Abstract: Systems, computer-implemented methods, and tangible computer-readable media are presented to provide dynamic speech processing services during variable network connectivity. The method includes monitoring, via a processor, a level of network connectivity between a device and a network server. When the level of network connectivity between the device and the network server is below a threshold, the method includes performing speech processing using a speech processor of the device. When the level of network connectivity between the device and the network server is at or above the threshold, the method includes performing speech processing using a speech processor at the network server.

Abstract: Techniques for documenting a clinical procedure involve transcribing audio data comprising audio of one or more clinical personnel speaking while performing the clinical procedure. Examples of applicable clinical procedures include sterile procedures such as surgical procedures, as well as non-sterile procedures such as those conventionally involving a core code reporter. The transcribed audio data may be analyzed to identify relevant information for documenting the clinical procedure, and a text report including the relevant information documenting the clinical procedure may be automatically generated.

Abstract: A machine-readable medium may include a group of reusable components for building a spoken dialog system. The reusable components may include a group of previously collected audible utterances. A machine-implemented method to build a library of reusable components for use in building a natural language spoken dialog system may include storing a dataset in a database. The dataset may include a group of reusable components for building a spoken dialog system. The reusable components may further include a group of previously collected audible utterances. A second method may include storing at least one set of data. Each one of the at least one set of data may include ones of the reusable components associated with audible data collected during a different collection phase.

Abstract: A method (300) and system (100) is provided to add the creation of examples at a developer level in the generation of Natural Language Understanding (NLU) models, tying the examples into a NLU sentence database (130), automatically validating (310) a correct outcome of using the examples, and automatically resolving (316) problems the user has using the examples. The method (300) can convey examples of what a caller can say to a Natural Language Understanding (NLU) application. The method includes entering at least one example associated with an existing routing destination, and ensuring an NLU model correctly interprets the example unambiguously for correctly routing a call to the routing destination. The method can include presenting the example sentence in a help message (126) within an NLU dialogue as an example of what a caller can say for connecting the caller to a desired routing destination.

Abstract: A text-to-speech (TTS) system includes components capable of supporting the generation of speech output in any of multiple styles, and may switch seamlessly from producing speech output in one style to producing speech output in another style. For example, a concatenative TTS system may include a speech base storing speech units associated with multiple speech styles, and a linguistic analysis component to generate a phonetic transcription specifying speech output in any of multiple styles. Text input may include a style indication associated with a particular segment of the input text. The linguistic analysis component may invoke encoded rules and/or components based upon the style indication, and generate a phonetic transcription specifying a speech style, which may be processed to generate output speech.

Abstract: Described herein are embodiments of a system configured to receive text input (e.g., in the form of speech input) that includes provisional text and interpret the provisional text to produce substitute text with which the provisional text is replaced. A user dictating speech input may dictate the provisional text along with other content of the speech, and the speech input including the provisional text may be converted to text in a speech recognition process performed by an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system. The text corresponding to the speech input may be reviewed to determine whether any character strings included in the text match a character pattern defined for provisional text. If so, the character string is interpreted to determine a data field indicated by the provisional text, and substitute text including a value for the data field is determined. The provisional text may then be replaced with the substitute text.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and computer-readable media for enhancing speech recognition accuracy. The method includes dividing a system dialog turn into segments based on timing of probable user responses, generating a weighted grammar for each segment, exclusively activating the weighted grammar generated for a current segment of the dialog turn during the current segment of the dialog turn, and recognizing user speech received during the current segment using the activated weighted grammar generated for the current segment. The method can further include assigning probability to the weighted grammar based on historical user responses and activating each weighted grammar is based on the assigned probability. Weighted grammars can be generated based on a user profile. A weighted grammar can be generated for two or more segments.

Abstract: Typical speech recognition systems usually use speaker-specific speech data to apply speaker adaptation to models and parameters associated with the speech recognition system. Given that speaker-specific speech data may not be available to the speech recognition system, information indicative of language skills is employed in adapting configurations of a speech recognition system. According to at least one example embodiment, a method and corresponding apparatus, for speech recognition comprise maintaining information indicative of language skills of users of the speech recognition system. A configuration of the speech recognition system for a user is determined based at least in part on corresponding information indicative of language skills of the user. Upon receiving speech data from the user, the configuration of the speech recognition system determined is employed in performing speech recognition.

