Patents by Inventor William J. Byrne

William J. Byrne 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).

  • Publication number: 20150279354
    Abstract: An apparatus to personalize voice recognition on a client device includes a microphone, an embedded speech recognizer, a tag comparator, a client query manager, a user interface and a tag generator. An embedded speech recognizer receives an audio input from a user and generates recognition candidates, selecting one recognition candidate from the generated candidates. A tag comparator compares the audio stream with a first stored audio tag. The client query manager receives the selected recognition candidate and if the tag comparator matches the audio stream with the first audio tag then the client query manager executes an associated query. If no tag match is found, then the client query manager executes a query using the selected recognition candidate. After an indication from the user of a selected result, a tag generator stores a second audio tag in the storage based on the selected recognition candidate and the selected result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Gruenstein, William J. Byrne
  • Patent number: 9111539
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of generating a voice command to perform an action includes receiving a voice request to perform the action, wherein the voice request comprises first audio information for one or more first data fields associated with the action; generating a GUI that when rendered on a display device comprises a prompt message prompting a user to speak second audio information for one or more second data fields associated with the action; and inserting into the one or more second data fields data indicative of one or more of (i) the first audio information, and (ii) the second audio information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. LeBeau, John Nicholas Jitkoff, William J. Byrne
  • Patent number: 9087517
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a computer-implemented method for correcting words in transcribed text including receiving speech audio data from a microphone. The method further includes sending the speech audio data to a transcription system. The method further includes receiving a word lattice transcribed from the speech audio data by the transcription system. The method further includes presenting one or more transcribed words from the word lattice. The method further includes receiving a user selection of at least one of the presented transcribed words. The method further includes presenting one or more alternate words from the word lattice for the selected transcribed word. The method further includes receiving a user selection of at least one of the alternate words. The method further includes replacing the selected transcribed word in the presented transcribed words with the selected alternate word.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. LeBeau, William J. Byrne, John Nicholas Jitkoff, Brandon M. Ballinger, Trausti T. Kristjansson
  • Patent number: 9069416
    Abstract: Systems and methods allow a user to select a subset of displayed content using a touch screen. A user can touch the screen at or near a portion of the displayed content that the user would like to select. The touch module can display the selection of the selected portion on the touch screen using an indicator (e.g., highlighting, underlining, change in color). While the user continues to touch the screen, the selection of displayed content can expand to select additional content based on at least one rule. The rule(s) define how the selection of displayed content expands using characteristics of the user's touch. For example, these characteristics can include an amount of pressure exerted on the screen, a direction of finger roll at the point of contact with the screen, and an amount of time that the user has touched the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Maryam Kamvar Garrett, William J. Byrne
  • Patent number: 9031830
    Abstract: A computer-implemented input-method editor process includes receiving a request from a user for an application-independent input method editor having written and spoken input capabilities, identifying that the user is about to provide spoken input to the application-independent input method editor, and receiving a spoken input from the user. The spoken input corresponds to input to an application and is converted to text that represents the spoken input. The text is provided as input to the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon M. Ballinger, Johan Schalkwyk, Michael H. Cohen, William J. Byrne, Gudmundur Hafsteinsson, Michael J. LeBeau
  • Patent number: 8868428
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system are provided for performing a voice command on a client device. The method can include translating, using a first speech recognizer located on the client device, an audio stream of a voice command to a first machine-readable voice command and generating a first query result using the first machine-readable voice command to query a client database. In addition, the audio stream can be transmitted to a remote server device that translates the audio stream to a second machine-readable voice command using a second speech recognizer. Further, the method can include receiving a second query result from the remote server device, where the second query result is generated by the remote server device using the second machine-readable voice command and displaying the first query result and the second query result on the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Gruenstein, William J. Byrne
  • Publication number: 20140288929
    Abstract: A computer-implemented input-method editor process includes receiving a request from a user for an application-independent input method editor having written and spoken input capabilities, identifying that the user is about to provide spoken input to the application-independent input method editor, and receiving a spoken input from the user. The spoken input corresponds to input to an application and is converted to text that represents the spoken input. The text is provided as input to the application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventors: Brandon M. Ballinger, Johan Schalkwyk, Michael H. Cohen, William J. Byrne, Gudmundur Hafsteinsson
