Patents Examined by Martin Lerner
  • Patent number: 10748527
    Abstract: Efficient empirical determination, computation, and use of an acoustic confusability measure comprises: (1) an empirically derived acoustic confusability measure, comprising a means for determining the acoustic confusability between any two textual phrases in a given language, where the measure of acoustic confusability is empirically derived from examples of the application of a specific speech recognition technology, where the procedure does not require access to the internal computational models of the speech recognition technology, and does not depend upon any particular internal structure or modeling technique, and where the procedure is based upon iterative improvement from an initial estimate; (2) techniques for efficient computation of empirically derived acoustic confusability measure, comprising means for efficient application of an acoustic confusability score, allowing practical application to very large-scale problems; and (3) a method for using acoustic confusability measures to make principled
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Promptu Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Harry Printz, Naren Chittar
  • Patent number: 10741183
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for receiving, by a voice action system, data specifying trigger terms that trigger an application to perform a voice action and a context that specifies a status of the application when the voice action can be triggered. The voice action system receives data defining a discoverability example for the voice action that comprises one or more of the trigger terms that trigger the application to perform the voice action when a status of the application satisfies the specified context. The voice action system receives a request for discoverability examples for the application from a user device having the application installed, and provides the data defining the discoverability examples to the user device in response to the request. The user device is configured to provide a notification of the one or more of the trigger terms when a status of the application satisfies the specified context.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Bo Wang, Sunil Vemuri, Barnaby John James, Pravir Kumar Gupta, Nitin Mangesh Shetti
  • Patent number: 10740563
    Abstract: Techniques for improving machine learning and text classification are described. The described techniques include improved processes for collecting training data to train a machine classifier. Some data sets are very large but contain only a small number of positive or negative training examples. The described text classification system obtains training examples by intelligently identifying documents that are likely to present or identify positive or negative training examples. The text classification system employs these techniques to train a classifier to categorize patent claims according some legal rule, such as subject-matter eligibility requirements under patent law.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Inventor: Benedict R. Dugan
  • Patent number: 10713443
    Abstract: Systems and methods for enhancing the depth and richness of content in computer-generated patent applications by providing non-explicit support for individual claim features are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: receive a previously unseen claim feature, the previously unseen claim feature being absent from the previously received patent documents; provide one or more sentences of never-been-seen-before computer-generated text using the trained machine learning model and the previously unseen claim feature as input; and insert the one or more sentences of non-explicit support in a draft patent application proximal to explicit support for the previously unseen claim feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Specifio, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Knight, Ian C. Schick, Jay Priyadarshi
  • Patent number: 10706865
    Abstract: An apparatus for selecting one of a first encoding algorithm and a second encoding algorithm includes a filter configured to receive the audio signal, to reduce the amplitude of harmonics in the audio signal and to output a filtered version of the audio signal. First and second estimators are provided for estimating first and second quality measures in the form of SNRs of segmented SNRs associated with the first and second encoding algorithms without actually encoding and decoding the portion of the audio signal using the first and second encoding algorithms. A controller is provided for selecting the first encoding algorithm or the second encoding algorithm based on a comparison between the first quality measure and the second quality measure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Emmanuel Ravelli, Markus Multrus, Stefan Doehla, Bernhard Grill, Manuel Jander
  • Patent number: 10706859
    Abstract: Transportation of audio data is provided between a first network element and a second network element. The first network element divides multichannel audio data by channel into a plurality of individual channels. The first network element packages each of the plurality of individual channels together with a corresponding sampling set of audio data into a single packet. The first network element transmits to the second network element each packet that includes a channel having an active sampling set of audio data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ashley I. Butterworth, Matthew X. Mora
  • Patent number: 10706873
    Abstract: Disclosed are machine learning-based technologies that analyze an audio input and provide speaker state predictions in response to the audio input. The speaker state predictions can be selected and customized for each of a variety of different applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Andreas Tsiartas, Elizabeth Shriberg, Cory Albright, Michael W. Frandsen
