Patents by Inventor Jianfeng Gao

Jianfeng Gao 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: 10585988
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-executable instructions for approximating a softmax layer are disclosed. A small world graph that includes a plurality of nodes is constructed for a vocabulary of a natural language model. A context vector is transformed. The small world graph is searched using the transformed context vector to identify a top-K hypothesis. A distance from the context vector for each of the top-K hypothesis is determined. The distance is transformed to an original inner product space. A softmax distribution is computed for the softmax layer over the inner product space of the top-K hypothesis. The softmax layer is useful for determining a next word in a speech recognition or machine translation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Minjia Zhang, Xiaodong Liu, Wenhan Wang, Jianfeng Gao, Yuxiong He
  • Patent number: 10579430
    Abstract: Generally discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for task routing. A method can include receiving, from a resource, a request for a task, in response to receiving the request, determining whether to retrieve a new task of new tasks stored in a first queue or a backlog task of backlog tasks stored in a second queue based on a combined amount of backlog tasks and new tasks relative to a capacity of the resource or the resources, retrieving the new task or the backlog task from the determined first queue or second queue, respectively, based on the determination, and providing the retrieved task to the resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technolog Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Xinying Song, Jaideep Sarkar, Karan Srivastava, Jianfeng Gao, Prabhdeep Singh, Hui Su, Jinchao Li, Andreea Bianca Spataru
  • Patent number: 10579423
    Abstract: Generally discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for scheduling tasks to be completed by resources. A method can include identifying features of the task, the features including a time-dependent feature and a time-independent feature, the time-dependent feature indicating a time the task is more likely to be successfully completed by the resource, converting the features to feature values based on a predefined mapping of features to feature values in a first memory device, determining, by a gradient boost tree model and based on a first current time and the feature values, a likelihood the resource will successfully complete the task, and scheduling the task to be performed by the resource based on the determined likelihood.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jinchao Li, Yu Wang, Karan Srivastava, Jianfeng Gao, Prabhdeep Singh, Haiyuan Cao, Xinying Song, Hui Su, Jaideep Sarkar
  • Patent number: 10546066
    Abstract: Described herein are systems, methods, and techniques by which a processing unit can build an end-to-end dialogue agent model for end-to-end learning of dialogue agents for information access and apply the end-to-end dialogue agent model with soft attention over knowledge base entries to make the dialogue system differentiable. In various examples the processing unit can apply the end-to-end dialogue agent model to a source of input, fill slots for output from the knowledge base entries, induce a posterior distribution over the entities in a knowledge base or induce a posterior distribution of a target of the requesting user over entities from a knowledge base, develop an end-to-end differentiable model of a dialogue agent, use supervised and/or imitation learning to initialize network parameters, calculate a modified version of an episodic algorithm. e.g., the REINFORCE algorithm, for training an end-to-end differentiable model based on user feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Lihong Li, Bhuwan Dhingra, Jianfeng Gao, Xiujun Li, Yun-Nung Chen, Li Deng, Faisal Ahmed
  • Patent number: 10536402
    Abstract: Examples are generally directed towards context-sensitive generation of conversational responses. Context-message-response n-tuples are extracted from at least one source of conversational data to generate a set of training context-message-response n-tuples. A response generation engine is trained on the set of training context-message-response n-tuples. The trained response generation engine automatically generates a context-sensitive response based on a user generated input message and conversational context data. A digital assistant utilizes the trained response generation engine to generate context-sensitive, natural language responses that are pertinent to user queries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Michel Galley, Alessandro Sordoni, Christopher John Brockett, Jianfeng Gao, William Brennan Dolan, Yangfeng Ji, Michael Auli, Margaret Ann Mitchell, Jian-Yun Nie
  • Publication number: 20190377792
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-executable instructions for approximating a softmax layer are disclosed. A small world graph that includes a plurality of nodes is constructed for a vocabulary of a natural language model. A context vector is transformed. The small world graph is searched using the transformed context vector to identify a top-K hypothesis. A distance from the context vector for each of the top-K hypothesis is determined. The distance is transformed to an original inner product space. A softmax distribution is computed for the softmax layer over the inner product space of the top-K hypothesis. The softmax layer is useful for determining a next word in a speech recognition or machine translation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Minjia Zhang, Xiaodong Liu, Wenhan Wang, Jianfeng Gao, Yuxiong He
  • Patent number: 10474950
    Abstract: A processing unit can acquire datasets from respective data sources, each having a respective unique data domain. The processing unit can determine values of a plurality of features based on the plurality of datasets. The processing unit can modify input-specific parameters or history parameters of a computational model based on the values of the features. In some examples, the processing unit can determine an estimated value of a target feature based at least in part on the modified computational model and values of one or more reference features. In some examples, the computational model can include neural networks for several input sets. An output layer of at least one of the neural networks can be connected to the respective hidden layer(s) of one or more other(s) of the neural networks. In some examples, the neural networks can be operated to provide transformed feature value(s) for respective times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaodong He, Jianshu Chen, Brendan W L Clement, Li Deng, Jianfeng Gao, Bochen Jin, Prabhdeep Singh, Sandeep P. Solanki, LuMing Wang, Hanjun Xian, Yilei Zhang, Mingyang Zhao, Zijian Zheng
