Patents Examined by Qi Han
  • Method and apparatus for natural language query in a workspace analytics system
    Patent number: 10474703
    Abstract: A method includes associating, for each one of a plurality of answer definitions, at least one or more pattern-form questions, wherein each answer definition has an associated jump target that defines a respective entry point into the workspace analytics system to provide information responsive to the associated one or more pattern-form questions. The method further includes receiving a user input including capturing input text defining a natural language user query, matching the received input text to one of the pattern-form questions thereby selecting the jump target associated with the matched pattern-form question, and generating a response to the natural language user query by retrieving information from the workspace analytics system by referencing a link based on the selected jump target and zero or more parameters values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Lakeside Software, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward S. Wegryn, Lawrence J. Birk, Christopher Dyer, Kenneth M. Schumacher
  • Method and apparatus for determining semantic matching degree
    Patent number: 10467342
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining a semantic matching degree. The method includes acquiring a first sentence and a second sentence, dividing the first sentence and the second sentence into x and y sentence fragments, respectively, performing a convolution operation on word vectors in each sentence fragment of the first sentence and word vectors in each sentence fragment of the second sentence, to obtain a three-dimensional tensor, performing integration and/or screening on adjacent vectors in the one-dimensional vectors of x rows and y columns, until the three-dimensional tensor is combined into a one-dimensional target vector, and determining a semantic matching degree between the first sentence and the second sentence according to the target vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhengdong Lu, Hang Li
  • Methods and apparatus to perform audio watermarking and watermark detection and extraction
    Patent number: 10467286
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to audio watermarking and watermark detection and extracted are described herein. Disclosed example methods to decode a watermark from an audio signal include averaging a second sequence of audio samples stored in a buffer with a first sequence of audio samples stored in the buffer to determine an averaged sequence of audio samples, the second sequence of audio samples being related to the first sequence of audio samples based on a repetition period associated with watermark data of the watermark to be decoded. Disclosed example methods also include determining whether to enable a stacker. Disclosed example methods further include, in response to the stacker being enabled, decoding the watermark from the averaged sequence of audio samples, and in response to the stacker being disabled, decoding the watermark from the first sequence of audio samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Venugopal Srinivasan, Alexander Topchy
  • Cognitive mediator for generating blockchain smart contracts
    Patent number: 10452776
    Abstract: In an approach to generating blockchain smart contracts, one or more computer processors receive a request for a service from a user. The one or more computer processors extract one or more features from the request. The one or more computer processors determine one or more smart contract templates associated with the request based, at least in part, on the extracted one or more features. The one or more computer processors receive one or more responses to the request from one or more service providers. The one or more computer processors generate a draft smart contract based, at least in part on the determined one or more smart contract templates and the one or more received responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan Anderson, Joseph Kozhaya, Christopher M. Madison, John Wolpert
  • Automatic answer rephrasing based on talking style
    Patent number: 10418023
    Abstract: Techniques are described that facilitate automatically providing entities with rephrased versions of standard answers. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented is provided that comprises determining, by a device operatively coupled to a processor, a talking style of a plurality of talking styles that an entity is associated with based on reception of natural language input from the entity proposing a question related to a defined topic. The method further comprises selecting, by the device based on the talking style, an answer rephrasing model from a plurality of answer rephrasing models respectively configured to generate different rephrased versions of a standard answer to the question, and employing, by the device, the answer rephrasing model to generate a rephrased version of the standard that corresponds to the talking style.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jian Min Jiang, Yuan Ni, Guo Yu Tang, Guo Tong Xie, Shi Wan Zhao
  • Noise filling concept
    Patent number: 10410642
    Abstract: Noise filling of a spectrum of an audio signal is improved in quality with respect to the noise filled spectrum so that the reproduction of the noise filled audio signal is less annoying, by performing the noise filling in a manner dependent on a tonality of the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Sascha Disch, Marc Gayer, Christian Helmrich, Goran Markovic, Maria Luis Valero
  • Vehicle key, vehicle, and method for controlling key and vehicle
    Patent number: 10407027
