Abstract: A query processing system (QPS) is described herein for interpreting a user's input query against a structured knowledge base, to provide an output result. The output result may include one or more query suggestions, each providing a recommendation as to how a user may refine his or her query. In addition, or alternatively, the output result may specify one or more entity items which satisfy the user's query. In interpreting the user's query, the QPS may rely on a collection of rule modules which identify and process different types of constraints that may be expressed in the input query, including numeric constraint, nested constraints, comparison-based constraints, and so on.

Abstract: A classifier that disambiguates among entities based on a dictionary, such as corpus of documents about those entities, is built by incorporating probabilities that an entity exists that is not in the dictionary. Given a document it is associated by the classifier with an entity. By incorporating out of collection probabilities into the classifier, a higher level of confidence in the match between an entity and a document is achieved.

Abstract: An auto-answer feature is implemented in SIP by configuring a receiving device to automatically acknowledge and answer an incoming call or session from a specific trusted third party. The receiving device may skip to an OK response to an INVITE request when the call is routed through the trusted third party. When the device can automatically answer the incoming call, advanced features such as Push To Talk, Information Tone, Click to Call, and Remote Monitoring may be easily implemented.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a method for entering technical formulas. The method includes receiving a sequence of inputs on a computing device. The sequence of inputs specifies the technical formula. The method also includes displaying the technical formula in response to receiving the sequence of inputs. Additionally, the method includes determining an alternate sequence of inputs that specify the technical formula. The alternate sequence of inputs may be input to the computing device to display the technical formula. The method further includes displaying the alternate sequence.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer-storage media are provided for identifying query formulation suggestions in response to receiving a search query. A portion of a search query is received. Query formulation suggestions are identified by semantically analyzing the search query. The query formulation suggestions are used to further formulate the received search query. The query formulation suggestions include semantic-pattern-based query suggestions that are derived from semantic query patterns, one or more entities, and information associated with these entities. The query formulation suggestions are transmitted for presentation.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer-storage media are provided for identifying low-match search queries and determining comparable item matches to suggest to the user in response to a low-match query. “Low-match queries” are queries for which an insufficient number of exact item matches are available. In embodiments, exact and/or comparable item matches may be determined via semantic analysis. Also provided are systems, methods and computer-storage media for informing the user, by way of a presented indicator, or the like, that a presented item was selected for presentation based upon a similarity metric rather than being determined an exact match for the input query.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that provide contextual services are provided. Embodiments of the present invention allow an input mechanism to provide contextual services. Exemplary input mechanisms include a keyboard, a gesture interface, and a speech interface. These inputs may be used to provide user input into one or more applications running on a computer. The contextual services provided include composition assistance, grammatical assistance, communication-context assistance, and research assistance. In one embodiment, an input mechanism (“IME”) program provides the contextual service. The IME program may work with a remote contextual-service provider. The IME program communicates user input and contextual information to the contextual-service provider. The contextual-service provider analyzes the input and contextual information to determine whether one or more contextual services should be provided.

Abstract: A method and system for collecting and verifying the location information of a calling party and a device of the calling party is provided. More specifically, a method and system is provided for determining whether the identity of the calling party can be confirmed, via evaluating location information, with an acceptable degree of certainty. The location information may be provided by the calling party or obtained from various sources over a digital communication channel. Some of the provided location information which can be accidentally or intentionally altered is identified and evaluated to determine its accuracy as part of the verification process of the caller's identity.

Abstract: Monetization is provided for a process of non-committal intent preview, disambiguation, and refinement of a search. Based on a non-committal intent preview, disambiguation, and refinement process, a user intent may be determined. The user intent may represent an action a user may intend to perform corresponding with a particular entity. An advertisement may be selected based on the identified user intent. The advertisement may then be communicated to a user device for inclusion in a search intent preview for presentation to a user prior to execution of a search query.

Abstract: Systems, methods, computer storage media, and user interfaces are provided for intent expression for search in an embedded application context. A search interaction is received from a user. The search interaction may comprise an interaction with a device or application or a learned intent based on a previous interaction. Remote data from a remote data source is received. Local data is received from each available device or embedded application. The remote data and/or local data may provide one or more intent suggestions based on the search interaction. The remote data is merged with the local data to personalize a result set comprising one or more entity identifications associated with the one or more intent suggestions. The result set may be prioritized based on a set of rules associated with each available device or embedded application. The result set is provided to the user.

Abstract: Systems, methods, computer storage media, and user interfaces are provided for non-committal intent preview, disambiguation, and refinement of a search. A search prefix comprising one or more characters associated with an unexecuted search query is received. One or more intent suggestions are suggested to a user. For each of the one or more intent suggestions, one or more entity identifications associated with each of the one or more intent suggestions are received. Metadata corresponding to at least one entity associated with the one or more entity identifications is retrieved from an entity data store. Without retrieving search results for the unexecuted search query, an aggregated intent preview based on the retrieved metadata corresponding to the at least one entity is provided.

