Patents Issued in March 31, 2015
  • Patent number: 8996353
    Abstract: Various embodiments described herein facilitate multi-lingual communications. The systems and methods of some embodiments enable multi-lingual communications through different modes of communication including, for example, Internet-based chat, e-mail, text-based mobile phone communications, postings to online forums, postings to online social media services, and the like. Certain embodiments implement communication systems and methods that translate text between two or more languages. Users of the systems and methods may be incentivized to submit corrections for inaccurate or erroneous translations, and may receive a reward for these submissions. Systems and methods for assessing the accuracy of translations are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Machine Zone, Inc.
    Inventors: Francois Orsini, Nikhil Bojja
  • Patent number: 8996354
    Abstract: Localization of linguistic assets of a virtual space may be facilitated. A first instance (associated with a first locale) and a second instance (associated with a second locale) of the virtual space may be implemented. The first locale may have first linguistic conventions, while the second locale may have second linguistic conventions. The first instance and the second instance may be provided for presentation to a human translator. Editing may be facilitated of a first linguistic asset of the first instance corresponding to a second linguistic asset of the second instance. The first linguistic asset or the second linguistic asset may be editable by the human translator such that the first linguistic asset conforms to one or more of the first linguistic conventions and the second linguistic asset conforms to one or more of the second linguistic conventions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Kabam, Inc.
    Inventor: Dale Cook
  • Patent number: 8996355
    Abstract: Various embodiments described herein facilitate multi-lingual communications. The systems and methods of some embodiments enable multi-lingual communications through different modes of communication including, for example, Internet-based chat, e-mail, text-based mobile phone communications, postings to online forums, postings to online social media services, and the like. Certain embodiments implement communication systems and methods that translate text between two or more languages. Users of the systems and methods may be incentivized to submit corrections for inaccurate or erroneous translations, and may receive a reward for these submissions. Systems and methods for assessing the accuracy of translations are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Machine Zone, Inc.
    Inventors: Francois Orsini, Nikhil Bojja
  • Patent number: 8996356
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method technique is presented. The technique can include receiving, at a computing device comprising one or more processors, a first input from a user, the first input including one or more first characters in a first language. The technique can provide for suggestion of potential transliterations to a second language of potential words beginning with the one or more first characters. The technique can present the potential transliterations in either an off-the-spot input configuration or an inline input configuration. The user can then select one of the potential transliterations. The technique can also provide the one or more first characters as an additional or partial word as a potential selection for the user. In this manner, the user can also select the exact one or more first characters that were input to the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Fan Yang, Cibu Chalissery Johny, Feng Yuan
  • Patent number: 8996357
    Abstract: A computer analyzes a statement written in a natural language to determine the types and structure of phrases that constitute the statement. A memory stores a plurality of translation rules for different types of phrases, each rule describing how a phrase is to be translated into graphical symbol datasets and relationship link datasets. Each graphical symbol dataset specifies a graphical symbol having a content label representing its content. The content label is or includes a word contained in the pertinent phrase. Each relationship link dataset specifies a relationship link that represents a relationship between graphical symbols and has a particular end shape to indicate what type of relationship it is. The computer translates each phrase of the statement into two or more graphical symbol datasets and one or more relationship link datasets, according to the translation rules pertinent to the determined phrase types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Kuniharu Takayama
  • Patent number: 8996358
    Abstract: Determining variants of a text entity comprises parsing the text entity into semantic components and generating variants for each of the semantic components. The entity is recomposed in different morphological forms from the different variants of the semantic components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Adriano Crestani Campos, Yunyao Li, Sriram Raghavan, Huaiyu Zhu
  • Patent number: 8996359
    Abstract: Words can be identified in text. Membership numerical values for the words can be determined in categories, or in communication types generated using those categories. The membership numerical values for the words can then be used to generate a signature. The signature can then be used to identify documents with a similar attitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: DW Associates, LLC
    Inventors: Warren L. Wolf, Manu Rehani
  • Patent number: 8996360
