Patents by Inventor Akinori Kawamura

Akinori Kawamura has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20140088967
    Abstract: Apparatus for speech recognition includes a recognition unit configured to recognize a speech signal and to generate a first recognition result, a transmitting unit that transmits at least one of the speech signal and a recognition feature to a server, a receiving unit that receives a second recognition result from the server, a result generating unit configured to generate a third recognition result, a result storage unit that stores the third recognition result and a dictionary update unit configured to update the client recognition dictionary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Akinori Kawamura, Masaru Sakai, Kazushige Ouchi
  • Publication number: 20130253932
    Abstract: A conversation supporting device of an embodiment of the present disclosure has a information storage unit, a recognition resource constructing unit, and a voice recognition unit. Here, the information storage unit stores the information disclosed by a speaker. The recognition resource constructing unit uses the disclosed information to construct the recognition resource including a voice model and a language model for recognition of voice data. The voice recognition unit uses the recognition resource to recognize the voice data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masahide ARIU, Kazuo Sumita, Akinori Kawamura
  • Patent number: 8423360
    Abstract: A speech recognition apparatus, method and computer program product whereby noise is subtracted from an input speech signal by a plurality of spectral subtractions having differing rates of noise subtraction to produce plural noise-subtracted signals, at least one speech features is extracted from the noise-subtracted signals, and the extracted feature is compared with a standard speech pattern obtained beforehand to recognize the speech signal based on a result of the comparison. In addition, features can be extracted from at least one of the noise-subtracted signals and also the input speech signal for comparison with the standard speech pattern. Plural features can be combined into a single feature for the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Ryosuke Koshiba, Akinori Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20130085757
    Abstract: An embodiment of an apparatus for speech recognition includes a plurality of trigger detection units, each of which is configured to detect a start trigger for recognizing a command utterance for controlling a device, a selection unit, utilizing a signal from one or more sensors embedded on the device, configured to select a selected trigger detection unit among the trigger detection units, the selected trigger detection unit being appropriate to a usage environment of the device, and a recognition unit configured to recognize the command utterance when the start trigger is detected by the selected trigger detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masanobu NAKAMURA, Akinori KAWAMURA
  • Publication number: 20120249470
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a touch panel, an operation module, a detector, and a switch module. The touch panel and the operation module are configured to receive an operation command. The detector detects whether the touch panel is wet based on a touch position detected by the touch panel. The switch module switches, if the touch panel is wet, the receiver of the operation command from the touch panel to the operation module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Chikashi SUGIURA, Hiroshi FUJIMURA, Akinori KAWAMURA, Takashi SUDO
  • Publication number: 20120253804
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a voice processor includes: a storage module; a converter; a character string converter; a similarity calculator; and an output module. The storage module stores therein first character string information and a first phoneme symbol corresponding thereto in association with each other. The converter converts an input voice into a second phoneme symbol. The character string converter converts the second phoneme symbol into second character string information in which content of the voice is described in a natural language. The similarity calculator calculates similarity between the input voice and a portion of the first character string information stored in the storage module using at least one of the second phoneme symbol converted by the converter and the second character string information converted by the character string converter. The output module outputs the first character string information based on the similarity calculated by the similarity calculator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Chikashi SUGIURA, Hiroshi Fujimura, Akinori Kawamura, Takashi Sudo
  • Publication number: 20120226502
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a television apparatus includes a speech input unit, an indication input unit, a speech recognition unit, and a control unit. The speech input unit is configured to input a speech. The indication input unit is configured to input an indication to start speech recognition from a user. The speech recognition unit is configured to recognize the user's speech inputted after the indication is inputted. The control unit is configured to execute an operation command corresponding to a recognition result of the user's speech. The control unit, if a volume of the television apparatus at a timing when the indication is inputted is larger than or equal to a threshold, temporarily sets the volume to a value smaller than the threshold while the speech recognition unit is recognizing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Kazushige Ouchi, Akinori Kawamura, Masaru Sakai, Kaoru Suzuki, Yusuke Kida
  • Patent number: 8099277
    Abstract: A speech-duration detector includes a starting-end detecting unit that detects a starting end of a first duration where the characteristic exceeds a threshold value as a starting end of a speech-duration, when the first duration continues for a first time length; a trailing-end-candidate detecting unit that detects a starting end of a second duration where the characteristic is lower than the threshold value as a candidate point for a trailing end of speech, when the second duration continues for a second time length; and a trailing-end-candidate determining unit that determines the candidate point as a trailing end of the speech-duration, when the second duration where the characteristic exceeds the threshold value does not continue for the first time length while a third time length elapses from measurement at the candidate point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Koichi Yamamoto, Akinori Kawamura
  • Patent number: 7885464
    Abstract: A handwriting recognition apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment the apparatus comprises an input device having a handwriting input area and configured to input a plurality of strokes constructing a plurality of characters written successively on the handwriting input area, and a recognition device configured to recognize the characters based on the strokes input by the input device, shapes of the strokes constructing two characters which are written successively and positional relations between or among the strokes constructing the two characters, whenever one stroke is input by the input device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akinori Kawamura, Yojiro Tonouchi
  • Patent number: 7870003
    Abstract: An acoustical-signal processing apparatus includes a feature extracting unit that extracts feature data common to each channel signal which forms a multichannel acoustical signal, based on a composite similarity obtained by combining similarities calculated from each channel signal; and a time-base companding unit that executes time compression and time expansion of the multichannel acoustical signal based on the extracted feature data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Koichi Yamamoto, Akinori Kawamura
  • Patent number: 7706550
