Patents by Inventor Imed Zitouni

Imed Zitouni 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).

  • Publication number: 20240346290
    Abstract: Aspects of the technology provide systems and methods for implementing an asymmetric dual encoder architecture. The architecture includes a token embedder layer section having a first token embedding section associated with a first input and a second token embedding section associated with a second input, and an encoder layer section having a first encoder section receiving token embeddings from the first token embedding section and a second encoder section receiving token embeddings from the second token embedding section. A shared projection layer receives encodings from both the first and second encoder sections and generates a set of projections. An embedding space is configured, based on the set of projections, to generate a question embedding and an answer embedding, in which the question and answer embeddings are used in identifying a set of candidate answers to an input answer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2023
    Publication date: October 17, 2024
    Inventors: Zhe Dong, Jianmo Ni, Imed Zitouni, Enrique Alfonseca, Daniel Martin Bikel, Chen Qu
  • Publication number: 20240038220
    Abstract: A computer-implemented technique is described herein for expediting a user's interaction with a digital assistant. In one implementation, the technique involves receiving a system prompt generated by a digital assistant in response to an input command provided by a user via an input device. The technique then generates a predicted response based on linguistic content of the system prompt, together with contextual features pertaining to a circumstance in which the system prompt was issued. The predicted response corresponds to a prediction of how the user will respond to the system prompt. The technique then selects one or more dialogue actions from a plurality of dialogue actions, based on a confidence value associated with the predicted response. The technique expedites the user's interaction with the digital assistant by reducing the number of system prompts that the user is asked to respond to.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Vipul AGARWAL, Rahul Kumar JHA, Soumya BATRA, Karthik TANGIRALA, Mohammad MAKARECHIAN, Imed ZITOUNI
  • Patent number: 11880761
    Abstract: Systems and methods for adding a new domain to a natural language understanding system to form an updated language understanding system with multiple domain experts are provided. More specifically, the systems and methods are able to add a new domain utilizing data from one or more of the domains already present in the natural language understanding system while keeping the new domain and the already present domains separate from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Imed Zitouni, Dongchan Kim, Young-Bum Kim
  • Patent number: 11823661
    Abstract: A computer-implemented technique is described herein for expediting a user's interaction with a digital assistant. In one implementation, the technique involves receiving a system prompt generated by a digital assistant in response to an input command provided by a user via an input device. The technique then generates a predicted response based on linguistic content of the system prompt, together with contextual features pertaining to a circumstance in which the system prompt was issued. The predicted response corresponds to a prediction of how the user will respond to the system prompt. The technique then selects one or more dialogue actions from a plurality of dialogue actions, based on a confidence value associated with the predicted response. The technique expedites the user's interaction with the digital assistant by reducing the number of system prompts that the user is asked to respond to.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Vipul Agarwal, Rahul Kumar Jha, Soumya Batra, Karthik Tangirala, Mohammad Makarechian, Imed Zitouni
  • Patent number: 11748071
    Abstract: Developer and runtime environments supporting multi-modal input for computing systems are disclosed. The developer environment includes a gesture library of human body gestures (e.g., hand gestures) that a previously-trained, system-level gesture recognition machine is configured to recognize. The developer environment further includes a user interface for linking a gesture of the gesture library with a semantic descriptor that is assigned to a function of the application program. The application program is executable to implement the function responsive to receiving an indication of the gesture recognized by the gesture recognition machine within image data captured by a camera. The semantic descriptor may be additionally linked to a different input modality than the gesture, such as a natural language input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Inventors: Soumya Batra, Hany Mohamed Salah Eldeen Mohamed Khalil, Imed Zitouni
  • Publication number: 20230205775
    Abstract: An example system includes a processor to receive production log data and pre-process the production log data to generate an exploration data set. The production log data includes continuous updates of a ranking function associated with different actions for a same query issued by a same user in different impressions. The processor can perform offline estimation of online metrics for ranking functions using the exploration data set, evaluate a proposed ranking function by comparing the estimated online metrics to a set of baseline metrics of a baseline ranking function, detect that the proposed ranking function is a preferred ranking function having a higher detected metric score than the baseline ranking function based on a comparison of the estimated online metrics with the baseline metrics of the baseline ranking function, and execute an action on an information retrieval system based on the preferred ranking function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Lihong LI, Jinyoung KIM, Imed ZITOUNI
  • Patent number: 11636120
