Patents Examined by David R. Hudspeth
  • Patent number: 7711358
    Abstract: A method for managing user nametags for a vehicle communications system includes receiving a nametag transfer request at a call center from a source, determining a target vehicle based on the request, generating a nametag data file including a text data file, a phoneme set, and an audio data file for each nametag, and transmitting the nametag data file to the target vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Steven J. Ross, Rathinavelu Chengalvarayan, Christopher L. Oesterling
  • Patent number: 7711555
    Abstract: Digital audio data are divided into a plurality of frames, each of which includes a desired number of sub-band samples, which are gradually increased in a range between “16” and “1024”, and are then compressed by way of psychoacoustics analysis and quantization, whereby compressed data are realized with a high compression ratio and small tone-generation latency. The compressed data are decoded by way of inverse quantization and sub-band synthesis, so that decoded data are sequentially written into a memory (e.g., a FIFO memory). Decoding is appropriately turned on or off in response to a presently vacant capacity of the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Toshihiko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7711554
    Abstract: Input speech is coded in an encoder (11), the coded speech is decoded in a decoder (12), compensatory speech which compensates the speech of the current frame is generated in a compensatory speech generating part (20) by using past decoded speech, the quality of the compensatory speech is evaluated by using the input speech and the compensatory speech and a duplication level is generated the value of which increases incrementally with decreasing speech quality evaluation value in a speech quality evaluating part (40), and as many identical packets as the number specified by the duplication level is generated for the coded speech in a packet generating part (15), and the packets are transmitted, thereby reducing the possibility that packet loss will occur at the receiving end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Mori, Hitoshi Ohmuro, Yusuke Hiwasaki, Akitoshi Kataoka
  • Patent number: 7707026
    Abstract: A translation memory adapted to sentence-based translation includes a first retrieval dictionary of a first language having a first dictionary TRIE structure and a first index TRIE structure, and a second retrieval dictionary of a second language having a second dictionary TRIE structure and a second index TRIE structure. The first and second dictionary TRIE structures respectively store sub character strings on respective paths from roots to multiple nodes thereof. The first and second index TRIE structure respectively store index information to specify the sub character strings stored in the first and second dictionary TRIE structures. The index information stored in the first retrieval dictionary includes identification information that identifies the index information to specify the sub character strings in the second retrieval dictionary that are translations of those in the first retrieval dictionary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shaoming Liu
  • Patent number: 7707028
    Abstract: A clustering system that clusters a language model group includes a union language model preparation unit that prepares a union language model for each language model so as to include a union of vocabularies in the language model group as entries, and a clustering unit that performs clustering with respect to the union language model group so as to classify the union language model group into a plurality of clusters. When the union language model preparation unit prepares a union language model for a certain language model, the union language model preparation unit records, regarding vocabularies included in the certain language model as a basis, occurrence frequencies of the corresponding entries in the certain language model, and records, regarding vocabularies not included in the certain language model, data showing that an occurrence frequency is 0. Thereby, a clustering system capable of clustering language models that includes voice uttered by or text written by a plurality of speakers can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Hideki Kojima
  • Patent number: 7707032
    Abstract: A method and system used to determine the similarity between an input speech data and a sample speech data is provided. First, the input speech data is segmented into a plurality of input speech frames and the sample speech data is segmented into a plurality of sample speech frames. Then, the input speech frames and the sample speech frames are used to build a matching matrix, wherein the matching matrix comprises the distance values between each of the input speech frames and each of the sample speech frames. Next, the distance values are used to calculate a matching score. Finally, the similarity between the input speech data and the sample speech data is determined according to this matching score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: National Cheng Kung University
    Inventors: Jhing-Fa Wang, Po-Chuan Lin, Li-Chang Wen
  • Patent number: 7707036
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing aural review of a privacy policy are disclosed. Generally, a first version of a privacy policy is retrieved. A natural language version of the privacy policy is then retrieved based on at least one user preference and an audio representation of the natural language version of the privacy policy is played through an audio system of a device to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: SBC Technology Resources Inc
    Inventor: Lalitha Suryanaraya
  • Patent number: 7702500
