Patents by Inventor Tom Freeman

Tom Freeman 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: 20160335676
    Abstract: The system and method described herein may use various natural language models to deliver targeted advertisements and/or provide natural language processing based on advertisements. In one implementation, an advertisement associated with a product or service may be provided for presentation to a user. A natural language utterance of the user may be received. The natural language utterance may be interpreted based on the advertisement and, responsive to the existence of a pronoun in the natural language utterance, a determination of whether the pronoun refers to one or more of the product or service or a provider of the product or service may be effectuated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Applicant: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: TOM FREEMAN, MIKE KENNEWICK
  • Patent number: 9406078
    Abstract: The system and method described herein may use various natural language models to deliver targeted advertisements and/or provide natural language processing based on advertisements. In one implementation, an advertisement associated with a product or service may be provided for presentation to a user. A natural language utterance of the user may be received. The natural language utterance may be interpreted based on the advertisement and, responsive to the existence of a pronoun in the natural language utterance, a determination of whether the pronoun refers to one or more of the product or service or a provider of the product or service may be effectuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Tom Freeman, Mike Kennewick
  • Patent number: 9269097
    Abstract: The system and method described herein may use various natural language models to deliver targeted advertisements and/or provide natural language processing based on advertisements. In one implementation, an advertisement associated with a product or service may be provided for presentation to a user. A natural language utterance of the user may be received. The natural language utterance may be interpreted based on the advertisement and, responsive to the existence of a pronoun in the natural language utterance, a determination of whether the pronoun refers to one or more of the product or service or a provider of the product or service may be effectuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Tom Freeman, Mike Kennewick
  • Publication number: 20150364133
    Abstract: The system and method described herein may use various natural language models to deliver targeted advertisements and/or provide natural language processing based on advertisements. In one implementation, an advertisement associated with a product or service may be provided for presentation to a user. A natural language utterance of the user may be received. The natural language utterance may be interpreted based on the advertisement and, responsive to the existence of a pronoun in the natural language utterance, a determination of whether the pronoun refers to one or more of the product or service or a provider of the product or service may be effectuated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicant: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tom FREEMAN, Mike KENNEWICK
  • Publication number: 20150228276
    Abstract: A cooperative conversational voice user interface is provided. The cooperative conversational voice user interface may build upon short-term and long-term shared knowledge to generate one or more explicit and/or implicit hypotheses about an intent of a user utterance. The hypotheses may be ranked based on varying degrees of certainty, and an adaptive response may be generated for the user. Responses may be worded based on the degrees of certainty and to frame an appropriate domain for a subsequent utterance. In one implementation, misrecognitions may be tolerated, and conversational course may be corrected based on subsequent utterances and/or responses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Inventors: Larry BALDWIN, Tom FREEMAN, Michael TJALVE, Blane EBERSOLD, Chris WEIDER
  • Publication number: 20150173556
    Abstract: A strainer that includes a base having a plurality of openings to permit liquid to pass therethrough. A wall extends away from the base to define an opening having a lip. The strainer may be configured operatively associated with a container to receive the liquid. The container has a bottom and an upwardly extending wall. The lip is configured to engage the wall of the container so that the base of the strainer in use is positionable away from the bottom of the container to divide the container into first and second spaces. The second space may be configured to receive a product to be brewed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Tom Freeman, Moana Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9031845
    Abstract: Mobile systems and methods that overcomes the deficiencies of prior art speech-based interfaces for telematics applications through the use of a complete speech-based information query, retrieval, presentation and local or remote command environment. This environment makes significant use of context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users making queries or commands in multiple domains. Through this integrated approach, a complete speech-based natural language query and response environment can be created. The invention creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command. The invention may organize domain specific behavior and information into agents, that are distributable or updateable over a wide area network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, David Locke, Michael R. Kennewick, Sr., Michael R. Kennewick, Jr., Richard Kennewick, Tom Freeman, Stephen F. Elston
  • Patent number: 9015049
    Abstract: A cooperative conversational voice user interface is provided. The cooperative conversational voice user interface may build upon short-term and long-term shared knowledge to generate one or more explicit and/or implicit hypotheses about an intent of a user utterance. The hypotheses may be ranked based on varying degrees of certainty, and an adaptive response may be generated for the user. Responses may be worded based on the degrees of certainty and to frame an appropriate domain for a subsequent utterance. In one implementation, misrecognitions may be tolerated, and conversational course may be corrected based on subsequent utterances and/or responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Larry Baldwin, Tom Freeman, Michael Tjalve, Blane Ebersold, Chris Weider
  • Publication number: 20150066627
    Abstract: The system and method described herein may use various natural language models to deliver targeted advertisements and/or provide natural language processing based on advertisements. In one implementation, an advertisement associated with a product or service may be provided for presentation to a user. A natural language utterance of the user may be received. The natural language utterance may be interpreted based on the advertisement and, responsive to the existence of a pronoun in the natural language utterance, a determination of whether the pronoun refers to one or more of the product or service or a provider of the product or service may be effectuated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: TOM FREEMAN, MIKE KENNEWICK
  • Patent number: 8886536
    Abstract: The system and method described herein may use various natural language models to deliver targeted advertisements and track advertisement interactions in voice recognition contexts. In particular, in response to an input device receiving an utterance, a conversational language processor may select and deliver one or more advertisements targeted to a user that spoke the utterance based on cognitive models associated with the user, various users having similar characteristics to the user, an environment in which the user spoke the utterance, or other criteria. Further, subsequent interaction with the targeted advertisements may be tracked to build and refine the cognitive models and thereby enhance the information used to deliver targeted advertisements in response to subsequent utterances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Tom Freeman, Mike Kennwick
