MR. DANIEL NATHAN WILSON, CO, CPED
Osteopathic Medicine at Alpha Dr, Pittsburgh, PA

7250936, Jul 31, 2007

Dec 20, 2004

11/020064

Andrew Wilson - Seattle WA, US
Steven Shafer - Seattle WA, US
Daniel Wilson - Pittsburgh PA, US

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G09G 5/00, H04N 7/14

345156, 345158, 345169, 348 1405

A system and process for selecting objects in an ubiquitous computing environment where various electronic devices are controlled by a computer via a network connection and the objects are selected by a user pointing to them with a wireless RF pointer. By a combination of electronic sensors onboard the pointer and external calibrated cameras, a host computer equipped with an RF transceiver decodes the orientation sensor values transmitted to it by the pointer and computes the orientation and 3D position of the pointer. This information, along with a model defining the locations of each object in the environment that is associated with a controllable electronic component, is used to determine what object a user is pointing at so as to select that object for further control actions.

8463600, Jun 11, 2013

Feb 27, 2012

13/406365

Paul Masami Aoki - Berkeley CA, US
Margaret H. Szymanski - Santa Clara CA, US
James D. Thornton - Redwood City CA, US
Daniel H. Wilson - Pittsburgh PA, US
Allison Gyle Woodruff - Berkeley CA, US

Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated - Palo Alto CA

G10L 19/00, G10L 11/04, G10L 11/06, H04Q 11/00

704206, 704201, 704207, 704208, 704210, 704214, 704215, 704235, 370260, 370263

A system and method for automatically adjusting floor controls based on conversational characteristics is provided. Audio streams are received, which each originate from an audio source. Floor controls for a current configuration including at least a portion of the audio streams are maintained. Conversational characteristics shared by two or more of the audio sources are determined. Possible configurations for the audio streams are identified based on the conversational characteristics. An analysis of the current configuration and the possible configurations is performed. A change threshold comprising a minimum number of timeslices for at least one of the current configuration and one of the possible configurations is applied to the analysis. When the analysis satisfies the change threshold, the floor controls are automatically adjusted. The audio streams are mixed into one or more outputs based on the adjusted floor controls.

7698141, Apr 13, 2010

Apr 16, 2003

10/414923

Paul M. Aoki - Foster City CA, US
Margaret H. Szymanski - Santa Clara CA, US
James D. Thornton - Redwood City CA, US
Daniel H. Wilson - Pittsburgh PA, US
Allison G. Woodruff - Foster City CA, US

Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated - Palo Alto CA

G10L 11/00, G10L 15/00

704270, 704275, 704201, 704206, 704210, 704215, 704251

One embodiment of the invention is a computer controlled method for use with a communication system. The method includes a step of receiving a plurality of communications, where each one of the plurality of communications is from one of a plurality of communication sources; includes a step of mixing (that is responsive to a plurality of floor controls) the plurality of communications for a plurality of outputs associated with plurality of communication sources; and includes a step of analyzing, for a plurality of users associated with the plurality of communication sources, one or more conversational characteristics of two or more of the plurality of users. The method also includes a step of automatically adjusting the plurality of floor controls responsive to the step of analyzing. Other embodiments include systems and devices that use the method as well as program products that cause a computer to execute the method.

8126705, Feb 28, 2012

Nov 9, 2009

12/615239

Paul Masami Aoki - Berkeley CA, US
Margaret H. Szymanski - Santa Clara CA, US
James D. Thornton - Redwood City CA, US
Daniel H. Wilson - Pittsburgh PA, US
Allison Gyle Woodruff - Berkeley CA, US

Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated - Palo Alto CA

G10L 19/00, G10L 11/04, G10L 11/06, G10L 15/26, H04Q 11/00

704206, 704201, 704207, 704208, 704210, 704214, 704215, 704235, 370260, 370263

A system and method for automatically adjusting floor controls for a conversation is provided. Audio streams are received, which each originate from an audio source. Floor controls for a current configuration including at least a portion of the audio streams are maintained. Conversational characteristics shared by two or more of the audio sources are determined. Possible configurations for the audio streams are identified based on the conversational characteristics. An analysis of the current configuration and the possible configurations is performed. A change threshold is applied to the analysis. When the analysis satisfies the change threshold, the floor controls are automatically adjusted. The audio streams are mixed into one or more outputs based on the adjusted floor controls.

6982697, Jan 3, 2006

May 31, 2002

10/160692

Andrew Wilson - Seattle WA, US
Daniel Wilson - Pittsburgh PA, US

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G09G 5/00, H04N 7/14

345156, 345169, 348 1405

A system and process for selecting objects in an ubiquitous computing environment where various electronic devices are controlled by a computer via a network connection and the objects are selected by a user pointing to them with a wireless RF pointer. By a combination of electronic sensors onboard the pointer and external calibrated cameras, a host computer equipped with an RF transceiver decodes the orientation sensor values transmitted to it by the pointer and computes the orientation and 3D position of the pointer. This information, along with a model defining the locations of each object in the environment that is associated with a controllable electronic component, is used to determine what object a user is pointing at so as to select that object for further control actions.

7933226, Apr 26, 2011

Mar 24, 2004

10/809018

Allison G. Woodruff - Foster City CA, US
Paul M. Aoki - Foster City CA, US
Margaret H. Szymanski - Santa Clara CA, US
James D. Thornton - Redwood City CA, US
Daniel H. Wilson - Pittsburgh PA, US
Chen Yu - Rochester NY, US

Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated - Palo Alto CA

H04L 12/16

370260, 370261, 370263, 370264, 370329, 370341, 379 932, 379158, 37920201, 37920501, 704231, 704270, 704275

One embodiment of the invention is a computer controlled method for use with a communication system. The method includes a step of receiving a plurality of communications, where each one of the plurality of communications is from one of a plurality of communication sources; includes a step of mixing (that is responsive to a plurality of floor controls) the plurality of communications for a plurality of outputs associated with plurality of communication sources; and includes a step of analyzing, for a plurality of users associated with the plurality of communication sources, one or more conversational characteristics of two or more of the plurality of users. The method also includes a step of automatically adjusting the plurality of floor controls responsive to the step of analyzing. Other embodiments include systems and devices that use the method as well as program products that cause a computer to execute the method.

7617094, Nov 10, 2009

Apr 16, 2003

10/414912

Paul M. Aoki - Foster City CA, US
Margaret H. Szymanski - Santa Clara CA, US
James D. Thornton - Redwood City CA, US
Daniel H. Wilson - Pittsburgh PA, US
Allison G. Woodruff - Foster City CA, US

Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated - Palo Alto CA

G10L 11/04, G10L 21/00, G10L 11/06, G10L 15/26, G10L 19/00, H04L 12/16, H04Q 11/00, H04M 3/42

704206, 704201, 704207, 704208, 704210, 704214, 704215, 704235, 370260, 370263, 37920201

One aspect of the invention is a method of using a computer to identify a conversation. Another aspect is a method for an audio processing system that identifies conversations and enhances each conversation for each user in the conversation.