Tag Archives: invention patent

New Spotify patent reveals technology to suggest music based on User emotion

Happy tiny people listening spiritual music near huge headphones flat vector illustration. Young guy holding star and girl playing guitar. Lifestyle and technology concept

Various companies have been using data inputs from users to provide users personalized contents, be it advertisements or media, and Spotify expresses that it would be using data inputs to determine the mood of the user for recommending media or advertisements based on the instant mood of the user.

“It is common for a media streaming application to include features that provide personalized media recommendations to a user”, Spotify explained in the application.

The patented technology uses recordings with Users’ speech and respective background noise to determine specific patterns. The technology is designed to process content metadata (relating to User’s speech) and environment metadata (relating to background sounds/ ambient sounds) from the recordings. The content metadata is used to determine user’s age, gender, emotional state, accent, etc. The technology is designed to extract intonation, stress and rhythm to detect the emotional state of the user. The emotional state of the user is basically categorized as happy, sad, angry, afraid and neutral.

As mentioned, the environment metadata relates to background sounds and is used to determine user surroundings by analyzing background sounds that might include sounds of vehicles, people, animals, machines etc. By analyzing the environment metadata, the technology can determine the kind of surrounding the user is in, and accordingly suggest appropriate content.

Along with the content metadata and the environment metadata, the technology also uses user’s history, music collection and additional inputs from the user like artists or genres for recommending appropriate content.

Based on the inputs received, the technology provides appropriate audio or visual output.

Companies file numerous patent applications in notion of incorporating the patented technologies in near future. However, only few make it to the market. Spotify expressed that the current technology is still in concept stage and requires work and refinement.

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Microsoft Gets Patent for Chatbot That Lets You Talk to Dead People

Chat

In December 2020, the USPTO granted a patent to Microsoft for a tool that apparently makes it possible to have a conversation with a Chatbot that bears resemblance to a deceased loved ones or historical figures.

According to the patent information, the tool would gather and rely on social data like letters, images, messages, and social media posts from the chosen individual. The information would then be used to train the Chatbot to interact like a 2-D or even a 3-D model of that person.

The application for patent was filed in April 2017, and therefore, it predates the AI ethical standards prevalent today. However, Microsoft has not confirmed any plans for using this technology in the near future.

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How can I find out whether my invention is patentable?

In order for a proposed invention to be awarded a patent, it has to pass the following five tollgates:
  • Patentable subject matter
  • Novelty
  • Non-obviousness/inventive-step
  • Industrial application
  • Enablement 
Patentable subject matter
The proposed invention which seeks a patent should fall outside the scope of “non-patentable subject matter”. Almost every country provides a list of subject matter, which cannot be patented.
 
In India, section 3 and 4 of Indian Patent Act (Law governing patent system in India) , discloses such non-patentable subject matters. For example, in India, non-patentable subject matter include, laws of nature or anything opposing them, physical phenomenon, abstract ideas, discovery of any living thing or non living substance, method of agriculture or horticulture, new form of know substances, method of playing games, any aesthetic creations, anything that causes a serious harm to human, animal, plant life or to the environment, among others.
 
Once a proposed invention passes this tollgate, the patent office will look into the novelty aspect.
 
Novelty
The proposed invention will be announced as novel, if it has not been anticipated by information available in public domain prior to the priority date (first filling date) of a patent application for the proposed invention. Proposed invention passing this tollgate will be further scrutinized to check compliance with non-obviousness requirement of patentability.
 
Non-obviousness/inventive-step
The invention can pass the non-obviousness tollgate, if it has technical advancement with respect to know prior art (existing public knowledge). This technical advancement should not seem obvious to a person skilled in the field of the proposed invention, in light of prior art. Most of the proposed inventions find it difficult to pass this tollgate, as the interpretation of law governing this requirement is subjective in nature.
 
Industrial application
The next tollgate in obtaining a patent is industrial application. Industrial application according to the Indian Patent Act means, the proposed invention should be capable of being made or used in the industry. Most proposed inventions satisfy this requirement, unless the proposed invention is frivolous in nature.
 
Enablement    
Enablement requirement can be met as long as the inventors have sufficient information to reduce the proposed invention to practice. Information that enables the proposed invention to be reduced to practice should be included in the patent application corresponding to the proposed invention. The Indian Patent Act requires the patent application to include information that enables a person with ordinary skill to practice the invention. The Patent Act also requires the patent applicants to disclose the best approach of practicing the invention, which is known to them at the time of filing the application.
 
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