  • Patent number: 8831930
    Abstract: A method of operating a voice-enabled business directory search system includes receiving category-business pairs, each category-business pair including a business category and a specific business, and establishing a data structure having nodes based on the category-business pairs. Each node of the data structure is associated with one or more business categories and a speech recognition language model for recognizing specific businesses associated with the one or more businesses categories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Strope, William J. Byrne, Francoise Beaufays
  • Publication number: 20140229185
    Abstract: Predicting and learning users' intended actions on an electronic device based on free-form speech input. Users' actions can be monitored to develop a list of carrier phrases having one or more actions that correspond to the carrier phrases. A user can speak a command into a device to initiate an action. The spoken command can be parsed and compared to a list of carrier phrases. If the spoken command matches one of the known carrier phrases, the corresponding action(s) can be presented to the user for selection. If the spoken command does not match one of the known carrier phrases, search results (e.g., Internet search results) corresponding to the spoken command can be presented to the user. The actions of the user in response to the presented action(s) and/or the search results can be monitored to update the list of carrier phrases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Byrne, Alexander H. Gruenstein, Douglas H. Beeferman
  • Publication number: 20140229469
    Abstract: In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for providing search results automatically to a user of a computing device. A spoken input provided by a user to a computing device is received. The spoken input is transmitted to a computer server system that is remote from the computing device. Search result information that is responsive to the spoken input is receiving by the computing device and in response to the transmitted spoken input. An alert is provided to the user that the device will connect the user to a target of the search result information if the user does not intervene to stop the connecting of the user. The user is connected to the target of the search result information based on a determination that the user has not intervened to stop the connecting of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. LeBeau, John Nicholas Jitkoff, William J. Byrne
  • Patent number: 8751217
    Abstract: A computer-implemented input-method editor process includes receiving a request from a user for an application-independent input method editor having written and spoken input capabilities, identifying that the user is about to provide spoken input to the application-independent input method editor, and receiving a spoken input from the user. The spoken input corresponds to input to an application and is converted to text that represents the spoken input. The text is provided as input to the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon M. Ballinger, Johan Schalkwyk, Michael H. Cohen, William J. Byrne, Gudmundur Hafsteinsson, Michael J. LeBeau
  • Patent number: 8738377
    Abstract: Predicting and learning users' intended actions on an electronic device based on free-form speech input. Users' actions can be monitored to develop of a list of carrier phrases having one or more actions that correspond to the carrier phrases. A user can speak a command into a device to initiate an action. The spoken command can be parsed and compared to a list of carrier phrases. If the spoken command matches one of the known carrier phrases, the corresponding action(s) can be presented to the user for selection. If the spoken command does not match one of the known carrier phrases, search results (e.g., Internet search results) corresponding to the spoken command can be presented to the user. The actions of the user in response to the presented action(s) and/or the search results can be monitored to update the list of carrier phrases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Byrne, Alexander H. Gruenstein, Douglas Beeferman
  • Patent number: 8731939
    Abstract: In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for receiving a voice query at a mobile computing device and generating data that represents content of the voice query. The data is provided to a server system. A textual query that has been determined by a speech recognizer at the server system to be a textual form of at least part of the data is received at the mobile computing device. The textual query is determined to include a carrier phrase of one or more words that is reserved by a first third-party application program installed on the computing device. The first third-party application is selected, from a group of one or more third-party applications, to receive all or a part of the textual query. All or a part of the textual query is provided to the selected first application program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Lebeau, John Nicholas Jitkoff, William J. Byrne
  • Patent number: 8719281
    Abstract: In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for providing search results automatically to a user of a computing device. A spoken input provided by a user to a computing device is received. The spoken input is transmitted to a computer server system that is remote from the computing device. Search result information that is responsive to the spoken input is receiving by the computing device and in response to the transmitted spoken input. An alert is provided to the user that the device will connect the user to a target of the search result information if the user does not intervene to stop the connecting of the user. The user is connected to the target of the search result information based on a determination that the user has not intervened to stop the connecting of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. LeBeau, John Nicholas Jitkoff, William J. Byrne
