Patents Examined by Fariba Sirjani
  • Patent number: 11756574
    Abstract: Systems and processes for operating an intelligent automated assistant are provided. For example, a first speech input is received from a user. In response to receiving the first speech input, a response is provided. A first output is provided corresponding to a digital assistant in a first state, and a second speech input is received from the user. A first plurality of values is obtained. Based on the first plurality of values, a first confidence level corresponding to the second speech input is obtained. In accordance with a determination that the first confidence level exceeds a first threshold confidence level, a second output is provided corresponding to the digital assistant in a second state. The second speech input continues to be received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sreeneel Maddika, Ahmed Serag El Din Hussen Abdelaziz, Chaitanya Mannemala, Srikanth Vishnubhotla, Garrett L. Weinberg
  • Patent number: 11749263
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method of training a MT network to detect a wake expression that directs a digital assistant to perform an operation based on a request that follows the expression. The MT network includes processing nodes with configurable parameters. The method iteratively selects different sets of input values with known sets of output values. Each of a first group of input value sets includes a vocative use of the expression. Each of a second group of input value sets includes a non-vocative use of the expression. For each set of input values, the method uses the MT network to process the input set to produce an output value set and computes an error value that expresses an error between the produced output value set and the known output value set. Based on the error values, the method adjusts configurable parameters of the processing nodes of the MT network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: PERCEIVE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Steven L. Teig
  • Patent number: 11749284
    Abstract: Implementations are directed to dynamically adapting which assistant on-device model(s) are locally stored at assistant devices of an assistant device group and/or dynamically adapting the assistant processing role(s) of the assistant device(s) of the assistant device group. In some of those implementations, the corresponding on-device model(s) and/or corresponding processing role(s), for each of the assistant devices of the group, is determined based on collectively considering individual processing capabilities of the assistant devices of the group. Implementations are additionally or alternatively directed to cooperatively utilizing assistant devices of a group, and their associated post-adaptation on-device model(s) and/or post-adaptation processing role(s), in cooperatively processing assistant requests that are directed to any one of the assistant devices of the group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Sharifi, Victor Carbune
  • Patent number: 11748576
    Abstract: Techniques facilitating interpretation of deep neural model based dialogue agents are provided. In one example, a computer-implemented method comprises extracting, by a device operatively coupled to a processor, features from a dialogue model independently from the dialogue model, the features comprising input features provided to the dialogue model and output features produced via the dialogue model in response to the input features, resulting in extracted features; and analyzing, by the device, a dialogue context associated with the extracted features by identifying pairwise interactions between respective ones of the extracted features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Song Feng, Hui Wan, Chulaka Gunasekara, Jatin Ganhotra, Sachindra Joshi, Luis A. Lastras-Montano
  • Patent number: 11741980
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for detecting correctness of a pitch period, where the method for detecting correctness of a pitch period includes determining, according to an initial pitch period of an input signal in a time domain, a pitch frequency bin of the input signal, where the initial pitch period is obtained by performing open-loop detection on the input signal, determining, based on an amplitude spectrum of the input signal in a frequency domain, a pitch period correctness decision parameter, associated with the pitch frequency bin, of the input signal, and determining correctness of the initial pitch period according to the pitch period correctness decision parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fengyan Qi, Lei Miao
  • Patent number: 11741989
    Abstract: Detection precision of a non-verbal sound is improved. An acoustic model storage unit 10A stores an acoustic model that is configured by a deep neural network with a bottleneck structure, and estimates a phoneme state from a sound feature value. A non-verbal sound model storage unit 10B stores a non-verbal sound model that estimates a posterior probability of a non-verbal sound likeliness from the sound feature value and a bottleneck feature value. A sound feature value extraction unit 11 extracts a sound feature value from an input sound signal. A bottleneck feature value estimation unit 12 inputs the sound feature value to the acoustic model and obtains an output of a bottleneck layer of the acoustic model as a bottleneck feature value. A non-verbal sound detection unit 13 inputs the sound feature value and the bottleneck feature value to the non-verbal sound model and obtains the posterior probability of the non-verbal sound likeliness output by the non-verbal sound model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Nakamura, Takaaki Fukutomi, Kiyoaki Matsui
  • Patent number: 11741988
