Patents by Inventor Ziad Ismail

Ziad Ismail 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: 10699303
    Abstract: A method and system that performs cross-channel correlation of user identifiers with consumer telephone numbers. The system receives impression data characterizing the exposure of users to mechanisms for contacting businesses, the impression data including associated phone number and a date and time for each of the exposures. The system also receives call data describing telephone calls to businesses, the call data including a caller telephone number, a callee telephone number, and a date and time for each of the calls. Based on matching impression telephone numbers and call data callee numbers, the system forms correlations between corresponding user identifiers and caller telephone numbers. Correlations are also assigned a confidence level, based on the date and time of the corresponding exposures and telephone calls, that reflects the likelihood that a user associated with the correlated user identifier is the same as the user associated with the correlated caller telephone number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Marchex, Inc.
    Inventors: Ziad Ismail, Chris Kolbegger
  • Patent number: 10475075
    Abstract: A method and system that performs cross-channel advertisement targeting based on consumer telephone numbers. The system utilizes a targeting database to determine which consumers should be re-engaged on behalf of a business. The targeting database correlates a telephone number associated with a consumer with a masked user identifier associated with the tracking of online behavior of that consumer. The targeting database may include a confidence level representing the likelihood of correspondence between the telephone number and masked user identifier. The targeting database is used by the system to target advertisements to consumers. A telephone number of a consumer is used to identify a masked identifier of the consumer. Advertisements are then targeted to the consumer using the masked identifier. The stored confidence level may be used by the system to control the aggressiveness of re-targeting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Marchex, Inc.
    Inventors: Ziad Ismail, Chris Kolbegger
  • Patent number: 10477403
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring telephone calls to detect fraudulent activity and take corrective action is described. The system receives a group of telephone calls having associated call characteristics and analyzes the group of telephone calls to identify and store a first set of distributions of call characteristics that are indicative of normal activity, fraudulent activity, or indeterminate activity. The system receives one or more subsequent telephone calls to be analyzed. The system analyzes the received one or more telephone calls to identify a second set of distributions of call characteristics associated with the received telephone call. The system then compares the second set of distributions of call characteristics to the stored first set of distributions of call characteristics to assess a probability that the one or more received telephone calls represents normal, fraudulent, or indeterminate activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Marchex, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Flaks, Ziad Ismail
  • Patent number: 10348896
    Abstract: A facility and method for analyzing and classifying calls without transcription. The facility analyzes individual frames of an audio to identify speech and measure the amount of time spent in speech for each channel (e.g., caller channel, agent channel). Additional telephony metrics such as R-factor or MOS score and other metadata may be factored in as audio analysis inputs. The facility then analyzes the frames together as a whole and formulates a clustered-frame representation of a conversation to further identify dialog patterns and characterize call classification. Based on the data in the clustered-frame representation, the facility is able to make estimations of call classification. The correlation of dialog patterns to call classification may be utilized to develop targeted solutions for call classification issues, target certain advertising channels over others, evaluate advertising placements at scale, score callers, and to identify spammers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Marchex, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris Kolbegger, Jason Flaks, Tim Graber, Bryan Rieger, Ziad Ismail, Govindaraj Ramanathan, Darren Spehr, Matthew Berk
  • Publication number: 20190200230
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring telephone calls to detect fraudulent activity and take corrective action is described. The system receives a group of telephone calls having associated call characteristics and analyzes the group of telephone calls to identify and store a first set of distributions of call characteristics that are indicative of normal activity, fraudulent activity, or indeterminate activity. The system receives one or more subsequent telephone calls to be analyzed. The system analyzes the received one or more telephone calls to identify a second set of distributions of call characteristics associated with the received telephone call. The system then compares the second set of distributions of call characteristics to the stored first set of distributions of call characteristics to assess a probability that the one or more received telephone calls represents normal, fraudulent, or indeterminate activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Jason Flaks, Ziad Ismail
  • Patent number: 10111102
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring telephone calls to detect fraudulent activity and take corrective action is described. The system receives a group of telephone calls having associated call characteristics and analyzes the group of telephone calls to identify and store a first set of distributions of call characteristics that are indicative of normal activity, fraudulent activity, or indeterminate activity. The system receives one or more subsequent telephone calls to be analyzed. The system analyzes the received one or more telephone calls to identify a second set of distributions of call characteristics associated with the received telephone call. The system then compares the second set of distributions of call characteristics to the stored first set of distributions of call characteristics to assess a probability that the one or more received telephone calls represents normal, fraudulent, or indeterminate activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Marchex, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Flaks, Ziad Ismail
  • Patent number: 10049661
