Patents Assigned to VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20160049152
    Abstract: A system and method for hybrid processing in a natural language voice services environment that includes a plurality of multi-modal devices may be provided. In particular, the hybrid processing may generally include the plurality of multi-modal devices cooperatively interpreting and processing one or more natural language utterances included in one or more multi-modal requests. For example, a virtual router may receive various messages that include encoded audio corresponding to a natural language utterance contained in a multi-modal interaction provided to one or more of the devices. The virtual router may then analyze the encoded audio to select a cleanest sample of the natural language utterance and communicate with one or more other devices in the environment to determine an intent of the multi-modal interaction. The virtual router may then coordinate resolving the multi-modal interaction based on the intent of the multi-modal interaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Applicant: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Robert A. KENNEWICK, Lynn Elise ARMSTRONG
  • Publication number: 20140156278
    Abstract: The system and method described herein may dynamically generate a recognition grammar associated with a conversational voice user interface in an integrated voice navigation services environment. In particular, in response to receiving a natural language utterance that relates to a navigation context at the voice user interface, a conversational language processor may generate a dynamic recognition grammar that organizes grammar information based on one or more topological domains. For example, the one or more topological domains may be determined based on a current location associated with a navigation device, whereby a speech recognition engine may use the grammar information organized in the dynamic recognition grammar according to the one or more topological domains to generate one or more interpretations associated with the natural language utterance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Kennewick, Catherine Cheung, Larry Baldwin, Ari Salomon, Michael Tjalve, Sheetal Guttigoli, Lynn Armstrong, Philippe Di Christo, Bernie Zimmerman, Sam Menaker
  • Patent number: 8620659
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for receiving speech and/or non-speech communications of natural language questions and/or commands and executing the questions and/or commands. The invention provides a conversational human-machine interface that includes a conversational speech analyzer, a general cognitive model, an environmental model, and a personalized cognitive model to determine context, domain knowledge, and invoke prior information to interpret a spoken utterance or a received non-spoken message. The system and method creates, stores, and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context of the speech or non-speech communication and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Di Cristo, Chris Weider, Robert A. Kennewick
  • Patent number: 8589161
    Abstract: A system and method for an integrated, multi-modal, multi-device natural language voice services environment may be provided. In particular, the environment may include a plurality of voice-enabled devices each having intent determination capabilities for processing multi-modal natural language inputs in addition to knowledge of the intent determination capabilities of other devices in the environment. Further, the environment may be arranged in a centralized manner, a distributed peer-to-peer manner, or various combinations thereof. As such, the various devices may cooperate to determine intent of multi-modal natural language inputs, and commands, queries, or other requests may be routed to one or more of the devices best suited to take action in response thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, Chris Weider
  • Publication number: 20130304473
    Abstract: A system and method for processing multi-modal device interactions in a natural language voice services environment may be provided. In particular, one or more multi-modal device interactions may be received in a natural language voice services environment that includes one or more electronic devices. The multi-modal device interactions may include a non-voice interaction with at least one of the electronic devices or an application associated therewith, and may further include a natural language utterance relating to the non-voice interaction. Context relating to the non-voice interaction and the natural language utterance may be extracted and combined to determine an intent of the multi-modal device interaction, and a request may then be routed to one or more of the electronic devices based on the determined intent of the multi-modal device interaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry Baldwin, Chris Weider
  • Publication number: 20130297293
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for receiving speech and non-speech communications of natural language questions and/or commands, transcribing the speech and non-speech communications to textual messages, and executing the questions and/or commands. The invention applies context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users presenting questions or commands across multiple domains. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context of the speech and non-speech communications and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Di Cristo, Min Ke, Robert A. Kennewick, Lynn Elise Armstrong
  • Publication number: 20130253929
