Patents by Inventor Ellen Marie Eide

Ellen Marie Eide 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: 8909528
    Abstract: A method (and system) of determining confusable list items and resolving this confusion in a spoken dialog system includes receiving user input, processing the user input and determining if a list of items needs to be played back to the user, retrieving the list to be played back to the user, identifying acoustic confusions between items on the list, changing the items on the list as necessary to remove the acoustic confusions, and playing unambiguous list items back to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Ellen Marie Eide, Vaibhava Goel, Ramesh Gopinath, Osamuyimen T. Stewart
  • Patent number: 8849669
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention is a software tool used to convert text, speech synthesis markup language (SSML), and/or extended SSML to synthesized audio. Provisions are provided to create, view, play, and edit the synthesized speech, including editing pitch and duration targets, speaking type, paralinguistic events, and prosody. Prosody can be provided by way of a sample recording. Users can interact with the software tool by way of a graphical user interface (GUI). The software tool can produce synthesized audio file output in many file formats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Raimo Bakis, Ellen Marie Eide, Roberto Pieraccini, Maria E. Smith, Jie Z. Zeng
  • Publication number: 20140058734
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention is a software tool used to convert text, speech synthesis markup language (SSML), and/or extended SSML to synthesized audio. Provisions are provided to create, view, play, and edit the synthesized speech, including editing pitch and duration targets, speaking type, paralinguistic events, and prosody. Prosody can be provided by way of a sample recording. Users can interact with the software tool by way of a graphical user interface (GUI). The software tool can produce synthesized audio file output in many file formats.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Inventors: Raimo Bakis, Ellen Marie Eide, Roberto Pieraccini, Maria E. Smith, Jie Z. Zeng
  • Patent number: 8401861
    Abstract: A method for generating a frequency warping function comprising preparing the training speech of a source and a target speaker; performing frame alignment on the training speech of the speakers; selecting aligned frames from the frame-aligned training speech of the speakers; extracting corresponding sets of formant parameters from the selected aligned frames; and generating a frequency warping function based on the corresponding sets of formant parameters. The step of selecting aligned frames preferably selects a pair of aligned frames in the middle of the same or similar frame-aligned phonemes with the same or similar contexts in the speech of the source speaker and target speaker. The step of generating a frequency warping function preferably uses the various pairs of corresponding formant parameters in the corresponding sets of formant parameters as key positions in a piecewise linear frequency warping function to generate the frequency warping function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Shuang Zhi Wei, Raimo Bakis, Ellen Marie Eide, Liqin Shen
  • Patent number: 8355484
    Abstract: A technique for masking latency in an automatic dialog system is provided. A communication is received from a user at the automatic dialog system. The communication is processed in the automatic dialog system to provide a response. At least one transitional message is provided to the user from the automatic dialog system while processing the communication. A response is provided to the user from the automatic dialog system in accordance with the received communication from the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Ellen Marie Eide, Wael Mohamed Hamza
  • Patent number: 8311804
    Abstract: A driving directions system loads into memory a limited subset of prerecorded, spoken utterances of geographic names from a mass media storage. The subset of spoken utterances may be limited, for example, to the geographic names within a predetermined radius (e.g., a few miles) of the driver's present location. The present location of the driver may be manually entered into the driving directions system by the driver, or automatically determined using a global positioning system (“GPS”) receiver. As the vehicle moves from its present location, the driving directions system loads into memory new names from the mass media storage and overwrites, if necessary, those which are now geographically out of range. Based on the current location of the driving, the driving directions system can audibly output geographic names from the run-time memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Raimo Bakis, Ellen Marie Eide, Wael Mohamed Hamza
  • Patent number: 7747440
    Abstract: A technique for producing speech output in a text-to-speech system is provided. A message is created for communication to a user in a natural language generator of the text-to-speech system. The message is annotated in the natural language generator with a synthetic speech output style. The message is conveyed to the user through a speech synthesis system in communication with the natural language generator, wherein the message is conveyed in accordance with the synthetic speech output style.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Ellen Marie Eide, Wael Mohamed Hamza
