Speech Controlled System Patents (Class 704/275)
  • Patent number: 11138797
    Abstract: An XR device for providing an augmented reality (AR) mode and a virtual reality (VR) mode and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. The XR device is applicable to 5G communication technology, robot technology, autonomous driving technology, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. It is disclosed that the XR device that displays a virtual clothes item to the user's appearance in the mirror when the user selects the virtual item among the fitting items displayed while the user wears the XR device in front of a mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Changhwa Lee, Changho Choi
  • Patent number: 11139059
    Abstract: It is inter alia disclosed to perform at least one of operating an interaction process with a user of the medical apparatus and determining, based on a representation of at least one instruction given by the user, at least one instruction operable by the medical apparatus. Therein, the at least one of the operating and the determining at least partially depends on operational data. It is further disclosed to receive modification information for modifying at least a part of the operational data, wherein the modification information is at least partially determined based on an analysis of a representation of at least one instruction given by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Michael George
  • Patent number: 11140265
    Abstract: The content and/or sound characteristics of audio calls are monitored in real-time. The occurrence of triggers during audio calls is automatically detected, and in response directives are displayed to parties in real-time while calls are occurring. Multiple triggers and directives can be defined and edited, either by human users and/or automatically (e.g., in response to results obtained and tracked over time). Each given directive corresponds to one or more given triggers, such that detection of an occurrence of a given trigger during a monitored audio call results in the automatic outputting of a corresponding directive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: DIALPAD, INC.
    Inventors: James Palmer, Etienne Manderscheid
  • Patent number: 11132174
    Abstract: A framework for generating and presenting verbal command suggestions to facilitate discoverability of commands capable of being understood and support users exploring available commands. A target associated with a direct-manipulation input is received from a user via a multimodal user interface. A set of operations relevant to the target is selected and verbal command suggestions relevant to the selected set of operations and the determined target are generated. At least a portion of the generated verbal command suggestions is provided for presentation in association with the multimodal user interface in one of three interface variants: one that presents command suggestions as a list, one that presents command suggestions using contextual overlay windows, and one that presents command suggestions embedded within the interface. Each of the proposed interface variants facilitates user awareness of verbal commands that are capable of being executed and teaches users how available verbal commands can be invoked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: ADOBE INC.
    Inventors: Lubomira Dontcheva, Arjun Srinivasan, Seth John Walker, Eytan Adar
  • Patent number: 11127395
    Abstract: Techniques for configuring device-specific skills as top-level skills are described. When a system receives a user input the system performs NLU processing to determine an intent of the user input. In some instances, the system may identify a device-specific skill associated with the device interacted with by the user. At least partially in parallel to performing NLU processing to determine the intent of the user input, the system may also perform NLU processing to determine a likelihood that the user input corresponds to an intent actionable by the device-specific skill. Once the system has finished NLU processing, the system may implement one or more prioritization rules to determine whether the user input should be sent to the device-specific skill or another skill of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Andres Felipe Borja Jaramillo
  • Patent number: 11128714
    Abstract: A method of using voice commands from a mobile device to remotely access and control a computer. The method includes receiving audio data from the mobile device at the computer. The audio data is decoded into a command. A software program that the command was provided for is determined. At least one process is executed at the computer in response to the command. Output data is generated at the computer in response to executing at least one process at the computer. The output data is transmitted to the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Voice Tech Corporation
    Inventor: Todd R. Smith
  • Patent number: 11126793
    Abstract: A methodology and system are presented for inducing user intent in a corpus and storing this intent in an intent library. To accurately detect intent, the corpus is first cleaned of nonsensical words and symbols and then syntactically analyzed to extract words and dependencies between them, which are then semantically analyzed to select keywords that are indicative of intent, and map the keywords to ordered broad semantic categories of the types of action, modifier and object. Keywords are then converted into embedding vectors whose dimensions are reduced and clustered according to category and order. Relations are calculated for the clusters across the semantic categories and intent is then calculated with the help of intent templates and word dictionaries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Omilia Natural Language Solutions Ltd.
