Conferencing Patents (Class 379/202.01)
  • Patent number: 10652462
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments provide techniques for 360 degree video visualization. Various criteria such as user preferences, and/or crowdsourced information are used as triggers to signal a user device with indications for a direction of view recommendation. The direction of view recommendation instructs or suggests to the user to perform an action to change the viewpoint so that they can observe an object that they may otherwise miss. Additionally, a pre-navigated video may be created for the user. The pre-navigated video includes a sequence of viewing directions and point-of-view changes to include viewing of objects that are deemed to be of potential interest to the user. In this way, a user can have an improved 360 degree video experience which includes customized and/or crowdsourced recommendations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James E. Bostick, John M. Ganci, Jr., Martin G. Keen, Sarbajit K. Rakshit
  • Patent number: 10652031
    Abstract: Method for authenticating a first and a second electronic devices associated through a communication line includes: creating a unique ID, by a third electronic device; transmitting the unique ID to the first electronic device; signing the transmitted unique ID by the first electronic device; transmitting the signed unique ID to the second electronic device, by the first electronic device; signing the transmitted signed unique ID by the second electronic device; transmitting the unique ID signed by the first and second electronic devices to the third electronic device; verifying and accepting the unique ID signed by the first device and the second device, by the third device; issuing a certificate for a secure communication line between the first electronic device and the second electronic device; and transmitting the certificate to the first electronic device and the second electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: T-CENTRAL, INC.
    Inventors: David W. Kravitz, Donald Houston Graham, III, Josselyn L. Boudett, Russell S. Dietz, Kent William Stacy
  • Patent number: 10652679
    Abstract: A communications management system (CMS) and related method receive registration information related to a plurality of participant systems (PSs) that communicate audio information between themselves. The CMS transmits a unique signal to each of the plurality of PSs that causes each of the plurality of PSs to produce a unique audio signal and detects an undesirable sound (US) in a PS of the plurality of PSs responsive to the transmission of the unique signal. Then, responsive to the detection of the US, the CMS applies a remedial action to the PS to initiate a reduction in a likelihood that the PS will produce a future US. Finally, the CMS repeats the operations of transmitting, detecting, and applying according to a predefined testing criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory J. Boss, Michael Bender, Jeremy R. Fox, Keerthi E K
  • Patent number: 10652396
    Abstract: A stream server manages connections by multiple clients. The stream server receives, sends and manages streams for each client. The stream server analyzes incoming streams and maintains a database of device signatures and a database of user profiles based on the analyzed data. The stream server receives a stream from a client, analyzes the stream to identify an applicable device signature, user profile, or both, and modifies the stream. Modification of the stream may include filtering noise, placing the user in receive-only mode, ending a session for a user, adjusting metadata, etc. In addition, modification of the stream may vary based on the role or authorization of the user, or based on commands from one or more of the users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David M. Koster, Andrew Thorstensen, Adam D. Reznechek, Jason A. Nikolai
  • Patent number: 10645178
    Abstract: A consumer engages in a session over a first communication channel that is not a Virtual Reality (VR) communication channel. The consumer dynamically switches from the first communication channel to a VR communication channel while maintaining the context of a first session over the first communication channel in a new VR session over the VR communication channel. While engaged in the VR session, the consumer collaborates with one or more retailers that participate in the VR session with the consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph Arnold White
  • Patent number: 10645517
    Abstract: In one aspect, an apparatus includes a processor and an array of plural microphones and/or an array of plural speakers. Storage accessible to the processor includes instructions executable by the processor to establish a setting of at least one element in at least one of the arrays based at least in part on a signal from at least one proximity sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Axel Ramirez Flores, Russell Speight VanBlon, Jonathan Jen-Wei Yu, Rodrigo Felix de Almeida, Jonathan Co Lee, James A. Hunt
  • Patent number: 10644891
    Abstract: Method for establishing secure communication between a plurality of IoT devices in one or more vehicles include: provisioning the plurality of IoT devices by providing a unique identification, a digital identity token and a cryptographic key to each of the plurality of IoT devices; establishing a secure communication line between the plurality of IoT devices by authenticating respective communication lines between respective IoT devices and issuing a digital certificate to the respective communication lines; grouping the plurality of IoT devices into different groups based on a predetermined criteria; and including a group membership for a group of the different groups in an attribute certificate indicating group characterization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: T-CENTRAL, INC.
