Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Kristine Anne Hanson

Jing Zhu

Unyoung Kim

Rohit Shrivastava

Priti Marappan

Jenish Shah

Tian Yu

Margaret Ren

Brandon Scott Durham

Kintan Dilipkumar Brahmbhatt

Rickesh Pal

Ted William Thetford

Charles Frederick Lee Thorp

A first user associated with a structure (e.g., a home, a building, etc.) may authorize a second user to access the structure when the first user is not present. The second user may request to access the structure via a text message that includes an access code that was previously provided. The second user may be verified/authenticated based on the telephone number in which the text message was received, the access code, and/or an access schedule that indicates when the second user is authorized to access the structure. The second user may send a second text message indicating a desire to lock/unlock a structure entrance (e.g., a door) to the structure that contains a smart lock. Upon receiving the second text message, a service provider sends an instruction to the smart lock, causing the structure entrance to become locked/unlocked, and allowing the second user to access or secure the structure.

Web-based structure access

Techniques described herein can be used to provide recommendations for multiple users. In particular, one or more users may interact with an interactive device to stream media content or utilize other services provided by a service provider. The users may provide commands to the interactive device to request content from a service provider. Contextual data associated with the request may be used to determine that an audience of the interactive device comprises more than one user. Based on this determination, content recommendations can be provided so that the recommendations are more likely to be suitable for the audience.

Methods and systems for providing multi-user recommendations

Described herein are online services provided to users based on the current context information of the users. In particular, a user may interact with an interactive device to stream media content from a remote service provider. The user may provide commands to the interactive device using a voice command. The interactive device may transmit requests based on such user command. In order for the service providers to provide customized services, the interactive device can be configured to capture additional contextual data indicative of an environment of the user such as ambient sound and provide such contextual data to the service provider. The service provider can utilize such contextual data to generate content recommendations suitable to the current context of the request or command or user.

Methods and systems for providing context-based recommendations

Text-based structure access

A first user associated with a structure (e.g., a home, a building, etc.) may authorize a second user to access the structure when the first user is not present. The second user may request to access the structure via a website associated with a URL that was previously provided. The second user may be verified/authenticated based on an access code input via the web site, a proximity of a device to the structure, and/or times in which the second user is authorized to access the structure. The second user may indicate, via the website, a desire to lock/unlock a structure entrance (e.g., a door) to the structure that contains a smart lock. Upon receiving a selection to lock/unlock the structure entrance, a service provider sends an instruction to the smart lock, causing the structure entrance to become locked/unlocked, and allowing the second user to access or secure the structure.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Kristine Anne Hanson