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PatentBrief

Innovation Timeline

AI & Machine Learning

Neural networks, backpropagation, attention mechanisms, and the transformer architecture — the patent history of artificial intelligence.

Landmark patents

163

Total citations

5,448

Span

19852025

Milestones

34

1980s

1990s

Milestone
US 5966126· 1996· IndividualPublic domain

How to Build Complex Database Searches Using Venn Diagrams

A method for searching databases by visually connecting Venn diagrams to represent complex logical relationships between different sets of data.

859 citations

Milestone
US 6285999· 1998· Leland Stanford Junior UniversityPublic domain

How Websites Get Ranked by Importance

This patent describes a computer method for scoring documents in a linked database, like the internet, by considering the importance of other documents that link to them, helping search engines find better results.

818 citations

Milestone
US 6195698· 1998· Compaq Computer Corp

How Websites Use Distorted Text Riddles to Stop Bots

This patent describes the original method for creating CAPTCHAs, using distorted text or audio riddles to distinguish human users from automated bots.

219 citations

Milestone
US 6424946· 1999· International Business Machines CorpPublic domain

How Computers Automatically Label Different Speakers in Audio Recordings

A method for identifying and labeling speakers in audio recordings, even if the system has never heard the person speak before, by grouping similar voices and asking a user to name them.

75 citations

2000s

Milestone
US 6567533· 2000· Digimarc Corp

How Digital Images Hide Invisible Markers to Track Rotation and Scaling

A method for hiding invisible patterns in digital images that allow computers to detect if an image has been rotated or resized, even if the original version is missing.

136 citations

Milestone
US 6523026· 2000· Huntsman International LLC

How Computers Find Hidden Connections Between Different Fields of Knowledge

A method for finding related ideas in completely different subjects by using math to map how words appear together, even when the subjects use different vocabulary.

456 citations

Milestone
US 6883201· 2002· iRobot CorpPublic domain

How the iRobot Roomba Automatically Cleans Floors Without Falling Down Stairs

A 2002 patent describing an autonomous floor-cleaning robot that uses sensors to navigate rooms, avoid cliffs like stairs, and sweep debris into a removable bin.

215 citations

US 7296016· 2003· Google LLC

How Search Engines Personalize Results Based on Your Browsing History

Google's patent for narrowing down search results by prioritizing websites that match your personal interests and past browsing habits.

24 citations

Milestone
US 7222127· 2003· Google LLC

How Google Distributed Machine Learning Across Many Computers

A 2003 Google patent describing a way to build machine learning models by splitting the work across a large network of computers rather than a single machine.

72 citations

US 7664715· 2005· Caterpillar Japan LtdPublic domain

How Caterpillar Compresses Heavy Machinery Data Using Neural Networks

A method for shrinking massive amounts of sensor data from construction equipment into small, efficient packets for cheaper wireless transmission by using neural network training.

US 7685160· 2005· Microsoft Corp

How Software Predicts What You Need Based on Your Coworkers

A system that uses the browsing history and work habits of your colleagues to automatically build a personalized dashboard of links and content you are likely to need next.

5 citations

US 7512773· 2005· Nvidia CorpPublic domain

How Graphics Processors Switch Between Different Tasks Efficiently

A method for graphics chips to pause and swap between different programs or tasks without waiting for every single part of the processor to finish its current job.

6 citations

Milestone
US 8688813· 2006· Oracle International Corp

How to Verify Anonymous Users Using Third-Party Identity Services

A method for a system to identify and authorize a user it doesn't know by asking a different, trusted service that already has the user's information.

39 citations

Milestone
US 7836050· 2006· Microsoft Corp

How Search Engines Rank Images Using User Ratings

A system that improves image search results by combining how well an image matches a search term with how highly users have rated that image elsewhere.

46 citations

Milestone
US 7844915· 2007· Apple Inc

How Touchscreens Handle Scrolling and Rubber-Band Effects

This patent describes the software logic that allows touchscreens to distinguish between simple scrolling and multi-finger gestures, while also enabling the signature 'rubber-band' bounce effect when you reach the end of a page.

132 citations

US 8862582· 2007· AT&T Intellectual Property I LP

How Computers Automatically Organize and Search Photos Using Contextual Data

A system for indexing images by attaching descriptive data to objects within them and adjusting search rankings based on how often a user searches for those specific items.

2 citations

Milestone
US 8285656· 2008· Consumerinfo com Inc

How a Smart System Verifies and Updates Customer Data

This patent describes an automated system that uses artificial intelligence to pick the best ways to check and update information about people or businesses, choosing from methods like web searches, phone calls, or direct mail.

102 citations

US 8156057· 2008· Knowmtech

How Nanoparticles Form Adaptive Neural Network Connections

This patent describes how to build and strengthen a physical neural network using tiny nanoparticles suspended in a liquid, where electric fields make the connections learn and adapt.