    Inventors: David W. Kravitz, Donald Houston Graham, III, Josselyn L. Boudett, Russell S. Dietz, Kent William Stacy
  • Patent number: 10621243
    Abstract: A computer-implemented communications method is discussed. The method includes receiving a typed user input in a texting conversation on an electronic communication channel between two or more users of electronic communications devices; analyzing the user input to identify whether the user input contains a reserved word for triggering a search; submitting a search query received in association with the reserved word to a search engine, if the user input contains a reserved word; receiving one or more search results from the search engine; and providing, in the electronic communication channel for incorporation into the texting conversation, at least one of the one or more search results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Maryam Garrett, Richard A. Miner
  • Patent number: 10616417
    Abstract: A control system is provided for controlling participation of another communication terminal in a session when the session has been established for transmitting information between communication terminals. The control system includes a participation control unit configured to reject participation of the other communication terminal in the session in the case where the session has been established based on a communication start request by one of the communication terminals specifying a first destination, and to permit the participation of the other communication terminal in the session in the case where the session has been established based on a communication start request by one of the communication terminals specifying a second destination different from the first destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Megumi Kawahara, Yoshinaga Kato, Takashi Inaoka
  • Patent number: 10594745
    Abstract: Processing signalling relating to a telephony session. A first telephony session establishment request relating to the telephony session is received. The first telephony session establishment request comprises a first telephony identifier as a calling party identifier. The first telephony identifier is replaced with a second telephony identifier. The second telephony identifier is different from the first telephony identifier. Call processing relating to the telephony session is enabled to be performed based on the second telephony identifier. The second telephony identifier is replaced with a telephony identifier other than the second telephony identifier. A second telephony session establishment request relating to the telephony session is transmitted. The second telephony session establishment request comprises the other telephony identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Metaswitch Networks Ltd.
    Inventors: Benjamin Ritchie, Benedict Russell, David Court
  • Patent number: 10587991
    Abstract: In some implementations, a core network device can receive an initiation request of a communication session to an alias number. The core network device can retrieve from a registration database one or more destination number(s) corresponding to the alias number. The core network device can transmit respective indication(s) of the alias number to destination(s) corresponding to the retrieved destination number(s). The core network device can initiate the communication session to one of the destination(s) using the respective one of the retrieved destination number(s). A destination number can correspond to a computing device, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert F. Piscopo, Jr., Shelby Seward
  • Patent number: 10582063
    Abstract: An example operation may include one or more of receiving a plurality of local audio files from a plurality of audio devices that participated in a teleconference, where each local audio file includes a locally captured audio recording of a user of a respective audio device during the teleconference, generating combined audio playback information for the teleconference based on the plurality of local audio files received from the plurality of audio devices, the generating including detecting audio portions within the plurality of local audio files and synchronizing a playing order of the detected audio portions based on timing information included in the plurality of local audio files, and transmitting the combined audio playback information of the teleconference to at least one audio device among the plurality of audio devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fabio De Angelis, Luca Balestrazzi, Andrea Napoleoni, Stefano Sidoti
  • Patent number: 10574828
    Abstract: A method and an audio conference device for carrying out an audio conference are disclosed, whereby classification information associated with a respective audio date flow is recorded for supplied audio data flows. According to a result of an evaluation of the classification information, the audio data flows are associated with at least three groups which are homogeneous with regard to the results. The individual audio data flows are processed uniformly in each group in terms of the signals thereof, and said audio data flows processed in this way are superimposed in order to form audio conference data flows to be transmitted to the communication terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Virginie Gilg, Tobias Kleemann, Jorg Krumbock, Walter Schmid
  • Patent number: 10567590
    Abstract: A conference assistance system and method for assisting a user in utilizing conference-related information, each of which: receives input of voice or writing of at least one meeting participant; determines whether text data representing the received voice or writing is to be used by the conference assistance system to generate assistance information, to generate a determination result; when the determination result indicates that the text data is to be used, generates, based on the text data, assistance information for assisting the meeting participant; and controls a display to display the generated assistance information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yorichika Ishiyama, Hiroyuki Kimbara, Masaaki Kagawa, Jun Murata, Takahiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10554822
    Abstract: The present invention is suitable for use in call centers and in other environments that include multiple service representatives, in which the voice of one representative may be picked up by the telephone of another representative in the surrounding vicinity. Disclosed herein are various methods of and systems for receiving multiple audio streams from multiple microphones, finding the correlations between the multiple audio streams, and using the correlations to attenuate the ambient noise from each audio stream. Accordingly, a caller in a conversation with a service representative hears the representative's voice with much of the ambient noise removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: SoliCall Ltd.
