing device of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Lisa Seacat DeLuca, Steve McDuff
  • Publication number: 20180352385
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for initiating actions based on mobile device location of a user. The method includes one or more processors determining that a user is within a defined proximity to a zone within a venue, based on monitoring a computing device of the user moving through the venue. The method further includes one or more processors identifying an action associated with the zone, where the action includes performing a function of the computing device of the user. The method further includes one or more processors initiating the identified action associated with the zone on the computing device of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Lisa Seacat DeLuca, Steve McDuff
  • Patent number: 10149113
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for initiating actions based on mobile device location of a user. The method includes one or more processors determining that a user is within a defined proximity to a zone within a venue, based on monitoring a computing device of the user moving through the venue. The method further includes one or more processors identifying an action associated with the zone, where the action includes performing a function of the computing device of the user. The method further includes one or more processors initiating the identified action associated with the zone on the computing device of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lisa Seacat DeLuca, Steve McDuff
  • Publication number: 20180336211
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for prioritizing search engine results based on a current location of a user. The method includes one or more processors determining that a user enters a zone within a venue based on monitoring a computing device of the user moving through the venue. The method further includes one or more processors performing a search, while the user is within the zone, based on a search query input by the user into the computing device of the user while the computing device is within the zone. The method further includes one or more processors prioritizing results of the search to create a set of results that are based on the search query input by the user and the zone within the venue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Lisa Seacat DeLuca, Steve McDuff
  • Publication number: 20180336212
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for prioritizing search engine results based on a current location of a user. The method includes one or more processors determining that a user enters a zone within a venue based on monitoring a computing device of the user moving through the venue. The method further includes one or more processors performing a search, while the user is within the zone, based on a search query input by the user into the computing device of the user while the computing device is within the zone. The method further includes one or more processors prioritizing results of the search to create a set of results that are based on the search query input by the user and the zone within the venue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Lisa Seacat DeLuca, Steve McDuff
  • Publication number: 20180310123
    Abstract: Methods, computer program products, and systems are presented. The method computer program products, and systems can include, for instance: filtering in geofence users within an area of a geofence to determine a count of qualified in geofence users within an area of a geofence; comparing the count of qualified in geofence users within an area of a geofence to a threshold and activating a notification sending process based on a result of the comparing; based on the activating and outputting to the qualified users a notification based on the filtering; and disabling the notification sending process based on a disabling criteria being satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Lisa Seacat DELUCA, Steve MCDUFF
  • Publication number: 20180307661
    Abstract: Approaches presented herein enable gathering time-annotated web interaction and biometric sensor data of web page users to extrapolate emotional responses to a web page and generating an aggregated emotional map indicative of the emotional responses. Specifically, time-annotated web page interaction data from an actual web page user is captured and recorded. Also, time-annotated biometric data related to the user's web page interaction is captured and recorded using one or more biometric sensors. An emotional state of the user when viewing defined web page sections is determined based on the time-annotated physical interaction data and biometric data. The emotional states of users over a period of time are aggregated for each web page section to augment the web page sections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventor: Steve McDuff
  • Publication number: 20180293596
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product are disclosed for analyzing a performance of a display in a retail venue using image recognition analytics. In an embodiment, the method comprises capturing an image of the display; analyzing the image against a defined set of image attributes; generating a display classification for the display based on said analyzing; and extracting information about a specified performance of the display using the display classification and an image analytics system. In embodiments of the invention, specified products are held for sale on the display, and the extracting information about the performance of the display includes extracting information about the sales of the specified products on the display. In embodiments of the invention, the extracting information about the sales of the specified products on the display includes correlating sales of the specified products with one or more of the image attributes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Ben Z. Akselrod, Anthony Di Loreto, Steve McDuff, Kyle D. Robeson
  • Publication number: 20180293521