    Abstract: A mobile system is provided that includes speech-based and non-speech-based interfaces for telematics applications. The mobile system identifies and uses context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for users that submit requests and/or commands in multiple domains. The invention creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command. The invention may organize domain specific behavior and information into agents, that are distributable or updateable over a wide area network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris Weider, Richard Kennewick, Mike Kennewick, Robert A. Kennewick, Philippe Di Cristo, Samuel Menaker, Lynn Elise Armstrong
  • Patent number: 8527274
    Abstract: The system and method described herein may use various natural language models to deliver targeted advertisements and track advertisement interactions in voice recognition contexts. In particular, in response to an input device receiving an utterance, a conversational language processor may select and deliver one or more advertisements targeted to a user that spoke the utterance based on cognitive models associated with the user, various users having similar characteristics to the user, an environment in which the user spoke the utterance, or other criteria. Further, subsequent interaction with the targeted advertisements may be tracked to build and refine the cognitive models and thereby enhance the information used to deliver targeted advertisements in response to subsequent utterances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tom Freeman, Mike Kennewick
  • Patent number: 8515765
    Abstract: A cooperative conversational voice user interface is provided. The cooperative conversational voice user interface may build upon short-term and long-term shared knowledge to generate one or more explicit and/or implicit hypotheses about an intent of a user utterance. The hypotheses may be ranked based on varying degrees of certainty, and an adaptive response may be generated for the user. Responses may be worded based on the degrees of certainty and to frame an appropriate domain for a subsequent utterance. In one implementation, misrecognitions may be tolerated, and conversational course may be corrected based on subsequent utterances and/or responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry Baldwin, Tom Freeman, Michael Tjalve, Blane Ebersold, Chris Weider
  • Publication number: 20130211710
    Abstract: A conversational, natural language voice user interface may provide an integrated voice navigation services environment. The voice user interface may enable a user to make natural language requests relating to various navigation services, and further, may interact with the user in a cooperative, conversational dialogue to resolve the requests. Through dynamic awareness of context, available sources of information, domain knowledge, user behavior and preferences, and external systems and devices, among other things, the voice user interface may provide an integrated environment in which the user can speak conversationally, using natural language, to issue queries, commands, or other requests relating to the navigation services provided in the environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2013
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
  • Patent number: 8452598
    Abstract: The system and method described herein may provide advertisements in an integrated voice navigation services environment. In particular, one or more advertisements may be identified based on affinities among a current location associated with a navigation device and shared knowledge and information used to interpret natural language utterances that relate to a navigation context, wherein the one or more advertisements may then be presented via a multi-modal output. As such, the shared knowledge and the information relating to the navigation context may provide the system and method with dynamic awareness relating to context, available information sources, domain knowledge, and user behavior and preferences, among other things, which may be used to deliver targeted and contextually relevant advertisements in the integrated navigation services environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Kennewick, Catherine Cheung, Larry Baldwin, Ari Salomon, Michael Tjalve, Sheetal Guttigoli, Lynn Armstrong, Philippe DiChristo, Bernie Zimmerman, Sam Menaker
  • Patent number: 8447607
    Abstract: A mobile system is provided that includes speech-based and non-speech-based interfaces for telematics applications. The mobile system identifies and uses context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for users that submit requests and/or commands in multiple domains. The invention creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command. The invention may organize domain specific behavior and information into agents, that are distributable or updateable over a wide area network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris Weider, Richard Kennewick, Mike Kennewick, Philippe Di Cristo, Robert A. Kennewick, Samuel Menaker, Lynn Elise Armstrong
  • Publication number: 20130054228
    Abstract: A system and method for processing multi-modal device interactions in a natural language voice services environment may be provided. In particular, one or more multi-modal device interactions may be received in a natural language voice services environment that includes one or more electronic devices. The multi-modal device interactions may include a non-voice interaction with at least one of the electronic devices or an application associated therewith, and may further include a natural language utterance relating to the non-voice interaction. Context relating to the non-voice interaction and the natural language utterance may be extracted and combined to determine an intent of the multi-modal device interaction, and a request may then be routed to one or more of the electronic devices based on the determined intent of the multi-modal device interaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: LARRY BALDWIN, Chris Weider
  • Patent number: 8370147
