US 8527274

US patent 8527274, titled "System and method for delivering targeted advertisements and tracking advertisement interactions in voice recognition contexts," was issued on September 3, 2013, from an application filed on February 13, 2012. The current assignee is VB Assets LLC, with VoiceBox Technologies Corp listed as the original assignee. The inventors are Tom Freeman and Mike Kennewick.

The patent describes a system and method that uses natural language processing to deliver targeted advertisements and track their interactions within voice recognition environments. When a voice-enabled device receives a user utterance, a conversational language processor selects and delivers advertisements targeted to the user. This targeting is based on cognitive models related to the user, other users with similar characteristics, or the environment in which the utterance was made. The system also tracks subsequent interactions with these advertisements to refine the cognitive models, improving future ad targeting.

Here is a plain-language overview of the independent claims:

• Independent Claim 1 (Method): This claim describes a method involving several steps:

  1. Receiving a natural language voice input from a device.
  2. Processing that voice input to identify user requests.
  3. Determining if any of these identified requests are unclear or incomplete.
  4. Selecting advertisements relevant to the voice input.
  5. Presenting these selected advertisements to the user's device.
  6. Monitoring how the user interacts with the advertisements.
  7. Using that interaction to help clarify or complete the previously unclear or incomplete request.

• Independent Claim 13 (System): This claim describes a system, comprising one or more processors, configured to perform the same set of functions as outlined in Claim 1:

  1. Receive a natural language utterance from a voice-enabled device.
  2. Process the utterance to identify requests.
  3. Determine if a request is incomplete or ambiguous.
  4. Select advertisements related to the utterance.
  5. Output the selected advertisements to the device.
  6. Monitor user interaction with the advertisements.
  7. Interpret the incomplete or ambiguous request based on that interaction.

As of April 26, 2026, a search of CAFC 2026 dockets did not yield any specific litigation directly mentioning US patent 8527274. The search results indicated various patent litigation activities in federal courts and the CAFC during 2026, but no specific matches for this patent number were found.

Known litigation involving US patent 8527274 as of April 26, 2026, includes the following cases:

1. Plaintiff(s): VB Assets LLC, d/b/a Voicebox Tech

   • Defendant(s): Success Foods Management Group LLC
   • Jurisdiction: Eastern District of Texas
   • Case Number: 2:25-cv-00621
   • Filing Date: June 11, 2025
   • Current Status: Active (as of its filing on Unified Patents)

2. Plaintiff(s): VB Assets LLC

   • Defendant(s): YouTube LLC, Android International Inc., Google LLC, Xxvi Holdings Inc., Alphabet Inc.
   • Jurisdiction: Delaware District Court
   • Case Number: 1:26-cv-00443
   • Filing Date: April 17, 2026
   • Current Status: Open

Proceedings overview

There are no AIA trial proceedings currently on file for US patent 8,527,274 as per the USPTO ODP API. A web search for related PTAB proceedings did not yield any results. Therefore, the patent currently stands with all its claims intact, and there is no record of challenges to its patentability through AIA trials.

Strategic summary

As of today, May 30, 2026, all claims of US patent 8,527,274 remain UNTESTED by any AIA trial proceeding (e.g., IPR, PGR, CBM). This means there are no claims that have been canceled or sustained by a PTAB Final Written Decision.

The absence of PTAB activity indicates that for a defendant facing assertion of this patent, the full range of prior art grounds under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 and 103 (and § 112 for PGRs/CBMs) remains available for a potential IPR, PGR, or district court invalidity defense. There is no estoppel created by § 315(e)(2) for any petitioner, as no trial has been instituted or concluded. There are no observable pattern signals regarding the patent owner's behavior in PTAB proceedings or any involvement of defensive aggregators.

Recommended next steps

Given the absence of any PTAB activity for US8527274, a defendant facing assertion of this patent currently has an open field for an AIA trial challenge.

• Consider filing an IPR/PGR: If facing infringement allegations, an in-depth prior art search should be conducted to evaluate the patentability of the claims under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 and 103 (for IPR) or §§ 102, 103, and 112 (for PGR, if applicable given the priority date). The lack of prior PTAB challenges means that the initial threshold of instituting a trial has not been tested.
• Absence as a signal: The fact that no IPRs or PGRs have been filed may indicate that prior art challenges have been evaluated and deemed unpromising by others, or simply that the patent has not been heavily asserted in contexts that typically trigger such proceedings. Further due diligence on the patent's assertion history and any licensing efforts would be prudent.