Abstract: Various technologies described herein pertain to disambiguation of a mention of an ambiguous entity in a document. A set of candidate entities can be retrieved from an entity knowledge base based upon the mention of the ambiguous entity, where each of the candidate entities has a respective entity feature representation. Moreover, a document feature representation can be generated based upon features of the document and the respective entity feature representations of the candidate entities. A processor can be caused to select a subset of features from the document feature representation based upon a measure of how discriminative the features from the document feature representation are for disambiguating the mention of the ambiguous entity. A disambiguated result for the mention of the ambiguous entity can be determined based upon the subset of the features. The disambiguated result can be an unknown entity or one of the candidate entities.

Abstract: A method and system for collecting and verifying the location information of a calling party and a device of the calling party is provided. More specifically, a method and system is provided for determining whether the identity of the calling party can be confirmed, via evaluating location information, with an acceptable degree of certainty. The location information may be provided by the calling party or obtained from various sources over a digital communication channel. Some of the provided location information which can be accidentally or intentionally altered is identified and evaluated to determine its accuracy as part of the verification process of the caller's identity.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a method and system for providing VoIP clients with the ability to confirm accuracy in conversation data over a digital communication channel. More specifically, a method and system is provided for verifying, via a visual representation whether a receiving client captures accurate information from a particular portion of the digital voice conversation. In response to a triggering event, a visual representation, including information extracted from the particular portion of the digital voice conversation, may be generated for verifying the accuracy. Based on the needs of the clients engaging in the conversation, one or more visual representations and corresponding verifications can be exchanged. In this manner, a multi-tiered oral agreement with authentication may be generated over a digital communication channel.

Abstract: A statistical language model (SLM) may be iteratively refined by considering N-gram counts in new data, and blending the information contained in the new data with the existing SLM. A first group of documents is evaluated to determine the probabilities associated with the different N-grams observed in the documents. An SLM is constructed based on these probabilities. A second group of documents is then evaluated to determine the probabilities associated with each N-gram in that second group. The existing SLM is then evaluated to determine how well it explains the probabilities in the second group of documents, and a weighting parameter is calculated from that evaluation. Using the weighting parameter, a new SLM is then constructed as a weighted average of the existing SLM and the new probabilities.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system for broadcasting a message to selected devices. More specifically, the method and system identifies appropriate VoIP devices of a recipient client suitable for a broadcast message and transmits the broadcast message to the identified appropriate VoIP devices over a digital communication channel. The appropriate VoIP devices are selected in accordance with various constraints of broadcasting such as recipient client's preference, functionality and capability of the recipient VoIP device, broadcaster's bandwidth, a set of broadcasting rules, or the like. In order to identify appropriate VoIP devices or a recipient client, the information relating to the recipient client and VoIP devices may be exchanged using the digital communication channel.

Abstract: Described is automatically testing the quality of an audio channel between a caller and a callee that includes a device under test, such as a VoIP or other gateway. An analyzer receives timestamps from a caller and callee during a calling session, including timestamps for when the callee initially provides audio (e.g., speech) to the caller, when the caller initially detects sound, when the caller initially provides audio to the callee, and when the callee initially detects sound. The analyzer uses the relative timing of the timestamps and the speech recognizer's outcome to determine whether the audio channel is experiencing interference or echo. When the audio includes speech, a confidence level corresponding to accuracy of speech recognition also may establish the audio channel's quality. Random selection and timing of output may be employed, such as to vary the testing patterns during repetitive tests.

Abstract: A statistical language model (SLM) may be iteratively refined by considering N-gram counts in new data, and blending the information contained in the new data with the existing SLM. A first group of documents is evaluated to determine the probabilities associated with the different N-grams observed in the documents. An SLM is constructed based on these probabilities. A second group of documents is then evaluated to determine the probabilities associated with each N-gram in that second group. The existing SLM is then evaluated to determine how well it explains the probabilities in the second group of documents, and a weighting parameter is calculated from that evaluation. Using the weighting parameter, a new SLM is then constructed as a weighted average of the existing SLM and the new probabilities.

Abstract: This patent application pertains to answer model comparison. One implementation can determine a first frequency at which an individual answer category appears in an individual slot on a query results page when utilizing a first model. The method can ascertain a second frequency at which the individual answer category appears in the individual slot on the query results page when utilizing a second model. The method can calibrate the second model so that the second frequency approaches the first frequency.

Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards using cursor activity with respect to search result pages to enhance search engine operation. Data associated with the cursor activity may be translated into cursor events representing user interactions with a search result page. Based on the cursor events, user behavior indicia may be identified via a user intent prediction model corresponding to various search result page related user actions. The user behavior indicia and/or the user intent prediction model may be used to produce search result pages for current search queries from the user.