    Abstract: A method for processing natural language includes receiving an information input string. Referent tridbits corresponding to stimuli in the information input string are generated. Assert tridbits defining relationships between the referent tridbits are generated. A language processing system including a rules database and a meaning engine. The rules database is operable to store a plurality of syntax rules. The meaning engine is operable to receiving an information input string, generate referent tridbits corresponding to stimuli in the information input string based on the syntax rules, and generate assert tridbits defining relationships between the referent tridbits based on the syntax rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Inventor: Karen R. Blaedow
  • Patent number: 7702513
    Abstract: Disclosed are an image processing apparatus and an image processing method capable of changing a quality of audio data according to a degree of significance of an image. The image processing apparatus includes an image encoding unit for encoding image data inputted, an audio data encoding unit for encoding audio data inputted together with the image data, a significant scene setting unit for setting to encode a part of region of the image with a high image quality, and an audio data encoding setting unit for setting to process the audio data with a high quality in accordance with the setting by the significant scene setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroki Kishi
  • Patent number: 7702505
    Abstract: A channel normalization apparatus includes: a characteristic extraction unit extracting MFCC characteristics and outputting rows of frames according to time; a characteristic parameter average calculation unit calculating an average value of the rows of the outputted MFCC characteristics; a channel variation estimation unit configuring a codebook based on a database of speech signals with attenuated channel variations and estimating a channel variation for each frame by calculating a distance between a MFCC parameter for each frame and an individual median value of the codebook when a MFCC of a channel distorted speech signal is inputted; and a smoothing operation based channel normalization unit smoothing another average value of the channel variation from the characteristic parameter average calculation unit and the channel variation from the channel variation estimation unit, subtracting the other average value from the MFCC of each frame and outputting rows of channel normalized MFCC characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventor: Ho-Young Jung
  • Patent number: 7698138
    Abstract: A broadcast receiving system includes a broadcast receiving part for receiving a broadcast in which additional information that corresponds to an object appearing in broadcast contents and that contains keyword information for specifying the object is broadcasted simultaneously with the broadcast contents; a recognition vocabulary generating section for generating a recognition vocabulary set in a manner corresponding to the additional information by using a synonym dictionary; a speech recognition section for performing the speech recognition of a voice uttered by a viewing person, and for thereby specifying keyword information corresponding to a recognition vocabulary set when a word recognized as the speech recognition result is contained in the recognition vocabulary set; and a displaying section for displaying additional information corresponding to the specified keyword information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yumiko Kato, Takahiro Kamai, Hideyuki Yoshida, Yoshifumi Hirose
  • Patent number: 7698126
    Abstract: Embodiments of a localization system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a plurality of localization components provide localized data that is localized to one or more distinct markets. A translation matching component receives a localization request corresponding to input data to be localized. The translation matching component accesses the plurality of localization components based on the localization request. The translation matching component selects and outputs localized data from one or more of the plurality of localization components based on pre-determined criteria. In one embodiment, the translation matching component selects the localized data based on a time required to obtain the localized data. In another embodiment, the localization components provide confidence scores associated with the localized data, the translation matching component selecting the localized data based on the confidence scores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Bernhard Kohlmeier, Lori A. Brownell, Wei Wu, Shenghua (Ed) Ye, Jordi Mola Marti, Jan Anders Nelson, Mohammed El-Gammal, Julie D. Bennett
  • Patent number: 7698144
    Abstract: Automated testing of audio performance of applications across platforms is provided for via capture of audio data. The audio data can include, inter alia, output sounds from a sound card or pre-rendered buffer data. The audio data is processed to produce descriptive data including data describing the audio data at least a first resolution and a second resolution. This descriptive data is used to compare data samples and describe the degree of similarity of two or more data samples. This comparison enables a determination as to whether the audio performance is satisfactory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Gershon Parent, Karen Elaine Stevens, Shanon Isaac Drone
  • Patent number: 7698140
    Abstract: A message transmission system accepts a telephone call from a user who wishes to send an e-mail message, send an SMS message, perform an Internet query or retrieve his or her electronic mail. The voice call is transcribed and the message is sent, or the question in the voice call is transcribed and answered by an agent. Any number of agents connect to a central site over an Internet connection and transcribe messages or answer queries in an assembly line like fashion. In addition, a Web query delivery system accepts a query or statement from a user; the query is transcribed, classified, and then broadcast over any medium to any number of experts or web sites that desire to answer the particular type of query received. The entire query is delivered to an expert or web site who provides a full answer to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: FoneWeb, Inc.