  • Publication number: 20140249821
    Abstract: Systems and methods for receiving natural language queries and/or commands and execute the queries and/or commands. The systems and methods overcomes the deficiencies of prior art speech query and response systems through the application of a complete speech-based information query, retrieval, presentation and command environment. This environment makes significant use of context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users making queries or commands in multiple domains. Through this integrated approach, a complete speech-based natural language query and response environment can be created. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: ROBERT A. KENNEWICK, DAVID LOCKE, MICHAEL R. KENNEWICK, Sr., MICHAEL R. KENNEWICK, Jr., RICHARD KENNEWICK, TOM FREEMAN
  • Patent number: 8731929
    Abstract: Systems and methods for receiving natural language queries and/or commands and execute the queries and/or commands. The systems and methods overcomes the deficiencies of prior art speech query and response systems through the application of a complete speech-based information query, retrieval, presentation and command environment. This environment makes significant use of context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users making queries or commands in multiple domains. Through this integrated approach, a complete speech-based natural language query and response environment can be created. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, David Locke, Michael R. Kennewick, Sr., Michael R. Kennewick, Jr., Richard Kennewick, Tom Freeman
  • Publication number: 20140012577
    Abstract: The system and method described herein may use various natural language models to deliver targeted advertisements and track advertisement interactions in voice recognition contexts. In particular, in response to an input device receiving an utterance, a conversational language processor may select and deliver one or more advertisements targeted to a user that spoke the utterance based on cognitive models associated with the user, various users having similar characteristics to the user, an environment in which the user spoke the utterance, or other criteria. Further, subsequent interaction with the targeted advertisements may be tracked to build and refine the cognitive models and thereby enhance the information used to deliver targeted advertisements in response to subsequent utterances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Tom Freeman, Mike Kennewick
  • Publication number: 20130339022
    Abstract: A cooperative conversational voice user interface is provided. The cooperative conversational voice user interface may build upon short-term and long-term shared knowledge to generate one or more explicit and/or implicit hypotheses about an intent of a user utterance. The hypotheses may be ranked based on varying degrees of certainty, and an adaptive response may be generated for the user. Responses may be worded based on the degrees of certainty and to frame an appropriate domain for a subsequent utterance. In one implementation, misrecognitions may be tolerated, and conversational course may be corrected based on subsequent utterances and/or responses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Larry Baldwin, Tom Freeman, Michael Tjalve, Blane Ebersold, Chris Weider
  • Patent number: 8527274
    Abstract: The system and method described herein may use various natural language models to deliver targeted advertisements and track advertisement interactions in voice recognition contexts. In particular, in response to an input device receiving an utterance, a conversational language processor may select and deliver one or more advertisements targeted to a user that spoke the utterance based on cognitive models associated with the user, various users having similar characteristics to the user, an environment in which the user spoke the utterance, or other criteria. Further, subsequent interaction with the targeted advertisements may be tracked to build and refine the cognitive models and thereby enhance the information used to deliver targeted advertisements in response to subsequent utterances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tom Freeman, Mike Kennewick
  • Patent number: 8515765
    Abstract: A cooperative conversational voice user interface is provided. The cooperative conversational voice user interface may build upon short-term and long-term shared knowledge to generate one or more explicit and/or implicit hypotheses about an intent of a user utterance. The hypotheses may be ranked based on varying degrees of certainty, and an adaptive response may be generated for the user. Responses may be worded based on the degrees of certainty and to frame an appropriate domain for a subsequent utterance. In one implementation, misrecognitions may be tolerated, and conversational course may be corrected based on subsequent utterances and/or responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry Baldwin, Tom Freeman, Michael Tjalve, Blane Ebersold, Chris Weider
  • Publication number: 20120150636
    Abstract: The system and method described herein may use various natural language models to deliver targeted advertisements and track advertisement interactions in voice recognition contexts. In particular, in response to an input device receiving an utterance, a conversational language processor may select and deliver one or more advertisements targeted to a user that spoke the utterance based on cognitive models associated with the user, various users having similar characteristics to the user, an environment in which the user spoke the utterance, or other criteria. Further, subsequent interaction with the targeted advertisements may be tracked to build and refine the cognitive models and thereby enhance the information used to deliver targeted advertisements in response to subsequent utterances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tom FREEMAN, Mike KENNEWICK
  • Patent number: 8155962
    Abstract: The methods and systems described herein may asynchronously process natural language utterances to provide real-time response performance and natural interaction with users. In particular, the methods and systems described herein may use various natural language speech recognition and interpretation components to identify a request (e.g., a query or command) in an utterance. The request identified in the utterance may then be processed with one or more domain agents, which may submit duplicate queries to multiple different data sources to process the request. The domain agents may then asynchronously evaluate responses to the duplicate queries to return results to users in a timely and natural manner, and further to account the fact that the different data sources may respond to the queries at different speeds, provide unsatisfactory responses to the queries, or fail to respond to the queries at all.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, David Locke, Michael R. Kennewick, Sr., Michael R. Kennewick, Jr., Richard Kennewick, Tom Freeman
  • Patent number: 8145489
    Abstract: A system and method for selecting and presenting advertisements based on natural language processing of voice-based inputs is provided. A user utterance may be received at an input device, and a conversational, natural language processor may identify a request from the utterance. At least one advertisement may be selected and presented to the user based on the identified request. The advertisement may be presented as a natural language response, thereby creating a conversational feel to the presentation of advertisements. The request and the user's subsequent interaction with the advertisement may be tracked to build user statistical profiles, thus enhancing subsequent selection and presentation of advertisements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tom Freeman, Mike Kennewick
  • Patent number: D736574
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: FREE-GEN INNOVATIONS PTY LTD
    Inventors: Tom Freeman, Moana Nguyen