    Inventors: Shaul Simhi, Ronit Rosi Simhi
  • Patent number: 10542391
    Abstract: A method in a call information server for a two-way radio system includes accessing, by the server, group list information associating the plurality of subscriber units with one or more groups; receiving, at the server, updates related to presence information, availability information, and the group list information; and confirming, by the server, for each particular subscriber unit indicated in a particular group list as forming a particular group, the particular subscriber unit's participation in a particular group call to the particular group, as a function of the presence information, the availability information, and the group list information. A call information server and a two-way radio system are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Zhi-Chao Zhang, Yi Peng, Ya-Ming Wu, Jin-Qing Ye, Hong-Hong Zhu
  • Patent number: 10506195
    Abstract: Described herein are techniques to display live content of a teleconference session and recorded content of a teleconference session concurrently, in the same user interface. The recorded content and the live content can be part of the same teleconference session. Consequently, if a user joins the teleconference session late, the use can catch-up on missed activity of the teleconference session by viewing the recorded content while also staying engaged with the live content of the teleconference session as the teleconference session progresses. Alternatively, the recorded content and the live content can be part of different teleconference sessions. For instance, while viewing the live content of a live teleconference session, a user can view recorded content of a completed teleconference session. Consequently, the user is enabled to multi-task by viewing recorded content of a completed teleconference session that she or he missed (e.g., previous team meetings pertinent to the current meeting).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Jason Thomas Faulkner
  • Patent number: 10476826
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for enhancing a plurality of electronic communication systems for a plurality of users include, for example, providing data regarding at least one project, and linking the data regarding the at least one project with the plurality of electronic communication systems regarding the plurality of electronic communications for the plurality of users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Liang Liang Dai, Li Gu, Jing Bo Jiang, Li Jiang, Yang Liu, Xue Ying Zhang
  • Patent number: 10470227
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a connection control method for a vehicle control program of a vehicle and a head unit system configured for conveniently using the vehicle control program and Bluetooth communications without again performing Bluetooth pairing when a user performs starting off and then starting on during the use of the vehicle control program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Sang Yong Jung
  • Patent number: 10447862
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller to retrieve from an address book a communication identifier for each of a plurality of participants, determine from the address book a conferencing type for each of the plurality of participants, and initiate according to the conference type and the communication identifier of each participant a Voice over Internet Protocol conference call directed to communication devices of the plurality of participants. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Lyft, Inc.