    Abstract: A facility and method for analyzing and classifying calls without transcription via keyword spotting is disclosed. The facility uses a group of calls having known outcomes to generate one or more domain- or entity-specific grammars containing keywords and related information that are indicative of particular outcome. The facility monitors telephone calls by determining the domain or entity associated with the call, loading the appropriate grammar or grammars associated with the determined domain or entity, and tracking keywords contained in the loaded grammar or grammars that are spoken during the monitored call, along with additional information. The facility performs a statistical analysis on the tracked keywords and additional information to determine a classification for the monitored telephone call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Marchex, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Flaks, Ziad Ismail, Chris Kolbegger
  • Publication number: 20180165688
    Abstract: A system and method that correlates a user identifier, associated with a computing device being used by a consumer, with a telephone number belonging to the consumer. The system maintains advertising impression data, describing online advertising impressions associated with user identifiers, and call data, describing telephone calls to a businesses and the telephone numbers from which the calls were received. Based on the maintained advertising impression and call data, the system generates correlations between telephone numbers and user identifiers for a consumer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Ziad Ismail, Clay Colburn, Adarsh Nair, Sundi Raman, Jacob Lucas, Chris Zazzi, Preston Hillman
  • Publication number: 20170366668
    Abstract: A facility and method for analyzing and classifying calls without transcription. The facility analyzes individual frames of an audio to identify speech and measure the amount of time spent in speech for each channel (e.g., caller channel, agent channel). Additional telephony metrics such as R-factor or MOS score and other metadata may be factored in as audio analysis inputs. The facility then analyzes the frames together as a whole and formulates a clustered-frame representation of a conversation to further identify dialogue patterns and characterize call classification. Based on the data in the clustered-frame representation, the facility is able to make estimations of call classification. The correlation of dialogue patterns to call classification may be utilized to develop targeted solutions for call classification issues, target certain advertising channels over others, evaluate advertising placements at scale, score callers, and to identify spammers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Chris Kolbegger, Jason Flaks, Tim Graber, Bryan Rieger, Ziad Ismail, Govindaraj Ramanathan, Darren Spehr, Matthew Berk
  • Patent number: 9614962
    Abstract: A facility and method for analyzing and classifying calls without transcription. The facility analyzes individual frames of an audio to identify speech and measure the amount of time spent in speech for each channel (e.g., caller channel, agent channel). Additional telephony metrics such as R-factor or MOS score and other metadata may be factored in as audio analysis inputs. The facility then analyzes the frames together as a whole and formulates a clustered-frame representation of a conversation to further identify dialog patterns and characterize call classification. Based on the data in the clustered-frame representation, the facility is able to make estimations of call classification. The correlation of dialog patterns to call classification may be utilized to develop targeted solutions for call classification issues, target certain advertising channels over others, evaluate advertising placements at scale, score callers, and to identify spammers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Marchex, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris Kolbegger, Jason Flaks, Tim Graber, Bryan Rieger, Ziad Ismail, Govindaraj Ramanathan, Darren Spehr, Matthew Berk
  • Publication number: 20170084272
    Abstract: A facility and method for analyzing and classifying calls without transcription via keyword spotting is disclosed. The facility uses a group of calls having known outcomes to generate one or more domain- or entity-specific grammars containing keywords and related information that are indicative of particular outcome. The facility monitors telephone calls by determining the domain or entity associated with the call, loading the appropriate grammar or grammars associated with the determined domain or entity, and tracking keywords contained in the loaded grammar or grammars that are spoken during the monitored call, along with additional information. The facility performs a statistical analysis on the tracked keywords and additional information to determine a classification for the monitored telephone call.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Jason Flaks, Ziad Ismail, Chris Kolbegger
  • Patent number: 9596356
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring telephone calls to detect fraudulent activity and take corrective action is described. The system receives a first group of telephone calls having associated voice characteristics and analyzes the first group of telephone calls to identify and store a first set of distributions of voice characteristics that are indicative of normal activity, fraudulent activity, or indeterminate activity. The system receives a second group of telephone calls to be analyzed. The system analyzes the second group of telephone calls to identify a second set of distributions of voice characteristics associated with the second group of telephone calls. The system then compares the second set of distributions of voice characteristics to the stored first set of distributions of voice characteristics to assess a probability that one or more telephone calls in the second group of telephone calls represents normal, fraudulent, or indeterminate activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Marchex, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Flaks, Ziad Ismail
  • Patent number: 9484026
    Abstract: A facility and method for analyzing and classifying calls without transcription via keyword spotting is disclosed. The facility uses a group of calls having known outcomes to generate one or more domain- or entity-specific grammars containing keywords and related information that are indicative of particular outcome. The facility monitors telephone calls by determining the domain or entity associated with the call, loading the appropriate grammar or grammars associated with the determined domain or entity, and tracking keywords contained in the loaded grammar or grammars that are spoken during the monitored call, along with additional information. The facility performs a statistical analysis on the tracked keywords and additional information to determine a classification for the monitored telephone call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Marchex, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Flaks, Ziad Ismail, Chris Kolbegger
  • Publication number: 20160155148
