Digital Commons Network^™

Summarizing History Information For An Interactive Assistant, Google Inc.

Defensive Publications Series

An interactive assistant, referred to herein as “an interactive assistant,” “a virtual assistant,” or simply an “assistant,” may be configured to index, cluster, and/or summarize interaction history information based on interactions with one or more users over time. For example, an interactive assistant may accept queries from these users, search interaction history information, and provide summaries of prior interactions (e.g., via audible output, output in a browser or other viewable window, output in a messaging application communicating with the assistant, etc.) between the interactive assistant and the users based on one or more criteria specified by these queries. In some …

Personal Assistant Accessible Via A Telephone Call, Abhijit Ravi, Kishore Subramanian, Madhukar Srivastava

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques of the present disclosure provide a virtual personal assistant to users via a telephone call. The techniques are especially beneficial for users of feature phones, landline phones, shared phones such as pay phones, etc. A user can dial a telephone number for the virtual personal assistant and is recognized by the number they’re calling from. The user optionally provides a personal identification number (PIN). Once connected, the user can query the personal assistant for information and receive answers. Initially, when the user asks a question, the virtual personal assistant begins the interaction without having user context. With subsequent interactions, …

Measurement Of Impact Of Display Advertisements On Site Traffic, Yuan Zhuge, Xiuduan Fang, Christine Zhou, Ping Lai, Xintian Wu, Aliaksei Nikuliak, Anshul Jain, Abhishek Aggarwal, Jesse Savage

Defensive Publications Series

Advertisers of display ads benefit from being able to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns for driving site traffic. However, some platforms do not enable such measurement due to the site metrics required to assess effectiveness of display ads being stored in a different location than bid management data pertaining to the ads. The techniques described herein measure the impact of the display ads bid management on site traffic. In particular, increased site engagement due to bid management of display ads is assessed along multiple dimensions of bid management, e.g., ad insertion order, ad creatives, target site, etc., to understand …

Automatic Generation Of Social Network Posts For Private Domains, Hariharan Chandrasekaran, Harish Chandran, Archit Gupta, Natarajan Chandrashekar

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes techniques to generate a stream of content related to the interests of users in a social media platform. The social media platform is private, e.g., restricted to a private domain, e.g., within a company or organization. The content includes social networking posts that are automatically generated from public sources, such as web URLs. A bot is deployed to scan web URLs periodically to identify recent content that is relevant and likely of interest to users within the domain. A social media post, e.g., including an automatically generated summary and/or an image is generated. Users within the private …

Meeting Room Personalization, Serge Lachapelle, Megan Boundey, Katie Roberts-Hoffman

Defensive Publications Series

Hardware for teleconferencing and videoconferencing is installed in meeting rooms. Typically, such hardware has several settings, e.g., microphone sensitivity, speaker volume, display contrast, etc. Such settings are manually entered or changed upon entry of participants in a meeting. Settings change frequently based on the preferences of different users of the meeting rooms. Each change requires participants to perform manual actions during a meeting. It is also possible that multiple meeting participants in a room disagree on settings.

Techniques of this disclosure enable automatically setting meeting room equipment parameters based on user preferences. Personal meeting room settings are stored locally on …

Notification Delivery To Devices Without Appropriate Applications Installed

Defensive Publications Series

Some computer users may rely on a plurality of deices to communicate with others and to receive notifications on. These devices can include desktop and laptop computers, as well as other wireless devices such as smart phones, tablet devices, media players, and the like. The various devices associated with a user or user account may have different capabilities and or applications installed that may not be appropriate for presenting some notifications. Some devices may not be able to process or present notifications in that same way as other devices.

Efficient E-Commerce On Virtual Personal Assistants, Thomas Price, Justin Lewis

Defensive Publications Series

Virtual personal assistants perform for their users a variety of tasks, e.g., placing online shopping orders, performing e-commerce transactions, handle shopping and commerce queries, etc. Typically, virtual personal assistants interact conversationally with their users and adapt to their user’s preferences using machine intelligence. The conversational model between users and virtual assistants makes it difficult for users to get product details needed to confidently place an online order. It is also difficult, through conversation alone, to input delivery information, authenticate payment, or even be confident of what is being purchased. Techniques of this disclosure facilitate e-commerce over virtual personal assistants by …

Placing Sponsored-Content Associated With An Image, Yushi Jing, Shumeet Baluja

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described for placing sponsored-content associated with an image. The techniques may include matching a first image for which a sponsored-content item is to be selected with a reference image. A sponsored-content item to be presented may be selected based on an association between the reference image and the sponsored-content item to be presented.