    Abstract: In an approach to ride chaining, one or more computer processors receive a request from a user for a transportation to a final destination in a vehicle. The one or more computer processors determine that a plurality of travel segments is required for the transportation to the final destination. The one or more computer processors reserve a first vehicle for a first travel segment of the plurality of travel segments to a first destination. The one or more computer processors, after commencement of the first travel segment and before completion of the first travel segment, determine a second travel segment of the plurality of travel segments to a second destination. The one or more computer processors reserve a second vehicle for the second travel segment of the plurality of travel segments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Ben Z. Akselrod, Anthony Di Loreto, Steve McDuff, Kyle D. Robeson
  • Publication number: 20180293520
    Abstract: In an approach to ride chaining, one or more computer processors receive a request from a user for a transportation to a final destination in a vehicle. The one or more computer processors determine that a plurality of travel segments is required for the transportation to the final destination. The one or more computer processors reserve a first vehicle for a first travel segment of the plurality of travel segments to a first destination. The one or more computer processors, after commencement of the first travel segment and before completion of the first travel segment, determine a second travel segment of the plurality of travel segments to a second destination. The one or more computer processors reserve a second vehicle for the second travel segment of the plurality of travel segments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Ben Z. Akselrod, Anthony Di Loreto, Steve McDuff, Kyle D. Robeson
  • Patent number: 10082529
    Abstract: In an approach for estimating solar array power generation for an installation of a solar array, a processor determines a location of an installation of a solar array. A processor determines, over a course of a specified time interval, a path of traversal of a source of energy relative to the location of the installation of the solar array. A processor scans an area surrounding the solar array. A processor estimates, based, at least in part, on the path of traversal of the source of energy and the area surrounding the solar array, an amount of power to be generated by the solar array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ben Z. Akselrod, Anthony Di Loreto, Steve McDuff, Kyle D. Robeson
  • Patent number: 10077984
    Abstract: In an approach for collecting data, a computer identifies a virtual map of an environment. The computer determines a location associated with one or more autonomous devices within the identified virtual map. The computer provides to a first autonomous device of the one or more autonomous devices, navigation instructions from a determined location associated with the first autonomous device to a first training point. The computer collects training data associated with the first training point through the first autonomous device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ben Z. Akselrod, Anthony DiLoreto, Steve McDuff, Kyle D. Robeson
  • Publication number: 20180262700
    Abstract: A method of generating an augmented reality environment, the method comprising, transmitting information of a target content to an augmented reality device using light generated by one or more light emitters. Responsive to a reception of the information of the target content by the augmented reality device, determining a portion of the target content for displaying on the physical display area, and displaying the portion of the target content as an overlay on the physical display area using the augmented reality device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Ben Z. Akselrod, Anthony DiLoreto, Steve McDuff, Kyle D. Robeson
  • Patent number: 10068133
    Abstract: In an approach to determining pavement markings, a computer determines a location of a first computing device based on data received from one or more location devices associated with the first computing device. The computer then retrieves pavement marking data for one or more pavement markings for the location and determines whether one or more existing pavement markings are present at the location. Responsive to determining that one or more existing pavement markings are present at the location, the computer determines whether each of the one or more existing pavement markings meet one or more pre-determined thresholds for an acceptable pavement marking quality. Furthermore, responsive to determining each of the one or more existing pavement markings do not meet the one or more pre-determined thresholds for an acceptable pavement marking quality level, the computer provides pavement marking data to the first computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ben Z. Akselrod, Anthony Di Loreto, Steve McDuff, Kyle D. Robeson
  • Publication number: 20180246252
    Abstract: Tools, methods and systems for detecting and reporting the presence of an obstruction to an AC system of the present disclosure are able to detect the presence of the obstruction using one or more sensors connected to the air conditioning unit and displaying an alert on the computer system of the AC system when the sensors detect the presence of the obstruction. By displaying an alert at the computer system's output device, the presence of the obstruction is brought to the user's attention, allowing the user to take remedial action as needed before initiating the air conditioning system into operation, preventing the obstruction from harming the components of AC system if the system was initiated while the obstruction was still present. Additionally, the AC system may further disable or prevent the operation and initiation of itself when the sensors of the air conditioning system detect the presence of an obstruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: Ben Z. Akselrod, Anthony Di Loreto, Steve McDuff, Kyle D. Robeson