    Abstract: A method and system that performs cross-channel correlation of user identifiers with consumer telephone numbers. The system receives impression data characterizing the exposure of users to mechanisms for contacting businesses, where the impression data includes an associated phone number and a date and time for each of the exposures. The system also receives call data describing telephone calls to businesses, where the call data includes a caller telephone number, a callee telephone number, and a date and time for each of the calls. Based on matching impression telephone numbers and call data callee numbers, the system forms correlations between the user identifiers and caller telephone numbers of the corresponding exposures and telephone calls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventors: Ziad Ismail, Chris Kolbegger
  • Publication number: 20160150414
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring telephone calls to detect fraudulent activity and take corrective action is described. The system receives a group of telephone calls having associated call characteristics and analyzes the group of telephone calls to identify and store a first set of distributions of call characteristics that are indicative of normal activity, fraudulent activity, or indeterminate activity. The system receives one or more subsequent telephone calls to be analyzed. The system analyzes the received one or more telephone calls to identify a second set of distributions of call characteristics associated with the received telephone call. The system then compares the second set of distributions of call characteristics to the stored first set of distributions of call characteristics to assess a probability that the one or more received telephone calls represents normal, fraudulent, or indeterminate activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Jason Flaks, Ziad Ismail
  • Publication number: 20160150092
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring telephone calls to detect fraudulent activity and take corrective action is described. The system receives a first group of telephone calls having associated voice characteristics and analyzes the first group of telephone calls to identify and store a first set of distributions of voice characteristics that are indicative of normal activity, fraudulent activity, or indeterminate activity. The system receives a second group of telephone calls to be analyzed. The system analyzes the second group of telephone calls to identify a second set of distributions of voice characteristics associated with the second group of telephone calls. The system then compares the second set of distributions of voice characteristics to the stored first set of distributions of voice characteristics to assess a probability that one or more telephone calls in the second group of telephone calls represents normal, fraudulent, or indeterminate activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Jason Flaks, Ziad Ismail
  • Publication number: 20160118041
    Abstract: A facility and method for analyzing and classifying calls without transcription via keyword spotting is disclosed. The facility uses a group of calls having known outcomes to generate one or more domain- or entity-specific grammars containing keywords and related information that are indicative of particular outcome. The facility monitors telephone calls by determining the domain or entity associated with the call, loading the appropriate grammar or grammars associated with the determined domain or entity, and tracking keywords contained in the loaded grammar or grammars that are spoken during the monitored call, along with additional information. The facility performs a statistical analysis on the tracked keywords and additional information to determine a classification for the monitored telephone call.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Jason Flaks, Ziad Ismail, Chris Kolbegger
  • Patent number: 9263038
    Abstract: A facility and method for analyzing and classifying calls without transcription via keyword spotting is disclosed. The facility uses a group of calls having known outcomes to generate one or more domain- or entity-specific grammars containing keywords and related information that are indicative of particular outcome. The facility monitors telephone calls by determining the domain or entity associated with the call, loading the appropriate grammar or grammars associated with the determined domain or entity, and tracking keywords contained in the loaded grammar or grammars that are spoken during the monitored call, along with additional information. The facility performs a statistical analysis on the tracked keywords and additional information to determine a classification for the monitored telephone call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Marchex, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Flaks, Ziad Ismail, Chris Kolbegger
  • Patent number: 9232052
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring telephone calls to detect fraudulent activity and take corrective action is described. The system receives a first group of telephone calls having associated voice characteristics and analyzes the first group of telephone calls to identify and store a first set of distributions of voice characteristics that are indicative of normal activity, fraudulent activity, or indeterminate activity. The system receives a second group of telephone calls to be analyzed. The system analyzes the second group of telephone calls to identify a second set of distributions of voice characteristics associated with the second group of telephone calls. The system then compares the second set of distributions of voice characteristics to the stored first set of distributions of voice characteristics to assess a probability that one or more telephone calls in the second group of telephone calls represents normal, fraudulent, or indeterminate activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Marchex, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Flaks, Ziad Ismail
  • Publication number: 20150365530
    Abstract: A facility and method for analyzing and classifying calls without transcription. The facility analyzes individual frames of an audio to identify speech and measure the amount of time spent in speech for each channel (e.g., caller channel, agent channel). Additional telephony metrics such as R-factor or MOS score and other metadata may be factored in as audio analysis inputs. The facility then analyzes the frames together as a whole and formulates a clustered-frame representation of a conversation to further identify dialogue patterns and characterize call classification. Based on the data in the clustered-frame representation, the facility is able to make estimations of call classification. The correlation of dialogue patterns to call classification may be utilized to develop targeted solutions for call classification issues, target certain advertising channels over others, evaluate advertising placements at scale, score callers, and to identify spammers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Chris Kolbegger, Jason Flaks, Tim Graber, Bryan Rieger, Ziad Ismail, Govindaraj Ramanathan, Darren Spehr, Matthew Berk