    Abstract: A noise estimation unit estimates a noise signal in an input signal. A section decision unit distinguishes a target signal section from a noise signal section in the input signal. A noise suppression unit suppresses the noise signal based on a first suppression coefficient from the input signal. A noise excess suppression unit suppresses the noise signal based on a second suppression coefficient from the input signal. The second suppression coefficient is larger than the first suppression coefficient. A switching unit switches between an output signal from the noise suppression unit and an output signal from the noise excess suppression unit based on a decision result of the section decision unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tadashi Amada, Akinori Kawamura, Ryosuke Koshiba
  • Publication number: 20080077400
    Abstract: A speech-duration detector includes a starting-end detecting unit that detects a starting end of a first duration where the characteristic exceeds a threshold value as a starting end of a speech-duration, when the first duration continues for a first time length; a trailing-end-candidate detecting unit that detects a starting end of a second duration where the characteristic is lower than the threshold value as a candidate point for a trailing end of speech, when the second duration continues for a second time length; and a trailing-end-candidate determining unit that determines the candidate point as a trailing end of the speech-duration, when the second duration where the characteristic exceeds the threshold value does not continue for the first time length while a third time length elapses from measurement at the candidate point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Koichi Yamamoto, Akinori Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20070088548
    Abstract: A first storage unit stores a transformation matrix, and a second storage unit stores a first parameter of a speech model and a second parameter of a non-speech model. A dividing unit divides an acoustic signal into a plurality of frames. An extracting unit extracts a feature vector from acoustic signals of the frames, a transforming unit linearly transforms the feature vector, and a determining unit determines whether a specific frame among the frames is a speech frame or a non-speech frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Koichi Yamamoto, Akinori Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20060235680
    Abstract: An acoustical-signal processing apparatus includes a feature extracting unit that extracts feature data common to each channel signal which forms a multichannel acoustical signal, based on a composite similarity obtained by combining similarities calculated from each channel signal; and a time-base companding unit that executes time compression and time expansion of the multichannel acoustical signal based on the extracted feature data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Koichi Yamamoto, Akinori Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20060088216
    Abstract: A handwriting recognition apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment the apparatus comprises an input device having a handwriting input area and configured to input a plurality of strokes constructing a plurality of characters written successively on the handwriting input area, and a recognition device configured to recognize the characters based on the strokes input by the input device, shapes of the strokes constructing two characters which are written successively and positional relations between or among the strokes constructing the two characters, whenever one stroke is input by the input device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Publication date: April 27, 2006
    Inventors: Akinori Kawamura, Yojiro Tonouchi
  • Patent number: 7013046
    Abstract: A handwriting recognition apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment the apparatus comprises an input device having a handwriting input area and configured to input a plurality of strokes constructing a plurality of characters written successively on the handwriting input area, and a recognition device configured to recognize the characters based on the strokes input by the input device, shapes of the strokes constructing two characters which are written successively and positional relations between or among the strokes constructing the two characters, whenever one stroke is input by the input device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akinori Kawamura, Yojiro Tonouchi
  • Publication number: 20050152563
    Abstract: A noise estimation unit estimates a noise signal in an input signal. A section decision unit distinguishes a target signal section from a noise signal section in the input signal. A noise suppression unit suppresses the noise signal based on a first suppression coefficient from the input signal. A noise excess suppression unit suppresses the noise signal based on a second suppression coefficient from the input signal. The second suppression coefficient is larger than the first suppression coefficient. A switching unit switches between an output signal from the noise suppression unit and an output signal from the noise excess suppression unit based on a decision result of the section decision unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2005
    Publication date: July 14, 2005
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Tadashi Amada, Akinori Kawamura, Ryosuke Koshiba
  • Publication number: 20050080631
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus using a speech signal, comprising a playback unit configured to play back the speech signal, a speech recognition unit configured to subject the speech signal to speech recognition, a text generator to generate a linguistic text having linguistic elements and time information for synchronizing with playback of the speech signal, by using a speech recognition result of the speech recognition unit, and a presentation unit configured to present selectively the linguistic elements together with the time information in synchronism with the speech signal played back by the playback unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Publication date: April 14, 2005
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Abe, Akinori Kawamura, Yasuyuki Masai, Makoto Yajima, Kohei Momosaki, Munehiko Sasajima, Koichi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20050010406
    Abstract: A speech recognition apparatus, method and computer program product whereby noise is subtracted from an input speech signal by a plurality of spectral subtractions having differing rates of noise subtraction to produce plural noise-subtracted signals, at least one speech features is extracted from the noise-subtracted signals, and the extracted feature is compared with a standard speech pattern obtained beforehand to recognize the speech signal based on a result of the comparison. In addition, features can be extracted from at least one of the noise-subtracted signals and also the input speech signal for comparison with the standard speech pattern. Plural features can be combined into a single feature for the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Ryosuke Koshiba, Akinori Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20020071607
    Abstract: A handwriting recognition apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment the apparatus comprises an input device having a handwriting input area and configured to input a plurality of strokes constructing a plurality of characters written successively on the handwriting input area, and a recognition device configured to recognize the characters based on the strokes input by the input device, shapes of the strokes constructing two characters which are written successively and positional relations between or among the strokes constructing the two characters, whenever one stroke is input by the input device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2001
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Inventors: Akinori Kawamura, Yojiro Tonouchi