Patent Issued for Processing system having a machine learning engine for providing an output via a digital assistant system (USPTO 11586415): Allstate Insurance Company

2023 MAR 15 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent by the inventors Grahn, Jamie E. (Lakemoor, IL, US), Schreier, Elizabeth C. (Glenview, IL, US), filed on March 15, 2018, was published online on February 21, 2023, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx correspondents.

Patent number 11586415 is assigned to Allstate Insurance Company (Northbrook, Illinois, United States).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Aspects of the disclosure relate to processing systems. In particular, aspects of the disclosure relate to processing systems having a machine learning engine and machine learning datasets to generate altruistic recommendations or outputs that may be provided via a digital assistant system.

“Computing devices receive data associated with characteristics of a user and the user’s surroundings. Digital assistants are often used by people to process or distill data, provide information or recommendations, and the like. Users may not be aware of how to best fit charity or other altruistic endeavors into their daily lives. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to control the computing devices with regard to data collection and output, and to aggregate the data to determine charitable or altruistic opportunity recommendations or outputs and provide those recommendations via a digital assistant. This may increase the amount of time users may devote to charity.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “Aspects of the disclosure provide effective, efficient, scalable, and convenient technical solutions that address and overcome the technical problems associated with leveraging machine learning techniques and data collection to determine charitable outputs.

“In accordance with one or more embodiments, a computing platform comprising at least one processor, a communication interface communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, and memory may receive, from a digital personal assistant computing device, a first voice command input. Then, the computing platform may determine, via machine learning algorithms, an identifier output indicating a user associated with the first voice command input. The computing platform may determine a location output indicating a geographic location associated with the user. The computing platform may determine, via a stored calendar, an availability output indicating availability associated with the user. The computing platform may determine, based on the identifier output, the location output, and the availability output, a charitable or altruistic opportunity output indicating a charitable or altruistic recommendation or opportunity. In addition, the computing platform may transmit, to a computing device associated with the charitable or altruistic recommendation or opportunity and after receiving a second voice command input from the digital personal assistant computing device that indicates acceptance of the charitable or altruistic recommendation or opportunity, an acceptance input. The computing platform may update, after transmitting the acceptance input, the stored calendar to include the charitable or altruistic recommendation or opportunity. Subsequently, the computing platform may transmit, after updating the stored calendar and to the digital personal assistant computing device, one or more commands to notify the user of the updated stored calendar.

“In some embodiments, the digital personal assistant computing device may comprise a computing device with voice recognition capabilities and natural language understanding capabilities.

“In some embodiments, the computing platform may determine, based on the location output, one or more charitable or altruistic outputs comprising indications of charitable organizations and charitable events located within a predetermined distance of the geographic location associated with the user.

“In some embodiments, the computing platform may send, to the computing device associated with the charitable or altruistic opportunity, the availability output.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A computing platform comprising: at least one processor; and memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: receive, from a digital personal assistant computing device, a first voice command input; determine, via machine learning algorithms, an identifier output indicating a user associated with the first voice command input by comparing the first voice command input to a previous voice command from the user; determine a location output indicating a geographic location associated with the user; determine, via a stored calendar, an availability output indicating availability associated with the user; determine a charitable opportunity output indicating a charitable opportunity for the user based on the identifier output, the location output, and the availability output; transmit, to a computing device associated with the charitable opportunity and after receiving a second voice command input from the digital personal assistant computing device that indicates acceptance of the charitable opportunity, an acceptance input; update, after transmitting the acceptance input, the stored calendar to include the charitable opportunity; and transmit, after updating the stored calendar and to the digital personal assistant computing device, one or more commands to notify the user of the updated stored calendar.

“2. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the computing platform to determine the identifier output via voice recognition.

“3. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the computing platform to: determine, based on the location output, one or more charitable outputs comprising indications of charitable organizations or charitable events located within a predetermined distance of the geographic location associated with the user, wherein the charitable opportunity output is determined based on the indications of the charitable organizations or charitable events.

“4. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the computing platform to: send, to the computing device associated with the charitable opportunity, the availability output.

“5. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the computing platform to: receive, from the computing device associated with the charitable opportunity and in response to the availability output, the charitable opportunity output.

“6. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the computing platform to: generate one or more commands to output the charitable opportunity; and send, to the digital personal assistant computing device, the one or more commands to output the charitable opportunity.

“7. The computing platform of claim 6, wherein the acceptance input is transmitted after sending the one or more commands to output the charitable opportunity.

“8. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the computing platform to: receive, from the digital personal assistant computing device, the second voice command input; and determine that the second voice command input indicates the acceptance of the charitable opportunity.

“9. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the acceptance input comprises one or more commands to schedule the charitable opportunity.

“10. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the computing platform to: receiving a confirmation output comprising an indication that the charitable opportunity has been scheduled.

“11. The computing platform of claim 10, the stored calendar is updated after receiving the confirmation output.

“12. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the computing platform to: send, to a mobile device, an indication of the updated stored calendar.

“13. The computing platform of claim 12, wherein the digital personal assistant computing device comprises the mobile device.

“14. A method comprising: determine an identifier output indicating a user associated with a first voice command input by comparing the first voice command input to a previous voice command from the user; determining, by a digital personal assistant computing device control system and via a stored calendar, an availability output indicating availability associated with the user in response to the first voice command; determining, by the digital personal assistant computing device control system, a location output indicating a geographic location associated with the user; determining a charitable opportunity for the user based on the location output and the availability output, the charitable opportunity being determined further based on previous responses from the user to charitable opportunities; transmitting, by the digital personal assistant computing device control system and to a charity output computing system, one or more commands directing a charity output computing system to schedule the charitable opportunity; and receiving, by the digital personal assistant computing device control system and from the charity output computing system, a confirmation output.

“15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: determining that a voice command has not been received from the user within a predetermined period of time.

“16. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining the availability output comprises determining, in response to determining that the voice command has not been received within the predetermined period of time, the availability output.

“17. A method comprising: determine an identifier output indicating a user associated with a first voice command input by comparing the first voice command input to a previous voice command from the user; determining, by a digital personal assistant computing device control system, an availability output indicating availability associated with the user based on a daily activity of the user in response to the first voice command; determining, by a digital personal assistant computing device control system, a first charitable opportunity based on the availability output; receiving, by the digital personal assistant computing device control system, an acceptance input associated with the first charitable opportunity; transmitting, to a charity output computing system and after receiving the acceptance input, the one or more commands directing a charity output computing system to schedule the first charitable opportunity; updating, after transmitting the one or more commands directing the charity output computing system to schedule the first charitable opportunity, a stored calendar to include the first charitable opportunity; and transmitting, after updating the stored calendar, by the digital personal assistant computing device control system, and to a digital personal assistant computing device, one or more commands to notify a user of the updated stored calendar.

“18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: determining, by the digital personal assistant computing device control system, a second charitable opportunity; determining, by the digital personal assistant computing device control system, that an acceptance input associated with the second charitable opportunity was not received; and determining, by the digital personal assistant computing device control system, that the second charitable opportunity should not be scheduled.

“19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first charitable opportunity comprises one of: making a donation, going to an event, or performing a random act of kindness.

“20. The method of claim 17, further comprising: determining, prior to determining the first charitable opportunity, a target recipient of the first charitable opportunity, wherein the first charitable opportunity is determined based on the target recipient.”

URL and more information on this patent, see: Grahn, Jamie E. Processing system having a machine learning engine for providing an output via a digital assistant system. U.S. Patent Number 11586415, filed March 15, 2018, and published online on February 21, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11586415)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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