Smart Attenuation Control For Microphones, Sara Basson, Dimitri Kanevsky, Yiteng Huang

Defensive Publications Series

Microphone arrays are used to home into a source of sound. They find application in a variety of situations, e.g., conference rooms, video conferencing, virtual personal assistants, etc. When multiple speakers are participating in a joint conversation, microphone arrays tend to direct themselves to the loudest or clearest speakers. The problem with doing so is that the array does not provide timely and sufficient access to speakers with soft voices, accented speech, speech disorders, or whose speech is otherwise difficult to comprehend, e.g., low or unintelligible speech level. This disclosure describes techniques to identify people whose speech intelligibility levels are …

Generation Of Speech Training Data For Special Speech Recognition Tasks, Dimitri Kanevsky, Andrew Senior, Sara Basson

Defensive Publications Series

Speech recognition is widely used as a voice-user interface in several settings, e.g., interactive voice response, virtual personal assistants, transcription, translation applications, etc. Although speech recognition technology has advanced far enough to be useful to a sizeable number of human speakers, there are still populations that cannot take full advantage of speech recognition. For example, people with impaired speech, speakers of rare languages or dialects, with strong accents, etc. have difficulty using an application that uses speech recognition. The reason for such user difficulty is that there is insufficient data to train an automatic speech recognizer to recognize such relatively …

Increased Efficiency In Ad Modeling Through Adveritser Analytic Power-User Analysis, Alex Jacobson

Defensive Publications Series

Increased efficiency in modeling through analytic power user analysis is introduced in this publication. The analytic power user analysis includes identifying a first set of users from a global set of users. The first set of users is generally characterized as proficient, relative to the global set, in setting up and/or tracking a content item. Interactions of the first set of users are analyzed to determine interactions or information associated with interactions that distinguish the first set of users from the global set. A second set of users are identified based on the distinguishing interactions or associated information. Performance data …

Optimized Route Options Based On Weather Conditions, Dina Betser

Defensive Publications Series

A weather based routing system is used to provide a routing and navigation option based on specific weather conditions and time parameters. The system receives a request to generate a route between a start point and an end point based on a weather condition for a specified time. These weather conditions can indicate picking the shadiest route, or the sunniest route, or the route which would be least windy between the start and the end point. The system can access a database of stored photographic maps data to get information about the two points and the different routes between them. …

Obfuscator Overlay For Fingerprint Sensor, David Ogutu

Defensive Publications Series

Fingerprint authentication is a convenient technique for authentication on consumer devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptop computers, etc. However, some users have concerns regarding privacy of their fingerprint data. This disclosure addresses such privacy concerns while retaining the ability for users to utilize fingerprint authentication. Per this disclosure, an obfuscating capacitive layer along with a capacitive sensor is placed on a fingerprint sensor, or is integrated in a fingerprint sensor. The layer generates a random pattern at the time of creation of the layer. This pattern along with the user’s fingerprint is recognized and used to authenticate a user. In …

Detection Of Message Read Status, Yan Liu

Defensive Publications Series

In some communication systems, notifications or other indications can be displayed to indicate whether received messages have been read by a user. In some cases, a read / unread status of a message, and display of this status, is inaccurate when that message has been received out of order, due to use of conversation timestamps by the system. This document describes techniques to accurately detect read and unread status for messages and to provide displayed indications of the status on all of a user's devices. This is achieved by storing an observed flag associated with each message that indicates the …