12 citations

US 8606929· 2008· AT&T Intellectual Property I LP

How Network Providers Subcontract Data Processing Tasks

A method for internet service providers to bundle specific data processing tasks from many users and send them to a third party for efficient handling.

3 citations

US 8429011· 2009· Salesforce com Inc

How Computers Automatically Target Ads Based on Trending Internet Memes

A system that finds trending internet topics, measures how fast they are spreading, and automatically places relevant advertisements on the web pages where those topics are being discussed.

8 citations

US 8577894· 2009· ChaCha Search Inc

How Human Searchers Unlock Restricted Web Content for Users

A system that uses human searchers to access password-protected or subscription-based websites to retrieve information for users who otherwise cannot see that content.

Milestone
US RE46310· 2009· Blanding Hovenweep LLC

How Devices Predict Your Next Move Using Gestures and History

A patent for a smart interface that tracks your physical gestures and past habits to predict what you want to do next, showing custom options on a screen to save you time.

34 citations

US 8983975· 2009· Individual

How Software Automatically Ranks and Manages Online Customer Feedback

A system that automatically finds, scores, and prioritizes online mentions of a company so they can respond to the most important conversations first.

27 citations

US 8825660· 2009· eBay Inc

How eBay Uses Image Fingerprints to Search for Products

A system that lets you search for items on a marketplace by uploading a photo instead of typing text, using image 'fingerprints' to find matching products.

12 citations

Milestone
US 8311950· 2009· Google LLC

Predicting User Interests Based on Who Looks at Whose Profile

A method for predicting what a user might be interested in by analyzing the web of connections created when people view each other's social media profile pages.

73 citations

US 9361579· 2009· International Business Machines Corp

How Computers Calculate Probabilities in Large Knowledge Bases

A method for finding answers in a database of uncertain facts by ignoring probabilities to find a solution first, then calculating how likely that solution is based on the underlying evidence.

1 citation

2010s

US 8615514· 2010· Google LLC

How Google Uses User Feedback to Rank Websites by Quality

A method for Google to judge a website's quality by looking at how users interact with its search results across different categories of search queries.

26 citations

Milestone
US 8990235· 2010· Google LLC

Google's System for Auto-Searching Text on Your Device

Google's 2015 patent describes a system that automatically finds and displays relevant information online based on text it detects on your device, even without you asking it to.

189 citations

Milestone
US 8429565· 2010· Google LLC

How Touchscreen Gestures Use Physics to Feel Real

Google's patent on making touchscreen gestures feel natural by applying simulated physics, like friction or magnetism, to items on your screen.

63 citations

US 9075661· 2010· Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC

How Cloud Systems Automatically Assign Virtual Machines to Servers

A method for cloud services to automatically choose the best server for a task by filtering out impossible options and then ranking the remaining ones.

3 citations

US 9037656· 2010· Google Technology Holdings LLC

How a Server Aggregates Comments from Different Websites About One File

A system that collects comments or data from multiple websites about a single photo or video and bundles them together to display on your device.

2 citations

Milestone
US 8732039· 2010· Amazon Technologies Inc

How Amazon Optimizes Where to Store Products to Avoid Stockouts

A mathematical method for deciding how many items to stock in different warehouses to minimize the cost of running out of products.

41 citations

US 9811783· 2011· Jobvite Inc

How Software Automatically Picks the Best Way to Send Job Ads

A system that uses data analytics to choose the most effective communication channel for sending job advertisements to specific people and tracks the resulting referrals.

2 citations

US 8249948· 2011· Amazon Technologies Inc

How Amazon Created a Marketplace for Recommendation Algorithms

A system that lets website owners rent recommendation algorithms from third-party developers, with a built-in payment structure that rewards developers based on how well their algorithms perform.

3 citations

US 9098533· 2011· Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC

How Voice Commands Help Computers Find Objects in Pictures and Videos

A method for using voice commands to tell a computer which object in a photo or video you want to search for, allowing it to automatically isolate that object and perform a visual search.

4 citations

Milestone
US 9548050· 2012· Apple Inc

How a Digital Assistant Launches Apps Using Your Voice

This patent describes how a digital assistant like Siri uses your spoken words and understanding of your conversation to figure out what you want and launch the right app.

211 citations

Milestone
US 8521818· 2012· Solariat Inc

How Software Detects What You Want Based on Your Social Media Posts

A system that reads your social media posts to figure out your intent, then automatically serves ads or updates your profile based on how likely you are to actually buy or do something.

34 citations

US 9268820· 2012· Google LLC

How Google Displays Knowledge Panels Next to Search Results

A method for automatically assembling and displaying information boxes on search result pages by pulling data from multiple sources based on user query patterns.

25 citations

Milestone
US 8914392· 2012· Facebook Inc

How Facebook Ranks Search Results Based on Your Friends' Activity

A method for ranking search results by prioritizing links that your social network friends have clicked on previously.