Inventors

• Tom Freeman (VoiceBox Technologies Corp)
• Mike Kennewick (VoiceBox Technologies Corp)

There are no unusual patterns indicating inventors departing the original assignee within 12 months of filing.

Original assignee

The original assignee on the issued patent is VoiceBox Technologies Corp. VoiceBox Technologies Corp developed natural language voice recognition software. Based on available information, VoiceBox Technologies Corp appears to have been acquired by Nuance Communications, Inc. in 2020 and subsequently spun out as part of VB Assets LLC.

Assignment timeline

• 2012-02-13 (executed) / recorded 2012-02-13 — Reel 028303/0488
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: FREEMAN, TOM; KENNEWICK, MIKE
  • Assignee: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
  • Correspondent: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (ATTN: PATENT DEPARTMENT, 10833 NE 4TH STREET, SUITE 400, BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON 98004)
  • Context: Assignment from inventors to initial operating company.
• 2014-04-07 (executed) / recorded 2014-04-07 — Reel 032230/0398
  • Conveyance: Merger
  • Assignor: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
  • Assignee: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION (ATTN: PATENT DEPT, 10833 NE 4TH STREET, SUITE 400, BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON 98004)
  • Context: Internal corporate reorganization/name change.
• 2017-12-22 (executed) / recorded 2017-12-22 — Reel 043232/0761
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
  • Assignee: ORIX GROWTH CAPITAL, LLC
  • Correspondent: ORIX GROWTH CAPITAL, LLC (ATTN: S. GERALDINE BOGUE, ESQ., AKERMAN LLP, 777 S. FLAGLER DRIVE, SUITE 1100 WEST, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA 33401)
  • Context: Securitization of assets, likely as collateral for a loan.
• 2018-04-05 (executed) / recorded 2018-04-05 — Reel 043743/0979
  • Conveyance: Release By Secured Party
  • Assignor: ORIX GROWTH CAPITAL, LLC
  • Assignee: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: ORIX GROWTH CAPITAL, LLC (ATTN: S. GERALDINE BOGUE, ESQ., AKERMAN LLP, 777 S. FLAGLER DRIVE, SUITE 1100 WEST, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA 33401). This correspondent also appeared on reel 043232/0761.
  • Context: Release of security interest, indicating loan repayment or restructuring.
• 2018-07-25 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-25 — Reel 044234/0073
  • Conveyance: Nunc Pro Tunc Assignment
  • Assignor: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
  • Assignee: VB ASSETS, LLC
  • Correspondent: BAKER & MCKENZIE LLP (ATTN: WILLIAM L. ANDERSON, JR., 1900 N. PEARL ST., SUITE 3000, DALLAS, TEXAS 75201)
  • Context: Transfer to a new entity, "Nunc Pro Tunc" often used to correct an earlier transfer or backdate.
• 2019-04-12 (executed) / recorded 2019-04-12 — Reel 045717/0861
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: VB ASSETS, LLC
  • Assignee: DELPHI ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: DELPHI ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION (ATTN: ERIC SATO, ESQ., 5510 E. WASHINGTON BLVD., COMMERCE, CALIFORNIA 90040)
  • Context: Securitization of assets by VB Assets, LLC.
• 2019-06-13 (executed) / recorded 2019-06-13 — Reel 046039/0753
  • Conveyance: Release By Secured Party
  • Assignor: DELPHI ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
  • Assignee: VB ASSETS, LLC
  • Correspondent: DELPHI ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION (ATTN: ERIC SATO, ESQ., 5510 E. WASHINGTON BLVD., COMMERCE, CALIFORNIA 90040). This correspondent also appeared on reel 045717/0861.
  • Context: Release of security interest.
• 2020-01-22 (executed) / recorded 2020-01-22 — Reel 047648/0645
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: VB ASSETTS LLC (typo in original document, should be VB ASSETS LLC)
  • Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
  • Correspondent: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (PATENT DEPT., ONE CAFE DE PARIS, BURLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 01803)
  • Context: Transfer from VB Assets LLC to Nuance Communications, Inc., likely as part of an acquisition.
• 2020-09-22 (executed) / recorded 2020-09-22 — Reel 048997/0122
  • Conveyance: Corrective Assignment
  • Assignor: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
  • Assignee: VB ASSETS, LLC
  • Correspondent: BAKER & MCKENZIE LLP (ATTN: WILLIAM L. ANDERSON, JR., 1900 N. PEARL ST., SUITE 3000, DALLAS, TEXAS 75201). This correspondent also appeared on reel 044234/0073.
  • Context: Corrective assignment to address assignor/assignee name errors in a previous record, confirming transfer back to VB Assets, LLC.
• 2025-04-08 (executed) / recorded 2025-04-08 — Reel 056461/0817
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: VB ASSETS, LLC
  • Assignee: CONTINGENCY CAPITAL FUND A LP
  • Correspondent: CONTINGENCY CAPITAL FUND A LP (1775 N. PARK DRIVE, SUITE 200, WESTON, FLORIDA 33326)
  • Context: Securitization of assets by VB Assets, LLC.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8527274
    2012 : Filed by VoiceBox Technologies, Inc
    2013 : Issued
    2014 : Assigned to VoiceBox Tech Corp via merger
    2017 : Security interest to ORIX Growth Capital
    2018 : Security interest released
         : Assigned to VB Assets LLC
    2019 : Security interest to Delphi Asset Mgmt
         : Security interest released
    2020 : Assigned to Nuance Communications
         : Corrective assignment to VB Assets LLC
    2025 : Security interest to Contingency Capital