  • Patent number: 10692509
    Abstract: A signal encoding method and device are disclosed. The method includes, when an encoding manner of a previous frame of a currently-input frame is a continuous encoding manner, predicting a comfort noise that is generated by a decoder according to the currently-input frame when the currently-input frame is encoded into an SID frame, determining an actual silence signal, determining a deviation degree between the comfort noise and the actual silence signal, determining an encoding manner of the currently-input frame according to the deviation degree, and encoding the currently-input frame according to the encoding manner of the currently-input frame. It is determined, according to the deviation degree between the comfort noise and the actual silence signal, that the encoding manner of the currently-input frame is the hangover frame encoding manner or the SID frame encoding manner, which can save communication bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Zhe Wang
  • Patent number: 10685180
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using remote words in data streams from remote devices to autocorrect input text. Remote words included in a at least one data stream are accessed from at least one remote device over a network to store in a remote word corpus. User input text is received in a text entry field in a user interface rendered by the computer device. Local words are maintained in a local word corpus stored in the computer device. The local words and the remote words are used to autocorrect and validate the user input text.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Zachary Silverstein, Mark Delaney, Robert H. Grant, Trudy L. Hewitt
  • Patent number: 10685189
    Abstract: A method includes performing, with at least one processing device, natural language generation using both (i) a semantic word and clause representation generated from syntactically-labeled context and (ii) a syntax generated from common semantic relations between sequential words and clauses. Performing the natural language generation includes pushing words onto a stack based on the semantic word and clause representation and based on words and clauses already on the stack and popping the words and clauses off the stack to be replaced by clauses based on the syntax. Pushing the words onto the stack could be based only on components of the semantic word and clause representation coming from future context.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
    Inventor: Paul Burchard
  • Patent number: 10685659
    Abstract: An audio encoder for encoding segments of coefficients, the segments of coefficients representing different time or frequency resolutions of a sampled audio signal, the audio encoder including a processor for deriving a coding context for a currently encoded coefficient of a current segment based on a previously encoded coefficient of a previous segment, the previously encoded coefficient representing a different time or frequency resolution than the currently encoded coefficient. The audio encoder further includes an entropy encoder for entropy encoding the current coefficient based on the coding context to obtain an encoded audio stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Markus Multrus, Bernhard Grill, Guillaume Fuchs, Stefan Geyersberger, Nikolaus Rettelbach, Virgilio Bacigalupo
  • Patent number: 10679616
    Abstract: A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to be executed by a processor includes code to cause the processor to receive acoustic data representing an utterance spoken by a language learner in a non-native language in response to prompting the language learner to recite a word in the non-native language and receive a pronunciation lexicon of the word in the non-native language. The pronunciation lexicon includes at least one alternative pronunciation of the word based on a pronunciation lexicon of a native language of the language learner. The code causes the processor to generate an acoustic model of the at least one alternative pronunciation in the non-native language and identify a mispronunciation of the word in the utterance based on a comparison of the acoustic data with the acoustic model. The code causes the processor to send feedback related to the mispronunciation of the word to the language learner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: ROSETTA STONE LTD.
    Inventors: Theban Stanley, Kadri Hacioglu, Vesa Siivola
  • Patent number: 10672411
    Abstract: An audio encoder for providing an encoded representation on the basis of an audio signal, wherein the audio encoder is configured to obtain a noise information describing a noise included in the audio signal, and wherein the audio encoder is configured to adaptively encode the audio signal in dependence on the noise information, such that encoding accuracy is higher for parts of the audio signal that are less affected by the noise included in the audio signal than for parts of the audio signal that are more affected by the noise included in the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Tom Baeckstroem, Emma Jokinen
  • Patent number: 10665249
    Abstract: A voice input unit has predetermined directivity for acquiring a voice. A sound source arrival direction estimation unit operating as a first direction detection unit detects a first direction, which is an arrival direction of a signal voice of a predetermined target, from the acquired voice. Moreover, a sound source arrival direction estimation unit operating as a second direction detection unit detects a second direction, which is an arrival direction of a noise voice, from the acquired voice. A sound source separation unit, a sound volume calculation unit, and a detection unit having an S/N ratio calculation unit detect a sound source separation direction or a sound source separation position, based on the first direction and the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Yamaya, Kouichi Nakagome