  • Publication number: 20090177473
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, system and computer usable program code for synthesizing speech. A computer implemented method for synthesizing speech includes providing a database of speech of a source speaker, and providing a prosody model of speech of a target speaker different from the source speaker. Text input to be synthesized is received, and the prosody model of speech of the target speaker is applied to the text input to select segments of the speech of the source speaker in the database to form synthesized speech of the text input. The synthesized speech of the text input is then output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Inventors: Andrew S. Aaron, Ellen Marie Eide, Raul Fernandez
  • Patent number: 7490042
    Abstract: A technique for producing speech output in an automatic dialog system in accordance with a detected context is provided. Communication is received from a user at the automatic dialog system. A context of the communication from the user is detected in a context detector of the automatic dialog system. A message is created in a natural language generator of the automatic dialog system in communication with the context detector. The message is conveyed to the user through a speech synthesis system of the automatic dialog system, in communication with the natural language generator and the context detector. Responsive to a detected level of ambient noise, the context detector provides at least one command in a markup language to cause the natural language generator to create the message using maximally intelligible words and to cause the speech synthesis system to convey the message with increased volume and decreased speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ellen Marie Eide, Wael Mohamed Hamza, Michael Alan Picheny
  • Publication number: 20080300882
    Abstract: A technique for producing speech output in a text-to-speech system is provided. A message is created for communication to a user in a natural language generator of the text-to-speech system. The message is annotated in the natural language generator with a synthetic speech output style. The message is conveyed to the user through a speech synthesis system in communication with the natural language generator, wherein the message is conveyed in accordance with the synthetic speech output style.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ellen Marie Eide, Wael Mohamed Hamza
  • Publication number: 20080281598
    Abstract: A method (and system) of determining confusable list items and resolving this confusion in a spoken dialog system includes receiving user input, processing the user input and determining if a list of items needs to be played back to the user, retrieving the list to be played back to the user, identifying acoustic confusions between items on the list, changing the items on the list as necessary to remove the acoustic confusions, and playing unambiguous list items back to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ellen Marie Eide, Vaibhava Goel, Ramesh Gopinath, Osamuyimen T. Stewart
  • Patent number: 7415413
    Abstract: A technique for producing speech output in a text-to-speech system is provided. A message is created for communication to a user in a natural language generator of the text-to-speech system. The message is annotated in the natural language generator with a synthetic speech output style. The message is conveyed to the user through a speech synthesis system in communication with the natural language generator, wherein the message is conveyed in accordance with the synthetic speech output style.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ellen Marie Eide, Wael Mohamed Hamza
  • Publication number: 20080167874
    Abstract: A technique for masking latency in an automatic dialog system is provided. A communication is received from a user at the automatic dialog system. The communication is processed in the automatic dialog system to provide a response. At least one transitional message is provided to the user from the automatic dialog system while processing the communication. A response is provided to the user from the automatic dialog system in accordance with the received communication from the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2007
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Inventors: Ellen Marie Eide, Wael Mohamed Hamza
  • Patent number: 7280969
    Abstract: A speech synthesis system is disclosed that utilizes a pitch contour resulting in a more natural-sounding speech. The present invention modifies the predicted pitch, b(t), for synthesized speech using a low frequency energy booster. The low frequency energy booster interpolates the discrete pitch values, if necessary, and increase the amount of energy of the pitch contour associated with low frequency values, such as all frequency values below 10 Hertz. The amount of energy of the pitch contour associated with low frequency values can be increased, for example, by adding band-limited noise (a carrier signal) to the pitch contour, b(t), or by filtering the pitch values with an impulse response filter having a pole at the desired low frequency value. The present invention serves to add vibrato to the to the original pitch contour, b(t), and thereby improves the naturalness of the synthetic waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ellen Marie Eide, Raimo Bakis
  • Patent number: 7016835