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present.

   • 2018-07-25 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-25 — Reel 044234/0073: Voicebox Technologies Corporation assigned to VB ASSETS, LLC. VB Assets, LLC has a name suffix "Assets" and is a common type of shell entity used in patent assertion. While the initial entity VoiceBox Technologies Corporation was an operating company, the transfer to VB Assets, LLC suggests a shift in focus.

2. Known asserter in the chain — unclear. While VB Assets, LLC is the current assignee and a potential shell entity, it does not directly match the provided list of high-frequency plaintiffs. Further investigation beyond the scope of this request would be needed to confirm if VB Assets, LLC is a known asserter.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present.

   • S. GERALDINE BOGUE, ESQ., AKERMAN LLP, appeared on Reel 043232/0761 and Reel 043743/0979.
   • WILLIAM L. ANDERSON, JR., BAKER & MCKENZIE LLP, appeared on Reel 044234/0073 and Reel 048997/0122.
   • ERIC SATO, ESQ., appeared on Reel 045717/0861 and Reel 046039/0753.

4. Cascading transfers — not present. While there are multiple assignments, they are interspersed with security interest filings and releases, and don't represent rapid, consecutive transfers through chained LLCs that are characteristic of cascading transfers.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. The summary mentions "Family has litigation" with US cases filed in Texas Eastern District Court and Delaware District Court in 2025 and 2026, but the exact filing dates of these suits are not provided. The latest assignment to VB Assets, LLC was a corrective assignment in 2020-09-22, and a security interest was granted in 2025-04-08. Without the precise litigation filing dates, it is unclear if any assignments occurred within 6 months prior to the first infringement suit naming this patent.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. There is no indication in the assignment records or the patent summary that VoiceBox Technologies Corp or any subsequent assignee underwent a bankruptcy fire-sale.

7. Privateering — unclear. While Nuance Communications, Inc. (an operating company) was briefly an assignee in 2020-01-22, the patent was subsequently transferred back to VB ASSETS, LLC via a corrective assignment in 2020-09-22. This could potentially indicate a privateering arrangement where VB ASSETS, LLC asserts on behalf of Nuance, but this cannot be confirmed without further external information.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain does not terminate at any known defensive aggregators.

Verdict

NPE — moderate confidence

The transfer to VB Assets, LLC (a likely shell entity based on its name and role in the chain) combined with the recurrence of specific correspondents across multiple assignments in the chain (Reel 043232/0761, Reel 043743/0979, Reel 044234/0073, Reel 048997/0122, Reel 045717/0861, Reel 046039/0753) strongly suggest an NPE pattern. The history also includes multiple security interest grants and releases, which are common in patent monetization strategies.

USPTO Assignment Center Search for US8527274

I am unable to perform a live, interactive search on the USPTO database directly. Therefore, based on the authoritative full patent text provided for US patent 8527274, the most relevant references cited within the document itself are found in the "CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS" section. These are primarily related patent applications from the same inventive entity, VoiceBox Technologies, Corp., which lay the foundational work for the natural language processing and voice user interface aspects of the claimed invention.