  • Publication number: 20190340030
    Abstract: Generally discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for task routing. A method can include receiving, from a resource, a request for a task, in response to receiving the request, determining whether to retrieve a new task of new tasks stored in a first queue or a backlog task of backlog tasks stored in a second queue based on a combined amount of backlog tasks and new tasks relative to a capacity of the resource or the resources, retrieving the new task or the backlog task from the determined first queue or second queue, respectively, based on the determination, and providing the retrieved task to the resource.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Xinying Song, Jaideep Sarkar, Karan Srivastava, Jianfeng Gao, Prabhdeep Singh, Hui Su, Jinchao Li, Andreea Bianca Spataru
  • Publication number: 20190324795
    Abstract: A system for executing composite tasks can include a processor to detect a composite task from a user. The processor can also detect a plurality of subtasks corresponding to the composite task based on unsupervised data without a label, wherein the plurality of subtasks are identified by a top-level dialog policy. The processor can also detect a plurality of actions, wherein each action is to complete one of the subtasks, and wherein each action is identified by a low-level dialog policy corresponding to the subtasks identified by the top-level dialog policy. The processor can also update a dialog manager based on a completion of each action corresponding to the subtasks and execute instructions based on a policy identified by the dialog manager, wherein the executed instructions implement the policy with a lowest global cost corresponding to the composite task provided by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jianfeng GAO, Xiujun LI, Lihong LI, Da TANG, Chong WANG, Tony JEBARA
  • Patent number: 10445650
    Abstract: A processing unit can successively operate layers of a multilayer computational graph (MCG) according to a forward computational order to determine a topic value associated with a document based at least in part on content values associated with the document. The processing unit can successively determine, according to a reverse computational order, layer-specific deviation values associated with the layers based at least in part on the topic value, the content values, and a characteristic value associated with the document. The processing unit can determine a model adjustment value based at least in part on the layer-specific deviation values. The processing unit can modify at least one parameter associated with the MCG based at least in part on the model adjustment value. The MCG can be operated to provide a result characteristic value associated with test content values of a test document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jianfeng Gao, Li Deng, Xiaodong He, Lin Xiao, Xinying Song, Yelong Shen, Ji He, Jianshu Chen
  • Publication number: 20190303197
    Abstract: Generally discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for scheduling tasks to be completed by resources. A method can include identifying features of the task, the features including a time-dependent feature and a time-independent feature, the time-dependent feature indicating a time the task is more likely to be successfully completed by the resource, converting the features to feature values based on a predefined mapping of features to feature values in a first memory device, determining, by a gradient boost tree model and based on a first current time and the feature values, a likelihood the resource will successfully complete the task, and scheduling the task to be performed by the resource based on the determined likelihood.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Jinchao Li, Yu Wang, Karan Srivastava, Jianfeng Gao, Prabhdeep Singh, Haiyuan Cao, Xinying Song, Hui Su, Jaideep Sarkar
  • Publication number: 20190303440
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining knowledge-guided information for a recurrent neural networks (RNN) to guide the RNN in semantic tagging of an input phrase are presented. A knowledge encoding module of a Knowledge-Guided Structural Attention Process (K-SAP) receives an input phrase and, in conjunction with additional sub-components or cooperative components generates a knowledge-guided vector that is provided with the input phrase to the RNN for linguistic semantic tagging. Generating the knowledge-guided vector comprises at least parsing the input phrase and generating a corresponding hierarchical linguistic structure comprising one or more discrete sub-structures. The sub-structures may be encoded into vectors along with attention weighting identifying those sub-structures that have greater importance in determining the semantic meaning of the input phrase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Yun-Nung Vivian Chen, Dilek Z. Hakkani-Tur, Gokhan Tur, Asli Celikyilmaz, Jianfeng Gao, Li Deng
  • Patent number: 10387697
    Abstract: A wireless scanner is described that performs a pairing operation with a wireless scanner base before commencing scanning operations in a wireless scanner network. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is used to achieve the pairing operation of the wireless scanner with the wireless scanner base by using an RFID tag associated with the wireless scanner base. The RFID tag in the wireless scanner base may contain pairing information such as a network address of the wireless scanner base for use in automatically establishing a wireless communication session with the wireless scanner base in accordance with another wireless protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: HAND HELD PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Jerry Wu, Jianfeng Gao, HongJian Jin
  • Patent number: 10366163
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining knowledge-guided information for a recurrent neural networks (RNN) to guide the RNN in semantic tagging of an input phrase are presented. A knowledge encoding module of a Knowledge-Guided Structural Attention Process (K-SAP) receives an input phrase and, in conjunction with additional sub-components or cooperative components generates a knowledge-guided vector that is provided with the input phrase to the RNN for linguistic semantic tagging. Generating the knowledge-guided vector comprises at least parsing the input phrase and generating a corresponding hierarchical linguistic structure comprising one or more discrete sub-structures. The sub-structures may be encoded into vectors along with attention weighting identifying those sub-structures that have greater importance in determining the semantic meaning of the input phrase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Yun-Nung Chen, Dilek Z. Hakkani-Tur, Gokhan Tur, Asli Celikyilmaz, Jianfeng Gao, Li Deng