  • Patent number: 8626511
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for processing voice commands. In one aspect, a method includes receiving an audio signal at a server, performing, by the server, speech recognition on the audio signal to identify one or more candidate terms that match one or more portions of the audio signal, identifying one or more possible intended actions for each candidate term, providing information for display on a client device, the information specifying the candidate terms and the actions for each candidate term, receiving from the client device an indication of an action selected by a user, where the action was selected from among the actions included in the provided information, and invoking the action selected by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. LeBeau, William J. Byrne, Nicholas Jitkoff, Alexander H. Gruenstein
  • Publication number: 20130304467
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a computer-implemented method for correcting words in transcribed text including receiving speech audio data from a microphone. The method further includes sending the speech audio data to a transcription system. The method further includes receiving a word lattice transcribed from the speech audio data by the transcription system. The method further includes presenting one or more transcribed words from the word lattice. The method further includes receiving a user selection of at least one of the presented transcribed words. The method further includes presenting one or more alternate words from the word lattice for the selected transcribed word. The method further includes receiving a user selection of at least one of the alternate words. The method further includes replacing the selected transcribed word in the presented transcribed words with the selected alternate word.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. LeBeau, William J. Byrne, John Nicholas Jitkoff, Brandon M. Ballinger, Trausti T. Kristjansson
  • Publication number: 20130191363
    Abstract: In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for providing search results automatically to a user of a computing device. A spoken input provided by a user to a computing device is received. The spoken input is transmitted to a computer server system that is remote from the computing device. Search result information that is responsive to the spoken input is receiving by the computing device and in response to the transmitted spoken input. An alert is provided to the user that the device will connect the user to a target of the search result information if the user does not intervene to stop the connecting of the user. The user is connected to the target of the search result information based on a determination that the user has not intervened to stop the connecting of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Inventors: Michael J. LeBeau, John Nicholas Jitkoff, William J. Byrne
  • Patent number: 8494852
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a computer-implemented method for correcting words in transcribed text including receiving speech audio data from a microphone. The method further includes sending the speech audio data to a transcription system. The method further includes receiving a word lattice transcribed from the speech audio data by the transcription system. The method further includes presenting one or more transcribed words from the word lattice. The method further includes receiving a user selection of at least one of the presented transcribed words. The method further includes presenting one or more alternate words from the word lattice for the selected transcribed word. The method further includes receiving a user selection of at least one of the alternate words. The method further includes replacing the selected transcribed word in the presented transcribed words with the selected alternate word.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. LeBeau, William J. Byrne, John Nicholas Jitkoff, Brandon M. Ballinger, Trausti Kristjansson
  • Patent number: 8494139
    Abstract: A method for providing an interactive voice response service is provided. The method uses a VoiceXML interpreter in cooperation with a voice/audio application. The voice/audio application uses scripts coded in VoiceXML with embedded Java Server Pages (JSP). The use of VoiceXML along with JSP allows the present invention to provide an implementation that minimizes interaction between the voice/audio application and the VoiceXML server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC
    Inventors: William J. Byrne, Mitsuru Oshima, Michael Achenbach, Beth A. Bottos, Dai Zhu
  • Patent number: 8478590
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a computer-implemented method for correcting words in transcribed text including receiving speech audio data from a microphone. The method further includes sending the speech audio data to a transcription system. The method further includes receiving a word lattice transcribed from the speech audio data by the transcription system. The method further includes presenting one or more transcribed words from the word lattice. The method further includes receiving a user selection of at least one of the presented transcribed words. The method further includes presenting one or more alternate words from the word lattice for the selected transcribed word. The method further includes receiving a user selection of at least one of the alternate words. The method further includes replacing the selected transcribed word in the presented transcribed words with the selected alternate word.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. LeBeau, William J. Byrne, John Nicholas Jitkoff, Brandon M. Ballinger, Trausti Kristjansson