VoiceBox Expands Assistant Technology Patent Portfolio

Personal assistant voice provider VoiceBox Technologies announced that it has been granted two additional United States patents in the areas of mobile voice technology and advertising applications.

To date, VoiceBox has had 14 patents issued and received notice of allowance for another six. An additional 11 patents are pending.

"We feel fortunate to have articulated our vision early on and aligned our intellectual property strategy at the outset," said Mike Kennewick, VoiceBox Technologies cofounder and CEO, in a statement. "While the patents for our core differentiating Contextual Speech and Conversational Voice technology were received in 2008, these grants extend our protection in the use of voice in mobile 'connected devices,' including the use of personalized, targeted advertising."

The company uses Natural Language Understanding and Conversational Voice technology. VoiceBox applications can run on in-car systems, smartphones, smart TVs, computers, tablets, e-readers, and personal navigation devices. Customers include Toyota, Lexus, TomTom, Chrysler, Pioneer, Dodge, and Magellan.

Kennewick said that when the company started, many questioned whether consumers wanted to 'talk' to their devices.

"We credit Apple for proving consumer acceptance of the Personal Assistant interface with its launch of Siri," he said. "Prior to this, it was unclear whether consumers were ready for the kind of innovative interface VoiceBox's patented technology can drive. Since then, we've been flooded with requests to employ the more advanced personalization capabilities of our technology to create Personal Assistant applications."