Patents by Inventor Robert Kennewick

Robert Kennewick 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: 7983917
    Abstract: An enhanced system for speech interpretation is provided. The system may include receiving a user verbalization and generating one or more preliminary interpretations of the verbalization by identifying one or more phonemes in the verbalization. An acoustic grammar may be used to map the phonemes to syllables or words, and the acoustic grammar may include one or more linking elements to reduce a search space associated with the grammar. The preliminary interpretations may be subject to various post-processing techniques to sharpen accuracy of the preliminary interpretation. A heuristic model may assign weights to various parameters based on a context, a user profile, or other domain knowledge. A probable interpretation may be identified based on a confidence score for each of a set of candidate interpretations generated by the heuristic model. The model may be augmented or updated based on various information associated with the interpretation of the verbalization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, Min Ke, Michael Tjalve, Philippe Di Cristo
  • Publication number: 20110131036
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for receiving speech and/or non-speech communications of natural language questions and/or commands and executing the questions and/or commands. The invention provides a conversational human-machine interface that includes a conversational speech analyzer, a general cognitive model, an environmental model, and a personalized cognitive model to determine context, domain knowledge, and invoke prior information to interpret a spoken utterance or a received non-spoken message. The system and method creates, stores, and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context of the speech or non-speech communication and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe DiCristo, Chris Weider, Robert A. Kennewick
  • Publication number: 20110131045
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for receiving speech and non-speech communications of natural language questions and/or commands, transcribing the speech and non-speech communications to textual messages, and executing the questions and/or commands. The invention applies context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users presenting questions or commands across multiple domains. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context of the speech and non-speech communications and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Di Cristo, Min Ke, Robert A. Kennewick, Lynn Elise Armstrong
  • Patent number: 7949529
    Abstract: A mobile system is provided that includes speech-based and non-speech-based interfaces for telematics applications. The mobile system identifies and uses context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for users that submit requests and/or commands in multiple domains. The invention creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command. The invention may organize domain specific behavior and information into agents, that are distributable or updateable over a wide area network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris Weider, Richard Kennewick, Mike Kennewick, Philippe Di Cristo, Robert A. Kennewick, Samuel Menaker, Lynn Elise Armstrong
  • Publication number: 20110112827
    Abstract: A system and method for hybrid processing in a natural language voice services environment that includes a plurality of multi-modal devices may be provided. In particular, the hybrid processing may generally include the plurality of multi-modal devices cooperatively interpreting and processing one or more natural language utterances included in one or more multi-modal requests. For example, a virtual router may receive various messages that include encoded audio corresponding to a natural language utterance contained in a multi-modal interaction provided to one or more of the devices. The virtual router may then analyze the encoded audio to select a cleanest sample of the natural language utterance and communicate with one or more other devices in the environment to determine an intent of the multi-modal interaction. The virtual router may then coordinate resolving the multi-modal interaction based on the intent of the multi-modal interaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, Lynn Elise Armstrong
  • Patent number: 7917367
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for receiving speech and non-speech communications of natural language questions and/or commands, transcribing the speech and non-speech communications to textual messages, and executing the questions and/or commands. The invention applies context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users presenting questions or commands across multiple domains. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context of the speech and non-speech communications and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Di Cristo, Min Ke, Robert A. Kennewick, Lynn Elise Armstrong
  • Publication number: 20100286985
    Abstract: Systems and methods for receiving natural language queries and/or commands and execute the queries and/or commands. The systems and methods overcome the deficiencies of prior art speech query and response systems through the application of a complete speech-based information query, retrieval, presentation and command environment. This environment makes significant use of context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users making queries or commands in multiple domains. Through this integrated approach, a complete speech-based natural language query and response environment can be created. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, David Locke, Michael R. Kennewick, SR., Michael R. Kennewick, JR., Richard Kennewick, Tom Freeman
  • Patent number: 7809570
    Abstract: Systems and methods for receiving natural language queries and/or commands and execute the queries and/or commands. The systems and methods overcomes the deficiencies of prior art speech query and response systems through the application of a complete speech-based information query, retrieval, presentation and command environment. This environment makes significant use of context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users making queries or commands in multiple domains. Through this integrated approach, a complete speech-based natural language query and response environment can be created. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, David Locke, Michael R. Kennewick, Sr., Michael R. Kennewick, Jr., Richard Kennewick, Tom Freeman
  • Publication number: 20100204994
    Abstract: Systems and methods for receiving natural language queries and/or commands and execute the queries and/or commands. The systems and methods overcome the deficiencies of prior art speech query and response systems through the application of a complete speech-based information query, retrieval, presentation and command environment. This environment makes significant use of context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users making queries or commands in multiple domains. Through this integrated approach, a complete speech-based natural language query and response environment can be created. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, David Locke, Michael R. Kennewick, SR., Michael R. Kennewick, JR., Richard Kennewick, Tom Freeman
  • Publication number: 20100204986
    Abstract: Systems and methods for receiving natural language queries and/or commands and execute the queries and/or commands. The systems and methods overcome the deficiencies of prior art speech query and response systems through the application of a complete speech-based information query, retrieval, presentation and command environment. This environment makes significant use of context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users making queries or commands in multiple domains. Through this integrated approach, a complete speech-based natural language query and response environment can be created. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, David Locke, Michael R. Kennewick, SR., Michael R. Kennewick, JR., Richard Kennewick, Tom Freeman
  • Publication number: 20100145700