    Abstract: The claimed subject matter includes techniques for offline evaluation of ranking functions. An example system includes a first module configured to receive production log data, the first module to pre-process the production log data to generate an exploration data set. The example system also includes a second module configured to perform offline estimation of online metrics for ranking functions using the exploration data set. The example system also includes a third module to evaluate a proposed ranking function by comparing the estimated online metrics to a set of baseline metrics of a baseline ranking function and detecting that the estimated online metrics of the proposed ranking function exceed, are lower than, or are within a predetermined range of the baseline metrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Lihong Li, Jinyoung Kim, Imed Zitouni
  • Publication number: 20230110655
    Abstract: Developer and runtime environments supporting multi-modal input for computing systems are disclosed. The developer environment includes a gesture library of human body gestures (e.g., hand gestures) that a previously-trained, system-level gesture recognition machine is configured to recognize. The developer environment further includes a user interface for linking a gesture of the gesture library with a semantic descriptor that is assigned to a function of the application program. The application program is executable to implement the function responsive to receiving an indication of the gesture recognized by the gesture recognition machine within image data captured by a camera. The semantic descriptor may be additionally linked to a different input modality than the gesture, such as a natural language input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Hany Mohamed SalahEldeen Mohamed KHALIL, Imed Zitouni, Soumya Batra
  • Patent number: 11593769
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for task identification and tracking using shared conversational context. In one implementation, a first communication from a first user is received within a communication session. The first communication is processed to identify a first content element within the first communication. A second communication is received within the communication session. The second communication is processed to identify a second content element within the second communication. The first content element is associated with the second content element. Based on an association between the first content element and the second content element, a task is identified. An action is initiated with respect to the task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Omar Zia Khan, Vipul Agarwal, Imed Zitouni
  • Patent number: 11537365
    Abstract: Developer and runtime environments supporting multi-modal input for computing systems are disclosed. The developer environment includes a gesture library of human body gestures (e.g., hand gestures) that a previously-trained, system-level gesture recognition machine is configured to recognize. The developer environment further includes a user interface for linking a gesture of the gesture library with a semantic descriptor that is assigned to a function of the application program. The application program is executable to implement the function responsive to receiving an indication of the gesture recognized by the gesture recognition machine within image data captured by a camera. The semantic descriptor may be additionally linked to a different input modality than the gesture, such as a natural language input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Soumya Batra, Hany Mohamed Salaheldeen Mohamed Khalil, Imed Zitouni
  • Patent number: 11436469
    Abstract: Described herein is a conversation engine that can be used in a system such as a personal digital assistant or search engine that combines a dynamic knowledge graph built during execution of a request and one or more static knowledge graphs holding long term knowledge. The conversation engine comprises a state tracker that holds the dynamic knowledge graph representing the current state of the conversation, a policy engine that selects entities in the dynamic knowledge graph and executes actions provided by those entities to move the state of the conversation toward completion, and a knowledge graph search engine to search the static knowledge graph(s). The conversation is completed by building the dynamic knowledge graph over multiple rounds and chaining together operations that build toward completion of the conversation. Completion of the conversation results in completion of a request by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Marius Alexandru Marin, Paul Anthony Crook, Vipul Agarwal, Imed Zitouni
  • Publication number: 20210082403
    Abstract: A computer-implemented technique is described herein for expediting a user's interaction with a digital assistant. In one implementation, the technique involves receiving a system prompt generated by a digital assistant in response to an input command provided by a user via an input device. The technique then generates a predicted response based on linguistic content of the system prompt, together with contextual features pertaining to a circumstance in which the system prompt was issued. The predicted response corresponds to a prediction of how the user will respond to the system prompt. The technique then selects one or more dialogue actions from a plurality of dialogue actions, based on a confidence value associated with the predicted response. The technique expedites the user's interaction with the digital assistant by reducing the number of system prompts that the user is asked to respond to.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Vipul AGARWAL, Rahul Kumar JHA, Soumya BATRA, Karthik TANGIRALA, Mohammad MAKARECHIAN, Imed ZITOUNI
  • Patent number: 10896186
    Abstract: Described herein are technologies pertaining to determining which search engine results page (SERP), from a plurality of SERPs, is preferable to a user. A query is received, and multiple SERPS are retrieved based upon the query, wherein the multiple SERPs are generated independently from one another. Values of features of the query and the multiple SERPs are obtained, and a determination as to which of the SERPs from the multiple SERPs is preferable to the user is made based upon the values of the features. The SERP determined to be preferable over other SERPs in the multiple SERPs is presented to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Ahmed Hassan Awadallah, Imed Zitouni, Frederic H. Behr, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10878805