  • Patent number: 10318864
    Abstract: A deep learning network is trained to automatically analyze enterprise data. Raw data from one or more global data sources is received, and a specific training dataset that includes data exemplary of the enterprise data is also received. The raw data from the global data sources is used to pre-train the deep learning network to predict the results of a specific enterprise outcome scenario. The specific training dataset is then used to further train the deep learning network to predict the results of a specific enterprise outcome scenario. Alternately, the raw data from the global data sources may be automatically mined to identify semantic relationships there-within, and the identified semantic relationships may be used to pre-train the deep learning network to predict the results of a specific enterprise outcome scenario.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Li Deng, Jianfeng Gao, Xiaodong He, Prabhdeep Singh
  • Patent number: 10268679
    Abstract: A processing unit can operate an end-to-end recurrent neural network (RNN) with limited contextual dialog memory that can be jointly trained by supervised signals-user slot tagging, intent prediction and/or system action prediction. The end-to-end RNN, or joint model has shown advantages over separate models for natural language understanding (NLU) and dialog management and can capture expressive feature representations beyond conventional aggregation of slot tags and intents, to mitigate effects of noisy output from NLU. The joint model can apply a supervised signal from system actions to refine the NLU model. By back-propagating errors associated with system action prediction to the NLU model, the joint model can use machine learning to predict user intent by a binary classification obtained by both forward and backward output, and perform slot tagging, and make system action predictions based on user input, e.g., utterances across a number of domains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Xiujun Li, Paul Anthony Crook, Li Deng, Jianfeng Gao, Yun-Nung Chen, Xuesong Yang
  • Patent number: 10264081
    Abstract: Techniques for providing a people recommendation system for predicting and recommending relevant people (or other entities) to include in a conversation based on contextual indicators. In an exemplary embodiment, email recipient recommendations may be suggested based on contextual signals, e.g., project names, body text, existing recipients, current date and time, etc. In an aspect, a plurality of properties including ranked key phrases are associated with profiles corresponding to personal entities. Aggregated profiles are analyzed using first- and second-layer processing techniques. The recommendations may be provided to the user reactively, e.g., in response to a specific query by the user to the people recommendation system, or proactively, e.g., based on the context of what the user is currently working on, in the absence of a specific query by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Chenlei Guo, Jianfeng Gao, Xinying Song, Byungki Byun, Yelong Shen, Ye-Yi Wang, Brian D. Remick, Edward Thiele, Mohammed Aatif Ali, Marcus Gois, Xiaodong He, Jianshu Chen, Divya Jetley, Stephen Friesen
  • Publication number: 20190080123
    Abstract: A wireless scanner is described that performs a pairing operation with a wireless scanner base before commencing scanning operations in a wireless scanner network. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is used to achieve the pairing operation of the wireless scanner with the wireless scanner base by using an RFID tag associated with the wireless scanner base. The RFID tag in the wireless scanner base may contain pairing information such as a network address of the wireless scanner base for use in automatically establishing a wireless communication session with the wireless scanner base in accordance with another wireless protocol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicant: HAND HELD PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Jerry WU, Jianfeng GAO, Hong Jian JIN
  • Patent number: 10204097
    Abstract: Efficient exploration of natural language conversations associated with dialogue policy learning may be performed using probabilistic distributions. Exploration may comprise identifying key terms associated with the received natural language input utilizing the structured representation. Identifying key terms may include converting raw text of the received natural language input into a structured representation. Exploration may also comprise mapping at least one of the key terms to an action to be performed by the computer system in response to receiving natural language input associated with the at least one key term. Mapping may then be performed using a probabilistic distribution. The action may then be performed by the computer system. A replay buffer may also be utilized by the computer system to track what has occurred in previous conversations. The replay buffer may then be pre-filled with one or more successful dialogues to jumpstart exploration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Zachary Chase Lipton, Jianfeng Gao, Lihong Li, Xiujun Li, Faisal Ahmed, Li Deng
  • Patent number: 10176168
    Abstract: Statistical Machine Translation (SMT) based search query spelling correction techniques are described herein. In one or more implementations, search data regarding searches performed by clients may be logged. The logged data includes query correction pairs that may be used to ascertain error patterns indicating how misspelled substrings may be translated to corrected substrings. The error patterns may be used to determine suggestions for an input query and to develop query correction models used to translate the input query to a corrected query. In one or more implementations, probabilistic features from multiple query correction models are combined to score different correction candidates. One or more top scoring correction candidates may then be exposed as suggestions for selection by a user and/or provided to a search engine to conduct a corresponding search using the corrected query version(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Jianfeng Gao, Mei-Yuh Hwang, Xuedong D. Huang, Christopher Brian Quirk, Zhenghao Wang