66 citations

US 10140638· 2012· International Business Machines Corp

How Cloud Services Automatically Switch Providers When One Fails

A system that uses conversational AI to understand your reliability needs and automatically switches your cloud service to a backup provider if your current one goes down.

1 citation

US 9398104· 2012· Facebook Inc

How Facebook Uses User Feedback to Improve Search Results

A method for improving search engine accuracy by letting users manually rate search results, then using those ratings to automatically adjust how the search algorithm ranks future results.

US 9607103· 2013· Ab Initio Technology LLC

How Computers Match and Join Messy Data from Different Sources

A method for merging datasets by identifying related but non-identical items using flexible matching rules rather than strict equality.

15 citations

US 9210222· 2013· Adobe Systems Inc

How Websites Use Your Cookie Data to Show Targeted Ads

Adobe's patent describes a system where website administrators create custom rules to match a user's browser cookie data with specific advertisements or content.

2 citations

US 9330167· 2013· Groupon Inc

How Groupon Automatically Categorizes Merchant Services Using Text Analysis

A system that automatically scans merchant websites and uses high-precision search queries to label their services, helping platforms like Groupon organize thousands of business listings.

25 citations

US RE45254· 2013· Facebook Inc

How Servers Automatically Connect Users Based on Mutual Friend Lists

A method for servers to automatically create secure communication links between two users only if they have both added each other to their respective contact or buddy lists.

7 citations

US 9538220· 2013· WiLAN Labs Inc

How Networks Keep Video Streams Smooth During Busy Times

A method for internet providers to automatically balance network resources so that multiple users streaming video simultaneously experience the best possible overall quality.

9 citations

US 9075783· 2013· Apple Inc

How Phones Use Your Voice History to Fix Your Typing

Apple's patent for a system that improves text autocorrection by using a database of words the user has previously spoken into their device.

5 citations

US 8843528· 2013· Google LLC

How Social Networks Automatically Create Groups Based on Time and Place

Google's patent describes a system that automatically groups social media users together based on where they are or when they are posting, allowing for instant, context-aware content sharing.

6 citations

US 9535948· 2013· Amazon Technologies Inc

How Software Automatically Translates Database Queries for Different Storage Systems

A system that intercepts database queries written for traditional relational databases and automatically translates them to work with non-relational databases, allowing developers to switch storage systems without rewriting their application code.

11 citations

US 8775328· 2014· Individual

How Nextdoor Verifies Neighbors and Limits Online Social Circles

A patent describing a system for a private, location-based social network that verifies users' home addresses to restrict communications to people living in the same neighborhood.

14 citations

US 9606820· 2014· CA Inc

How to Make Software Debugging Consistent Using Object Finalization Control

A method for virtual machines to pause and precisely replay the cleanup of computer objects, ensuring that debugging logs match the original program execution exactly.

4 citations

US 9276922· 2014· Palo Alto Research Center Inc

How to Securely Pass Data Packets Within a Trusted Network

A method for tagging data packets with verified properties so that internal network nodes can trust the data without re-verifying it themselves.

3 citations

US 10019297· 2014· Salesforce com Inc

How Salesforce Speeds Up Data Processing Using Bulk Message Handling

A method for cloud systems to grab multiple tasks at once instead of one by one, using a locking mechanism to ensure data stays consistent during bulk processing.

7 citations

Milestone
US 9405582· 2014· International Business Machines Corp

How Computers Automatically Adjust Tasks to Run Faster in Data Centers

A method for cloud computers to monitor their own performance while processing massive data tasks and automatically changing their settings or resource levels to stay efficient.

32 citations

US 10210146· 2014· Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC

How Microsoft Word Suggests Research Content While You Write

A system that automatically fetches and suggests relevant research data and outlines directly inside word processors or note-taking apps based on what you are currently writing.

1 citation

US 9516045· 2014· Glasswall IP Ltd

How to Clean Files by Rebuilding Them Instead of Scanning Them

A security method that stops malware by rebuilding files from scratch based on strict format rules, rather than looking for known viruses.

7 citations

Milestone
US 9083770· 2014· Snapchat Inc

How Apps Automatically Switch Between Video Call Connection Methods

A system that automatically decides whether to connect video calls directly between users or through a central server based on the number of people and connection quality.

156 citations

US 10423875· 2015· Individual

How a Camera-Based System Monitors Artificial Neural Network Creativity

A system that uses a camera to watch a screen displaying neural network activity, identifying new patterns and using a critic to decide if those patterns are worth keeping.

1 citation

Milestone
US 10133995· 2015· Square Inc

Square's System for Predicting Orders and Guiding Couriers

This 2018 patent from Square describes a system that predicts which restaurants will get orders and tells delivery drivers where to wait to be ready.

63 citations

US 10223653· 2015· Elance Inc

How Online Work Platforms Manage New Freelancer Onboarding

A system for online freelance marketplaces to automatically create and manage task-based checklists that guide new workers through hiring and project setup.