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for generating a journal, which can implement automatic generation of a journal based on data from various sources. The method includes: obtaining a source data set and a journal description data set corresponding to the source data set; calculating an alignment probability between each source data sequence and each journal description data sequence to obtain an alignment probability set; calculating a probability that each journal description data sequence occurs in the journal description data set to obtain an occurrence probability set; determining, according to the alignment probability set and the occurrence probability set and from each journal description data sequence, a target journal description data sequence corresponding to a source data sequence to be translated, and translating the target journal description data sequence into a journal description text.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhenhua Dong, Gong Zhang, Liangwei Wang
  • Patent number: 8996361
    Abstract: In the field of communications, a method and a device for determining a decoding mode of in-band signaling are provided, which improve accuracy of in-band signaling decoding. The method includes: calculating a probability of each decoding mode of in-band signaling of a received signal at a predetermined moment by using a posterior probability algorithm; and from the calculated probabilities of the decoding modes, selecting a decoding mode having a maximum probability value as a decoding mode of the in-band signaling of the received signal at the predetermined moment. The method and the device are mainly used in a process for determining a decoding mode of in-band signaling in a speech frame transmission process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Huawei Device Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nian Peng, Congli Mao, Zhiqun Chen, Nian Chen
  • Patent number: 8996362
    Abstract: For a bandwidth extension of an audio signal, in a signal spreader the audio signal is temporally spread by a spread factor greater than 1. The temporally spread audio signal is then supplied to a demicator to decimate the temporally spread version by a decimation factor matched to the spread factor. The band generated by this decimation operation is extracted and distorted, and finally combined with the audio signal to obtain a bandwidth extended audio signal. A phase vocoder in the filterbank implementation or transformation implementation may be used for signal spreading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Frederik Nagel, Sascha Disch, Max Neuendorf
  • Patent number: 8996363
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining a plurality of local center-of-gravity frequencies of a spectrum of an audio signal includes an offset determiner, a frequency determiner and an iteration controller. The offset determiner determines an offset frequency for each iteration start frequency of a plurality of iteration start frequencies based on the spectrum of the audio signal, wherein a number of discrete sample values of the spectrum is larger than a number of iteration start frequencies. The frequency determiner determines a new plurality of iteration start frequencies by increasing or reducing each iteration start frequency of the plurality of iteration start frequencies by the corresponding determined offset frequency. The iteration controller provides the new plurality of iteration start frequencies to the offset determiner for further iteration or provides the plurality of local center-of-gravity frequencies, if a predefined termination condition is fulfilled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Sascha Disch, Harald Popp
  • Patent number: 8996364
    Abstract: Using signal processing techniques described herein, pitch detection and correction of a user's vocal performance can be performed continuously and in real-time with respect to the audible rendering of the backing track at the handheld or portable computing device. In some implementations, pitch detection builds on time-domain pitch correction techniques that employ average magnitude difference function (AMDF) or autocorrelation-based techniques together with zero-crossing and/or peak picking techniques to identify differences between pitch of a captured vocal signal and score-coded target pitches. Based on detected differences, pitch correction based on pitch synchronous overlapped add (PSOLA) and/or linear predictive coding (LPC) techniques allow captured vocals to be pitch shifted in real-time to “correct” notes in accord with pitch correction settings that code score-coded melody targets and harmonies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Smule, Inc.
    Inventors: Perry R. Cook, Ari Lazier, Tom Lieber
  • Patent number: 8996365
    Abstract: A howling canceller which suppresses occurrence of howling even when an open loop gain exceeds “1” in the whole reproduction band. In the howling canceller, an adaptive filter (107) operates a digital received voice signal with a tap coefficient to generate a pseudo echo; a subtractor (108) subtracts the pseudo echo from a digital transmitted voice signal to generate a residual signal; and an amplitude limiting circuit (110) limits the absolute value of the amplitude of the digital received voice signal to be equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold which ensures that all of a D/A converter (101), a power amplifier (102), a speaker (103), a microphone (104), a microphone amplifier (105), and an A/D converter (106) operate in a linear operation area, and outputs the amplitude-limited digital received voice signal to the D/A converter (101) and the adaptive filter (107).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Yugengaisya Cepstrum
    Inventor: Akio Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8996366
    Abstract: A first gender-specific speaker adaptation technique may be selected based on characteristics of a first set of feature vectors that correspond to a first unit of input speech. The first set of feature vectors may be configured for use in automatic speech recognition (ASR) of the first unit of input speech. A second set of feature vectors, which correspond to a second unit of input speech, may be modified based on the first gender-specific speaker adaptation technique. The modified second set of feature vectors may be configured for use in ASR of the second unit of input speech. A first speaker-dependent speaker adaptation technique may be selected based on characteristics of the second set of feature vectors. A third set of feature vectors, which correspond to a third unit of speech, may be modified based on the first speaker-dependent speaker adaptation technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Petar Aleksic, Xin Lei
