Patents by Inventor Barbara E. Ballard

Barbara E. Ballard 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).

  • Patent number: 7200555
    Abstract: A novel apparatus and method for correcting speech recognized text in a predominantly speech-only environment for use with a device having only a limited or no display device available. The method is preferably implemented by a machine readable storage mechanism having stored thereon a computer program, the method comprising the following steps. First, audio speech input can be received and speech-to-text converted to speech recognized text. Second, a first speech correction command for performing a correction operation on speech recognized text stored in a text buffer can be detected in the speech recognized text. Third, if a speech correction command is not detected in the speech recognized text, the speech recognized text can be added to the text buffer. Fourth, if a speech command is detected in the speech recognized text, the detected correction speech command can be performed on speech recognized text stored in the text buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Barbara E. Ballard, James R. Lewis, Kerry A. Ortega, Ronald E. Van Buskirk, Huifang Wang
  • Patent number: 6760700
    Abstract: A method of proofreading and correcting dictated text contained in an electronic document can include selecting proofreading criteria for identifying textual errors contained in the electronic document; playing back each word contained in the electronic document; and, marking as a textual error each played back word in nonconformity with at least one of the proofreading criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James R. Lewis, Barbara E. Ballard, Gary R. Hanson, Kerry A. Ortega, Ronald E. VanBuskirk, Arthur Keller
  • Publication number: 20030200093
    Abstract: A method of proofreading and correcting dictated text contained in an electronic document can include selecting proofreading criteria for identifying textual errors contained in the electronic document; playing back each word contained in the electronic document; and, marking as a textual error each played back word in nonconformity with at least one of the proofreading criteria.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James R. Lewis, Barbara E. Ballard, Gary R. Hanson, Kerry A. Ortega, Ronald E. Vanbuskirk, Arthur Keller
  • Patent number: 6611802
    Abstract: A method of proofreading and correcting dictated text contained in an electronic document comprises the steps of: selecting proofreading criteria for identifying textual errors contained in the electronic document; playing back each word contained in the electronic document; and, marking as a textual error each played back word in nonconformity with at least one of the proofreading criteria. The method can further comprise the step of editing each the marked textual error identified in the marking step. In particular, the editing step can include reviewing each the marked textual error identified in the marking step; accepting user specified changes to each marked textual error reviewed in the reviewing step; and, unmarking each marked textual error corrected by the user in the accepting step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James R. Lewis, Barbara E. Ballard, Gary R. Hanson, Kerry A. Ortega, Ronald E. Vanbuskirk, Arthur Keller
  • Patent number: 6345254
    Abstract: A method and system for improving the speech command recognition accuracy of a computer speech recognition system uses event-based constraints to recognize a spoken command. The constraints are system states and events, which include system activities, active applications, prior commands and an event queue. The method and system is performed by monitoring events and states of the computer system and receiving a processed command corresponding to the spoken command. The processed command is statistically analyzed in light of the system events and states as well as according to an acoustic model. The system then identifies a recognized command corresponding to the spoken command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventors: James R. Lewis, Kerry A. Ortega, Ronald E. Van Buskirk, Huifang Wang, Amado Nassiff, Barbara E. Ballard
  • Publication number: 20020002459
    Abstract: A method of proofreading and correcting dictated text contained in an electronic document comprises the steps of: selecting proofreading criteria for identifying textual errors contained in the electronic document; playing back each word contained in the electronic document; and, marking as a textual error each played back word in nonconformity with at least one of the proofreading criteria. The method can further comprise the step of editing each the marked textual error identified in the marking step. In particular, the editing step can include reviewing each the marked textual error identified in the marking step; accepting user specified changes to each marked textual error reviewed in the reviewing step; and, unmarking each marked textual error corrected by the user in the accepting step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 1999
    Publication date: January 3, 2002
    Inventors: JAMES R. LEWIS, BARBARA E. BALLARD, GARY R. HANSON, KERRY A. ORTEGA, RONALD E. VANBUSKIRK, ARTHUR KELLER
  • Patent number: 6195637
    Abstract: A method for correcting misrecognition errors comprises the steps of: dictating to a speech application; marking misrecognized words during the dictating step; and, after the dictating and marking steps, displaying and correcting the marked misrecognized words, whereby the correcting of the misrecognized words is deferred until after the dictating step is concluded and the dictating step is not significantly interrupted. The displaying and correcting step can be implemented by invoking a correction tool of the speech application, whereby the correcting of the misrecognized words trains the speech application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventors: Barbara E. Ballard, Kerry A. Ortega
  • Patent number: 6182046
    Abstract: A method for managing a What Can I Say (WCIS) function in an application having a plurality of commands which can be voice activated comprises the steps of: storing a set of substantially all voice activatable commands associated with the application; identifying those of the commands in the set which are displayable by the application; and, in response to a user input, displaying in a graphical user interface (GUI) a subset of the voice activatable commands which are not displayable by the application. Moreover, the method includes displaying in the GUI, in response to a user input, a list of the stored set of substantially all voice activatable commands associated with the application; displaying in the GUI a pull down menu identifying different categories by which the commands can be viewed in the list; and, displaying the GUI with a pull down menu identifying commands that can be performed against a voice command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventors: Kerry A. Ortega, Linda M. Boyer, Thomas A. Kist, James R. Lewis, Barbara E. Ballard, Ronald VanBuskirk, Arthur Keller
  • Patent number: 5970451
    Abstract: A method for correcting frequently misrecognized words and commands in a speech application. According to the method, when a need for correcting a frequently misrecognized word/command spoken by a user is detected, a recording is made of the misrecognized word/command in isolation. Subsequently, an in-isolation base form for the misrecognized word/command is established from the in-isolation recording. The in-isolation base form is then saved and the misrecognized word/command in recorded in context. Next, an in-context base form is established for the misrecognized word/command from the context recording and a comparison is made between the in-isolation and in-context base forms. The in-context base form is saved only if the in-isolation and in-context base forms are markedly different from one another. A sentence is displayed using the frequently misrecognized word/command in context and the user is prompted to speak the sentence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James R. Lewis, Kerry A. Ortega, Barbara E. Ballard, Ronald VanBuskirk