  • Patent number: 10629197
    Abstract: A voice processing system includes a voice acquisition unit that acquires an utterance of a user, a voice recognition unit that recognizes contents of the utterance acquired by the voice acquisition unit, an execution unit that executes processing based on a result of the voice recognition unit, and a determination unit that determines a candidate of a word to substitute a certain word. When the voice recognition unit recognizes a request including a first word, the execution unit executes the request including the first word and provides the user with a processing result. The determination unit determines a second word that is a substitute candidate of the first word. The execution unit also executes a request including the second word instead of the first word and stores a processing result in a storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sei Kato, Junichi Ito, Takuma Minemura, Junya Masui, Toshiyuki Namba
  • Patent number: 10629226
    Abstract: System and method for acoustic signal processing are disclosed. An exemplary device for acoustic signal processing includes a voice activity detector configured to detect a speech of a user. The device includes a microphone configured to receive acoustic signals from the user. The device further includes at least one processor configured to process the acoustic signals in response to detecting the speech of the user. The at least one processor is in an idle state before the speech of the user is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: BESTECHNIC (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Weifeng Tong, Qian Li, Liang Zhang
  • Patent number: 10621996
    Abstract: An audio encoder has a first information sink oriented encoding branch, a second information source or SNR oriented encoding branch, and a switch for switching between the first encoding branch and the second encoding branch, wherein the second encoding branch has a converter into a specific domain different from the spectral domain, and wherein the second encoding branch furthermore has a specific domain coding branch, and a specific spectral domain coding branch, and an additional switch for switching between the specific domain coding branch and the specific spectral domain coding branch. An audio decoder has a first domain decoder, a second domain decoder for decoding a signal, and a third domain decoder and two cascaded switches for switching between the decoders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Bernard Grill, Roch Lefebvre, Bruno Bessette, Jimmy Lapierre, Philippe Gournay, Redwan Salami, Stefan Bayer, Guillaume Fuchs, Stefam Geyersberger, Raif Geiger, Johannes Hilpert, Ulrich Kraemer, Jérémie Lecomte, Markus Multrus, Max Neuendorf, Harald Popp, Nikolaus Rettelbach
  • Patent number: 10614804
    Abstract: A voice controlled room automation system that includes a speaker device situated in a guest room, a hotel automation controller operatively coupled to one or more components in the guest room, and a web service operatively coupled to the speaker device and the hotel automation controller. The web service is configured to receiving voice commands from the speaker device, process the voice command using speech recognition, interpret the voice command to determine a corresponding command for the hotel automation controller, and transmit the corresponding command to the hotel automation controller. The hotel automation controller is configured to receive the corresponding command from the web service, and to carry out the corresponding command by interacting with one or more of the components in the room. In some cases, the hotel automation controller may be configured to initiate an announcement or query on the speaker device via the web service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Soumitri Kolavennu, Ryan Gardner, Michael R. Sobanko, Scott Knecht, Arun Mahasenan
  • Patent number: 10607650
    Abstract: Coordinated audio and video filter pairs are applied to enhance artistic and emotional content of audiovisual performances. Such filter pairs, when applied in audio and video processing pipelines of an audiovisual application hosted on a portable computing device (such as a mobile phone or media player, a computing pad or tablet, a game controller or a personal digital assistant or book reader) can allow user selection of effects that enhance both audio and video coordinated therewith. Coordinated audio and video are captured, filtered and rendered at the portable computing device using camera and microphone interfaces, using digital signal processing software executable on a processor and using storage, speaker and display devices of, or interoperable with, the device. By providing audiovisual capture and personalization on an intimate handheld device, social interactions and postings of a type made popular by modern social networking platforms can now be extended to audiovisual content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Smule, Inc.
    Inventors: Parag P. Chordia, Perry R. Cook, Mark T. Godfrey, Prerna Gupta, Nicholas M. Kruge, Randal J. Leistikow, Alexander M. D. Rae, Ian S. Simon
  • Patent number: 10580425
    Abstract: Proposed is a method and apparatus for determining a weighting function for quantizing a linear predictive coding (LPC) coefficient and having a low complexity. The weighting function determination apparatus may convert an LPC coefficient of a mid-subframe of an input signal to one of a immittance spectral frequency (ISF) coefficient and a line spectral frequency (LSF) coefficient, and may determine a weighting function associated with an importance of the ISF coefficient or the LSF coefficient based on the converted ISF coefficient or LSF coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ho Sang Sung, Eun Mi Oh