Patents Assigned to Nuance Communications, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20190385202
    Abstract: Techniques for medical coding include applying a natural language understanding (NLU) engine to a free-form text documenting a clinical patient encounter, to derive a first set of one or more medical billing codes for the clinical patient encounter and a link between each code in the first set and a corresponding portion of the free-form text. The first set of codes may be compared to a second set of one or more medical billing codes approved by one or more human users for the patient encounter, to identify at least one code in the first set that overlaps with at least one code in the second set. The code in the second set approved by the one or more human users may be retained instead of the overlapping code in the first set derived by the NLU engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Reiser, Howard Maurice D'Souza, Aparna Subramanian, Regina Marie Spitznagel
  • Patent number: 10504622
    Abstract: In some aspects, a method of using a virtual medical assistant to assist a medical professional, the virtual medical assistant implemented, at least in part, by at least one processor of a host device capable of connecting to at least one network is provided. The method comprises receiving free-form instruction from the medical professional, providing the free-form instruction for processing to assist in identifying from the free-form instruction at least one medical task to be performed, obtaining identification of at least one impediment to performing the at least one medical task, and inferring at least some information needed to overcome the at least one impediment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Guido Gallopyn, Reid W. Coleman
  • Patent number: 10504505
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and tangible computer-readable storage media for speaker recognition personalization. The method recognizes speech received from a speaker interacting with a speech interface using a set of allocated resources, the set of allocated resources including bandwidth, processor time, memory, and storage. The method records metrics associated with the recognized speech, and after recording the metrics, modifies at least one of the allocated resources in the set of allocated resources commensurate with the recorded metrics. The method recognizes additional speech from the speaker using the modified set of allocated resources. Metrics can include a speech recognition confidence score, processing speed, dialog behavior, requests for repeats, negative responses to confirmations, and task completions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Andrej Ljolje, Alistair D. Conkie, Ann K. Syrdal
  • Patent number: 10496743
    Abstract: Cascaded models may be applied to extract facts from a medical text. A first model may be applied to at least a portion of the medical text. The first model extracts at least one first medical fact. The at least one first medical fact is linked to at least first text in the at least a portion of the medical text. A second model may be applied to the first text. The second model extracts at least one second fact that is an attribute of the at least one first medical fact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Neal E. Snider, Brian William Delaney, Girija Yegnanarayanan, Radu Florian, Martin Franz, Scott McCarley, John F. Pitrelli, Imed Zitouni, Salim E. Roukos
  • Patent number: 10482878
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computer system for receiving, by a computing device, a first signal emitted from one or more sources. A second signal may be received emitted from the one or more sources. A first confidence level that the wake-up-word is included in the first signal may be determined. A second confidence level that the wake-up-word is included in the second signal may be determined. It may be identified that the wake-up-word originated from a first source of the one or more sources based upon, at least in part, the first and second confidence levels. The first source may be enabled to participate in a dialog phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Tobias Wolff, Jan Philip Janssen, Simon Graf, Tim Haulick
  • Patent number: 10481831
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computer system for receiving, by a computing device, an input signal. A first power spectral density estimate may be generated for a linear reverberant component associated with the input signal. A second power spectral density estimate may be generated for a non-linear reverberant component associated with the input signal. A power spectral density estimate may be generated by combining the first power spectral density estimate for the linear reverberant component and the second power spectral density estimate for the non-linear reverberant component. One or more parameters for at least one of the linear reverberant component and the non-linear reverberant component may be updated. One or more undesired signal components in an output signal resulting from the input signal may be reduced via residual echo suppression based upon, at least in part, updating the one or more parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Ingo Schalk-Schupp, Friedrich Faubel, Markus Buck, Naveen Kumar Desiraju, Tobias Wolff
  • Publication number: 20190348032