    Inventors: Anup D. Karnalkar, R. Tyler Wallis, William Stanley Robbins, Susan Steele, Mark Ryan
  • Patent number: 10446168
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for noise management are disclosed. In one example, a method includes receiving a plurality of noise level measurements taken at a plurality of headsets. The method includes receiving a plurality of location data, including receiving a location data associated with each headset in the plurality of headsets. In one example, the method further includes adjusting an environmental parameter utilizing the noise level measurements. In one example, the method further includes providing location services to a user directing the user to a geographical area having a lower noise level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Evan Harris Benway, Erik Perotti
  • Patent number: 10447636
    Abstract: Disclosed is a server capable of improving convenience for a user at the time of service registration. The server includes a service providing unit which provides a service to an unregistered user who is not registered in the service when the unregistered user accesses the service, and a storage device which stores a service history provided to the unregistered user by the service providing unit. When the unregistered user is registered in the service, the service providing unit allows the unregistered user to use the service while taking over a service history used when the unregistered user is not registered in the service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Line Corporation
    Inventors: Heechan Yang, Kenichi Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 10440159
    Abstract: Handling supplementary services offered in association with Internet Protocol multimedia services based on particular policies is described. In an example, server(s) can receive, from a first user device, a policy associated with handling one or more communications directed to a particular identifier. The server(s) can subsequently receive a communication from a second user device, the communication being associated with a header identifying the particular identifier as the intended recipient of the communication. The server(s) can determine whether the policy is to be applied to the communication and, based at least partly on determining that the policy is to be applied to the communication, the server(s) can update the header based at least in part on the policy. The server(s) can transmit the communication based at least in part on the header, thereby transmitting the communication pursuant to the policy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Adnan Rahat, Yasmin Karimli, Gunjan Nimbavikar
  • Patent number: 10440067
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for collecting call data, feeding call data to applications, and providing advanced call features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Tevnos LLC
    Inventor: Stuart Alexander Jacobson
  • Patent number: 10432795
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed of transmitting live event notification information to a user device. One example method may include retrieving event user preference information from an event user database based on prestored user preferences. The method may also include transmitting an initial event notification message to an end user communication device based on the event user preference information to notify the end user of an upcoming event and receiving a response message from the end user communication device indicating a current availability of the end user. The user device may receive notification information via more than one communication channel and respond in a number of different ways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey William Cordell, Michael T. Mateer, Chad David Hendren
  • Patent number: 10412447
    Abstract: A client device accesses a video input stream from an intermediate device for display. The client device analyzes the video input stream to determine that the video input stream matches a template indicating a semi-transparent overlay. Based on the video input stream matching the template, a video output stream is generated and caused to be presented on a display. In some example embodiments, the analysis is performed while the client device is replacing video content received from a content source via the intermediate device. For example, commercials transmitted from a national content provider to a smart TV via a set-top box may be replaced with targeted commercials. During the replacement, semi-transparent menus generated by the set-top box may be detected and the replacement video altered by the smart TV to include the menus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Gracenote, Inc.
    Inventors: Markus K. Cremer, Peter Dunker, Steven D. Scherf, David Henry Pearce, Sherman Ling Fung Li, Wilson Harron, Konstantinos Antonios Dimitriou, Dewey Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 10412228
    Abstract: A device receives call data associated with a conference call between a plurality of users. The call data includes at least two of: data identifying each of the plurality of users, data identifying user activity associated with at least one user in the plurality of users, and conference call metadata associated with the conference call. The call muting platform receives voice data associated with the conference call. The voice data is associated with at least one vocal utterance associated with the plurality of users. The call muting platform provides the call data and the voice data to a second device, and receives mute data from the second device. The mute data indicates whether to mute or un-mute a particular user of the plurality of users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Capital One Services, LLC
    Inventors: Oron Haus, Rudolph Wolfs
  • Patent number: 10397849
    Abstract: [Problem] To provide a voice communication system which uses a communication network, and with which a terminal device is capable of listening to both a previous call and a new call, even when another call is received during communication. [Solution] Provided is a relay device which is equipped with: a network communication unit which communicates with terminal devices over a communication network; and a control unit which controls voice communication between the terminal devices. The control unit of the relay device forms a plurality of communication sessions, and allows a plurality of the terminal devices to each of the communication sessions. The terminal devices belonging to one of the communication sessions participate in communication in the communication session. The terminal devices assigned to two or more communication sessions participate in communication in any one of the communication sessions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: ICOM INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Hirotaka Sonobe