While these are considered "related applications" and often demonstrate the evolution of the inventive concept rather than anticipating the specific novel combination of advertising and voice interaction for disambiguation, they are explicitly referenced within the patent.

Below are the details for these cross-referenced applications and their potential relevance under 35 U.S.C. § 102, focusing on the elements they might disclose.

Most Relevant Cited References from US8527274

1. U.S. Pat. No. 7,398,209

• Full Citation: U.S. Patent No. 7,398,209, entitled “Systems and Methods for Responding to Natural Language Speech Utterance”.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed June 3, 2003; Issued July 8, 2008.
• Brief Description: This patent describes systems and methods for interpreting natural language voice-based inputs and generating responses. It details mechanisms for a speech recognition engine (e.g., Automatic Speech Recognizer 110) to recognize words and phrases, and for a conversational language processor (e.g., conversational language processor 120) to engage in cooperative, conversational interaction.
• Potential Anticipation for Claims 1 and 13: This reference potentially anticipates the elements of "receiving a natural language utterance" and "processing the natural language utterance to identify one or more requests associated with the natural language utterance" in a general sense. It establishes the groundwork for interpreting natural language speech and generating conversational responses. However, it does not appear to specifically disclose the elements of selecting advertisements, monitoring user interaction with advertisements, and interpreting an incomplete or ambiguous request based on advertisement interaction.

2. U.S. Pat. No. 7,693,720

• Full Citation: U.S. Patent No. 7,693,720, entitled “Mobile Systems and Methods for Responding to Natural Language Speech Utterance”.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed June 15, 2003; Issued April 6, 2010.
• Brief Description: Similar to US7398209, this patent focuses on mobile systems and methods for responding to natural language speech utterances, emphasizing the use of such interfaces on mobile devices.
• Potential Anticipation for Claims 1 and 13: This reference also potentially anticipates the fundamental elements of "receiving a natural language utterance from a voice-enabled device" and "processing the natural language utterance to identify one or more requests" within a mobile context. Like the previous patent, it sets the stage for voice-controlled interactions but lacks the specific advertising selection, output, monitoring, and interaction-based disambiguation features of US8527274.

3. U.S. Pat. No. 7,634,409

• Full Citation: U.S. Patent No. 7,634,409, entitled “Dynamic Speech Sharpening”.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed August 31, 2006; Issued December 15, 2009.
• Brief Description: This patent describes techniques for enhancing the interpretation of a user utterance, specifically through "dynamic speech sharpening," which aims to improve the accuracy of speech recognition.
• Potential Anticipation for Claims 1 and 13: This reference could contribute to the "processing the natural language utterance" step by detailing methods for improving the accuracy of speech recognition, which is a component of such processing. It may inform how an utterance is initially understood, which could indirectly relate to determining if a request is "incomplete or ambiguous." However, it does not address the advertisement delivery or interaction-based disambiguation.

4. U.S. Pat. No. 7,640,160

• Full Citation: U.S. Patent No. 7,640,160, entitled “Systems and Methods for Responding to Natural Language Speech Utterance”.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed August 5, 2005; Issued December 29, 2009.
• Brief Description: This patent, another in the series on natural language speech utterance response, focuses on generating context-based interpretations and responses to voice-based inputs, utilizing domain agents to competitively generate interpretations.
• Potential Anticipation for Claims 1 and 13: This patent contributes to the understanding of how "processing the natural language utterance to identify one or more requests" is performed, particularly in establishing context. It could anticipate aspects of "determining that the natural language utterance contains a request that is incomplete or ambiguous" in the sense of identifying conversational gaps. However, the core advertising-related steps of US8527274 remain distinct.

5. U.S. Pat. No. 7,949,529

• Full Citation: U.S. Patent No. 7,949,529, entitled “Mobile Systems and Methods of Supporting Natural Language Human-Machine Interactions”.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed August 29, 2005; Issued May 24, 2011.
• Brief Description: This patent describes mobile systems and methods for supporting natural language human-machine interactions, building on the concepts of conversational processing and domain agents in a mobile environment.
• Potential Anticipation for Claims 1 and 13: Similar to US7640160, this patent contributes to the broad steps of "receiving a natural language utterance" and "processing the natural language utterance to identify one or more requests" in mobile contexts. It enhances the understanding of conversational flow and interaction but does not disclose the advertisement-centric features of US8527274.

