Patents by Inventor Dan Bohus

Dan Bohus 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: 11120340
    Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards processing evidence, which may include high-dimensional streaming evidence, into a future belief state. The existing evidence is used to project a belief about a future state. The future belief state may be used to determine whether to wait for additional evidence, or to act now without waiting for additional evidence, e.g., based on a cost of the delay. For example, an autonomous assistant may decide based upon the belief whether to engage a person or not, or to wait for more information before the engagement decision is made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Dan Bohus, Eric J. Horvitz, Stephanie Rosenthal Pomerantz, Semiha E. Kamar Eden
  • Patent number: 11097424
    Abstract: Technologies pertaining to human-robot interaction are described herein. The robot includes a computer-readable memory that comprises a model that, with respect to successful completions of a task, is fit to observed data, where at least some of such observed data pertains to a condition that is controllable by the robot, such as position of the robot or distance between the robot and a human. A task that is desirably performed by the robot is to cause the human to engage with the robot. The model is updated while the robot is online, such that behavior of the robot adapts over time to increase the likelihood that the robot will successfully complete the task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Dinei A. Florencio, Douglas Guimarães Macharet, Dan Bohus
  • Publication number: 20190248015
    Abstract: Technologies pertaining to human-robot interaction are described herein. The robot includes a computer-readable memory that comprises a model that, with respect to successful completions of a task, is fit to observed data, where at least some of such observed data pertains to a condition that is controllable by the robot, such as position of the robot or distance between the robot and a human. A task that is desirably performed by the robot is to cause the human to engage with the robot. The model is updated while the robot is online, such that behavior of the robot adapts over time to increase the likelihood that the robot will successfully complete the task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Dinei A. Florencio, Douglas Guimarães Macharet, Dan Bohus
  • Patent number: 10300606
    Abstract: Technologies pertaining to human-robot interaction are described herein. The robot includes a computer-readable memory that comprises a model that, with respect to successful completions of a task, is fit to observed data, where at least some of such observed data pertains to a condition that is controllable by the robot, such as position of the robot or distance between the robot and a human. A task that is desirably performed by the robot is to cause the human to engage with the robot. The model is updated while the robot is online, such that behavior of the robot adapts over time to increase the likelihood that the robot will successfully complete the task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Dinei A. Florencio, Douglas Guimarães Macharet, Dan Bohus
  • Publication number: 20180229370
    Abstract: Technologies pertaining to human-robot interaction are described herein. The robot includes a computer-readable memory that comprises a model that, with respect to successful completions of a task, is fit to observed data, where at least some of such observed data pertains to a condition that is controllable by the robot, such as position of the robot or distance between the robot and a human. A task that is desirably performed by the robot is to cause the human to engage with the robot. The model is updated while the robot is online, such that behavior of the robot adapts over time to increase the likelihood that the robot will successfully complete the task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Dinei A. Florencio, Douglas Guimarães Macharet, Dan Bohus
  • Patent number: 9956687
    Abstract: Technologies pertaining to human-robot interaction are described herein. The robot includes a computer-readable memory that comprises a model that, with respect to successful completions of a task, is fit to observed data, where at least some of such observed data pertains to a condition that is controllable by the robot, such as position of the robot or distance between the robot and a human. A task that is desirably performed by the robot is to cause the human to engage with the robot. The model is updated while the robot is online, such that behavior of the robot adapts over time to increase the likelihood that the robot will successfully complete the task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Dinei A. Florencio, Douglas Guimarães Macharet, Dan Bohus
  • Publication number: 20180068234
    Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards processing evidence, which may include high-dimensional streaming evidence, into a future belief state. The existing evidence is used to project a belief about a future state. The future belief state may be used to determine whether to wait for additional evidence, or to act now without waiting for additional evidence, e.g., based on a cost of the delay. For example, an autonomous assistant may decide based upon the belief whether to engage a person or not, or to wait for more information before the engagement decision is made.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: Dan BOHUS, Eric J. HORVITZ, Stephanie Rosenthal POMERANTZ, Semiha E. KAMAR EDEN
