Patents by Inventor Benjamin Terrick Staniford

Benjamin Terrick Staniford 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: 9502024
    Abstract: An automatic speech recognition (ASR) system includes a speech-responsive application and a recognition engine. The ASR system generates user prompts to elicit certain spoken inputs, and the speech-responsive application performs operations when the spoken inputs are recognized. The recognition engine compares sounds within an input audio signal with phones within an acoustic model, to identify candidate matching phones. A recognition confidence score is calculated for each candidate matching phone, and the confidence scores are used to help identify one or more likely sequences of matching phones that appear to match a word within the grammar of the speech-responsive application. The per-phone confidence scores are evaluated against predefined confidence score criteria (for example, identifying scores below a ‘low confidence’ threshold) and the results of the evaluation are used to influence subsequent selection of user prompts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: John Brian Pickering, Timothy David Poultney, Benjamin Terrick Staniford, Matthew Whitbourne
  • Publication number: 20140249816
    Abstract: An automatic speech recognition (ASR) system includes a speech-responsive application and a recognition engine. The ASR system generates user prompts to elicit certain spoken inputs, and the speech-responsive application performs operations when the spoken inputs are recognised. The recognition engine compares sounds within an input audio signal with phones within an acoustic model, to identify candidate matching phones. A recognition confidence score is calculated for each candidate matching phone, and the confidence scores are used to help identify one or more likely sequences of matching phones that appear to match a word within the grammar of the speech-responsive application. The per-phone confidence scores are evaluated against predefined confidence score criteria (for example, identifying scores below a ‘low confidence’ threshold) and the results of the evaluation are used to influence subsequent selection of user prompts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: John Brian Pickering, Timothy David Poultney, Benjamin Terrick Staniford, Matthew Whitbourne
  • Patent number: 8694316
    Abstract: An automatic speech recognition (ASR) system includes a speech-responsive application and a recognition engine. The ASR system generates user prompts to elicit certain spoken inputs, and the speech-responsive application performs operations when the spoken inputs are recognized. The recognition engine compares sounds within an input audio signal with phones within an acoustic model, to identify candidate matching phones. A recognition confidence score is calculated for each candidate matching phone, and the confidence scores are used to help identify one or more likely sequences of matching phones that appear to match a word within the grammar of the speech-responsive application. The per-phone confidence scores are evaluated against predefined confidence score criteria (for example, identifying scores below a ‘low confidence’ threshold) and the results of the evaluation are used to influence subsequent selection of user prompts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: John Brian Pickering, Timothy David Poultney, Benjamin Terrick Staniford, Matthew Whitbourne
  • Patent number: 8463608
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for updating a speech model on a multi-user speech recognition system with a personal speech model for a single user. A speech recognition system, for instance in a car, can include a generic speech model for comparison with the user speech input. A way of identifying a personal speech model, for instance in a mobile phone, is connected to the system. A mechanism is included for receiving personal speech model components, for instance a BLUETOOTH connection. The generic speech model is updated using the received personal speech model components. Speech recognition can then be performed on user speech using the updated generic speech model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Barry Neil Dow, Eric William Janke, Daniel Lee Yuk Cheung, Benjamin Terrick Staniford
  • Publication number: 20120173237
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for updating a speech model on a multi-user speech recognition system with a personal speech model for a single user. A speech recognition system, for instance in a car, can include a generic speech model for comparison with the user speech input. A way of identifying a personal speech model, for instance in a mobile phone, is connected to the system. A mechanism is included for receiving personal speech model components, for instance a BLUETOOTH connection. The generic speech model is updated using the received personal speech model components. Speech recognition can then be performed on user speech using the updated generic speech model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Barry Neil Dow, Eric William Janke, Daniel Lee Yuk Cheung, Benjamin Terrick Staniford
  • Patent number: 8160876
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for updating a speech model on a multi-user speech recognition system with a personal speech model for a single user. A speech recognition system, for instance in a car, can include a generic speech model for comparison with the user speech input. A way of identifying a personal speech model, for instance in a mobile phone, is connected to the system. A mechanism is included for receiving personal speech model components, for instance a BLUETOOTH connection. The generic speech model is updated using the received personal speech model components. Speech recognition can then be performed on user speech using the updated generic speech model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Barry Neil Dow, Eric William Janke, Daniel Lee Yuk Cheung, Benjamin Terrick Staniford