  • Patent number: 8996367
    Abstract: There is provided a sound processing apparatus including a sound separation unit that separates an input sound into a plurality of sounds caused by a plurality of sound sources, a sound type estimation unit that estimates sound types of the plurality of sounds separated by the sound separation unit, a mixing ratio calculation unit that calculates a mixing ratio of each sound in accordance with the sound type estimated by the sound type estimation unit, and a sound mixing unit that mixes the plurality of sounds separated by the sound separation unit in the mixing ratio calculated by the mixing ratio calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuichi Namba, Mototsugu Abe, Masayuki Nishiguchi
  • Patent number: 8996368
    Abstract: A feature transform for speech recognition is described. An input speech utterance is processed to produce a sequence of representative speech vectors. A time-synchronous speech recognition pass is performed using a decoding search to determine a recognition output corresponding to the speech input. The decoding search includes, for each speech vector after some first threshold number of speech vectors, estimating a feature transform based on the preceding speech vectors in the utterance and partial decoding results of the decoding search. The current speech vector is then adjusted based on the current feature transform, and the adjusted speech vector is used in a current frame of the decoding search.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel Willett
  • Patent number: 8996369
    Abstract: System, method and program product for transcribing an audio file included in or referenced by a web page. A language of text in the web page is determined. Then, voice recognition software of the language of text is selected and used to transcribe the audio file. If the language of the text is not the language of the audio file, then a related language is determined. Then, voice recognition software of the related language is selected and used to transcribe the audio file. The related language can be related geographically, by common root, as another dialect of the same language, or as another language commonly spoken in the same country as the language of the text. Another system, method and program product is disclosed for transcribing an audio file included in or referenced by a web page. A domain extension or full domain of the web page and an official language of the domain extension or full domain are determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Joey Stanford
  • Patent number: 8996370
    Abstract: Transferring data via audio link is described. In an example a short sequence of data can be transferred between two devices by encoding the sequence of data as an audio sequence. For example, the audio sequence may be a sequence of tones which vary in dependence on the encoded data. The sequence of data may be encoded by a first device and transmitted using a loudspeaker associated with the first device. At least one mobile communications device can be used to capture the audio sequence, for example using a microphone, and to decode the sequence, retrieving the data encoded therein. In some examples the encoded data may comprise a shortened URL or other information which can be used to control one or more aspects of the capture device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Peter John Ansell
  • Patent number: 8996371
    Abstract: A system and method for adapting a language model to a specific environment by receiving interactions captured the specific environment, generating a collection of documents from documents retrieved from external resources, detecting in the collection of documents terms related to the environment that are not included in an initial language model and adapting the initial language model to include the terms detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Nice-Systems Ltd.
    Inventors: Eyal Hurvitz, Ezra Daya, Oren Pereg, Moshe Wasserblat
  • Patent number: 8996372
    Abstract: Speech recognition may be improved using data derived from an utterance. In some embodiments, audio data is received by a user device. Adaptation data may be retrieved from a data store accessible by the user device. The audio data and the adaptation data may be transmitted to a server device. The server device may use the audio data to calculate second adaptation data. The second adaptation data may be transmitted to the user device. Synchronously or asynchronously, the server device may perform speech recognition using the audio data and the second adaptation data and transmit speech recognition results back to the user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hugh Secker-Walker, Bjorn Hoffmeister, Ryan Thomas, Stan Salvador, Karthik Ramakrishnan
  • Patent number: 8996373
    Abstract: A state detection device includes: a first model generation unit to generate a first specific speaker model obtained by modeling speech features of a specific speaker in an undepressed state; a second model generation unit to generate a second specific speaker model obtained by modeling speech features of the specific speaker in the depressed state; a likelihood calculation unit to calculate a first likelihood as a likelihood of the first specific speaker model with respect to input voice, and a second likelihood as a likelihood of the second specific speaker model with respect to the input voice; and a state determination unit to determine a state of the speaker of the input voice using the first likelihood and the second likelihood.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Shoji Hayakawa, Naoshi Matsuo
  • Patent number: 8996374