    Abstract: A vehicle key includes: a voice input configured to receive a voice command of a user; and the key controller configured to determine at least one of a service type and information indicating whether the vehicle key is disposed in a key groove of a vehicle, and to process at least one of a voice recognition result acquired from the user voice command and a control command corresponding to the voice recognition result on the basis of a result of determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Seong Soo Yae
  • Detecting keywords in audio using a spiking neural network
    Patent number: 10403266
    Abstract: An example apparatus for detecting keywords in audio includes an audio receiver to receive audio comprising a keyword to be detected. The apparatus also includes a spike transducer to convert the audio into a plurality of spikes. The apparatus further includes a spiking neural network to receive one or more of the spikes and generate a spike corresponding to a detected keyword.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Muhammad Khellah, Oren Arad, Binuraj Ravindran, Somnath Paul, Charles Augustine, Bruno Umbria Pedroni
  • Speaker diarization
    Patent number: 10403288
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for speaker diarization are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving audio data corresponding to an utterance. The actions further include determining that the audio data includes an utterance of a predefined hotword spoken by a first speaker. The actions further include identifying a first portion of the audio data that includes speech from the first speaker. The actions further include identifying a second portion of the audio data that includes speech from a second, different speaker. The actions further include transmitting the first portion of the audio data that includes speech from the first speaker and suppressing transmission of the second portion of the audio data that includes speech from the second, different speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Aleksandar Kracun, Richard Cameron Rose
  • Techniques for generating multiple listening environments via auditory devices
    Patent number: 10388297
    Abstract: Approaches are disclosed for generating auditory scenes. A computing device includes a wireless network interface and a processor. The processor is configured to receive, via a microphone, a first auditory signal that includes a first plurality of voice components. The processor is further configured to receive a request to at least partially suppress a first voice component included in the first plurality of voice components. The processor is further configured to generate a second auditory signal that includes the first plurality of voice components with the first voice component at least partially suppressed. The processor is further configured to transmit the second auditory signal to a speaker for output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Davide Di Censo, Stefan Marti, Ajay Juneja
  • Smart home automation systems and methods
    Patent number: 10367652
    Abstract: A smart home interaction system is presented. It is built on a multi-modal, multithreaded conversational dialog engine. The system provides a natural language user interface for the control of household devices, appliances or household functionality. The smart home automation agent can receive input from users through sensing devices such as a smart phone, a tablet computer or a laptop computer. Users interact with the system from within the household or from remote locations. The smart home system can receive input from sensors or any other machines with which it is interfaced. The system employs interaction guide rules for processing reaction to both user and sensor input and driving the conversational interactions that result from such input. The system adaptively learns based on both user and sensor input and can learn the preferences and practices of its users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: NANT HOLDINGS IP, LLC
    Inventors: Farzad Ehsani, Silke Maren Witt-Ehsani, Walter Rolandi
  • Speech recognition wake-up of a handheld portable electronic device
    Patent number: 10332524
    Abstract: A system and method for parallel speech recognition processing of multiple audio signals produced by multiple microphones in a handheld portable electronic device. In one embodiment, a primary processor transitions to a power-saving mode while an auxiliary processor remains active. The auxiliary processor then monitors the speech of a user of the device to detect a wake-up command by speech recognition processing the audio signals in parallel. When the auxiliary processor detects the command it then signals the primary processor to transition to active mode. The auxiliary processor may also identify to the primary processor which microphone resulted in the command being recognized with the highest confidence. Other embodiments are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Aram M. Lindahl
  • Combining web browser and audio player functionality to facilitate organization and consumption of web documents
    Patent number: 10331754
    Abstract: The invention is directed to combining web browser and audio player functionality for the organization and consumption of web documents. Specifically, the invention identifies a set of web documents via a web browser, extracts content from the web documents, and adds the set of web documents to a playlist. In this way, users can build a playlist of web documents and utilize the functionality and convenience of an audio player and listen to the content of the playlist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: CharmTech Labs LLC
    Inventors: Yevgen Borodin, Alexander Dimitriyadi, Yury Puzis, Faisal Ahmed, Valentyn Melnyk
  • Intelligent closed captioning
    Patent number: 10321204