6. U.S. Pat. No. 7,620,549

• Full Citation: U.S. Patent No. 7,620,549, entitled “System and Method of Supporting Adaptive Misrecognition in Conversational Speech”.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed August 10, 2005; Issued November 17, 2009.
• Brief Description: This patent focuses on supporting adaptive misrecognition, where information in a current utterance can be used to reinterpret previous, potentially incorrect, utterances to improve subsequent interpretations.
• Potential Anticipation for Claims 1 and 13: This reference is particularly relevant to "interpreting the request that is incomplete or ambiguous." It establishes a mechanism for re-interpreting utterances based on new information in a conversational context. While it deals with resolving ambiguity, it does so within the realm of speech recognition and conversational logic, not through the selection and interaction with targeted advertisements as specified in US857274's claims.

7. U.S. Pat. No. 8,073,681

• Full Citation: U.S. Patent No. 8,073,681, entitled “System and Method for a Cooperative Conversational Voice User Interface”.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed October 16, 2006; Issued December 6, 2011.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for a cooperative conversational voice user interface, likely focusing on advanced dialogue management and user engagement to resolve requests.
• Potential Anticipation for Claims 1 and 13: This reference reinforces the general concepts of "processing the natural language utterance to identify one or more requests" and managing conversational interaction, including handling ambiguous requests within a cooperative dialogue. It addresses the user interface aspect of resolving unclear requests but does not introduce the element of using advertisement selection and interaction for this resolution.

Conclusion regarding Anticipation:

While these cited related applications provide substantial background and enable many of the underlying technologies (natural language processing, speech recognition, conversational interfaces, and ambiguity resolution within a conversational context), none of them appear to anticipate the specific combination of elements claimed in US8527274. The distinguishing features of US8527274's independent claims (Claims 1 and 13) lie in:

• The selection of advertisements associated with a natural language utterance.
• The outputting of these advertisements.
• The monitoring of user interaction with these advertisements.
• Crucially, interpreting a request that is incomplete or ambiguous specifically based on this advertisement interaction.

These advertising-centric steps, particularly their role in disambiguation of user requests, appear to be the novel contribution over the prior work described in the cross-referenced applications. The related applications primarily address the voice recognition and natural language processing aspects in general, but not their specific integration with and utilization of targeted advertisements for request clarification.

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 8527274 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

The independent claims of US patent 8527274 (Claims 1 and 13) describe a method and system, respectively, for delivering targeted advertisements and tracking interactions in voice recognition contexts. A key feature is the use of user interaction with selected advertisements to interpret incomplete or ambiguous natural language requests. A person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) in the field of natural language processing (NLP), speech recognition, and online advertising at the time of the invention (priority date: February 6, 2007) would have been motivated to combine existing technologies to arrive at the claimed invention.

Claim Breakdown and Relevant Prior Art

The independent claims (Claim 1 for method, Claim 13 for system) generally comprise the following steps:

1. Receiving a natural language utterance from a voice-enabled device.
2. Processing the utterance to identify one or more requests.
3. Determining that a request is incomplete or ambiguous.
4. Selecting one or more advertisements associated with the utterance.
5. Outputting the selected advertisements.
6. Monitoring user interaction with the advertisements.
7. Interpreting the incomplete or ambiguous request based on that interaction.

Several prior art references, particularly those explicitly cited within US8527274, disclose elements of these claims.

• Natural Language Processing and Conversational Voice User Interfaces: Numerous patents by VoiceBox Technologies Corp., the original assignee, cover the fundamental aspects of natural language speech processing, identifying requests, and handling conversational interactions. These include:

  • U.S. Pat. No. 7,398,209 (priority June 3, 2003): "Systems and Methods for Responding to Natural Language Speech Utterance."
  • U.S. Pat. No. 7,693,720 (priority June 15, 2003): "Mobile Systems and Methods for Responding to Natural Language Speech Utterance."
  • U.S. Pat. No. 7,640,160 (priority August 5, 2005): "Systems and Methods for Responding to Natural Language Speech Utterance."
  • U.S. Pat. No. 7,949,529 (priority August 29, 2005): "Mobile Systems and Methods of Supporting Natural Language Human-Machine Interactions."
    These references collectively teach the first two elements of the claims: receiving natural language utterances and processing them to identify requests.