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus, method, and system for calculating senone scores for multiple concurrent input speech streams. The method can include the following: receiving one or more feature vectors from one or more input streams; accessing the acoustic model one senone at a time; and calculating separate senone scores corresponding to each incoming feature vector. The calculation uses a single read access to the acoustic model for a single senone and calculates a set of separate senone scores for the one or more feature vectors, before proceeding to the next senone in the acoustic model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventor: Ojas A. Bapat
  • Patent number: 8996375
    Abstract: A speech processing system which exploits statistical modeling and formal logic to receive and process speech input, which may represent data to be received, such as dictation, or commands to be processed by an operating system, application or process. A command dictionary and dynamic grammars are used in processing speech input to identify, disambiguate and extract commands. The logical processing scheme ensures that putative commands are complete and unambiguous before processing. Context sensitivity may be employed to differentiate data and commands. A multi faceted graphic user interface may be provided for interaction with a user to speech enable interaction with applications and processes that do not necessarily have native support for speech input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Inventors: Jean Gagnon, Philippe Roy, Paul J. Lagassey
  • Patent number: 8996376
    Abstract: Techniques for improved text-to-speech processing are disclosed. The improved text-to-speech processing can convert text from an electronic document into an audio output that includes speech associated with the text as well as audio contextual cues. One aspect provides audio contextual cues to the listener when outputting speech (spoken text) pertaining to a document. The audio contextual cues can be based on an analysis of a document prior to a text-to-speech conversion. Another aspect can produce an audio summary for a file. The audio summary for a document can thereafter be presented to a user so that the user can hear a summary of the document without having to process the document to produce its spoken text via text-to-speech conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Brian Fleizach, Reginald Dean Hudson
  • Patent number: 8996377
    Abstract: A text-to-speech (TTS) engine combines recorded speech with synthesized speech from a TTS synthesizer based on text input. The TTS engine receives the text input and identifies the domain for the speech (e.g. navigation, dialing, . . . ). The identified domain is used in selecting domain specific speech recordings (e.g. pre-recorded static phrases such as “turn left”, “turn right” . . . ) from the input text. The speech recordings are obtained based on the static phrases for the domain that are identified from the input text. The TTS engine blends the static phrases with the TTS output to smooth the acoustic trajectory of the input text. The prosody of the static phrases is used to create similar prosody in the TTS output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Sheng Zhao, Peng Wang, Difei Gao, Yijian Wu, Binggong Ding, Shenghua Ye, Max Leung
  • Patent number: 8996378
    Abstract: In a voice synthesis apparatus, a phoneme piece interpolator acquires first phoneme piece data corresponding to a first value of sound characteristic, and second phoneme piece data corresponding to a second value of the sound characteristic. The first and second phoneme piece data indicate a spectrum of each frame of a phoneme piece. The phoneme piece interpolator interpolates between each frame of the first phoneme piece data and each frame of the second phoneme piece data so as to create phoneme piece data of the phoneme piece corresponding to a target value of the sound characteristic which is different from either of the first and second values of the sound characteristic. A voice synthesizer generates a voice signal having the target value of the sound characteristic based on the created phoneme piece data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Jordi Bonada, Merlijn Blaauw, Makoto Tachibana
  • Patent number: 8996379
    Abstract: In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a mobile environment speech processing facility. The present invention may provide for the entering of text into a software application resident on a mobile communication facility, where recorded speech may be presented by the user using the mobile communications facility's resident capture facility. Transmission of the recording may be provided through a wireless communication facility to a speech recognition facility, and may be accompanied by information related to the software application. Results may be generated utilizing the speech recognition facility that may be independent of structured grammar, and may be based at least in part on the information relating to the software application and the recording. The results may then be transmitted to the mobile communications facility, where they may be loaded into the software application. In addition, the speech recognition facility may be adapted based on usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Vlingo Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph P. Cerra, Roman V. Kishchenko, John N. Nguyen, Michael S. Phillips, Han Shu
  • Patent number: 8996380
    Abstract: Systems and methods of synchronizing media are provided. A client device may be used to capture a sample of a media stream being rendered by a media rendering source. The client device sends the sample to a position identification module to determine a time offset indicating a position in the media stream corresponding to the sampling time of the sample, and optionally a timescale ratio indicating a speed at which the media stream is being rendered by the media rendering source based on a reference speed of the media stream. The client device calculates a real-time offset using a present time, a timestamp of the media sample, the time offset, and optionally the timescale ratio. The client device then renders a second media stream at a position corresponding to the real-time offset to be in synchrony to the media stream being rendered by the media rendering source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Shazam Entertainment Ltd.