    Abstract: A conversational, natural language voice user interface may provide an integrated voice navigation services environment. The voice user interface may enable a user to make natural language requests relating to various navigation services, and further, may interact with the user in a cooperative, conversational dialogue to resolve the requests. Through dynamic awareness of context, available sources of information, domain knowledge, user behavior and preferences, and external systems and devices, among other things, the voice user interface may provide an integrated environment in which the user can speak conversationally, using natural language, to issue queries, commands, or other requests relating to the navigation services provided in the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Kennewick, Catherine Cheung, Larry Baldwin, Ari Salomon, Michael Tjalve, Sheetal Guttigoli, Lynn Armstrong, Philippe DiChristo, Bernie Zimmerman, Sam Menaker
  • Patent number: 8332224
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for receiving speech and/or non-speech communications of natural language questions and/or commands and executing the questions and/or commands. The invention provides a conversational human-machine interface that includes a conversational speech analyzer, a general cognitive model, an environmental model, and a personalized cognitive model to determine context, domain knowledge, and invoke prior information to interpret a spoken utterance or a received non-spoken message. The system and method creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context of the speech or non-speech communication and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Di Cristo, Chris Weider, Robert A. Kennewick
  • Patent number: 8326637
    Abstract: A system and method for processing multi-modal device interactions in a natural language voice services environment may be provided. In particular, one or more multi-modal device interactions may be received in a natural language voice services environment that includes one or more electronic devices. The multi-modal device interactions may include a non-voice interaction with at least one of the electronic devices or an application associated therewith, and may further include a natural language utterance relating to the non-voice interaction. Context relating to the non-voice interaction and the natural language utterance may be extracted and combined to determine an intent of the multi-modal device interaction, and a request may then be routed to one or more of the electronic devices based on the determined intent of the multi-modal device interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry Baldwin, Chris Weider
  • Patent number: 8326634
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for receiving speech and non-speech communications of natural language questions and/or commands, transcribing the speech and non-speech communications to textual messages, and executing the questions and/or commands. The invention applies context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users presenting questions or commands across multiple domains. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context of the speech and non-speech communications and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Di Cristo, Min Ke, Robert A. Kennewick, Lynn Elise Armstrong
  • Patent number: 8326627
    Abstract: The system and method described herein may dynamically generate a recognition grammar associated with a conversational voice user interface in an integrated voice navigation services environment. In particular, in response to receiving a natural language utterance that relates to a navigation context at the voice user interface, a conversational language processor may generate a dynamic recognition grammar that organizes grammar information based on one or more topological domains. For example, the one or more topological domains may be determined based on a current location associated with a navigation device, whereby a speech recognition engine may use the grammar information organized in the dynamic recognition grammar according to the one or more topological domains to generate one or more interpretations associated with the natural language utterance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Kennewick, Catherine Cheung, Larry Baldwin, Ari Salomon, Michael Tjalve, Sheetal Guttigoli, Lynn Armstrong, Philippe DiChristo, Bernie Zimmerman, Sam Menaker
  • Publication number: 20120278073
    Abstract: A mobile system is provided that includes speech-based and non-speech-based interfaces for telematics applications. The mobile system identifies and uses context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for users that submit requests and/or commands in multiple domains. The invention creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command. The invention may organize domain specific behavior and information into agents, that are distributable or updateable over a wide area network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: CHRIS WEIDER, Richard Kennewick, Mike Kennewick, Philippe Di Cristo, Robert A. Kennewick, Samuel Menaker, Lynn Elise Armstrong
  • Publication number: 20120150636
    Abstract: The system and method described herein may use various natural language models to deliver targeted advertisements and track advertisement interactions in voice recognition contexts. In particular, in response to an input device receiving an utterance, a conversational language processor may select and deliver one or more advertisements targeted to a user that spoke the utterance based on cognitive models associated with the user, various users having similar characteristics to the user, an environment in which the user spoke the utterance, or other criteria. Further, subsequent interaction with the targeted advertisements may be tracked to build and refine the cognitive models and thereby enhance the information used to deliver targeted advertisements in response to subsequent utterances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tom FREEMAN, Mike KENNEWICK