    Abstract: A characteristic-specific digitization method and apparatus are disclosed that reduces the error rate in converting input information into a computer-readable format. The input information is analyzed and subsets of the input information are classified according to whether the input information exhibits a specific physical parameter affecting recognition accuracy. If the input information exhibits the specific physical parameter affecting recognition accuracy, the characteristic-specific digitization system recognizes the input information using a characteristic-specific recognizer that demonstrates improved performance for the given physical parameter. If the input information does not exhibit the specific physical parameter affecting recognition accuracy, the characteristic-specific digitization system recognizes the input information using a general recognizer that performs well for typical input information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ellen Marie Eide, Ramesh Ambat Gopinath, Dimitri Kanevsky, Peder Andreas Olsen
  • Publication number: 20040102975
    Abstract: A speech synthesis system is disclosed that masks any unnatural phenomena in the synthetic speech. A disclosed environmental effect processor manipulates the background environment into which the synthesized speech is embedded to thereby mask any unnatural phenomena in the synthesized speech. The environmental effect processor can manipulate the background environment, for example, by (i) adding a low level of background noise to the synthesized speech; (ii) superimposing the synthetic speech on a music waveform; or (iii) adding reverberation to the synthesized signal. The speech segments can be recorded in a quiet environment, and the background environment is manipulated in accordance with the present invention at the time of synthesis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Ellen Marie Eide
  • Publication number: 20030115053
    Abstract: A characteristic-specific digitization method and apparatus are disclosed that reduces the error rate in converting input information into a computer-readable format. The input information is analyzed and subsets of the input information are classified according to whether the input information exhibits a specific physical parameter affecting recognition accuracy. If the input information exhibits the specific physical parameter affecting recognition accuracy, the characteristic-specific digitization system recognizes the input information using a characteristic-specific recognizer that demonstrates improved performance for the given physical parameter. If the input information does not exhibit the specific physical parameter affecting recognition accuracy, the characteristic-specific digitization system recognizes the input information using a general recognizer that performs well for typical input information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation, Inc.
    Inventors: Ellen Marie Eide, Ramesh Ambat Gopinath, Dimitri Kanevsky, Peder Andreas Olsen
  • Publication number: 20020072909
    Abstract: A speech synthesis system is disclosed that utilizes a pitch contour resulting in a more natural-sounding speech. The present invention modifies the predicted pitch, b(t), for synthesized speech using a low frequency energy booster. The low frequency energy booster interpolates the discrete pitch values, if necessary, and increase the amount of energy of the pitch contour associated with low frequency values, such as all frequency values below 10 Hertz. The amount of energy of the pitch contour associated with low frequency values can be increased, for example, by adding band-limited noise (a carrier signal) to the pitch contour, b(t), or by filtering the pitch values with an impulse response filter having a pole at the desired low frequency value. The present invention serves to add vibrato to the to the original pitch contour, b(t), and thereby improves the naturalness of the synthetic waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Inventors: Ellen Marie Eide, Raimo Bakis
  • Patent number: 6073095
    Abstract: A fast vocabulary independent method for spotting words in speech utilizes a preprocessing step and a coarse-to-detailed search strategy for spotting a word/phone sequence in speech. The preprocessing includes a Viterbi-beam phone level decoding using a tree-based phone language model. The coarse search matches phone-ngrams to identify regions of speech as putative word hits, and the detailed search performs an acoustic match at the putative hits with a model of the given word included in the vocabulary of the recognizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Satyanarayana Dharanipragada, Ellen Marie Eide, Salim Estephan Roukos
  • Patent number: 5884259
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for using a tree structure to constrain a time-synchronous, fast search for candidate words in an acoustic stream is described. A minimum stay of three frames in each graph node visited is imposed by allowing transitions only every third frame. This constraint enables the simplest possible Markov model for each phoneme while enforcing the desired minimum duration. The fast, time-synchronous search for likely words is done for an entire sentence/utterance. The list of hypotheses beginning at each time frame is stored for providing, on-demand, lists of contender/candidate words to the asynchronous, detailed match phase of decoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lalit Rai Bahl, Ellen Marie Eide