    Inventors: Avery Li-Chun Wang, Rahul Powar, William Michael Mills, Christopher Jacques Penrose Barton, Philip Georges Inghelbrecht, Dheeraj Shankar Mukherjee
  • Patent number: 8996381
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method receives an acoustic input signal at a speech recognizer configured to recognize the acoustic input signal in an always on mode. A set of responses based on the recognized acoustic input signal is determined and ranked based on criteria. A computing device determines if the response should be output based on a ranking of the response. The method determines an output method in a plurality of output methods based on the ranking of the response and outputs the response using the output method if it is determined the response should be output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Sensory, Incorporated
    Inventors: Todd F. Mozer, Pieter J. Verneulen
  • Patent number: 8996382
    Abstract: Systems and methods for inhibiting access to the lips of speaking person including a sound receiving device for receiving speech of a person speaking, the person having lips that move when the person speaks, a blocker connected to the device for blocking the lips of the person speaking while the person is speaking; and, in some aspects, such a blocker with a material addition apparatus to provide added material for the breath of a person speaking, e.g., for preventing the spread of disease or to freshen a speaker's breath. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims, 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Inventor: Guy L. McClung, III
  • Patent number: 8996383
    Abstract: A voice-control system for motor vehicles has a plurality of spaced microphones emitting respective microphone signals, and an evaluation unit connected to the microphones. This unit serves for assembling correlation pairs from the signals of two of the microphones, calculating a correlation coefficient for each correlation pair, detecting an energy value for each microphone, detecting a respective delay time of a voice signal between a voice signal source and the each of the microphones, and selecting in dependence on current correlation coefficients of the correlation pairs, on the current energy values of the microphones, and on the current delay time of the voice signal to the microphones, that microphone whose signal is optimal as a basis for the operation of the voice-control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: paragon AG
    Inventor: Klaus Rodemer
  • Patent number: 8996384
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention address the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a method, apparatus, and program product to of converting components of a web page to voice prompts for a user. In some embodiments, the method comprises selectively determining at least one HTML component from a plurality of HTML components of a web page to transform into a voice prompt for a mobile system based upon a voice attribute file associated with the web page. The method further comprises transforming the at least one HTML component into parameterized data suitable for use by the mobile system based upon at least a portion of the voice attribute file associated with the at least one HTML component and transmitting the parameterized data to the mobile system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Vocollect, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul M. Funyak, Norman J. Connors, Paul E. Kolonay, Matthew Aaron Nichols
  • Patent number: 8996385
    Abstract: A first domain satisfying a first condition concerning a current utterance understanding result and a second domain satisfying a second condition concerning a selection history are specified. For each of the first and second domains, indices representing reliability in consideration of the utterance understanding history, selection history, and utterance generation history are evaluated. Based on the evaluation results, one of the first, second, and third domains is selected as a current domain according to a selection rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikio Nakano, Hiroshi Tsujino, Yohane Takeuchi, Kazunori Komatani, Hiroshi Okuno
  • Patent number: 8996386
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling a mobile device from a head unit using voice control is disclosed. The head unit receives a graphical representation of a current user interface screen of the mobile device. The head unit than scans the graphical representation of the current user interface screen to determine the locations of potential input mechanisms. The potential input mechanisms are scanned using optical character recognition and voice commands are determined for the input mechanisms. The determined voice commands and their respective locations on the user interface screens are stored in a voice recognition database, which is queried with uttered voice commands during voice recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignees: DENSO International America, Inc., DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Bilal Alasry, Doua Vang, Bryan Thomas
  • Patent number: 8996387
    Abstract: For clearing transaction data selected for a processing, there is generated in a portable data carrier (1) a transaction acoustic signal (003; 103; 203) (S007; S107; S207) upon whose acoustic reproduction by an end device (10) at least transaction data selected for the processing are reproduced superimposed acoustically with a melody specific to a user of the data carrier (1) (S009; S109; S209). The generated transaction acoustic signal (003; 103; 203) is electronically transferred to an end device (10) (S108; S208), which processes the selected transaction data (S011; S121; S216) only when the user of the data carrier (1) confirms vis-à-vis the end device (10) an at least partial match both of the acoustically reproduced melody with the user-specific melody and of the acoustically reproduced transaction data with the selected transaction data (S010; S110, S116; S210).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Stocker, Michael Baldischweiler
  • Patent number: 8996388
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing an audio signal and method thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes receiving, by an audio processing apparatus, an audio signal including a first data of a first block encoded with rectangular coding scheme and a second data of a second block encoded with non-rectangular coding scheme; receiving a compensation signal corresponding to the second block; estimating a prediction of an aliasing part using the first data; and, obtaining a reconstructed signal for the second block based on the second data, the compensation signal and the prediction of aliasing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsei University