  • Patent number: 10389770
    Abstract: Disclosed in some examples are computer systems, methods, and machine readable mediums which provide for concurrent instances of network based collaboration sessions. Media that is shared in a collaboration session may be termed blocking media or unblocking media. The active session presents both the blocking and non-blocking media. Only non-blocking media is presented in the background sessions. Thus, for example, the audio, video, or all the media may be presented in the active session, and only the non-blocking media such as a text chat may be presented in one or more background sessions. Users may switch which collaboration session is active and which collaboration sessions are background sessions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Oleg Pogorelik
  • Patent number: 10381046
    Abstract: Audio/video recorders are presented for recording audio and video of various types of proceedings, including court proceedings. In some examples, audio/video recorders may obtain case information associated with a case identifier from a case management database, and associate at least some of the case information with one or more audio channel inputs of the audio interface. In some examples, audio/video recorders may associate a speaker with an audio channel input of the audio interface, determine that an amplitude of an audio signal received at the audio channel input is above a threshold, determine a time when the amplitude of the audio signal at the audio channel was determined to be above the threshold, and generate metadata as a timeline indicating that the first speaker began speaking at the first time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Utah
    Inventors: David A. Sime, William Jon Igo, Robert Walter Ingraham, Jonathon Eldon Hair, Brenda Lee Dowler, Gregory Kirk Williams
  • Patent number: 10382503
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to generating a group of invitees in a wireless communication system. An embodiment of the disclosure receives criteria for an event from an organizer of the event, compares the criteria to contact information of each contact of a plurality of contacts, assigns a recommendation ranking to each contact based on the comparison of the criteria to the contact information for each contact, and displays a subset of the plurality of contacts sorted according to the recommendation ranking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Biplab Chattopadhyay, Sanghamitra Bhattacharya, Bryant K. Forsgren, Sreeram Kanumuri, Simon Teplitsky
  • Patent number: 10375125
    Abstract: The present technology allow for a user's portable device to automatically join a videoconference without any action by a user. A collaboration service can be aware of portable devices in a conference room that is an endpoint for a video conference, and learn of identities associated with the portable devices present in the conference room. After the video conference is initiated in the conference room, all devices that are in communication with the collaboration service can also be automatically joined to the conference. Since all conference participants in the conference room have their own portable device that is joined to the conference the portable devices in the conference room act as a second screen available to the video conference. As such video from the conference can be directed to a common conference room display, while conference materials can be displayed separately on the portable devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Rosenberg, Amit Barave
  • Patent number: 10373609
    Abstract: The present application discloses a voice recognition method and apparatus. A specific implementation of the method includes: in response to detecting a microphone receiving voice signal containing interfering sound signal, performing high-pass filtering on the voice signal; cancelling the interfering sound signal in the voice signal subjected to high-pass filtering; performing automatic gain control on the voice signal subjected to cancelling the interfering sound signal, to obtain target voice signal; and extracting a feature vector from the target voice signal and inputting the feature vector into a pre-trained acoustic model, to obtain a voice recognition result matching the target voice signal, the acoustic model being used for representing a corresponding relationship between the feature vector and the voice recognition result. This implementation improves the success rate of voice recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: BAIDU ONLINE NETWORK TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Weiwei Cui, Yu Sun
  • Patent number: 10365889
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for establishing a metadata exchange channel between a media playback system and a networked microphone system, wherein the networked microphone system comprises a networked microphone device and a networked microphone server. After establishing the metadata exchange channel, the media playback system experiences a metadata exchange triggering event. In response to experiencing the metadata exchange triggering event, the media playback system provides metadata to the networked microphone system via the metadata exchange channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Plagge, Simon Jarvis, Christopher Butts
  • Patent number: 10367944
    Abstract: A conference assistance system and method for assisting a user in utilizing conference-related information, each of which: receives input of voice or writing of at least one meeting participant; determines whether text data representing the received voice or writing is to be used by the conference assistance system to generate assistance information, to generate a determination result; when the determination result indicates that the text data is to be used, generates, based on the text data, assistance information for assisting the meeting participant; and controls a display to display the generated assistance information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yorichika Ishiyama, Hiroyuki Kimbara, Masaaki Kagawa, Jun Murata, Takahiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10368292
