Patents by Inventor Uma Arun

Uma Arun 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).

  • Patent number: 9484027
    Abstract: A method of automated speech recognition in a vehicle. The method includes receiving audio in the vehicle, pre-processing the received audio to generate acoustic feature vectors, decoding the generated acoustic feature vectors to produce at least one speech hypothesis, and post-processing the at least one speech hypothesis using pitch to improve speech recognition accuracy. The speech hypothesis can be accepted as recognized speech during post-processing if pitch is present in the received audio. Alternatively, a pitch count for the received audio can be determined, N-best speech hypotheses can be post-processed by comparing the pitch count to syllable counts associated with the speech hypotheses, and the speech hypothesis having a syllable count equal to the pitch count can be accepted as recognized speech.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Xufang Zhao, Uma Arun
  • Patent number: 8744421
    Abstract: A method of operating a vehicle telematics unit includes storing a conference call access code; initiating a conference call from a vehicle based on verbal commands received from a vehicle occupant; receiving a request for the conference call access code from an automated telephone attendant (ATA) while initiating the conference call; determining that the ATA has requested the conference call access code using a speech recognition function at the vehicle; and sending the stored conference call access code to the ATA based on the determination of the speech recognition function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth L. Peirce, Uma Arun, Sethu K. Madhavan, Ki Hak Yi
  • Patent number: 8532674
    Abstract: A method of operating a vehicle telematics unit includes determining the location of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle telematics unit; determining if telematics dialing software operated by the vehicle telematics unit includes a verbal dialing protocol used at the determined vehicle location; if not, identifying one or more verbal dialing protocols used at the determined location of the vehicle; requesting telematics dialing software that includes the one or more identified verbal dialing protocols; receiving the requested telematics dialing software from a central facility; and storing the received telematics dialing software at the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Uma Arun, Rathinavelu Chengalvarayan, Kevin R. Krause, Eray Yasan, Gaurav Talwar, Xufang Zhao, Michael A. Wuergler
  • Publication number: 20130130665
    Abstract: A method of operating a vehicle telematics unit includes storing a conference call access code; initiating a conference call from a vehicle based on verbal commands received from a vehicle occupant; receiving a request for the conference call access code from an automated telephone attendant (ATA) while initiating the conference call; determining that the ATA has requested the conference call access code using a speech recognition function at the vehicle; and sending the stored conference call access code to the ATA based on the determination of the speech recognition function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL MOTORS LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth L. Peirce, Uma Arun, Sethu K. Madhavan, Ki Hak Yi
  • Patent number: 8433570
    Abstract: A method for recognizing speech involves presenting an utterance to a speech recognition system and determining, via the speech recognition system, that the utterance contains a particular expression, where the particular expression is capable of being associated with at least two different meanings. The method further involves splitting the utterance into a plurality of speech frames, where each frame is assigned a predetermined time segment and a frame number, and indexing the utterance to i) a predetermined frame number, or ii) a predetermined time segment. The indexing of the utterance identifies that one of the frames includes the particular expression. Then the frame including the particular expression is re-presented to the speech recognition system to verify that the particular expression was actually recited in the utterance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventor: Uma Arun
  • Patent number: 8374868
    Abstract: A method for recognizing speech involves reciting, into a speech recognition system, an utterance including a numeric sequence that contains a digit string including a plurality of tokens and detecting a co-articulation problem related to at least two potentially co-articulated tokens in the digit string. The numeric sequence may be identified using i) a dynamically generated possible numeric sequence that potentially corresponds with the numeric sequence, and/or ii) at least one supplemental acoustic model. Also disclosed herein is a system for accomplishing the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Uma Arun, Sherri J Voran-Nowak, Rathinavelu Chengalvarayan, Gaurav Talwar
  • Patent number: 8244536
    Abstract: A method for intelligent speech recognition for premature enunciators is disclosed. The method allows for speech recognition systems to adjust to commands of premature enunciators, who speak before the system is ready receive speech input. The method comprises activating the speech recognition system, informing the user that the speech recognition system is ready to receive speech input, and initiating a listening period. The method further comprises receiving input from a user before the system is ready to receive such input, identifying the user as a premature enunciator, and adjusting the system to allow for earlier detection of user speech input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventor: Uma Arun
  • Publication number: 20120149356
    Abstract: A method of operating a vehicle telematics unit includes determining the location of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle telematics unit; determining if telematics dialing software operated by the vehicle telematics unit includes a verbal dialing protocol used at the determined vehicle location; if not, identifying one or more verbal dialing protocols used at the determined location of the vehicle; requesting telematics dialing software that includes the one or more identified verbal dialing protocols; receiving the requested telematics dialing software from a central facility; and storing the received telematics dialing software at the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Uma Arun, Rathinavelu Chengalvarayan, Kevin R. Krause, Eray Yasan, Gaurav Talwar, Xufang Zhao, Michael A. Wuergler
  • Patent number: 8005668
    Abstract: A method of configuring a speech recognition unit in a vehicle. The method includes receiving a noise error from the speech recognition unit responsive to a user voice command and reducing a confidence threshold for an appropriate grammar set responsive to the received noise error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventor: Uma Arun
  • Patent number: 7986974