    Abstract: Mobile systems and methods that overcomes the deficiencies of prior art speech-based interfaces for telematics applications through the use of a complete speech-based information query, retrieval, presentation and local or remote command environment. This environment makes significant use of context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users making queries or commands in multiple domains. Through this integrated approach, a complete speech-based natural language query and response environment can be created. The invention creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command. The invention may organize domain specific behavior and information into agents, that are distributable or updateable over a wide area network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, David Locke, Michael R. Kennewick, SR., Michael R. Kennewick, JR., Richard Kennewick, Tom Freeman, Stephen F. Elston
  • Patent number: 7693720
    Abstract: Mobile systems and methods that overcomes the deficiencies of prior art speech-based interfaces for telematics applications through the use of a complete speech-based information query, retrieval, presentation and local or remote command environment. This environment makes significant use of context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users making queries or commands in multiple domains. Through this integrated approach, a complete speech-based natural language query and response environment can be created. The invention creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command. The invention may organize domain specific behavior and information into agents, that are distributable or updateable over a wide area network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, David Locke, Michael R. Kennewick, Sr., Michael R. Kennewick, Jr., Richard Kennewick, Tom Freeman, Stephen F. Elston
  • Publication number: 20100057443
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for receiving speech and non-speech communications of natural language questions and/or commands, transcribing the speech and non-speech communications to textual messages, and executing the questions and/or commands. The invention applies context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users presenting questions or commands across multiple domains. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context of the speech and non-speech communications and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Di Cristo, Min Ke, Robert A. Kennewick, Lynn Elise Armstrong
  • Publication number: 20100049501
    Abstract: An enhanced system for speech interpretation is provided. The system may include receiving a user verbalization and generating one or more preliminary interpretations of the verbalization by identifying one or more phonemes in the verbalization. An acoustic grammar may be used to map the phonemes to syllables or words, and the acoustic grammar may include one or more linking elements to reduce a search space associated with the grammar. The preliminary interpretations may be subject to various post-processing techniques to sharpen accuracy of the preliminary interpretation. A heuristic model may assign weights to various parameters based on a context, a user profile, or other domain knowledge. A probable interpretation may be identified based on a confidence score for each of a set of candidate interpretations generated by the heuristic model. The model may be augmented or updated based on various information associated with the interpretation of the verbalization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, Min Ke, Michael Tjalve, Philippe Di Cristo
  • Publication number: 20100049514
    Abstract: An enhanced system for speech interpretation is provided. The system may include receiving a user verbalization and generating one or more preliminary interpretations of the verbalization by identifying one or more phonemes in the verbalization. An acoustic grammar may be used to map the phonemes to syllables or words, and the acoustic grammar may include one or more linking elements to reduce a search space associated with the grammar. The preliminary interpretations may be subject to various post-processing techniques to sharpen accuracy of the preliminary interpretation. A heuristic model may assign weights to various parameters based on a context, a user profile, or other domain knowledge. A probable interpretation may be identified based on a confidence score for each of a set of candidate interpretations generated by the heuristic model. The model may be augmented or updated based on various information associated with the interpretation of the verbalization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, Min Ke, Michael Tjalve, Philippe Di Cristo
  • Publication number: 20100023320
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for receiving speech and/or non-speech communications of natural language questions and/or commands and executing the questions and/or commands. The invention provides a conversational human-machine interface that includes a conversational speech analyzer, a general cognitive model, an environmental model, and a personalized cognitive model to determine context, domain knowledge, and invoke prior information to interpret a spoken utterance or a received non-spoken message. The system and method creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context of the speech or non-speech communication and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Applicant: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Di Cristo, Chris Weider, Robert A. Kennewick
  • Patent number: 7640160
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for receiving speech and non-speech communications of natural language questions and/or commands, transcribing the speech and non-speech communications to textual messages, and executing the questions and/or commands. The invention applies context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users presenting questions or commands across multiple domains. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context of the speech and non-speech communications and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Di Cristo, Min Ke, Robert A. Kennewick, Lynn Elise Armstrong
  • Patent number: 7634409
    Abstract: An enhanced system for speech interpretation is provided. The system may include receiving a user verbalization and generating one or more preliminary interpretations of the verbalization by identifying one or more phonemes in the verbalization. An acoustic grammar may be used to map the phonemes to syllables or words, and the acoustic grammar may include one or more linking elements to reduce a search space associated with the grammar. The preliminary interpretations may be subject to various post-processing techniques to sharpen accuracy of the preliminary interpretation. A heuristic model may assign weights to various parameters based on a context, a user profile, or other domain knowledge. A probable interpretation may be identified based on a confidence score for each of a set of candidate interpretations generated by the heuristic model. The model may be augmented or updated based on various information associated with the interpretation of the verbalization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, Min Ke, Michael Tjalve, Philippe Di Cristo
  • Publication number: 20090299745
    Abstract: A system and method for an integrated, multi-modal, multi-device natural language voice services environment may be provided. In particular, the environment may include a plurality of voice-enabled devices each having intent determination capabilities for processing multi-modal natural language inputs in addition to knowledge of the intent determination capabilities of other devices in the environment. Further, the environment may be arranged in a centralized manner, a distributed peer-to-peer manner, or various combinations thereof. As such, the various devices may cooperate to determine intent of multi-modal natural language inputs, and commands, queries, or other requests may be routed to one or more of the devices best suited to take action in response thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Inventors: Robert A. Kennewick, Chris Weider
  • Patent number: 7620549
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for receiving speech and/or non-speech communications of natural language questions and/or commands and executing the questions and/or commands. The invention provides a conversational human-machine interface that includes a conversational speech analyzer, a general cognitive model, an environmental model, and a personalized cognitive model to determine context, domain knowledge, and invoke prior information to interpret a spoken utterance or a received non-spoken message. The system and method creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context of the speech or non-speech communication and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Di Cristo, Chris Weider, Robert A. Kennewick