6 citations

US 10318574· 2015· Google LLC

How Google Automatically Groups Photos and Contextual Data into Moments

A method for automatically grouping photos from front and rear cameras with related data like audio, weather, and location to create a rich, interactive digital memory.

12 citations

US 9888087· 2015· Uber Technologies Inc

How Uber Updates App Features for Specific Groups of Users

A system that automatically changes how an app looks or behaves for some users based on their location or device, while leaving other users' apps unchanged.

2 citations

US 20150206070· 2015· Individual

How Computers Group Files Based on Meaning and Context

A system that organizes digital files and data into related groups by analyzing their meaning, context, and how they relate to one another.

17 citations

US 10832138· 2015· Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

How to Automatically Expand Neural Networks by Adding New Nodes

A method for growing artificial intelligence models by identifying underperforming parts of a network and adding new nodes based on the behavior of existing ones.

3 citations

US 10410117· 2015· BrainChip Inc

How to Save and Reuse Skills Learned by Artificial Intelligence Hardware

A method for capturing the internal settings of a neuromorphic AI chip after it learns a task, allowing that 'skill' to be exported and loaded onto another AI chip.

1 citation

US 10289962· 2015· Google LLC

How to Shrink Large AI Models Using Knowledge Distillation

A method for teaching small, efficient AI models to mimic the complex decision-making patterns of much larger, more powerful neural networks.

4 citations

US 10282665· 2015· Sony Corp

How AI Agents Learn to Pick the Best Future Actions

A method for an AI agent to predict which actions will yield the highest rewards by analyzing past experiences and refining its decision-making model.

US 11062228· 2015· Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC

How AI Learns New Tasks Using Old Data Labels

A method for helping AI models understand new topics by grouping similar labels from different datasets into a shared, broader category.

4 citations

US 10248907· 2015· International Business Machines

How a Single Electronic Component Can Learn and Process AI Data

This patent describes a tiny electronic component called a resistive processing unit (RPU) that acts like a brain cell in an artificial intelligence network, storing and processing information directly within its changing electrical resistance.

11 citations

US 10373050· 2015· Qualcomm Inc

How to Make AI Run Faster on Smaller Computer Chips

A method to shrink complex AI models by converting their high-precision math into simpler, faster formats that run efficiently on mobile devices.

17 citations

US 10002199· 2015· Apple Inc

How Smartphones Suggest Apps Based on Where You Are

Apple's patent for a system that automatically highlights or suggests mobile apps based on your current location or a location you are planning to visit.

16 citations

US 9760393· 2015· VMware LLC

How Virtual Machines Keep Their Data Separate on Shared Storage

A method for virtual machines to store data in isolated, non-mixed logical storage units to improve security and management efficiency within a shared physical storage pool.

12 citations

Milestone
US 10050760· 2015· Uber Technologies Inc

How Uber Manages Data Connections for Self-Driving Car Fleets

A system that splits network traffic for autonomous vehicles by sending heavy data over cheap channels while reserving a highly reliable channel specifically for delivery confirmations.

36 citations

US 11170293· 2015· Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC

How AI Systems Learn to Predict and Act Simultaneously

A method for training AI models that combines supervised learning for prediction with reinforcement learning for decision-making in a single, coordinated system.

4 citations

US 10402750· 2015· Facebook Inc

How Facebook Uses Deep Learning to Predict What You Might Like

A method for training AI models to recommend new content by comparing a user's past interactions with unseen items in a social network.

8 citations

US 10108619· 2015· Gracenote Inc

How Streaming Services Automatically Build Custom Radio Stations

A method for streaming services to create custom music radio stations by analyzing genre percentages and artist relationships to pick the best songs.

3 citations

Milestone
US 10824959· 2016· Amazon Technologies Inc

How to Make Artificial Intelligence Explain Its Own Decisions

A system that helps complex machine learning models explain why they made a specific decision by turning their data into simple, readable rules.

37 citations

US 9965247· 2016· Sonos Inc

How Sonos Speakers Use Personalized Wake Words to Recognize Different Users

A system that lets multiple people control a shared speaker by using unique voice-trigger words to link their specific music accounts and preferences.

15 citations

US 10878335· 2016· Amazon Technologies Inc

How Computers Find Similar Text Using Compact Data Structures

This patent describes a method for efficiently identifying similar text records, like documents or product reviews, by using special compact data structures that store text terms probabilistically and then analyzing them with machine learning.

18 citations

US 9965705· 2016· Baidu USA LLC

How AI Uses Question-Guided Attention to Answer Questions About Images

A method for AI to answer questions about images by dynamically focusing on relevant parts of the picture based on the specific question asked.

28 citations

US 10853731· 2016· Oracle International Corp

How Software Automatically Checks for Configuration Errors in Complex Systems

A method for keeping large-scale computer systems consistent by automatically checking if new or removed parts break established configuration rules.

