Patents by Inventor Stephen D. Richardson

Stephen D. Richardson 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: 11679999
    Abstract: A method for the decontamination of water containing one or more PFAS, having the steps of generating colloidal gas aphrons (CGAs) by mixing a gas, water, and one or more surfactants together with high shear forces, introducing the CGAs and a PFAS-containing water in an enclosed space where the CGAs move upwards through the water due to their inherent buoyancy, allowing the plurality of CGAs to extract PFAS from the water, and separating the PFAS-containing CGAs from the surface of the water in the enclosed space for further treatment or disposal, leaving the water with lower PFAS concentrations in the vessel. The aphrons may be anionic or cationic and created by mixing speeds or surfactant concentration, and treatment may be with gas bubbles to remove PFAS from water gas bubbles or destruction of PFAS by plasma reactor or deployed in situ through wells into geologic ground formations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: GSI Environmental Inc.
    Inventors: Charles J. Newell, Poonam R. Kulkarni, Hassan Javed, Nicholas W. Johnson, Stephen D. Richardson
  • Publication number: 20230110561
    Abstract: A method for the decontamination of water containing one or more PFAS, having the steps of generating colloidal gas aphrons (CGAs) by mixing a gas, water, and one or more surfactants together with high shear forces, introducing the CGAs and a PFAS-containing water in an enclosed space where the CGAs move upwards through the water due to their inherent buoyancy, allowing the plurality of CGAs to extract PFAS from the water, and separating the PFAS-containing CGAs from the surface of the water in the enclosed space for further treatment or disposal, leaving the water with lower PFAS concentrations in the vessel. The aphrons may be anionic or cationic and created by mixing speeds or surfactant concentration, and treatment may be with gas bubbles to remove PFAS from water gas bubbles or destruction of PFAS by plasma reactor or deployed in situ through wells into geologic ground formations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Charles J. Newell, Poonam R. Kulkarni, Hassan Javed, Nicholas W. Johnson, Stephen D. Richardson
  • Publication number: 20230063935
    Abstract: A method for the decontamination of water containing one or more PFAS, having the steps of generating colloidal gas aphrons (CGAs) by mixing a gas, water, and one or more surfactants together with high shear forces, introducing the CGAs and a PFAS-containing water in an enclosed space where the CGAs move upwards through the water due to their inherent buoyancy, allowing the plurality of CGAs to extract PFAS from the water, and separating the PFAS-containing CGAs from the surface of the water in the enclosed space for further treatment or disposal, leaving the water with lower PFAS concentrations in the vessel. The aphrons may be anionic or cationic and created by mixing speeds or surfactant concentration, and treatment may be with gas bubbles to remove PFAS from water gas bubbles or destruction of PFAS by plasma reactor or deployed in situ through wells into geologic ground formations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Charles J. Newell, Poonam R. Kulkarni, Hassan Javed, Nicholas W. Johnson, Stephen D. Richardson
  • Patent number: 8275605
    Abstract: A computer-implemented machine translation system translates text from a first language to a second language. The system includes a plurality of mappings, each mapping indicative of associating a dependency structure of the first language with a dependency structure of the second language, wherein at least some of the mappings correspond to dependency structures of the first language having varying context with some common elements, and associated dependency structures of the second language to the dependency structures of the first language. A module receives input text in a first language and outputs output text in a second language based on accessing the plurality of mappings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Arul A. Menezes, Stephen D. Richardson
  • Publication number: 20100223049
    Abstract: A computer-implemented machine translation system translates text from a first language to a second language. The system includes a plurality of mappings, each mapping indicative of associating a dependency structure of the first language with a dependency structure of the second language, wherein at least some of the mappings correspond to dependency structures of the first language having varying context with some common elements, and associated dependency structures of the second language to the dependency structures of the first language. A module receives input text in a first language and outputs output text in a second language based on accessing the plurality of mappings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Arul A. Menezes, Stephen D. Richardson
  • Patent number: 7734459
    Abstract: A method of aligning nodes of dependency structures obtained from a bilingual corpus includes a two-phase approach wherein a first phase comprises associating nodes of the dependency structures to form tentative correspondences. The nodes of the dependency structures are then aligned as a function of the tentative correspondences and structural considerations. Mappings are obtained from the aligned dependency structures. The mappings can be expanded with varying types and amounts of local context in order that a more fluent translation can be obtained when translation is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Arul A. Menezes, Stephen D. Richardson
  • Patent number: 7496496