    Abstract: Methods and an apparatus for performing feature extraction on speech in a microphone signal with embedded noise processing to reduce the amount of processing are provided. In embodiments, feature extraction and the noise estimate use an output of the same Fourier Transform, such that the noise filtering of the speech is embedded with the feature extraction of the speech.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Applicant: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Jianzhong TENG, Xiao-Lin REN, Xingui ZENG, Yi GAO
  • Patent number: 10477031
    Abstract: A method for residual echo suppression is provided. Embodiments may include receiving an original reference signal and applying a distortion function to the original reference signal to generate a second signal. Embodiments may include generating a non-linear signal from the distortion function that does not include linear components of the original reference signal. Embodiments may also include calculating a residual echo power of a linear component and a non-linear component, wherein the linear component is based upon the original reference signal and the non-linear component is based upon the non-linear signal. Embodiments may further include applying a room model to each of the original reference signal and the non-linear signal and estimating a power associated with the original reference signal and the non-linear signal. Embodiments may include calculating a combined echo power estimate as a weighted sum of a weighted original reference signal power and a weighted non-linear signal power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Ingo Schalk-Schupp, Markus Buck, Friedrich Faubel
  • Patent number: 10460288
    Abstract: A set of one or more clinical facts may be collected from a clinician's encounter with a patient. It may be determined that an unspecified diagnosis not included in the set of facts may possibly be ascertained from the patient encounter. A user may be alerted that the unspecified diagnosis may possibly be ascertained from the patient encounter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Flanagan, Frank Montyne, David Decraene, Mariana Casella dos Santos, Marnix Holvoet, Karen Anne Doyle, Roubik Manoukian, Anthony J. Elcocks, Matthew R. Shelton, Scott Abrutyn, Isam Habboush
  • Patent number: 10459686
    Abstract: Provided are a system and method of mixing a second audio stream with a first audio stream in an audio output device. The system is configured to execute the method, comprising buffering and outputting the first audio stream via the audio output device as unmodified output, determining at least one insertion spot within the first audio stream, modifying the first audio stream at an insertion spot to avoid content loss, outputting the second audio stream at the insertion spot, and resuming unmodified output of the first audio stream at or near a completion of the second audio stream. Modifying the first audio stream can include pausing and/or warping the first audio stream at the insertion spot. The audio output device can be a vehicle head unit or a wireless device, such as a mobile phone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Nils Lenke, Christophe Couvreur
  • Publication number: 20190325859
    Abstract: Techniques for adapting a trained neural network acoustic model, comprising using at least one computer hardware processor to perform: generating initial speaker information values for a speaker; generating first speech content values from first speech data corresponding to a first utterance spoken by the speaker; processing the first speech content values and the initial speaker information values using the trained neural network acoustic model; recognizing, using automatic speech recognition, the first utterance based, at least in part on results of the processing; generating updated speaker information values using the first speech data and at least one of the initial speaker information values and/or information used to generate the initial speaker information values; and recognizing, based at least in part on the updated speaker information values, a second utterance spoken by the speaker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Applicant: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Puming Zhan, Xinwei Li
  • Publication number: 20190325024
    Abstract: In a method for validating data, a text of a document is received. At least one fact is extracted from the text. At least one expert refinement is merged with the at least one fact to create at least one modified fact. The at least one modified fact is provided for a review. An expert refinement to the at least one modified fact is captured in response to the review. A superset document based on the at least one pre-existing refinement and the expert refinement is stored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Applicant: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith W. Boone, Sunitha Chaparala, Sean Gervais, Robert G. Titemore, Harry J. Ogrinc, Jeffrey G. Hopkins, Roubik Manoukian, Cameron Fordyce
  • Patent number: 10453470
    Abstract: A system and method for speech enhancement of a portable electronic device. Embodiments may include receiving an audio signal at a portable electronic device having a first microphone and a second microphone. Embodiments may also include receiving an input from a proximity detector associated with the portable electronic device and controlling a processing component associated with at least one of the first microphone and the second microphone based upon, at least in part, the input from the proximity detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Friedrich Faubel, Tobias Wolff, Tim Haulick