    Abstract: A first electronic device includes an interface; microphone circuitry; memory circuitry; and processor circuitry. The first electronic device is configured to discover, via the interface, a first wireless network. The first electronic device is configured to receive, via the interface, from a second electronic device discovering the first wireless network, a voice biometric indicative of a second user. The first electronic device is configured to activate the microphone circuitry to detect an input audio signal. The first electronic device is configured to determine whether the detected input audio signal satisfies one or more criteria. The first electronic device is configured to, when the detected input audio signal satisfies the one or more criteria, determine a parameter indicative of a level of risk of exposure; and generate, based on the parameter, contact data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peter Exner, Hannes Bergkvist
  • Patent number: 11735206
    Abstract: A virtual private assistant (VPA) is configured to analyze various types of input that indicate one or more behaviors associated with a user and to determine the emotional state of the user based on the input. The VPA also determines one or more operations to perform on behalf of the user based on the input and the determined emotional state. The VPA then executes the one or more operations and synthesizes an output based on the emotional state of the user and the one or more operations. The synthesized output includes one or more semantic components and one or more emotional components derived from the emotional state of the user. The VPA observes the behavior of the user in response to the synthesized output and then implements various modifications, based on the observed behavior, to improve the effectiveness of future interactions with the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Verbeke, Sven Kratz, Stefan Marti
  • Patent number: 11714960
    Abstract: A syntactic analysis apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include an input device receiving a phrase uttered from a user, and a learning device performing at least one or more of extension of an intent output layer for classifying an utterance intent of the user from the uttered phrase and extension of a slot output layer for classifying a slot including information of the phrase and extending a pre-generated utterance syntactic analysis model, such that the uttered phrase is classified into the extended intent output layer and the extended slot output layer, thereby broadly classifying an intent and a slot for the phrase uttered from a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION, HYUNDAI AUTOEVER CORP., SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY R&DB FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Sung Soo Park, Chang Woo Chun, Chan Ill Park, Su Hyun Park, Jung Kuk Lee, Hyun Tae Kim, Sang goo Lee, Kang Min Yoo, You Hyun Shin, Ji Hun Choi, Sang Hwan Bae
  • Patent number: 11711662
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for a privacy blocking device configured to prevent receipt, by a listening device, of video and/or audio data until a trigger occurs. A blocker may be configured to prevent receipt of video and/or audio data by one or more microphones and/or one or more cameras of a listening device. The blocker may use the one or more microphones, the one or more cameras, and/or one or more second microphones and/or one or more second cameras to monitor for a trigger. The blocker may process the data. Upon detecting the trigger, the blocker may transmit data to the listening device. For example, the blocker may transmit all or a part of a spoken phrase to the listening device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Inventor: Thomas Stachura
  • Patent number: 11687319
    Abstract: A speech recognition method and apparatus for performing speech recognition in response to an activation word determined based on a situation are provided. The speech recognition method and apparatus include an artificial intelligence (AI) system and its application, which simulates functions such as recognition and judgment of a human brain using a machine learning algorithm such as deep learning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-ja Choi, Eun-kyoung Kim, Ji-sang Yu, Ji-yeon Hong, Jong-youb Ryu, Jae-won Lee
  • Patent number: 11687526
    Abstract: This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for identifying user-specific content items and/or time-based content items, as well as techniques for providing the content items to the user. For instance, a remote system may receive first audio data from an electronic device, where the first audio data represents a request to identify content related to a topic. The remote system can then store the topic in a database and use the topic to identify the content. Later, the remote system can then receive second audio data from the electronic device, where the second audio data represents a request for the content. The remote system can then send third audio data to the electronic device that represents at least a portion of the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jose Alejandro Dario Santos, Corinne Russell, Nicholas Martin Peters, Jr., Catherine Michelle Loo
  • Patent number: 11682398
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes: a communication device configured to receive a signal from each of a plurality of acceleration sensors attached to a face of a user; a memory configured to store a classification learning model that classifies words based on a plurality of sensor output values; and a processor configured to determine a word corresponding to a mouth shape of the user by input a value of the received signal to the classification learning model, when the signal is received from each of the plurality of acceleration sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY COOPERATION FOUNDATION HANYANG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Chang-Hwan Im, Jinuk Kwon, Younsoo Chae
  • Patent number: 11675982
    Abstract: A natural language processing system includes logic circuitry that receives, from a first user channel, a user query including natural language (NL) input in a colloquial format from an end user, selects a first NLP application from a plurality of NLP applications, transforms, using the first NLP application, the NL input into a plurality of language tokens, extracts a command trigger from the language tokens, determines that the command trigger is linked to a command executable by a first wagering game channel, transmits a command query incorporating the command to the first wagering game channel, receives a command reply including wagering game data associated with the command from the first wagering game channel, generates, using the first NLP application, an NL response that includes the wagering game data and is structured in a colloquial format, and transmits the NL response to the end user via the first user channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: LNW Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Muthukumaran Palanichamy, Mahesh Sundaramurthy