    Inventors: Hyen-O Oh, Chang Heon Lee, Hong Goo Kang, Jung Wook Song
  • Patent number: 8996389
    Abstract: Various techniques are disclosed for reducing artifacts generated by time compression. by adapting the time compression based on the state of the received audio. The amount of time compression may be bounded based on audio characteristics. Another feature provides a way of determining the most correlated portions of segments of audio. Voiced speech may be distinguished from unvoiced speech. Another feature provides a way of distinguishing between silence, voiced speech, and unvoiced speech. Time compression may be adapted during periods of lengthy silence. Another feature allows for reducing time compression during sensitive portions of the received audio. One or more of these features may be present in different embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Polycom, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric David Elias
  • Patent number: 8996390
    Abstract: A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for controlling a plurality of operations, the process including: accepting a change request to change an operation result of an operation executed prior to a current execution-permitted operation which an execution is permitted based on an operation procedure for the operations; assuming an operation for which the change request is accepted in the accepting step as a starting point; and identifying an operation permitted to be executed with reference to the starting point based on the operation procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Miyata
  • Patent number: 8996391
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a custom score generation system by offering third parties access to data from a shared database that they can merge with their own proprietary data for the purpose of defining and producing new data services. The system provides interfaces for selecting data elements from the shared database, attributing weights to the selected data elements, and defining scoring rules or parameters to automatically evaluate the significance of the data element values. Additionally, conditions may be specified to include different sets of the selected data elements, to attribute different weights to the different sets of the selected data elements, and to define different scoring rules according to which conditions are satisfied. The system then automatically formulates the algorithm to produce the custom score in conformance with the provided inputs and based on values for the selected data elements that are specific to different entities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Credibility Corp.
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Stibel, Aaron B. Stibel, Judith G. Hackett, Moujan Kazerani
  • Patent number: 8996392
    Abstract: A medical kiosk having a modular configuration and designed to provide tele-med services to a user. The medical kiosk includes first and second front panels, first and second rear panels, an interior chamber, a chamber access opening, and a user video conferencing system in the interior chamber. The user video conferencing system is designed to enable the user in the interior chamber to have a real-time or near real-time tele-conference with a medical provider located remotely from the medical kiosk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Healthspot, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Cashman, John W. Spirk, Jason G. Tilk, John R. Nottingham, Jeffrey Kalman
  • Patent number: 8996393
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling inventory in a medical facility include providing a medical device into a medical treatment area within a wireless range of a medical facility network and automatically identifying the medical device upon introduction into the medical treatment area. Patient records are automatically updated to reflect that the medical device has been assigned to a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Carefusion 303, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Andrew Sobie
  • Patent number: 8996394
    Abstract: A set of decision activities can be provided to a business process management and design software tool. The tool can be used to define various processes that contain one or more activities linked by transitions. During process design time, a business analyst can identify process-relevant data of the process to be presented to the end users. The relevant data can be rendered to the end users at runtime, along with a set of possible options for the activities in a process instance. Upon receiving a decision of the user, the process instance can follow the selected transition to a different activity. Over time, the system can capture the decisions taken by users and enter the data associated with these decisions into a data classifier. In doing so, the software tool can generate suggestions, provide probabilities, automate and distribute workloads, flag abnormalities and deviations and generally improve process design and management.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Juan Cruz Nores, Emilio Lopez-Gabeiras, Fernando Javier Rodriguez Olivera
  • Patent number: 8996395
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a data intelligence extraction system for extracting intelligence from different events that are generated by separate and independently operating event generating sources within a business, wherein each event generating source records some set of business activities and the data associated with those activities. The intelligence that the system extracts includes a cradle-to-grave accounting for the engagement that different entities have with a business over the entirety of the entity-to-business relationship. This cradle-to-grave accounting is formed by the system linking events that are related causally, temporally, or on the basis of an entity to which they relate. The system then constructs data assets to capture the data from the linked events, and in so doing, provide the business with assets that compile the data the business has obtained on the different entities over the cradle-to-grave engagement with those entities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Credibility Corp.
