Patents by Inventor Alejandro Acero

Alejandro Acero has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Annotating programs for automatic summary generations
    Patent number: 7403894
    Abstract: Audio/video programming content is made available to a receiver from a content provider, and meta data is made available to the receiver from a meta data provider. The meta data corresponds to the programming content, and identifies, for each of multiple portions of the programming content, an indicator of a likelihood that the portion is an exciting portion of the content. In one implementation, the meta data includes probabilities that segments of a baseball program are exciting, and is generated by analyzing the audio data of the baseball program for both excited speech and baseball hits. The meta data can then be used to generate a summary for the baseball program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Yong Rui, Anoop Gupta, Alejandro Acero
  • Indexing and ranking processes for directory assistance services
    Publication number: 20080172376
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed for providing a directory assistance service. The method includes generating an indexing file that is a representation of information associated with a collection of listings stored in an index. The indexing file is utilized as a basis for ranking listings in an index based on the strength of association with a query. Based at least in part on the ranking, an output is provided and is indicative of listings in the index that are likely correspond to the query. At least one particular listing in the index is excluded from the output without there ever being a comparison of features in the query with features in the one particular listing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Dong Yu, Alejandro Acero, Yun-Cheng Ju, Ye-Yi Wang
  • Adapting a language model to accommodate inputs not found in a directory assistance listing
    Publication number: 20080147400
    Abstract: A statistical language model is trained for use in a directory assistance system using the data in a directory assistance listing corpus. Calculations are made to determine how important words in the corpus are in distinguishing a listing from other listings, and how likely words are to be omitted or added by a user. The language model is trained using these calculations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Dong Yu, Alejandro Acero, Yun-Cheng Ju
  • Compound word splitting for directory assistance services
    Publication number: 20080147381
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed for improving the accuracy of a directory assistance system. The method includes constructing a prefix tree based on a collection of alphabetically organized words. The prefix tree is utilized as a basis for generating splitting rules for a compound word included in an index associated with the directory assistance system. A language model check and a pronunciation check are conducted in order to determine which of the generated splitting rules are mostly likely correct. The compound word is split into word components based on the most likely correct rule or rules. The word components are incorporated into a data set associated with the directory assistance system, such as into a recognition grammar and/or the index.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Dong Yu, Alejandro Acero, Yun-Cheng Ju
  • Using automated content analysis for audio/video content consumption
    Publication number: 20080140385
    Abstract: Audio/video (A/V) content is analyzed using speech and language analysis components. Metadata is automatically generated based upon the analysis. The metadata is used in generating user interface interaction components which allow a user to view subject matter in various segments of the A/V content and to interact with the A/V content based on the automatically generated metadata.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Milind Mahajan, Patrick Nguyen, Alejandro Acero
  • Multi-sensory speech detection system
    Patent number: 7383181
    Abstract: The present invention combines a conventional audio microphone with an additional speech sensor that provides a speech sensor signal based on an input. The speech sensor signal is generated based on an action undertaken by a speaker during speech, such as facial movement, bone vibration, throat vibration, throat impedance changes, etc. A speech detector component receives an input from the speech sensor and outputs a speech detection signal indicative of whether a user is speaking. The speech detector generates the speech detection signal based on the microphone signal and the speech sensor signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Xuedong D. Huang, Zicheng Liu, Zhengyou Zhang, Michael J. Sinclair, Alejandro Acero
  • Discriminative training of language models for text and speech classification
    Patent number: 7379867
    Abstract: Methods are disclosed for estimating language models such that the conditional likelihood of a class given a word string, which is very well correlated with classification accuracy, is maximized. The methods comprise tuning statistical language model parameters jointly for all classes such that a classifier discriminates between the correct class and the incorrect ones for a given training sentence or utterance. Specific embodiments of the present invention pertain to implementation of the rational function growth transform in the context of a discriminative training technique for n-gram classifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ciprian Chelba, Alejandro Acero, Milind Mahajan
  • Removal of noise, corresponding to user input devices from an audio signal
    Publication number: 20080118082
    Abstract: A noisy audio signal, with user input device noise, is received. Particular frames in the audio signal that are corrupted by user input device noise are identified and removed. The removed audio data is then reconstructed to obtain a clean audio signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Seltzer, Alejandro Acero, Amarnag Subramanya
  • DISCRIMINATIVE TRAINING FOR SPEECH RECOGNITION
    Publication number: 20080114596
    Abstract: Parameters for a feature extractor and acoustic model of a speech recognition module are trained. An objective function is utilized to determine values for the feature extractor parameters and the acoustic model parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Alejandro Acero, James G. Droppo, Milind V. Mahajan
  • NOISE SUPPRESSOR FOR SPEECH RECOGNITION
    Publication number: 20080114593