  • Patent number: 11676603
    Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods for indicating whether a conversation regarding a subject satisfies a boundary condition associated with the subject. In various implementations, a device includes a display, a processor and a non-transitory memory. In some implementations, the method includes detecting a conversation in which a person is conveying information regarding a subject. In some implementations, the method includes determining whether the information satisfies a boundary condition associated with the subject. In some implementations, the boundary condition is defined by a set of one or more content items related to the subject. In some implementations, the method includes displaying an indicator that indicates whether or not the information being conveyed by the person satisfies the boundary condition associated with the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: ACTO Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Kumar Karthik Erramilli, Parth Khanna, Kapil Kalra
  • Patent number: 11651764
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for synthesizing speech audio includes obtaining a grammatical profile defining an input text of actual words as a function of at least syllable-occurrence rates and syllable-count-per-word rates; generating a dictionary of pseudo-words having the syllable-count-per-word rates, each pseudo-word consisting of one syllable or concatenated syllables selected from the input text, wherein substantially all of the pseudo-words are not actual words; constructing an output text product having the grammatical profile, the output text product comprising at least one sentence consisting of one or more pseudo-words selected from the dictionary; and synthesizing speech audio using the output text product. Related systems and computer-readable media are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Tobrox Computing Limited
    Inventors: Mark Wayne Yamashita, Ryan John Keller, David William Nichols, Geoffrey Gordon Raffan
  • Patent number: 11636865
    Abstract: Background noise estimators and methods are disclosed for estimating background noise in an audio signal. Some methods include obtaining at least one parameter associated with an audio signal segment, such as a frame or part of a frame, based on a first linear prediction gain, calculated as a quotient between a residual signal from a 0th-order linear prediction and a residual signal from a 2nd-order linear prediction for the audio signal segment. A second linear prediction gain is calculated as a quotient between a residual signal from a 2nd-order linear prediction and a residual signal from a 16th-order linear prediction for the audio signal segment. Whether the audio signal segment comprises a pause is determined based at least on the obtained at least one parameter; and a background noise estimate is updated based on the audio signal segment when the audio signal segment comprises a pause.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventor: Martin Sehlstedt
  • Patent number: 11636871
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method, an electronic apparatus for detecting tampering audio and a storage medium. The method includes: acquiring a signal to be detected, and performing a wavelet transform of a first preset order on the signal to be detected so as to obtain a first low-frequency coefficient and a first high-frequency coefficient corresponding to the signal to be detected, the number of which is equal to that of the first preset order; performing an inverse wavelet transform on the first high-frequency coefficient having an order greater than or equal to a second preset order so as to obtain a first high-frequency component signal corresponding to the signal to be detected; calculating a first Mel cepstrum feature of the first high-frequency component signal in units of frame, and concatenating the first Mel cepstrum features of a current frame signal and a preset number of frame signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: INSTITUTE OF AUTOMATION, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Jianhua Tao, Shan Liang, Shuai Nie, Jiangyan Yi
  • Patent number: 11631421
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described to increase a signal-to-noise ratio difference between a main channel and reference channel. The increased signal-to-noise ratio difference is accomplished with an adaptive threshold for a desired voice activity detector (DVAD) and shaping filters. The DVAD includes averaging an output signal of a reference microphone channel to provide an estimated average background noise level. A threshold value is selected from a plurality of threshold values based on the estimated average background noise level. The threshold value is used to detect desired voice activity on a main microphone channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: SOLOS TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Dashen Fan, Xi Chen, Hua Bao
  • Patent number: 11620980
    Abstract: A text-based speech synthesis method, a computer device, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are provided. The text-based speech synthesis method includes: a target text to be recognized is obtained; each character in the target text is discretely characterized to generate a feature vector corresponding to each character; the feature vector is input into a pre-trained spectrum conversion model, to obtain a Mel-spectrum corresponding to each character in the target text output by the spectrum conversion model; and the Mel-spectrum is converted to speech to obtain speech corresponding to the target text.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Ping An Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minchuan Chen, Jun Ma, Shaojun Wang