    Inventors: Vinod K. Bhardwaj, Scott England, Dean Whitlock
  • Patent number: 7698129
    Abstract: The present invention enables analysis of customer needs with a high level of precision, not by indicating whether the customer opinions are positive or negative, but by quantitatively indicating their levels of importance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Adachi, Tsutomu Tsuyama, Ako Shose
  • Patent number: 7698141
    Abstract: One embodiment of the invention is a computer controlled method for use with a communication system. The method includes a step of receiving a plurality of communications, where each one of the plurality of communications is from one of a plurality of communication sources; includes a step of mixing (that is responsive to a plurality of floor controls) the plurality of communications for a plurality of outputs associated with plurality of communication sources; and includes a step of analyzing, for a plurality of users associated with the plurality of communication sources, one or more conversational characteristics of two or more of the plurality of users. The method also includes a step of automatically adjusting the plurality of floor controls responsive to the step of analyzing. Other embodiments include systems and devices that use the method as well as program products that cause a computer to execute the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Paul M. Aoki, Margaret H. Szymanski, James D. Thornton, Daniel H. Wilson, Allison G. Woodruff
  • Patent number: 7698128
    Abstract: A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software that is operable to disambiguate compound text input. The device is able to assemble language objects in the memory to generate compound language solutions. The device is able to analyze the combinations of language objects in light of N-gram data stored on the device to avoid proposing low-probability compound language solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Vadim Fux, Michael Elizarov
  • Patent number: 7698133
    Abstract: A noise reduction device is configured by use of: means for calculating a predetermined constant, and a predetermined reference signal R?(T) in the frequency domain, respectively by use of adaptive coefficients W?(m), and for thereby obtaining estimated values N? and Q?(T) respectively of stationary noise components, and non-stationary noise components corresponding to the reference signal, which are included in a predetermined observed signal X?(T) in the frequency domain; means and for applying a noise reduction process to the observed signal on the basis of each of the estimated values, and for updating each of the adaptive coefficients on the basis of a result of the process; and an adaptive learning means and for repeating the obtaining of the estimated values and the updating of the adaptive coefficients, and for thereby learning each of the adaptive coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 7698127
    Abstract: In a computer, a user interface allows users to input requests to various applications or software modules executing on the computer. During the input process, the invention presents to the user a grammar-based automatic completion of the user input so far, and/or a grammar-based suggestion list of one or more possible options for completing the user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Tandy Woodson Trower, II, Mark J. Weinberg
  • Patent number: 7693705
    Abstract: The present invention provides a new method for returning context specific questions during the process of authoring a document or report. The questions alert an author of possible omissions and vague or general statements. The method employs techniques in semantic analysis including corpus linguistics and sentential logic. The method takes as input sentences created by the document author, and looks up semantic propositions connected to these sentences, which are in the document's knowledge domain, and questions linked to these propositions or other related propositions. The questions are sorted based on priority determined by a knowledge engineer. Additional methods are used to suppress redundant or nonspecific questions to increase their usefulness to the document author. The resulting question list aids the author in creating a high quality document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Inventor: Patrick William Jamieson