  • Patent number: 10446140
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer readable media for identifying an acoustic environment of a caller. The method embodiment comprises analyzing acoustic features of a received audio signal from a caller, receiving meta-data information based on a previously recorded speed of the caller, classifying a background environment of the caller based on the analyzed acoustic features and the meta-data, selecting an acoustic model matched to the classified background environment from a plurality of acoustic models, and performing speech recognition as the received audio signal using the selected acoustic model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Mazin Gilbert
  • Publication number: 20190311715
    Abstract: A system for detection of at least one designated wake-up word for at least one speech-enabled application. The system comprises at least one microphone; and at least one computer hardware processor configured to perform: receiving an acoustic signal generated by the at least one microphone at least in part as a result of receiving an utterance spoken by a speaker; obtaining information indicative of the speaker's identity; interpreting the acoustic signal at least in part by determining, using the information indicative of the speaker's identity and automated speech recognition, whether the utterance spoken by the speaker includes the at least one designated wake-up word; and interacting with the speaker based, at least in part, on results of the interpreting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Applicant: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Meik Pfeffinger, Timo Matheja, Tobias Herbig, Tim Haulick
  • Patent number: 10430156
    Abstract: A system and method for allowing user intervention in a speech recognition pipeline is presented. Embodiments may include receiving, at a computing device, a speech signal at a speech recognition engine, the speech signal being associated with an application. Embodiments may further include generating one or more suggested speech results at the speech recognition engine, the suggested speech results based upon, at least in part, the speech signal. Embodiments may also include displaying, at a graphical user interface associated with the computing device, the one or more suggested speech results prior to applying a final speech result. Embodiments may further include receiving a non voice-based selection of at least one of the one or more suggested speech results and applying the non voice-based selection to the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerhard Grobauer, Andreas Neubacher, Markus Vogel, Miklos Papi
  • Patent number: 10430445
    Abstract: Methods and systems for indexing document passages are presented. In some embodiments, a computing device may identify a plurality of documents that comprise a plurality of passages. A passage index comprising a plurality of entries may be generated. Each entry may comprise keywords from a passage of the plurality of passages in one of the plurality of documents. Each entry may further comprise at least one annotation associated with the passage. A search query comprising at least one search keyword may be received. The passage index for each document of the plurality of documents may be analyzed using the at least one search keyword to identify at least one passage from the plurality of documents that matches the search query. In response to the query, the at least one passage may be presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard S. Crouch, Marisa F. Boston, Ali Erdem Ozcan, Peter R. Stubley
  • Patent number: 10423721
    Abstract: A computer program product, for automatically editing a medical record transcription, resides on a computer-readable medium and includes computer-readable instructions for causing a computer to obtain a first medical transcription of a dictation, the dictation being from medical personnel and concerning a patient, analyze the first medical transcription for presence of a first trigger phrase associated with a first standard text block, determine that the first trigger phrase is present in the first medical transcription if an actual phrase in the first medical transcription corresponds with the first trigger phrase, and insert the first standard text block into the first medical transcription.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger S. Zimmerman, Paul Egerman, Robert G. Titemore, George Zavaliagkos
  • Patent number: 10424317
    Abstract: Disclosed methods and systems are directed to determining a best microphone pair and segmenting sound signals. The methods and systems may include receiving a collection of sound signals comprising speech from one or more audio sources (e.g., meeting participants) and/or background noise. The methods and systems may include calculating a TDOA and determining, based on the TDOA and via robust statistics, the best pair of microphones. The methods and systems may also include segmenting sound signals from multiple sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Pablo Peso Parada, Dushyant Sharma, Patrick Naylor
  • Publication number: 20190287526
    Abstract: A user device configured to perform wake-up word detection in a target language.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Applicant: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiao-Lin Ren, Jianzhong Teng