Intelligent Radio Search, Victor Carbune

Defensive Publications Series

Radio search using traditional techniques such as tuning or switching between pre-stored radio stations is cumbersome and time-consuming. It is difficult for users to locate a radio station that is currently playing programs that are of interest to them. The techniques described in this disclosure employ voice recognition, audio fingerprinting, and on-the-fly recognition to identify available content. Further, the available content is matched with known user preferences, based on user consent. An intelligent, assistive user interface based on matched radio content is provided to the user. The interface enables the user to easily find and listen to radio content of …

Mount, Tristan Gfrerer, Katie Roberts-Hoffman

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure relates to a mount that allows a user to attach an electronic device such a camera, speaker, set top box, or specialized video conferencing system to another electric device or fixture. The mount may be affixed under a screen, to a wall, on the floor, or behind a screen inside a wall. The mount may include a screw hole for use with a screw to attach the mount to an electronic device. A user may insert a device such as a camera inside the U-shaped outwardly protruding portions of the mount prior to mounting. The user may remove …

Trust Chain Recovery Method For Secured Connected Devices Solutions, Olivier Kreet, Georges Nogueira

Defensive Publications Series

Computer networks are facing unprecedented security risks. Dramatically impacting threats are now targeting our critical infrastructures, such as :

• massive denial of services in the Internet because of lacking security in the Internet of Things (IoT),
• or, the recent ransomware campaign that spreads all over the world.

The need of security mechanisms is now inevitable to maintain the system. This target can be performed thanks to a set of now mature security protocols, but it will only succeed if we achieve the required security management of the multiplying seamless endpoints that do not allow any human interaction.

This solution addresses …

A System For Automatically Enhancing Advertiser Provided Sitelinks With Relevant Creative Text, John D. Lanza, John D. Lanza

Defensive Publications Series

Systems and methods described herein allow for providing enhanced sitelinks in the voice activated computer environment. A data processing system can determine a primary search result and a URL responsive to the identified user request. The data processing system can determine a primary search result and a URL responsive to the identified user request. The data processing system can identify a plurality of candidate digital components associated with the URL, and calculate a respective score for each of the identified candidate digital components. The data processing system can select a digital component of the plurality of candidate digital components based …

Dynamic Context-Based Voice Modulation, John D. Lanza, John D. Lanza

Defensive Publications Series

When audio sponsored content is presented with non-sponsored audio content in a two-way conversation between a user and a respective client computing device, it may be challenging for the user to distinguish the sponsored audio content from the non-sponsored audio content. The client computing device can receive an input audio signal indicative of a respective uttered speech. A data processing system communicatively coupled to the client computing device can process the received audio signal to identify a request corresponding to the uttered speech. The data processing system can generate a response to the identified request, and select an ad based …

Quality Assessment Signals, John D. Lanza, John D. Lanza

Defensive Publications Series

Systems and methods described herein allow for monitoring and adjustment of the quality of conversations between users and a virtual personal assistant. A data processing system hosting the virtual personal assistant can include a feedback monitoring component configured to determine parameters related to (or characteristics of) communication links between the data processing system and the client device, speech recognition and natural language processing of received audio signals, and/or user online activities responsive to content from the data processing system presented to the user. The data processing system can determine one or more quality metrics based on the collected parameters or …

Direct Actions, John D. Lanza, John D. Lanza

Defensive Publications Series

Systems and methods described herein allow for monetization of a virtual personal assistant by offering sponsored content to users responsive to input audio signals triggering online actions. A data processing system can identify a user request based on a received input audio signal. The data processing system can execute an online action responsive to the identified user request. The data processing system can generate a response to the input audio signal based on the executed online action, and select a sponsored content item based on a context of the identified user request. The data processing system can then transmit the …

Enabling Functionality In Content Items Based On Device Capabilities In Voice Activated Computing Systems, John D. Lanza

Defensive Publications Series

This document describes a technique for processing voice commands in a voice activated computing system. In particular, the system processes the voice commands and selects content to be sent to the user based on the capabilities of the user’s device. The system can poll the user’s device to determine their capabilities, such as for receiving voice commands, rendering audio responses, making phone calls, launching navigation application, accepting input via touch interface, etc. Based on the capability of a user’s device, the system may select content that can be best used to provide the user with the requested information or to …