    Abstract: A noise suppressor for altering a speech signal is trained based on a speech recognition system. An objective function can be utilized to adjust parameters of the noise suppressor. The noise suppressor can be used to alter speech signals for the speech recognition system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ivan J. Tashev, Alejandro Acero, James G. Droppo
  • Method of noise reduction using instantaneous signal-to-noise ratio as the principal quantity for optimal estimation
    Patent number: 7363221
    Abstract: A system and method are provided that accurately estimate noise and that reduce noise in pattern recognition signals. The method and system define a mapping random variable as a function of at least a clean signal random variable and a noise random variable. A model parameter that describes at least one aspect of a distribution of values for the mapping random variable is then determined. Based on the model parameter, an estimate for the clean signal random variable is determined. Under many aspects of the present invention, the mapping random variable is a signal-to-noise ratio variable and the method and system estimate a value for the signal-to-noise ratio variable from the model parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: James G. Droppo, Li Deng, Alejandro Acero
  • Method for entering text
    Patent number: 7363224
    Abstract: In a method of entering text into a device a first character input is provided that is indicative of a first character of a text entry. Next, a vocalization of the text entry is captured. A probable word candidate is then identified for a first word of the vocalization based upon the first character input and an analysis of the vocalization. Finally, the probable word candidate is displayed for a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Xuendong D. Huang, Alejandro Acero, Kuansan Wang, Milind Mahajan
  • Multi-sensory speech enhancement using a clean speech prior
    Patent number: 7346504
    Abstract: A method and apparatus determine a channel response for an alternative sensor using an alternative sensor signal, an air conduction microphone signal. The channel response and a prior probability distribution for clean speech values are then used to estimate a clean speech value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Zicheng Liu, Alejandro Acero, Zhengyou Zhang
  • Automatic resolution of segmentation ambiguities in grammar authoring
    Patent number: 7328147
    Abstract: A rules-based grammar is generated. Segmentation ambiguities are identified in training data. Rewrite rules for the ambiguous segmentations are enumerated and probabilities are generated for each. Ambiguities are resolved based on the probabilities. In one embodiment, this is done by applying the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: YeYi Wang, Alejandro Acero
  • Detecting an answering machine using speech recognition
    Publication number: 20080015846
    Abstract: An answering machine detection module is used to determine whether a call recipient is an actual person or an answering machine. The answering machine detection module includes a speech recognizer and a call analysis module. The speech recognizer receives an audible response of the call recipient to a call. The speech recognizer processes the audible response and provides an output indicative of recognized speech. The call analysis module processes the output of the speech recognizer to generate an output indicative of whether the call recipient is a person or an answering machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Alejandro Acero, Craig M. Fisher, Dong Yu, Ye-Yi Wang, Yun-Cheng Ju
  • Removing noise from feature vectors
    Patent number: 7310599
    Abstract: A method and computer-readable medium are provided for identifying clean signal feature vectors from noisy signal feature vectors. Aspects of the invention use mixtures of distributions of noise feature vectors and/or channel distortion feature vectors when identifying the clean signal feature vectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Brendan J. Frey, Alejandro Acero, Li Deng
  • Method of determining uncertainty associated with acoustic distortion-based noise reduction
    Patent number: 7289955
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for determining uncertainty in noise reduction based on a parametric model of speech distortion. The method is first used to reduce noise in a noisy signal. In particular, noise is reduced from a representation of a portion of a noisy signal to produce a representation of a cleaned signal by utilizing an acoustic environment model. The uncertainty associated with the noise reduction process is then computed. In one embodiment, the uncertainty of the noise reduction process is used, in conjunction with the noise-reduced signal, to decode a pattern state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Li Deng, Alejandro Acero, James G. Droppo
  • System and method for user modeling to enhance named entity recognition
    Patent number: 7289956
    Abstract: The present invention employs user modeling to model a user's behavior patterns. The user's behavior patterns are then used to influence named entity (NE) recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Dong Yu, Peter K. L. Mau, Kuansan Wang, Milind Mahajan, Alejandro Acero
  • Shareable filler model for grammar authoring
    Publication number: 20070219793
    Abstract: A method of forming a shareable filler model (shareable model for garbage words) from a word n-gram model is provided. The word n-gram model is converted into a probabilistic context free grammar (PCFG). The PCFG is modified into a substantially application-independent PCFG, which constitutes the shareable filler model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2006
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Alejandro Acero, Dong Yu, Ye-Yi Wang, Yun-Cheng Ju
  • Method and apparatus for identifying noise environments from noisy signals
    Patent number: 7266494
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for identifying a noise environment for a frame of an input signal based on at least one feature for that frame. To identify the noise environment, a probability for a noise environment is determined by applying the noisy input feature vector to a distribution of noisy training feature vectors. In one embodiment, each noisy training feature vector in the distribution is formed by modifying a set of clean training feature vectors. In one embodiment, the probabilities of the noise environments for past frames are included in the identification of an environment for a current frame. In one embodiment, a correction vector is then selected based on the identified noise environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: James G. Droppo, Alejandro Acero, Li Deng