    Abstract: An aspect provides a method, including: playing, on a display device, video content; providing, using at least one speaker, audio content associated with the video content; obtaining, from an external source, data relating to playback context; determining, using a processor, that the data relating to playback context is associated with a reduced audibility context; and providing, on the display device, textual data associated with dialog of the video content. Other aspects are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Neal Robert Caliendo, Jr., Russell Speight VanBlon, Arnold S. Weksler
  • Utterance classifier
    Patent number: 10311872
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media for classification using neural networks. One method includes receiving audio data corresponding to an utterance. Obtaining a transcription of the utterance. Generating a representation of the audio data. Generating a representation of the transcription of the utterance. Providing (i) the representation of the audio data and (ii) the representation of the transcription of the utterance to a classifier that, based on a given representation of the audio data and a given representation of the transcription of the utterance, is trained to output an indication of whether the utterance associated with the given representation is likely directed to an automated assistance or is likely not directed to an automated assistant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Nathan David Howard, Gabor Simko, Maria Carolina Parada San Martin, Ramkarthik Kalyanasundaram, Guru Prakash Arumugam, Srinivas Vasudevan
  • Fine-grained natural language understanding
    Patent number: 10304444
    Abstract: A system capable of performing natural language understanding (NLU) without the concept of a domain that influences NLU results. The present system uses a hierarchical organizations of intents/commands and entity types, and trained models associated with those hierarchies, so that commands and entity types may be determined for incoming text queries without necessarily determining a domain for the incoming text. The system thus operates in a domain agnostic manner, in a departure from multi-domain architecture NLU processing where a system determines NLU results for multiple domains simultaneously and then ranks them to determine which to select as the result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Lambert Mathias, Thomas Kollar, Arindam Mandal, Angeliki Metallinou
  • Real-time human data collection using voice and messaging side channel
    Patent number: 10304453
    Abstract: An approach is provided in which an information handling system sends a request in audio format to a user over a voice channel requesting a user data set. The information handling system receives utterances from the user over the voice channel and determines that the utterances do not provide enough information to complete the requested user data set. In turn, the information handling system establishes a messaging channel with the user and sends a request in digital format to the user over the messaging channel to provide additional data to complete the user data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Scott W. Graham, Lior Luker, Nitzan Nissim, Brian L. Pulito
  • Method and apparatus for determining morpheme importance analysis model
    Patent number: 10296582
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining a morpheme importance analysis model is provided, which belongs to the field of computers. The method includes: acquiring at least two pieces of training data, each piece of training data including a query, any morpheme in the query, and an importance score of the any morpheme in the query; determining a feature value of each preset feature of each piece of training data; and determining a model parameter according to the feature value of each preset feature of all training data and importance scores of morphemes included in all training data, and determining a morpheme importance analysis model according to the determined model parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Lingling Yao, Qi He, Nan He, Bo Zhang
  • Determining context using weighted parsing scoring
    Patent number: 10275456
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method, computer system, and computer program product for natural language processing is provided. The present invention may include detecting natural language entities, and running parsing algorithms on the natural language entities to determine the relationship between said natural language entities. The present invention may further comprise assigning, by the parsing algorithms, initial scores to detected natural language entities based on the relationship between said natural language entities; choosing a final score for plurality of natural language entities; and comparing the final score against a threshold to determine whether the natural language entities are within the same context.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Aysu Ezen Can, Roberto DeLima, Corville Allen
  • Voice interactive device and voice interaction method
    Patent number: 10269349
    Abstract: A voice interactive device that interacts with a user by voice, the device comprises a voice input unit that acquires and recognizes voice uttered by a user; a degree-of-intimacy calculating unit that calculates a degree of intimacy with the user; a response generating unit that generates a response to the recognized voice, based on the degree of intimacy; and a voice output unit that outputs the response by voice, wherein the degree-of-intimacy calculating unit calculates a degree of intimacy with the user based on a sum of a first intimacy value calculated based on a content of an utterance made by the user and a second intimacy value calculated, based on the number of previous interactions with the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Ikeno, Muneaki Shimada, Kota Hatanaka, Toshifumi Nishijima, Fuminori Kataoka, Hiromi Tonegawa, Norihide Umeyama