US 10311112· 2016· Zorroa Corp

How to Search Through Long Videos Using a Compressed Visual Timeline

A method for searching large collections of video or image data by condensing them into a single, scrollable visual strip that triggers automated searches as you move a slider.

1 citation

US 10607134· 2016· Individual

How AI Learns to Control Game Characters Based on Their Surroundings

A system that allows digital characters to automatically perform actions by matching their current environment to previously learned experiences stored in a database.

26 citations

US 10276149· 2016· Amazon Technologies

How Voice Assistants Change Their Speech Based on How You Talk

This patent describes a system where a voice-controlled device adjusts its text-to-speech output characteristics, like speed or tone, based on the user's speaking habits or current situation, making responses feel more natural and personalized.

26 citations

US 10565497· 2016· SK Hynix Inc

How SK Hynix Builds Artificial Synapses for Brain-Like Computer Chips

A design for a tiny hardware component that mimics biological brain connections to help computers learn and process information like a human brain.

US 10003680· 2017· Sony Corp

How Sony's Smart Glasses Share Content During Voice Calls

A patent for wearable smart glasses that let you see digital information overlaid on the real world and share that content with someone else during a phone call.

US 10169761· 2017· Consumerinfo com Inc

How Banks Dynamically Adjust Security Questions Based on Your Behavior

A system that automatically changes the difficulty and number of security questions you face when opening a bank account based on your device data and risk level.

13 citations

US 10664744· 2017· Facebook Inc

How Computers Use Memory Networks to Answer Questions

A method for AI to search through large amounts of stored information by repeatedly 'hopping' through memory to find the most relevant facts for answering a question.

1 citation

US 10740671· 2017· International Business Machines

How IBM Uses Resistive Memory Chips to Speed Up AI Training

A method for running AI neural networks directly on specialized hardware chips that store data as electrical resistance, making them faster and more energy-efficient than standard processors.

7 citations

US 12574477· 2017· Deep Sentinel

Training AI Models Across Different Computers

This 2026 patent describes a way to train AI models on one computer, send a version to another computer for further training with private data, and then update the original model with the improvements.

US 10362429· 2017· California Institute of Technology

How Wearable Tech Uses 3D Sound to Guide Visually Impaired People

A system that builds a 3D map of the world and uses spatial audio to act as a virtual guide, helping visually impaired users navigate around obstacles.

US 10318876· 2017· International Business Machines Corp

How AI Systems Adjust Their Behavior Based on User Mood

A system that monitors human-AI interactions to build personality profiles and automatically adjust AI responses to improve communication quality.

US 10956815· 2017· International Business Machines

How to Fix Faulty Memory Cells in AI Chips

This patent describes a system that tests individual memory cells in AI chips for uneven behavior and then permanently disables the faulty ones before the chip starts learning, making AI training more efficient.

3 citations

Milestone
US 10909459· 2017· Cognizant Technology Solutions US Corp

Teaching Computers to Understand Document Similarity Using AI

This patent describes a way to train a computer program (a neural network) to understand how similar documents are to each other, by showing it examples and teaching it to group similar ones together and separate dissimilar ones.

53 citations

US 11593558· 2017· eBay Inc

How eBay Uses AI to Identify Brands in Search Queries

A system that uses deep learning to recognize brand names in search queries and automatically improve search results by adding relevant product terms.

2 citations

Milestone
US 11361763· 2017· Amazon Technologies

How Smart Speakers Know You're Talking to Them After a Command

This patent describes how a smart speaker system can tell if follow-up speech is meant for it, even without a "wake word," by analyzing voice activity and partial speech recognition results using an AI model.

64 citations

Milestone
US 11204787· 2018· Apple Inc

How Digital Assistants Control Apps and Ask for More Information

This patent describes how a digital assistant on a device can understand what a user wants from a natural language command, find the right app, get a step-by-step guide from another device, and then ask the user for more details on the screen to complete the task with that app.

48 citations

US 10692210· 2018· Fujitsu

How Computers Find Your Pupil Even With Glare

This patent describes a computer method to accurately find the outline of a person's eye pupil by using radial search lines and handling bright reflections differently from clear areas.

1 citation

US 11727263· 2018· Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

How Samsung Uses Two AI Models to Improve Sentence Generation

A method for training an AI to write better sentences by using a second model that reads or generates text in a different order to grade the first model's work.

1 citation

Milestone
US 10452978· 2018· Google LLC

How AI Models Understand Language Using 'Attention'

This patent describes a neural network architecture, known as a Transformer, that uses a "self-attention" mechanism to process sequences of information, like words in a sentence, by weighing the importance of different parts of the input.

45 citations

US 11295225· 2018· D Wave Systems Inc

How D-Wave Clears Magnetic Noise in Quantum Computers

A method for improving quantum computer accuracy by actively clearing out magnetic interference that builds up during calculations.