• Handling Incomplete or Ambiguous Requests: The prior art also addressed the challenges of ambiguous or incomplete voice inputs:

  • U.S. Pat. No. 7,620,549 (priority August 10, 2005): "System and Method of Supporting Adaptive Misrecognition in Conversational Speech." This patent explicitly teaches reinterpreting utterances based on subsequent information, especially when initial interpretations are incorrect.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 8,073,681 (priority October 16, 2006): "System and Method for a Cooperative Conversational Voice User Interface." This patent describes systems that engage users in "cooperative, conversational interaction" to resolve requests and advance a conversation, including determining if requests are "incomplete or ambiguous" and prompting users for clarification. The '274 patent itself states that its conversational language processor may use techniques described in the '681 patent to identify conversation types, interpret utterances, and identify requests.

• Targeted Advertising and Interaction Tracking: By 2007, online advertising systems were well-established, offering targeted advertisements and sophisticated tracking mechanisms. For example, Google's AdWords, launched in 2000, allowed advertisers to deliver targeted ads based on keywords and user context, and critically, tracked user interactions such as click-through rates (CTR) and conversions. Such systems encompassed the concepts of selecting advertisements, outputting them (typically graphically, but also audibly in contexts like telematics, as the '274 patent mentions), and monitoring user interaction.

Obviousness Combination and Motivation

A strong combination for rendering the claims obvious would be U.S. Pat. No. 8,073,681 (Cooperative Conversational Voice User Interface) in view of general knowledge of online advertising systems (pre-2007).

Reasoning for Combination:

1. Shared Problem and Goal: US8073681 addresses the problem of effectively handling natural language speech utterances, particularly those that are incomplete or ambiguous, to foster a "cooperative, conversational interaction." The explicit goal is to "resolve requests and advance a conversation." The '274 patent's background further highlights the "missed opportunities for providing valuable and relevant information to users" due to inadequate voice user interfaces and the need for "new and effective ways to reach consumers" through advertising. This demonstrates a clear motivation to improve conversational interfaces and to integrate commercial aspects.

2. Completing the Conversational Loop: US8073681 teaches determining when requests are "incomplete or ambiguous" and taking action, such as generating a "system response [that] may prompt a user to clarify an incomplete and/or ambiguous request." A PHOSITA, aiming to enhance the cooperative nature and commercial viability of such a system, would be motivated to integrate targeted advertisements into this disambiguation process.

3. Advertising as Implicit Feedback for Disambiguation: It was a well-known principle in 2007 that user interaction provides valuable feedback. Online advertising systems demonstrated that users interact with relevant advertisements. A PHOSITA would recognize that presenting a highly targeted advertisement (selected based on the ambiguous request and user profile, similar to how conventional online ads are targeted) and then monitoring the user's interaction with that ad (e.g., a voice confirmation, a touch, a click) offers a powerful form of implicit or explicit feedback to "interpret the request that is incomplete or ambiguous." For instance, if a user ambiguously requests "Find me a good place to eat," and an ad for "Chang's Chinese Restaurant" is presented, a user's interaction with that ad (e.g., "Yes, call Chang's") directly resolves the ambiguity of the original request.

4. Synergistic Benefits: The combination yields synergistic benefits:

   • Improved User Experience: By using ad interaction for disambiguation, the system becomes more intelligent and responsive, reducing the need for explicit clarification prompts and leading to a smoother user experience, aligning with the "cooperative" goals of US8073681.
   • Monetization and Enhanced Ad Relevance: The voice interface gains a new revenue stream through targeted advertising. Furthermore, by making advertisements integral to resolving user requests, their contextual relevance and engagement are increased, leading to higher effectiveness for advertisers. The '274 patent explicitly states that advertisements can "improv[e] the consumers' interaction with a device."

Therefore, a PHOSITA, seeking to build upon the robust conversational and ambiguity-handling capabilities of systems like those described in US8073681 and motivated by the economic opportunities of targeted advertising and the desire to improve user interaction, would find it obvious to combine these known elements. The integration of ad selection, presentation, and interaction monitoring to specifically refine the interpretation of ambiguous natural language utterances represents a logical extension of existing technologies and practices.