    Abstract: A machine translation system is trained to generate confidence scores indicative of a quality of a translation result. A source string is translated with a machine translator to generate a target string. Features indicative of translation operations performed are extracted from the machine translator. A trusted entity-assigned translation score is obtained and is indicative of a trusted entity-assigned translation quality of the translated string. A relationship between a subset of the extracted features and the trusted entity-assigned translation score is identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher B. Quirk, Arul A. Menezes, Stephen D. Richardson, Robert C. Moore
  • Patent number: 7383169
    Abstract: A lexical knowledge base is compiled automatically from a machine-readable source (such as an on-line dictionary or unstructured text). The preferred embodiment of the invention makes use of “backward linking,” by which inverse semantic relations are discerned from the text and used to augment the knowledge base. By this arrangement, on-line dictionaries and other texts can provide formidable sources of “common sense” knowledge about the world.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Lucretia H. Vanderwende, Stephen D. Richardson, Karen Jensen, George E. Heidorn, William B. Dolan
  • Patent number: 7295963
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing information to an automatic machine translation system to improve translation accuracy is disclosed. The method includes receiving a collection of source text. An attempted translation that corresponds to the collection of source text is received from the automatic machine translation system. A correction input, which is configured to effectuate a correction of at least one error in the attempted translation, is also received. Finally, information is provided to the automatic machine translation system to reduce the likelihood that the error will be repeated in subsequent translations generated by the automatic machine translation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen D. Richardson, Richard F. Rashid
  • Patent number: 7206735
    Abstract: A method translates a textual input in a first language to a textual output in a second language. An input logical form is generated based on the textual input. When a plurality of transfer mappings in a transfer mapping database match the input logical form (or at least a portion thereof) one or more of those plurality of matching transfer mappings is selected based on a predetermined metric. Textual output is generated based on the selected transfer logical form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Aurl A. Menezes, Stephen D. Richardson, Jessie E. Pinkman, William B. Dolan
  • Patent number: 7050964
    Abstract: A computer implemented method translates a textual input in a first language to a textual output in a second language. An input logical form is generated based on the textual input. When a plurality of transfer mappings in a transfer mapping database match the input logical form (or at least a portion thereof) one or more of those plurality of matching transfer mappings is selected based on a predetermined metric. Textual output is generated based on the selected transfer logical form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Arul A. Menzes, Stephen D. Richardson, Jessie E. Pinkham, William B. Dolan
  • Patent number: 7013264
    Abstract: The present invention can be used in a natural language processing system to determine a relationship (such as similarity in meaning) between two textual segments. The relationship can be identified or determined based on logical graphs generated from the textual segments. A relationship between first and second logical graphs is determined. This is accomplished regardless of whether there is an exact match between the first and second logical graphs. In one embodiment, the first graph represents an input textual discourse unit. The second graph, in one embodiment, represents information in a lexical knowledge base (LKB). The input graph can be matched against the second graph, if they have similar meaning, even if the two differ lexically or structurally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: William B. Dolan, Michael Barnett, Stephen D. Richardson, Arul A. Menezes, Lucretia H. Vanderwende
  • Patent number: 6871174
    Abstract: The present invention can be used in a natural language processing system to determine a relationship (such as similarity in meaning) between two textual segments. The relationship can be identified or determined based on logical graphs generated from the textual segments. A relationship between first and second logical graphs is determined. This is accomplished regardless of whether there is an exact match between the first and second logical graphs. In one embodiment, the first graph represents an input textual discourse unit. The second graph, in one embodiment, represents information in a lexical knowledge base (LKB). The input graph can be matched against the second graph, if they have similar meaning, even if the two differ lexically or structurally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: William B. Dolan, Michael Barnett, Stephen D. Richardson, Arul A. Menezes, Lucretia H. Vanderwende
  • Publication number: 20040260532
    Abstract: An adaptive machine translation service for improving the performance of a user's automatic machine translation system is disclosed. A user submits a source document to an automatic translation system. The source document and at least a portion of an automatically generated translation are then transmitted to a reliable modification source (i.e., a human translator) for review and correction. Training material is generated automatically based on modifications made by the reliable source. The training material is sent back to the user together with the corrected translation. The user's automatic translation system is adapted based on the training material, thereby enabling the translation system to become customized through the normal workflow of acquiring corrected translations from a reliable source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2003