Abstract: Aspects described herein are directed towards methods, computing devices, systems, and computer-readable media that apply scattering operations to extracted visual features of audiovisual input to generate predictions regarding the speech status of a subject. Visual scattering coefficients generated according to one or more aspects described herein may be used as input to a neural network operative to generate the predictions regarding the speech status of the subject. Predictions generated based on the visual features may be combined with predictions based on audio input associated with the visual features. In some embodiments, the extracted visual features may be combined with the audio input to generate a combined feature vector for use in generating predictions.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and tangible computer-readable media for placing an order for a user. The method includes receiving a search from a user, identifying a product category based on the search, presenting to the user a general ordering screen based on the identified product category, selecting and activating a speech recognition grammar tuned for the identified product category, recognizing a first received user utterance with the activated tuned grammar to identify a vendor who offers items in the identified product category, recognizing a second received user utterance with the activated tuned grammar to identify a specific item from the identified vendor, and placing an order for the specific item with the identified vendor for the user. In one aspect, the method further offers to sell the user additional items ancillary to the specific item.

Abstract: Technology for improving the predictive accuracy of input word recognition on a device by dynamically updating the lexicon of recognized words based on the word choices made by similar users. The technology collects users' vocabulary choices (e.g., words that each user uses, or adds to or removes from a word recognition dictionary), associates users who make similar choices, aggregates related vocabulary choices, filters the words, and sends words identified as likely choices for that user to the user's device. Clusters may include, for example, users in a particular location (e.g., sets of people who use words such as “Puyallup,” “Gloucester,” or “Waiheke”), users with a particular professional or hobby vocabulary, or application-specific vocabulary (e.g., word choices in map searches or email messages).

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.

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. The second source may be excluded from participating in the dialog phase.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for voice-enabling a web application, wherein the web application includes one or more web pages rendered by a web browser on a computer. At least one information source external to the web application is queried to determine whether information describing a set of one or more supported voice interactions for the web application is available, and in response to determining that the information is available, the information is retrieved from the at least one information source. Voice input for the web application is then enabled based on the retrieved information.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for advanced turn-taking in an interactive spoken dialog system. A system configured according to this disclosure can incrementally process speech prior to completion of the speech utterance, and can communicate partial speech recognition results upon finding particular conditions. A first condition which, if found, allows the system to communicate partial speech recognition results, is that the most recent word found in the partial results is statistically likely to be the termination of the utterance, also known as a terminal node. A second condition is the determination that all search paths within a speech lattice converge to a common node, also known as a pinch node, before branching out again. Upon finding either condition, the system can communicate the partial speech recognition results. Stability and correctness probabilities can also determine which partial results are communicated.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for communicating between virtual agents associated with users of electronic devices connected via at least one network. A first user may instruct an associated first virtual agent to invoke a communication session with a second virtual agent associated with a second user. To invoke the communication session, the first virtual agent may send an outgoing communication to the second virtual agent and the outgoing communication may instruct the second virtual agent to perform at least one action on behalf of the first user. Virtual agents associated with different users may alternatively communicate with each other in the absence of user interaction to perform a collaborative action.

Abstract: A system is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one computer-readable storage medium. The at least one computer-readable storage medium may store a plurality of point-of-interest segment indices. The at least one computer-readable storage medium may further store instructions which program the at least one processor to: match a first text segment to a first point-of-interest segment index stored in the at least one computer-readable storage medium; match a second text segment to a second point-of-interest segment index stored in the at least one computer-readable storage medium; and use the first and second point-of-interest segment indices to identify one or more candidate point-of-interest entries matching both the first and second text segments.

Abstract: An automotive text display arrangement is described which includes a driver text display positioned directly in front of an automobile driver and displaying a limited amount of text to the driver without impairing forward visual attention of the driver. The arrangement may include a boundary insertion mode wherein when the active text position is an active text boundary, new text is inserted between the text items separated by the active text boundary, and when the active text position is an active text item, new text replaces the active text item. In addition or alternatively, there may be a multifunctional text control knob offering multiple different user movements, each performing an associated text processing function.

Abstract: Systems, computer-implemented methods, and tangible computer-readable media are provided for voice authentication. The method includes receiving, on a mobile device, a speech sample from a user as part of a request for a restricted-access resource separate from the mobile device. When the user has previously established an identity with the mobile device, the method includes transmitting the speech sample along with the request to an authentication server which compares the speech sample to a previously established speech profile associated with the user and providing access to the restricted-access resource based on a response to the request from the authentication server if the speech sample from the user matches the speech profile on the authentication server with a minimum certainty threshold.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for preserving privacy in natural language databases are provided. Natural language input may be received. At least one of sanitizing or anonymizing the natural language input may be performed to form a clean output. The clean output may be stored.