13 citations

US 11932418· 2018· TLD EUROPE

How Airport Vehicles Automatically Park Safely Next to Airplanes

A smart navigation system that helps airport service vehicles like catering trucks park safely at aircraft doors by identifying targets and avoiding restricted zones.

US 11501192· 2018· University of Toronto

How to Automatically Tune Machine Learning Settings Using Smart Math

A system that uses advanced statistical modeling to automatically find the best settings for complex machine learning models, saving engineers from manual trial and error.

US 11615208· 2018· Capital One Services LLC

How Cloud Systems Automatically Create and Train AI Data Models

A cloud-based system that generates fake, privacy-safe data to train AI models, ensuring they remain accurate while protecting sensitive personal information.

4 citations

Milestone
US 10599957· 2018· Capital One Services

How to Automatically Detect and Fix Changes in AI Model Data

This patent describes a system that automatically notices when the real-world data an AI model sees changes, causing its predictions to become less accurate, and then fixes the model.

32 citations

US 11836577· 2018· Amazon Technologies

Training Robot AI Models Faster Using Smart Simulations

This patent describes a cloud service that helps train artificial intelligence models for robots by running simulations, even suggesting improvements to the AI's learning rules before starting.

US 11429762· 2018· Amazon Technologies

How Computers Train AI Models Using Separate Virtual Simulations

This patent describes a system where one virtual computer runs simulations of a system, like a robot, and another virtual computer uses the simulation data to teach an AI model how to make better decisions.

13 citations

US 11651227· 2018· SRI International Inc

How to Force AI to Follow Logical Rules During Training

A system that uses a dual-headed neural network to ensure AI models obey specific logical rules by embedding those rules directly into the training process.

2 citations

US 11126171· 2018· Strong Force IoT Portfolio 2016

AI System for Diagnosing Machines and Managing Data in Factories

This patent describes a system that uses artificial intelligence to detect problems in industrial machines while smartly adjusting how much data it collects and sends to avoid overwhelming the network.

3 citations

US 11606373· 2019· Darktrace Holdings

AI System That Learns Normal Email Use to Spot and Stop Cyber Threats

This 2023 patent describes an AI system that learns how your company normally uses email and then automatically takes action to stop cyber threats that behave unusually.

3 citations

US 11436484· 2019· Nvidia Corp

Nvidia's Method for Training Self-Driving Car AI in Simulations

Nvidia's 2022 patent describes how to train AI for self-driving cars by using simulated environments and virtual sensors, then matching the simulated data format to real-world sensor data for AI processing.

17 citations

US 12012230· 2019· Safran Aircraft Engines SAS

How Aircraft Engine Oil Is Drained and Checked Automatically

A specialized tool on an extendable arm that connects to an airplane to drain engine fluid and test its quality in real-time.

US 11507851· 2019· Samsung Electronics Co

How AI Connects Different Databases Using Knowledge Graphs

This patent describes a server-based method that uses artificial intelligence and two learning models to automatically find and integrate connections between data fields and data values across multiple databases that have different structures.

2 citations

US 12211234· 2019· Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp

How Computers Track the Position and Angle of Multiple Objects

A method for using multiple cameras to track the exact location and orientation of many similar objects in a 3D space, even when they overlap.

2020s

US 11488063· 2020· Honeywell International Inc

How AI Helps Pilots Talk to Flight Management Systems

A system that uses artificial intelligence to understand pilot requests and automatically trigger the right flight data or software services.

US 12398901· 2020· Mitsubishi Electric Corp

How Air Conditioners Use Radio Signals to Locate Your Remote Control

A system that helps an air conditioner remote find its own location inside a building by comparing radio signal strengths from multiple AC units against its last known position.

Milestone
US 20220161815· 2020· Intel

How Autonomous Cars Process Sensor Data for Driving

Intel's 2020 patent describes a system for autonomous vehicles that cleans and standardizes data from various sensors before using it to perceive the environment and make driving decisions.

72 citations

US 11188196· 2020· Apple Inc

Using a Phone Display as a Visual Beacon Based on Activity

Apple's patent describes a device that changes its screen lighting behavior, such as pulsing or strobing, based on a user's heart rate or body temperature.

US 11544573· 2020· Google LLC

How Projection Neural Networks Speed Up AI Predictions

A method for making artificial intelligence models faster and more efficient by using fixed, non-trainable projections to simplify complex data before processing.

1 citation

US 11521601· 2020· Invoca Inc

How AI Cleans Up Irrelevant Topics in Recorded Phone Calls

A system that automatically identifies and removes 'noisy' or irrelevant topics from call center transcripts by analyzing how consistently and broadly those words appear.

1 citation

US 11704899· 2020· Meta Platforms

How Assistant Systems Combine Information About One Thing from Many Places

This patent describes a system that gathers all known information about a single person, place, or thing from various sources and combines it into one complete profile for an assistant system.

US 11513606· 2020· Individual

How Autonomous Air Taxis Use Hand Gestures and 3D Mapping

A system for operating air taxis that uses hand gestures for control and crowd-sourced 3D mapping to navigate urban environments.

