Patents by Inventor Volker Franz

Volker Franz 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: 9357511
    Abstract: Two power control loops for antenna switching transmit diversity are realized by a user terminal including two antennas (110, 120), one power amplifier (140) for amplifying the signals to be transmitted from each of the antennas, and a switch (130) switching the transmission power of the power amplifier from one antenna to the other antenna. Accordingly, the user terminal is enabled to alternately transmit data packets, with its two antennas. A closed loop power control mechanism in the user terminal is adapted to update, on receipt of a transmission power control command from a base station, the transmission power relative to the level of two slots previously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
    Inventors: Thomas Chapman, Terence Edwin Dodgson, Volker Franz, Malgorzata Wimmer
  • Patent number: 8200493
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling the movement of a virtual agent while the agent is listening to a human user during a conversation are disclosed. The method includes receiving speech data from the user to yield received speech data and analyzing the received speech data according to a prosodic characterization of the speech data to yield the speech data analysis. The method further includes controlling listening movement of the agent according to the speech data analysis, wherein the listening movement of the agent occurs while the user is speaking the received speech data to the agent such that the agent appears to respond to the specific received speech data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Cosatto, Hans Peter Graf, Thomas M. Isaacson, Volker Franz Strom
  • Publication number: 20120106671
    Abstract: Two power control loops for antenna switching transmit diversity are realized by a user terminal including two antennas (110, 120), one power amplifier (140) for amplifying the signals to be transmitted from each of the antennas, and a switch (130) switching the transmission power of the power amplifier from one antenna to the other antenna. Accordingly, the user terminal is enabled to alternately transmit data packets, with its two antennas. A closed loop power control mechanism in the user terminal is adapted to update, on receipt of a transmission power control command from a base station, the transmission power relative to the level of two slots previously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: NOKIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas Chapman, Terence Edwin Dodgson, Volker Franz, Malgorzata Wimmer
  • Patent number: 8131551
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling the movement of a virtual agent while the agent is speaking to a human user during a conversation is disclosed. The method comprises receiving speech data to be spoken by the virtual agent, performing a prosodic analysis of the speech data, selecting matching prosody patterns from a speaking database and controlling the virtual agent movement according to the selected prosody patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Cosatto, Hans Peter Graf, Volker Franz Strom
  • Patent number: 8126717
    Abstract: A method for generating a prosody model that predicts prosodic parameters is disclosed. Upon receiving text annotated with acoustic features, the method comprises generating first classification and regression trees (CARTs) that predict durations and F0 from text by generating initial boundary labels by considering pauses, generating initial accent labels by applying a simple rule on text-derived features only, adding the predicted accent and boundary labels to feature vectors, and using the feature vectors to generate the first CARTs. The first CARTs are used to predict accent and boundary labels. Next, the first CARTs are used to generate second CARTs that predict durations and F0 from text and acoustic features by using lengthened accented syllables and phrase-final syllables, refining accent and boundary models simultaneously, comparing actual and predicted duration of a whole prosodic phrase to normalize speaking rate, and generating the second CARTs that predict the normalized speaking rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventor: Volker Franz Strom
  • Patent number: 7844467
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling the movement of a virtual agent while the agent is listening to a human user during a conversation is disclosed. The method comprises receiving speech data from the user, performing a prosodic analysis of the speech data and controlling the virtual agent movement according to the prosodic analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Cosatto, Hans Peter Graf, Thomas M. Isaacson, Volker Franz Strom
  • Patent number: 7353177
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling the movement of a virtual agent while the agent is listening to a human user during a conversation is disclosed. The method comprises receiving speech data from the user, performing a prosodic analysis of the speech data and controlling the virtual agent movement according to the prosodic analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: Eric Cosatto, Hans Peter Graf, Thomas M. Isaacson, Volker Franz Storm
  • Patent number: 7136816
    Abstract: A method for generating a prosody model that predicts prosodic parameters is disclosed. Upon receiving text annotated with acoustic features, the method comprises generating first classification and regression trees (CARTs) that predict durations and F0 from text by generating initial boundary labels by considering pauses, generating initial accent labels by applying a simple rule on text-derived features only, adding the predicted accent and boundary labels to feature vectors, and using the feature vectors to generate the first CARTs. The first CARTs are used to predict accent and boundary labels. Next, the first CARTs are used to generate second CARTs that predict durations and F0 from text and acoustic features by using lengthened accented syllables and phrase-final syllables, refining accent and boundary models simultaneously, comparing actual and predicted duration of a whole prosodic phrase to normalize speaking rate, and generating the second CARTs that predict the normalized speaking rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventor: Volker Franz Strom