    Abstract: A method for providing a context specific speaker adaptation user interface is disclosed. The method allows a specific user of a voice activated system to train a voice recognition system to understand specific uttered commands by receiving a training sequence initiation input, sending at least one command to be trained, receiving a selection input, prompting a verbal input, recording the verbal input, and linking a voice input with an instruction corresponding with the command input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventor: Uma Arun
  • Publication number: 20110166858
    Abstract: A method for recognizing speech involves presenting an utterance to a speech recognition system and determining, via the speech recognition system, that the utterance contains a particular expression, where the particular expression is capable of being associated with at least two different meanings. The method further involves splitting the utterance into a plurality of speech frames, where each frame is assigned a predetermined time segment and a frame number, and indexing the utterance to i) a predetermined frame number, or ii) a predetermined time segment. The indexing of the utterance identifies that one of the frames includes the particular expression. Then the frame including the particular expression is re-presented to the speech recognition system to verify that the particular expression was actually recited in the utterance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL MOTORS LLC
    Inventor: Uma Arun
  • Publication number: 20110144987
    Abstract: A method of automated speech recognition in a vehicle. The method includes receiving audio in the vehicle, pre-processing the received audio to generate acoustic feature vectors, decoding the generated acoustic feature vectors to produce at least one speech hypothesis, and post-processing the at least one speech hypothesis using pitch to improve speech recognition accuracy. The speech hypothesis can be accepted as recognized speech during post-processing if pitch is present in the received audio. Alternatively, a pitch count for the received audio can be determined, N-best speech hypotheses can be post-processed by comparing the pitch count to syllable counts associated with the speech hypotheses, and the speech hypothesis having a syllable count equal to the pitch count can be accepted as recognized speech.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL MOTORS LLC
    Inventors: Xufang Zhao, Uma Arun
  • Publication number: 20110046953
    Abstract: A method for recognizing speech involves reciting, into a speech recognition system, an utterance including a numeric sequence that contains a digit string including a plurality of tokens and detecting a co-articulation problem related to at least two potentially co-articulated tokens in the digit string. The numeric sequence may be identified using i) a dynamically generated possible numeric sequence that potentially corresponds with the numeric sequence, and/or ii) at least one supplemental acoustic model. Also disclosed herein is a system for accomplishing the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY
    Inventors: Uma Arun, Sherri J. Voran-Nowak, Rathinavelu Chengalvarayan, Gaurav Talwar
  • Patent number: 7634095
    Abstract: A method of tuning a hands-free system in a mobile vehicle, the method including receiving a plurality of vehicle condition inputs, creating a noise parameter based on the vehicle condition inputs and adjusting a noise suppression algorithm of the hands-free system based on the created noise parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: General Motors Company
    Inventor: Uma Arun
  • Publication number: 20070136063
    Abstract: A method of speech recognition includes receiving an utterance at a vehicle telematics unit. The utterance is converted into at least one phoneme. A confidence score is determined based on a comparison between the at least one phoneme and a nametag phoneme. The at least one phoneme is stored in association with the nametag phoneme based on the confidence score.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventors: Timothy Grost, Elizabeth Chesnutt, Uma Arun
  • Publication number: 20060074651
    Abstract: A method of configuring a speech recognition unit in a vehicle. The method includes receiving a noise error from the speech recognition unit responsive to a user voice command and reducing a confidence threshold for an appropriate grammar set responsive to the received noise error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Inventor: Uma Arun
  • Publication number: 20060046769
    Abstract: A method of initiating a wireless phone call from a mobile vehicle. The method includes storing at least one phone number in a vehicle communication system. The vehicle communication system includes a radio in communication with a telematics unit. The method further includes linking the stored phone number to a radio button, receiving a radio button input, while in a communication mode and placing the call from the telematics unit to the phone number linked to the radio button associated with the radio button input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventor: Uma Arun
  • Publication number: 20050187763
    Abstract: A method of tuning a hands-free system in a mobile vehicle, the method including receiving a plurality of vehicle condition inputs, creating a noise parameter based on the vehicle condition inputs and adjusting a noise suppression algorithm of the hands-free system based on the created noise parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2004
    Publication date: August 25, 2005
    Inventor: Uma Arun
  • Publication number: 20050049859
    Abstract: A method for intelligent speech recognition for premature enunciators is disclosed. The method allows for speech recognition systems to adjust to commands of premature enunciators, who speak before the system is ready receive speech input. The method comprises activating the speech recognition system, informing the user that the speech recognition system is ready to receive speech input, and initiating a listening period. The method further comprises receiving input from a user before the system is ready to receive such input, identifying the user as a premature enunciator, and adjusting the system to allow for earlier detection of user speech input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Publication date: March 3, 2005
    Inventor: Uma Arun
  • Publication number: 20040235530
    Abstract: A method for providing a context specific speaker adaptation user interface is disclosed. The method allows a specific user of a voice activated system to train a voice recognition system to understand specific uttered commands by receiving a training sequence initiation input, sending at least one command to be trained, receiving a selection input, prompting a verbal input, recording the verbal input, and linking a voice input with an instruction corresponding with the command input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Applicant: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Uma Arun