    Abstract: A computer-implemented technique is described herein for expediting a user's interaction with a digital assistant. In one implementation, the technique involves receiving a system prompt generated by a digital assistant in response to an input command provided by a user via an input device. The technique then generates a predicted response based on linguistic content of the system prompt, together with contextual features pertaining to a circumstance in which the system prompt was issued. The predicted response corresponds to a prediction of how the user will respond to the system prompt. The technique then selects one or more dialogue actions from a plurality of dialogue actions, based on a confidence value associated with the predicted response. The technique expedites the user's interaction with the digital assistant by reducing the number of system prompts that the user is asked to respond to.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Vipul Agarwal, Rahul Kumar Jha, Soumya Batra, Karthik Tangirala, Mohammad Makarechian, Imed Zitouni
  • Patent number: 10847147
    Abstract: Automatic speech recognition systems can benefit from cues in user voice such as hyperarticulation. Traditional approaches typically attempt to define and detect an absolute state of hyperarticulation, which is very difficult, especially on short voice queries. This disclosure provides for an approach for hyperarticulation detection using pair-wise comparisons and on a real-world speech recognition system. The disclosed approach uses delta features extracted from a pair of repetitive user utterances. The improvements provided by the disclosed systems and methods include improvements in word error rate by using hyperarticulation information as a feature in a second pass N-best hypotheses rescoring setup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Ranjitha Gurunath Kulkarni, Ahmed Moustafa El Kholy, Ziad Al Bawab, Noha Alon, Imed Zitouni
  • Patent number: 10798027
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for personalized communications using semantic memory. In one implementation, a first communication is received from a user and processed to identify a first content element within the communication. The first content element is associated with a second content element within a content repository. A second communication that includes the first content element is received from the user. Based on an association between the first content element and the second content element within the content repository, a third communication that includes the second content element is generated and provided to the user in response to the second communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Inventors: Vipul Agarwal, Omar Zia Khan, Imed Zitouni, Hisami Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20200310765
    Abstract: Developer and runtime environments supporting multi-modal input for computing systems are disclosed. The developer environment includes a gesture library of human body gestures (e.g., hand gestures) that a previously-trained, system-level gesture recognition machine is configured to recognize. The developer environment further includes a user interface for linking a gesture of the gesture library with a semantic descriptor that is assigned to a function of the application program. The application program is executable to implement the function responsive to receiving an indication of the gesture recognized by the gesture recognition machine within image data captured by a camera. The semantic descriptor may be additionally linked to a different input modality than the gesture, such as a natural language input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Soumya BATRA, Hany Mohamed SalahEldeen Mohamed KHALIL, Imed ZITOUNI
  • Publication number: 20200311343
    Abstract: Cascaded models may be applied to extract facts from a medical text. A first model may be applied to at least a portion of the medical text. The first model extracts at least one first medical fact. The at least one first medical fact is linked to at least first text in the at least a portion of the medical text. A second model may be applied to the first text. The second model extracts at least one second fact that is an attribute of the at least one first medical fact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Neal E. Snider, Brian William Delaney, Girija Yegnanarayanan, Radu Florian, Martin Franz, Scott McCarley, John F. Pitrelli, Imed Zitouni, Salim E. Roukos
  • Publication number: 20200302405
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for task identification and tracking using shared conversational context. In one implementation, a first communication from a first user is received within a communication session. The first communication is processed to identify a first content element within the first communication. A second communication is received within the communication session. The second communication is processed to identify a second content element within the second communication. The first content element is associated with the second content element. Based on an association between the first content element and the second content element, a task is identified. An action is initiated with respect to the task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Omar Zia Khan, Vipul Agarwal, Imed Zitouni
  • Patent number: 10713019
    Abstract: Developer and runtime environments supporting multi-modal input for computing systems are disclosed. The developer environment includes a gesture library of human body gestures (e.g., hand gestures) that a previously-trained, system-level gesture recognition machine is configured to recognize. The developer environment further includes a user interface for linking a gesture of the gesture library with a semantic descriptor that is assigned to a function of the application program. The application program is executable to implement the function responsive to receiving an indication of the gesture recognized by the gesture recognition machine within image data captured by a camera. The semantic descriptor may be additionally linked to a different input modality than the gesture, such as a natural language input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Soumya Batra, Hany Mohamed SalahEldeen Mohamed Khalil, Imed Zitouni