  • Patent number: 9836700
    Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards processing evidence, which may include high-dimensional streaming evidence, into a future belief state. The existing evidence is used to project a belief about a future state. The future belief state may be used to determine whether to wait for additional evidence, or to act now without waiting for additional evidence, e.g., based on a cost of the delay. For example, an autonomous assistant may decide based upon the belief whether to engage a person or not, or to wait for more information before the engagement decision is made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Dan Bohus, Eric J. Horvitz, Stephanie Rosenthal Pomerantz, Semiha E. Kamar Eden
  • Patent number: 8965765
    Abstract: Described is a technology by which a structured model of repetition is used to determine the words spoken by a user, and/or a corresponding database entry, based in part on a prior utterance. For a repeated utterance, a joint probability analysis is performed on (at least some of) the corresponding word sequences as recognized by one or more recognizers) and associated acoustic data. For example, a generative probabilistic model, or a maximum entropy model may be used in the analysis. The second utterance may be a repetition of the first utterance using the exact words, or another structural transformation thereof relative to the first utterance, such as an extension that adds one or more words, a truncation that removes one or more words, or a whole or partial spelling of one or more words.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Geoffrey G. Zweig, Xiao Li, Dan Bohus, Alejandro Acero, Eric J. Horvitz
  • Publication number: 20140249676
    Abstract: Technologies pertaining to human-robot interaction are described herein. The robot includes a computer-readable memory that comprises a model that, with respect to successful completions of a task, is fit to observed data, where at least some of such observed data pertains to a condition that is controllable by the robot, such as position of the robot or distance between the robot and a human. A task that is desirably performed by the robot is to cause the human to engage with the robot. The model is updated while the robot is online, such that behavior of the robot adapts over time to increase the likelihood that the robot will successfully complete the task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dinei A. Florencio, Douglas Guimarães Macharet, Dan Bohus
  • Patent number: 8473420
    Abstract: Individuals may interact with automated services as one or more parties, where such individuals may have collective (as well as individual) intents. Moreover, parties may concurrently communicate with the interface, and the interface may have to manage several concurrent interactions with different parties. Single-individual interfaces may be unable to react robustly to such dynamic and complex real-world scenarios. Instead, multi-party interfaces to service components may be devised that identify individuals within a scene, associate the individuals with parties, track a set of interactions of the parties with the service component, and direct the service component in interacting with the parties. A multi-party interface may also detect and politely handle interruptions, and may identify information items about individuals and parties based on context and history, prioritize the intents of the individuals and parties, and triage interactions accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Dan Bohus, Eric Horvitz
  • Publication number: 20100332648
    Abstract: Individuals may interact with automated services as one or more parties, where such individuals may have collective (as well as individual) intents. Moreover, parties may concurrently communicate with the interface, and the interface may have to manage several concurrent interactions with different parties. Single-individual interfaces may be unable to react robustly to such dynamic and complex real-world scenarios. Instead, multi-party interfaces to service components may be devised that identify individuals within a scene, associate the individuals with parties, track a set of interactions of the parties with the service component, and direct the service component in interacting with the parties. A multi-party interface may also detect and politely handle interruptions, and may identify information items about individuals and parties based on context and history, prioritize the intents of the individuals and parties, and triage interactions accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Dan Bohus, Eric Horvitz
  • Publication number: 20100076765
    Abstract: Described is a technology by which a structured model of repetition is used to determine the words spoken by a user, and/or a corresponding database entry, based in part on a prior utterance. For a repeated utterance, a joint probability analysis is performed on (at least some of) the corresponding word sequences as recognized by one or more recognizers) and associated acoustic data. For example, a generative probabilistic model, or a maximum entropy model may be used in the analysis. The second utterance may be a repetition of the first utterance using the exact words, or another structural transformation thereof relative to the first utterance, such as an extension that adds one or more words, a truncation that removes one or more words, or a whole or partial spelling of one or more words.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Geoffrey G. Zweig, Xiao Li, Dan Bohus, Alejandro Acero, Eric J. Horvitz