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen D. Richardson, Richard F. Rashid
  • Patent number: 6640006
    Abstract: The present invention provides a facility for selecting from a sequence of natural language characters combinations of characters that may be words. The facility uses indications, for each of a plurality of characters, of (a) the characters that occur in the second position of words that begin with the character and (b) the positions in which the character occurs in words. For each of a plurality of contiguous combinations of characters occurring in the sequence, the facility determines whether the character occurring in the second position of the combination is indicated to occur in words that begin with the character occurring in the first position of the combination. If so, the facility determines whether every character of the combination is indicated to occur in words in a position in which it occurs in the combination. If so, the facility determines that the combination of characters may be a word.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Andi Wu, Stephen D. Richardson, Zixin Jiang
  • Publication number: 20030061023
    Abstract: A method of aligning nodes of dependency structures obtained from a bilingual corpus includes a two-phase approach wherein a first phase comprises associating nodes of the dependency structures to form tentative correspondences. The nodes of the dependency structures are then aligned as a function of the tentative correspondences and structural considerations. Mappings are obtained from the aligned dependency structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2001
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Arul A. Menezes, Stephen D. Richardson
  • Publication number: 20030023422
    Abstract: A computer implemented method translates a textual input in a first language to a textual output in a second language. An input logical form is generated based on the textual input. When a plurality of transfer mappings in a transfer mapping database match the input logical form (or at least a portion thereof) one or more of those plurality of matching transfer mappings is selected based on a predetermined metric. Textual output is generated based on the selected transfer logical form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2001
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventors: Arul A. Menezes, Stephen D. Richardson, Jessie E. Pinkham, William B. Dolan
  • Publication number: 20020102025
    Abstract: The present invention provides a facility for selecting from a sequence of natural language characters combinations of characters that may be words. The facility uses indications, for each of a plurality of characters, of (a) the characters that occur in the second position of words that begin with the character and (b) the positions in which the character occurs in words. For each of a plurality of contiguous combinations of characters occurring in the sequence, the facility determines whether the character occurring in the second position of the combination is indicated to occur in words that begin with the character occurring in the first position of the combination. If so, the facility determines whether every character of the combination is indicated to occur in words in a position in which it occurs in the combination. If so, the facility determines that the combination of characters may be a word.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 1998
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventors: ANDI WU, STEPHEN D. RICHARDSON, ZIXIN JIANG
  • Patent number: 6246977
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to performing information retrieval utilizing semantic representation of text. In a preferred embodiment, a tokenizer generates from an input string information retrieval tokens that characterize the semantic relationship expressed in the input string. The tokenizer first creates from the input string a primary logical form characterizing a semantic relationship between selected words in the input string. The tokenizer then identifies hypemyms that each have an “is a” relationship with one of the selected words in the input string. The tokenizer then constructs from the primary logical form one or more alternative logical forms. The tokenizer constructs each alternative logical form by, for each of one or more of the selected words in the input string, replacing the selected word in the primary logical form with an identified hypernym of the selected word.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John J. Messerly, George E. Heidorn, Stephen D. Richardson, William B. Dolan, Karen Jensen
  • Patent number: 6161084
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to performing information retrieval utilizing semantic representation of text. In a preferred embodiment, a tokenizer generates from an input string information retrieval tokens that characterize the semantic relationship expressed in the input string. The tokenizer first creates from the input string a primary logical form characterizing a semantic relationship between selected words in the input string. The tokenizer then identifies hypernyms that each have an "is a" relationship with one of the selected words in the input string. The tokenizer then constructs from the primary logical form one or more alternative logical forms. The tokenizer constructs each alternative logical form by, for each of one or more of the selected words in the input string, replacing the selected word in the primary logical form with an identified hypernym of the selected word. Finally, the tokenizer generates tokens representing both the primary logical form and the alternative logical forms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John J. Messerly, George E. Heidorn, Stephen D. Richardson, William B. Dolan, Karen Jensen