    Inventors: Aaron B. Stibel, Garrett Arnett
  • Patent number: 8996396
    Abstract: Provided are a system and method for calculating and selecting a convergence path based on cost. In one example, the method includes identifying multiple geometric convergence paths that each provides a convergence solution from a defined bottom hole assembly (BHA) location to a target path. A total monetary cost is calculated for each of the geometric convergence paths using an offset cost based on a distance of the geometric convergence path from the target path, a curvature cost based on an amount of curvature of the geometric convergence path, and a time cost based on an estimated amount of time needed to drill the geometric convergence path. The total monetary costs of the geometric convergence paths are compared and one of the geometric convergence paths is selected based on the total monetary cost of that geometric convergence path relative to the total monetary costs of the other geometric convergence paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Hunt Advanced Drilling Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Todd W. Benson, John Burkhart, Teddy Chen
  • Patent number: 8996397
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system, computer program product, or a combination of the foregoing for creating a knowledge management system including a performance dashboard monitoring system that is standardized and centralized across the channels and sub-channels in an organization. The performance dashboard monitoring system is used to track, measure, and resolve incidents that occur throughout the channels, sub-channels, systems, and applications of an organization. The system receives information related to two or more incidents, where each incident is associated with one or more of a business channel, sub-channel, or application. The system stores the information on a memory device. The system tracks the status of at least one incident between the occurrence and the resolution of the incident. The system displays on a user interface the information related to the incident on a channel, sub-channel, application, or individual incident level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Douglas Grace, Srinivas Darga, Eric Nathaniel Hunsaker, Bryce Robert Elliott, Rajaraman Viswanathan, Michael J. Schreder, Greg M. Lavelle, Darryl Alan Sansbury, Christine Roche, Rama Rao Pandrapagada
  • Patent number: 8996398
    Abstract: A method, within a computer hardware system, includes the following. A first functional marketing element associated with a second entity is inserted within a first website associated with a first entity. A second functional marketing element associated with the first entity is reciprocally inserted within a second website associated with the second entity based upon the first functional marketing element being inserted within the first website. The second functional marketing element, within the second website, includes a link to the first website, and the first functional marketing element, within the first website, includes a link to the second website.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Inventor: Thomas L. DiStefano, III
  • Patent number: 8996399
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention relates to a product promotion method. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a product promotion system. In one specific example, the present invention provides a product promotion method, comprising: selecting at least one winning prize for the product promotion; selecting a time period over which the product promotion will be run; selecting a number of prize-winning items that are sold in a store; and providing at least a portion of the winning prize to a person who purchases from the store, during the time period over which the product promotion will be run, all of the selected prize-winning items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Million Dollar Mix, LLC
    Inventor: Andrew H. Cohen
  • Patent number: 8996400
    Abstract: Digital content can be sold by an original sales entity (OSE) to an affiliate sales entity (ASE) for playing of the content by the ASE. The ASE is permitted to transfer the content to another ASE, and sales credit for the secondary transfer is split between the transferring ASE and the OSE upon synchronization of a ledger of the recipient ASE with the system database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Milton Massey Frazier, Jason R. Meerbergen, Gen Tsuchikawa, Edgar Allan Tu
  • Patent number: 8996401
    Abstract: Methods, systems and computer readable medium storing computer executable programs for tracking customer response to a coupon are disclosed. A coupon is issued. A first determination is made regarding whether the coupon has been selected for viewing by a customer. A first state is assigned to the coupon based on the first determination. A second determination is made regarding whether the coupon has been redeemed by the customer. A second state is assigned to the coupon based on the second determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jun Li, Ismail Ari, Elsa Durante
  • Patent number: 8996402
    Abstract: Systems and methods for planning and booking advertising campaigns are provided. In operation, a booking engine generates a collection of proposed campaigns in response to a campaign request, where the each of the proposed campaigns corresponds to a scenario of atom availability. Such scenarios can account for possible or anticipated changes in the number and cost of atoms or any other changes of interest to the advertiser. The availability for the atoms in the campaign request can be projected using the past history and the known future unavailability of the atoms and is further modified to account for the variation in atom availability associated with each scenario. Thereafter, the booking engine can present the results for each scenario to the advertiser and allow him to select a campaign.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Eswar Priyadarshan, Dan Marius Grigorovici, Omar Abdala, Prasenjit Mukherjee