1 citation

US 11975868· 2020· Textron Innovations Inc

How Aircraft Systems Detect Mechanical Wear by Comparing Real-Time Performance

A system that monitors aircraft parts by comparing their actual physical movement against a computer simulation to spot mechanical degradation or performance delays.

US 11715014· 2020· Kodak Alaris Inc

How Computers Use Neural Networks to Read Messy Handwriting

A system that uses artificial intelligence to identify text in images by combining dictionary lookups with neural networks that analyze visual traits like handwriting style or blur.

US 20230412513· 2020· Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB

How 5G Networks Coordinate AI Models Across Different Devices

A method for 5G networks to translate AI requirements into network performance settings so that AI models can run efficiently across cloud, edge, and local devices.

17 citations

US 11023780· 2020· Superb AI Co Ltd

How AI Automatically Labels Images and Checks Its Own Work

A method for training AI to label images by calculating how uncertain it is about its own predictions, allowing it to verify its accuracy without human help.

1 citation

US 11645473· 2020· International Business Machines Corp

How AI Predicts Who Will Speak Next in a Conversation

IBM's patent describes a system that uses neural networks to analyze speech patterns and intentions to predict which person will talk next in a conversation.

US 12200123· 2021· Mesinja Pty Ltd

Using Transcendental Math to Generate Better Random Numbers

A method for creating high-quality random numbers by using complex transcendental math equations to process raw data.

US 12443890· 2021· Google

How Devices Train Shared AI Models While Keeping Your Data Private

This patent describes a method for training a machine learning model across many devices, where each device keeps some parts of the model and its data private, only sharing updates for the common, global parts of the model.

US 11741188· 2021· Western Digital Technologies

How a Chip Uses Memory to Speed Up AI Calculations

This patent describes a specialized computer chip that uses non-volatile memory and analog signals to quickly perform calculations for artificial intelligence, especially for neural networks that need to remember past information.

Milestone
US 20220012637· 2021· Nokia Technologies Oy

Training AI Models Together with Unlabeled Data Using a Teacher

This patent describes a way for multiple AI systems to learn together from data that hasn't been manually labeled, using a 'teacher' AI to create temporary labels for a 'student' AI.

37 citations

US 11429864· 2021· Moffett International Co Ltd Hong Kong

Making Neural Networks Faster by Skipping Unnecessary Calculations

A method to speed up AI training by keeping data sparse, meaning it ignores zeros to save memory and processing power during both forward and backward passes.

1 citation

US 12343456· 2021· Mitsubishi Electric Corp

How Smart Air Conditioners Target and Disinfect High-Touch Surfaces

A system that uses infrared sensors to track where people touch furniture and then directs disinfecting air flows specifically to those high-contact spots.

US 12431234· 2021· McNeil AB

How Apps Use Timed Content to Enforce Health Behavior Changes

A system for health apps that locks users out of missed daily lessons and forces them to move forward to the next scheduled module instead of catching up.

1 citation

US 12008152· 2021· Snap Inc

How Snap's AR Tech Measures Distance for Virtual Button Presses

A method for mobile devices to calculate exactly when a user's finger or controller touches a virtual object in augmented reality by measuring precise distances from the camera.

2 citations

Milestone
US 20230162023· 2022· Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories

Automated AI for Adapting to New Data Without Retraining

This patent describes an automated system that builds artificial intelligence models capable of adapting to new, different data without needing full retraining, by learning to ignore irrelevant changes.

46 citations

US 12376789· 2022· Chosun University Industry Academic Cooperation Foundation

How Computers Use Brain Maps to Diagnose Alzheimer's Disease

A method for classifying stages of Alzheimer's disease by turning brain scan data into mathematical graphs and using machine learning to identify patterns.

US 12438891· 2022· Cisco Technology

How Multiple AI Models Detect Unusual Behavior on Computer Networks

This patent describes a computer system that uses several artificial intelligence models working together to spot unusual and potentially dangerous activity from users or devices on a computer network.

US 11919658· 2022· Goodrich Corp

How Aircraft Automatically Adjust Exterior Lights Using Computer Vision

An automated system for airplanes that turns on landing and taxi lights based on altitude and uses AI to adjust brightness depending on real-time visibility conditions.

1 citation

US 11922469· 2022· S&P Global

How Computers Rank Financial News for Analysts

This patent describes a computer system that automatically collects financial news, groups similar stories, and ranks them for financial analysts using advanced text analysis and machine learning.

US 12112345· 2022· People Center Inc

How Software Automatically Filters Employee Survey Results Based on Management Roles

A system that automatically restricts who can see specific employee survey results by mapping organizational reporting lines through a digital object graph.

US 20220383078· 2022· Huawei Technologies Co

Adapting AI Models to Fit Device Resources

This patent describes how a computer system can automatically shrink a large artificial intelligence model, specifically a "transformer" type, to fit the available computing power of a phone or other device.