On-Demand Security Token Linking, John D. Lanza

Defensive Publications Series

Systems and methods described herein allow for automatic execution by a virtual personal assistant of secure access tasks, such as user account authentication or acquiring/granting access authorization, associated with an online service or online action requested by a user of a client computing device. The client computing device can receive an input speech signal indicative of a request or command from a user of a client computing device. A data processing system communicatively coupled to the client computing device can identify, based on the input speech signal, a service or online action requested by the user of the client computing …

Using User Location And User Interest To Determine Content In Voice Activated Computing Systems, John D. Lanza

Defensive Publications Series

This document describes a technique for processing voice commands in a voice activated computing system. In particular, the system processes the voice commands and generates responses that take into consideration a user location as well as user interests. The system processes the voice commands to identify requests and trigger keywords. Based on the request and the trigger keywords, the system can communicate with one or more service providers to determine a list of candidate content items. The system then selects one or a list of content items from the list of candidate content items based on the user location and …

User Authentication In A Voice Activated Computing System, John D. Lanza

Defensive Publications Series

This document describes a technique for processing voice commands received by a voice activated computing system to identify one or more tasks or actions to be performed based on the voice commands. The system determines the type of tasks or actions identified, and based on their type determines whether execution of those tasks or action requires user authentication. If user authentication is required, the system pauses the tasks or actions and executes one or more authentication actions that can authenticate the user. If the user authentication is successful, the system can continue to execute the paused tasks or actions. However, …

Pooling Engine, John D. Lanza, John D. Lanza

Defensive Publications Series

Systems and methods described herein allow for consolidation of requests from multiple users in a voice activated interaction computer environment. A data processing system can receive at least two audio input signals from at least two user devices associated with at least two corresponding users, and determine, for each received input audio signal, a respective user request. The data processing system can generate, for each received input audio signal, a corresponding action data structure, and compare the action data structures associated with separate user requests to determine a pooling parameter indicative of overlapping features or themes among the action data …

Customizing Advertisement Delivery In Voice Activated Computing Systems Based On Status Information Of A Service Provider And Users, John D. Lanza

Defensive Publications Series

This document describes a technique for processing voice commands in a voice activated computing system. In particular, the system processes the voice commands and selects ads to be presented to the user based, in part, on a status of the merchants associated with the ads, and in part on the status of the users. The system takes into consideration the status information of the service provider, which status can include whether the service provider is open or closed for business, inventory levels of an advertised product at the service provider, etc. The system also takes into consideration the status information …

Advertisement Retargeting In Voice Activated Computing Systems, John D. Lanza

Defensive Publications Series

This document describes a technique for processing voice commands in a voice activated computing system. In particular, the system processes the voice commands and generates responses along with retargeted advertisements. The retargeted advertisements are provided to the user if the user has previously performed an action related to the advertisement, the merchant providing the advertisement, or an ad campaign associated with the merchant. The system can maintain one or more retargeting list that can include identities of users. If the user appears in one or more of the retargeting lists, that user can be presented with a retargeted promotional ad. …

Delivery Of Content Based On Search Entity-Action Pairs In A Voice Activated Computing System, John D. Lanza

Defensive Publications Series

This document describes a technique for processing voice commands received by a voice activated computing system to identify search requests and trigger keywords in the voice commands. Based on the search requests and the trigger keywords, the system can identify search entities, and associated actions. The search entity and the actions can be determined, for example, based on techniques such as heuristics and knowledge graphs. The system can then form one or more search entity-action pairs. Third-party content providers can compete to provide their content to the user based not on the search request alone, but on the search entity-action …

Aggregated And Anonymized Tracking Of Offline Purchases In Response To Sponsored Content In A Voice Activated Computing System, John D. Lanza

Defensive Publications Series

This document describes a technique for processing voice commands received by a voice activated computing system to identify correlations between sponsored content provided to the user over a voice activated computing system and offline purchase activity. A voice activated computing system processes the voice commands received from the user and identifies non-sponsored and sponsored content related to the voice commands. The sponsored content is presented to the user via a voice assistant device or another available device accessible to the user, such as the user’s smartphone, tablet, etc. The user may act in response to the sponsored content, such as …