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes: monitoring, by a user device, calling activity on the user device; detecting, by the user device and based on the monitoring, that a call has started on the user device; providing, by the user device, a pause instruction to an assistant device based on detecting that the call has started on the user device, causing the assistant device to disable speech response functions; detecting, by the user device and based on the monitoring, that the call has ended on the user device; and providing, by the user device, a resume instruction to the assistant device based on detecting that the call has ended on the user device, causing the assistant device to resume speech response functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lisa Seacat Deluca, Jeremy A. Greenberger
  • Patent number: 10348964
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments provide techniques for 360 degree video visualization. Various criteria such as user preferences, and/or crowdsourced information are used as triggers to signal a user device with indications for a direction of view recommendation. The direction of view recommendation instructs or suggests to the user to perform an action to change the viewpoint so that they can observe an object that they may otherwise miss. Additionally, a pre-navigated video may be created for the user. The pre-navigated video includes a sequence of viewing directions and point-of-view changes to include viewing of objects that are deemed to be of potential interest to the user. In this way, a user can have an improved 360 degree video experience which includes customized and/or crowdsourced recommendations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James E. Bostick, John M. Ganci, Jr., Martin G. Keen, Sarbajit K. Rakshit
  • Patent number: 10346886
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a hierarchical resale system for telecommunications services are described. In an embodiment, a computerized method for managing events in a hierarchical resale model for telecommunication products may include receiving, via an electronic interface, access information for accessing an event response system of a down-level provider; identifying, using a data processing device, an event requiring a response from the down-level provider; accessing, using a network interface, the event response system of the down-level provider; and generating, using the data processor, an event response for transmission by the event response system of the down-level provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: GENBAND US LLC
    Inventor: Donald L. Fisher, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10348724
    Abstract: A system and method for sharing electronic data between participants of a phone conference, such as an online presentation, without a need to exchange passwords to link two devices together for data transfer nor go through a login procedure to access the data resource. To achieve this, the participants use a device or software application that samples the audio of the phone conversation and creates a stream of audio fingerprints. The streams of fingerprints are sent to a matching service on the internet. This matching service finds the fingerprints that correspond to the same conversation among the streams of simultaneous users. Once a match is found with a high enough confidence level, the matching service exchanges identifiers such as public IP addresses and sends those back to the fingerprinting units. When instructed by the user, the units can then proceed to setup a secure data connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: BARCO N.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Brands, Christophe Herreman
  • Patent number: 10333720
    Abstract: Method for establishing secure communication between a plurality of IoT devices in one or more vehicles include: provisioning the plurality of IoT devices by providing a unique identification, a digital identity token and a cryptographic key to each of the plurality of IoT devices; establishing a secure communication line between the plurality of IoT devices by authenticating respective communication lines between respective IoT devices and issuing a digital certificate to the respective communication lines; grouping the plurality of IoT devices into different groups based on a predetermined criteria; and including a group membership for a group of the different groups in an attribute certificate indicating group characterization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: T-CENTRAL, INC.
    Inventors: David W. Kravitz, Donald Houston Graham, III, Josselyn L. Boudett, Russell S. Dietz, Kent William Stacy
  • Patent number: 10334001
    Abstract: A method is described and in one embodiment includes receiving a request to participate in a web-based conferencing session using an IP phone, wherein the web-based conferencing session is hosted by a server; establishing an encrypted connection to the server; requesting network routing information for the IP phone from a call manager; receiving from the call manager the requested routing information; and establishing a connection with the IP phone using the received routing information. The method may further include embodiments in which the request to participate in the web-based conferencing session is initiated by a user via a client application executing on a computer device and in which the encrypted connection is established over an Internet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yanghua Liu, Don D. Brown
  • Patent number: 10320988
    Abstract: An initial data center can be selected to host a communication session between multiple participants. This data center can be initially selected based, at least in part, on a first set of effective distances (e.g., representing distances between the initial data center and the first group of participants modified by effective distance factors). For example, the data center closest to the centroid can be selected. The effective distance factor (or weighting) can be based on one or more of the participant's device/driver type, the participant's network type, the participant's connection type, and a participant weighting factor. Then, as the multiple participants on the conference session change or the effective distances change (e.g., based on a change in connectivity), a second data center can be selected to host the communication session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Amer Hassan, Gareth Lyndon Eadred Bridges, Bradford R. Clark, Timothy R. Allen, Russell Andrew Penar
  • Patent number: 10311383