6 citations

US 12505360· 2022· Bmc Helix

How AI Learns to Fix IT Problems by Asking for Feedback

This patent describes an AI system that continuously learns to identify and prevent IT issues by building a map of cause-and-effect relationships, getting human feedback, and automatically updating its understanding.

US 11842324· 2022· Hohai University HHU

AI for Spotting Dam Problems in Inspection Reports

This patent describes an AI method using a "dual attention mechanism" to automatically find and organize information about dam emergencies from inspection reports, improving accuracy and reducing manual effort.

1 citation

US 12475678· 2022· Kakao Mobility Corp

How Computers Automatically Spot Disaster Damage Using Different Types of Images

A method for comparing two different types of images—like satellite photos and drone footage—to automatically identify areas damaged by natural disasters.

US 20230195095· 2022· Honeywell International

Industrial Equipment Data Organized into Smart Knowledge Graphs

Honeywell's patent describes a system that collects data from industrial equipment, makes sense of it using rules, and organizes it into a smart graph for better control and actions.

1 citation

US 12299012· 2023· Unl Network BV

How to Map Physical Locations to Human-Friendly Web Addresses

A system that assigns easy-to-read web domain names to specific geographic areas on a map, making it easier to search, own, and trade location-based digital data.

US 20250190949· 2023· Futurecite

Matching People to Opportunities Using Personality and Body Data

This patent describes a system that infers your personality from your answers and body signals, then matches you with suitable learning or job opportunities.

1 citation

US 12518214· 2023· Nant Holdings IP

Training AI on Private Data Without Seeing It

This patent describes a way to train artificial intelligence models using private data stored on many separate computers, by generating fake data that mimics the real data's patterns, so the private data itself never leaves its original location.

US 20230297446· 2023· Capital One Services

How to Train AI Models with Fake Data Using Generative Networks

This patent describes a method for training artificial intelligence models using specially generated fake, or 'synthetic,' data created by a generative adversarial network, ensuring the synthetic data is high-quality and safe for training.

US 12244567· 2023· CDW LLC

How to Monitor Secure Government Computer Networks Automatically

A system that automatically collects, organizes, and displays security data from highly secure government networks to help administrators spot potential threats or performance issues.

US 12277178· 2023· Spotify AB

How Music Apps Learn What You Don't Want in Playlists

This patent describes how a music streaming service learns what kinds of songs or artists a user dislikes for their playlists by tracking what they repeatedly ignore, then uses that information to avoid recommending similar things in the future.

US 12217035· 2024· Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC

How to Safely Shut Down Microservices Without Breaking Apps

A method for shutting down parts of a software system one by one by mapping active requests to specific services, ensuring no tasks are interrupted during updates.

US 12299406· 2024· Casetext

How AI Checks Documents for Policy Rules and Compliance

This patent describes a system where an AI model helps evaluate parts of a document against specific rules or policies given in plain language, then identifies problems or suggests fixes to ensure compliance.

US 12321234· 2024· Rambus Inc

How to Save Memory Power by Grouping Error-Correction Data

A method for memory controllers to reduce power consumption by fetching multiple sets of error-checking data in a single memory row access instead of one-by-one.

US 20240406210· 2024· Darktrace Holdings

How AI Explains Cyberattacks for Security Training

This patent describes a cybersecurity training tool that uses a large language model to explain why machine learning identified a cyber threat, based on both fake and real attacks, for security teams and regular users.

13 citations

US 12307349· 2024· Broadridge Financial Solutions

How an AI System Answers Financial Questions Using Specialized Bots

This patent describes an AI system where a large language model (LLM) directs specialized machine learning agents to answer natural language questions about financial data, then refines the answers using an adversarial AI.

US 12353827· 2024· Unlikely Artificial Intelligence

Using Non-AI Systems to Improve AI Text Generation

This patent describes a method where a traditional, rule-based computer system helps a Large Language Model (LLM) generate more accurate and reliable text by providing it with better context and fact-checking.

US 12423586· 2025· D5AI

Making AI Smarter by Focusing on Unsure 'Nodes'

This 2025 patent from D5AI LLC describes a way to train AI models more effectively by boosting the learning signal for 'nodes' that aren't making clear decisions on data.

1 citation

US 20250363357· 2025· Ubotica Technologies

How to Update AI on Small Devices with Slow Internet

This patent describes a method for efficiently updating artificial intelligence models on small, internet-connected devices, like smart cameras, by sending only the changes, or 'patches,' instead of the entire updated model, which saves bandwidth.

US 20260080696· 2025· GUANGDONG PROVINCIAL PEOPLE'S HOSPITAL

AI System for Analyzing Medical Images Using Magnification-Aligned Transformers

This 2025 patent describes an AI system that analyzes medical images, like those from pathology slides, by using a special 'Transformer' model that understands how image details change with magnification.

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