  • Patent number: 7136818
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling the movement of a virtual agent while the agent is speaking to a human user during a conversation is disclosed. The method comprises receiving speech data to be spoken by the virtual agent, performing a prosodic analysis of the speech data, selecting matching prosody patterns from a speaking database and controlling the virtual agent movement according to the selected prosody patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: Eric Cosatto, Hans Peter Graf, Volker Franz Strom
  • Patent number: 7076430
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling the movement of a virtual agent while the agent is listening to a human user during a conversation is disclosed. The method comprises receiving speech data from the user, performing a prosodic analysis of the speech data and controlling the virtual agent movement according to the prosodic analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: Eric Cosatto, Hans Peter Graf, Thomas M. Isaacson, Volker Franz Strom
  • Patent number: 7038065
    Abstract: A process for catalytically generating organic substances by partial oxidation of an organic feedstock in the presence of molecular oxygen at temperatures in the range from 200 to 500° C. in at least one cooling-tube reactor, wherein 40 to 100 wt-% of the total amount of catalyst is disposed as a coating on the outside of the cooling tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: MG Technologies AG
    Inventors: Volker Franz, Helmuth Domes
  • Publication number: 20040024268
    Abstract: The process is performed in the gas phase in the presence of molecular oxygen at temperatures in the range from 200 to 500° C. in at least one reactor, which constitutes a cooling-tube reactor and contains a catalyst. Cooling liquid flows through the cooling tubes of the reactor, and from the reactor a gaseous product mixture is withdrawn. 40 to 100 wt-% of the total amount of catalyst of the cooling-tube reactor are disposed as coating on the outside of the cooling tubes, wherein the feed mixture containing the feedstock and the molecular oxygen gets in contact with the catalyst layers. Preferably, at least half the cooling tubes constitute ribbed tubes with ribs protruding on the outside, the ribs being at least partly coated with catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventors: Volker Franz, Helmuth Domes
  • Patent number: 6368389
    Abstract: Phthalic acid anhydride is recovered from a gas stream containing phthalic acid anhydride vapors by passing the gas stream upwardly through a vertical tube so that the gases expand at the orifice at the upper end of the tube and mix with granules entrained above the tube by fluidizing gas of a fluidized bed of phthalic acid anhydride granules around the tube. The tube, kept free from phthalic acid anhydride granules and the fluidized bed, is indirectly cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Metallgesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gerhard Birke, Martin Hirsch, Volker Franz
  • Patent number: 6222835
    Abstract: In a process for transmitting data in a digital transmission system with a packet-switched service, an ARQ protocol and channel coding are used for minimizing errors with coders and decoders that supply “soft” information. When a data frame is transmitted again within the ARQ protocol, the information obtained by means of the channel decoder and ARQ protocol, that is, the “soft” information, is processed according to the coded bits together with the data frames transmitted again n+1 to N in data frame n (n= . . . N and n=number of data frames transmitted within the ARQ protocol). This process makes it possible to process the information obtained a priori during decoding of the data frame n+1 together with one or several data frames 1 to n.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Volker Franz, Dieter Emmer
  • Patent number: 4737347
    Abstract: A multitube reactor for exothermic or endothermic reactions carried out in a multiplicity of tubes, which are surrounded by a liquid, at least part of which is circulated by a circulating pump, which is disposed outside the reactor structure, to flow through heating and cooling means and is the recycled to the reactor structure. The tubes and the surrounding liquid are disposed between a cylindrical inner wall and an outer wall which surrounds and is coaxial to the inner wall. The circulating pump is disposed in the liquid-free space that is surrounded by the inner wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1988
    Assignee: Metallgesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Volker Franz, Rolg Geissen
  • Patent number: 4592412
    Abstract: In a method of periodically heating a product separator of a plant for producing anhydride or maleic anhydride, a PA or MA product is deposited on cooling surfaces of the product separator. To melt the product, the cooling surfaces are indirectly heated by means of a heated liquid, which is circulated through the product separator. The liquid heat transfer medium is indirectly heated with steam in a heater for the heat transfer medium. At least during the time of the largest steam demand, most of that steam is taken from a steam accumulator, which is charged with steam supplied from the plant for producing PA or MA. The charging of the steam accumulator is effected to at least a substantial degree during the time in which the heater for the heat transfer medium is out of operation or is operated under a low load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1986
    Assignee: Metallgesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Volker Franz, Rolf Geissen