    Abstract: An electronic device, with a display and one or more input devices: displays a first user interface element provided to create a calendar event, the first user interface element includes a location input element provided to receive user inputs in order to add a location for the calendar event; detects a first input that corresponds to the location input element; in response to detecting the first input, displays in association with the location input element one or more locations for the calendar event, where at least one of the one or more locations corresponds to a virtual conference; detects a second input that corresponds to the virtual conference; and, in response to detecting the second input: generates call-in information and a link for the virtual conference; and associates the call-in information and the link with the calendar event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Betsy J. Holmes, Duncan Hugh Keefe, Cameron J. Wolff, William J. Symons
  • Patent number: 10310875
    Abstract: An interpreter desk for a conferencing system is presented comprising a first interface configured to select an audio input channel from a plurality of audio input channels. Each corresponding to a different language, from which selected audio input channel a translation into a target language is to be performed. A processing unit is arranged to suggest one or more audio input channels and corresponding language as a source language for translation into the target language, based on at least one user preference and an indication of the quality of the different languages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: TELEVIC CONFERENCE NV
    Inventor: Cedric Mélange
  • Patent number: 10305993
    Abstract: There is provided a terminal control system including: a first terminal; a second terminal connected to the first terminal by short-distance wireless communication; and a server on a network connected to the second terminal via a communication link, in which the server includes: a storage unit which stores predetermined information to be detected by the first terminal and a sequence of processing commands to be executed by the second terminal in a manner such that the information and the processing commands are related to each other; and a terminal control unit sends the sequence of processing commands to the second terminal with reference to the storage unit so as to allow the second terminal to execute the processing commands in response to receiving the predetermined information from the first terminal via the second terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Keiichi Imamura
  • Patent number: 10264380
    Abstract: A head mounted display (HMD) device is provided that includes a display, a position and orientation sensor, and speakers. The HMD device includes a processor configured to receive map data of a three-dimensional environment, receive a three-dimensional data set, detect a predefined feature in the three-dimensional data set, place a spatial audio emitter anchor in the three-dimensional environment in a location where the feature was detected, the spatial audio emitter having an emitter boundary, determine a current location of a user in the virtual environment based on a signal from the sensor, display the map data of the three-dimensional environment with a graphical representation of the three-dimensional data set based on the determined current location of the user, and responsive to determining that the location of the user is outside of the boundary, play the spatial audio emitter in a spatial audio mode via the near-ear speakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Diego E. Salume, Jason B. Scott, Charles Tatsuya Sinex, Richard Wifall
  • Patent number: 10248721
    Abstract: Various embodiments described herein relate to methods, systems, apparatus and computer-readable media for providing a graphical representation of a plurality of statements in a tree-like structure. At least a portion of the statements is displayed on a screen. Each displayed statement comprises a contents portion and an assigned classification. The statements further have one or more associated quality designations. According to one embodiment, the assigned classification is selected from a set of at least two classifications. Each classification specifies a relationship of an associated statement to another statement in said tree-like structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Inventor: Errikos Pitsos
  • Patent number: 10244120
    Abstract: A method and an audio conference device for carrying out an audio conference are disclosed, whereby classification information associated with a respective audio date flow is recorded for supplied audio data flows. According to a result of an evaluation of the classification information, the audio data flows are associated with at least three groups which are homogeneous with regard to the results. The individual audio data flows are processed uniformly in each group in terms of the signals thereof, and said audio data flows processed in this way are superimposed in order to form audio conference data flows to be transmitted to the communication terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Virginie Gilg, Tobias Kleemann, Jorg Krumbock, Walter Schmid
  • Patent number: 10237412
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed towards an audio conferencing method. Some embodiments may include receiving, at a first mixing device, a first audio stream from one or more participant conferencing devices. The method may further include generating a top-N voice stream at the first mixing device, wherein the top-N voice stream corresponds with at least one top-N talker and wherein the identification of the at least one top-N talker is based upon, at least in part, an activity ranking. The method may also include receiving the top-N voice stream at a centralized mixing device and generating at least one mixed audio stream at the centralized mixing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Sridhar Pilli, Mahesh Godavarti
  • Patent number: 10230672
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for inserting a search box into a mobile terminal messaging dialog. Upon receiving a dialog message (e.g., an email message) from a first user device, the method determines the format (e.g., IMAP) of the dialog message in order to insert a similarly-formatted search box. Then, the method modifies the dialog message by inserting the selected search box into the dialog message. The method receives a request from a second user (at a mobile terminal) and the method transmits the outbound dialog message with the inserted search box to the second user's mobile terminal. The second user's mobile terminal supports a web browser, and some dialog messages include pre-populated text in the search box, the pre-populated text based on the dialog message from the first user device. The second user browses using the inserted search box without having to explicitly launch a browser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: EXCALIBUR IP, LLC
    Inventor: Viraj Sudhir Chavan