    Inventors: Paraskevi Gkotsoulia, Konstantinos Gkikas
  • Patent number: 11120215
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to identifying spans within unstructured electronic text. Natural language content is received. A part of speech and slot name of each word within the natural language content is identified. A parse tree representation is then generated based on the natural language content, wherein visual characteristics of each node of a plurality of nodes within the parse tree representation depend on the part of speech and slot name of each word. A bounding box identifying a span category is then generated around a set of nodes on the parse tree representation by a machine learning model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chris Mwarabu, David Contreras, Roberto Delima, Corville O. Allen
  • Patent number: 11120800
    Abstract: Techniques for performing feature computation are described. A system may gather and analyze event data to generate a timeline of the event data and corresponding feature data (e.g., statistical values representing the event data). The system can create a customized timeline that allows information to be sorted and aggregated in different timescales to improve speech processing and other functionality. For example, a feature computation system may calculate statistics and other information based on interactions with a speech processing system. These statistics provide information about previous interactions that may be leveraged to interpret future voice commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Timothy Kay Cheng, Scott G. LeBaron, Carl Joshua Dell, Marcio Furlani Carmona, Nitin Tak, Anand Vishwanath Suvarnkar
  • Patent number: 11114110
    Abstract: There are provided examples of decoders and decoding methods. One decoder includes: a bitstream reader to provide a version of an input signal as a sequence of frames, each frame subdivided into a plurality of bins, each bin having a sampled value; a context definer to define a context for one bin under process, the context including at least one additional bin in a predetermined positional relationship with the bin under process; a statistical relationship and information estimator to provide statistical relationships between the bin under process and the at least one additional bin; and a value estimator to process and acquire an estimate of the value of the bin. There is included a noise relationship and information estimator providing statistical relationships and information regarding noise, which includes a noise matrix estimating relationships among noise signals among the bin under process and the at least one additional bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Guillaume Fuchs, Tom Bäckström, Sneha Das
  • Patent number: 11113027
    Abstract: An operational support apparatus includes a speech recognizer and a command generator. The speech recognizer converts speech data into text information. In a case where the text information contains a keyword that indicates application software, the command generator identifies which of input terminals of a display apparatus is associated with the application software. The command generator generates, as a control command, a switching command to activate the input terminal thus identified and a start-up command to start the application software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akinori Ohnishi, Hiroki Munetomo
  • Patent number: 11113018
    Abstract: The content display system of the present invention includes: a first controller which displays content on a display; a second controller which receives a voice; a third controller which generates a command corresponding to the voice received by the second controller, and determines whether the generated command is a change command to change first content being displayed on the display; and a fourth controller which distributes, to the first controller, second content corresponding to the change command when the third controller determines that the command is the change command. The first controller changes a material being displayed on the display from the first content to the second content distributed by the fourth controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kohji Kumetani
  • Patent number: 11109110
    Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting a conflict between viewing selections of two users before viewing a media asset. In some aspects, the method comprises receiving an audio input through an audio channel, detecting a first utterance from a first user and a second utterance from a second user in the input of the audio channel, parsing the first utterance and the second utterance, analyzing the first utterance and the second utterance to determine context about the first media asset and the second media asset, and presenting a conflict to the users to display on the media asset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventor: Ti-Shiang Wang
  • Patent number: 11106871
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a configurable response-action engine are provided. Actions are generated for a conversation when an insight is received from a natural language processing system. Industry, segment, client specific instructions, third party data, a state for the lead and lead historical patterns are also received. A decision making action model is tuned using this information. An objective for the conversation may be extracted from the state information for the lead. The tuned model is then applied to the insight and objective to output an action. A response message may be generated for the action. The action is directed to cause a state transition of the lead to a preferred state. In another embodiment, systems and methods are presented for feature extraction from one or more messages. In yet other embodiments, systems and methods for message cadence optimization are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: CONVERSICA, INC.
    Inventors: George Alexis Terry, Werner Koepf, James D. Harriger, Joseph M. Silverbears, William Dominic Webb-Purkis, Macgregor S. Gainor, Ryan Francis Ginstrom, Siddhartha Reddy Jonnalagadda
  • Patent number: 11107467
    Abstract: An electronic device includes an audio input module, a memory storing a speech recognition application, a first application, and a second application, a communication circuit communicating with a first NLU server associated with the first application and a second NLU server associated with the second application, and a processor electrically connected to the audio input module, the memory, and the communication circuit and executing the speech recognition application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong Kyu Lee, Ja Min Goo, Hyung Woo Kim, Seung Hyuk Yu, Jin Hong Jeong, Ji Hyun Park, Kyung Hee Lee, Ju Yeong Lee
  • Patent number: 11105031
    Abstract: A washing machine is provided with a control panel and is further provided with a connecting part of an intelligent terminal. The connecting part is in data connection with the intelligent terminal and is used for controlling the washing machine by the intelligent terminal. The control panel is of a panel structure which is not provided with a washing program control button, a display screen as well as a peripheral circuit for driving the display screen and the washing program control button. The washing machine is simple and generous in appearance, easy to operate, capable of greatly reducing the production cost and also saving manpower and material resources, and convenient to popularize.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: QINGDAO HAIER DRUM WASHING MACHINES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sheng Xu, Yan Li, Mingyao Liu
  • Patent number: 11106342
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve a system comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, method, and user interfaces to facilitate electronic chat conversations between users via multiple modes of electronic communication. A conversation view is displayed on a touch screen display of a client device. The conversation view presents messages exchanged between a first user and at least one other user in an electronic chat conversation. A user input comprising a touch gesture corresponding to an interaction with the display of the conversation view is received. Based on the user input, a camera feed view is displayed on the touch screen display. The camera feed view comprises a display of image data and enables a user to create a message comprising one or more images. A message is generated, and an indication of the message is displayed in the conversation view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Newar Husam Al Majid, Laurent Desserrey, Christie Marie Heikkinen, Nathaniel Parrott, Jeremy Voss
  • Patent number: 11100929
    Abstract: A voice assistant device comprises an input to receive data defining an audio command; and processing circuitry to perform an operation defined by the audio command responsive to an activation of the voice assistant device; wherein the activation comprises determining presence of an activation source within an activation region from one or more sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignees: Arm IP Limited, Apical Limited
    Inventors: Daryl Wayne Bradley, Daren Croxford, Amyas Edward Wykes Phillips, Robert Arnold Calico, III
  • Patent number: 11100925
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for context-based speech processing. A current context may be determined. A subset of trigger words or phrases may be selected, from a plurality of trigger words, as trigger words that a computing device is configured to recognize in the determined current context. The computing device may be controlled to listen for only the subset of trigger words during speech recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Chen
  • Patent number: 11097745
    Abstract: A driving support method for a vehicle includes: acquiring a sound of a sound source placed outside the vehicle; and displaying, on a display portion, driving support information corresponding to an utterance content of the sound, the utterance content of the sound being recognized by a sound recognition process, in a display mode suggesting a relative position of the sound source from the vehicle, the relative position being specified based on the sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Chihiro Inaba
  • Patent number: 11100146
    Abstract: Technologies are provided for managing computer system resources using natural language statements. A natural language statement can be received from a user computing device by a management service. The natural language statement can be analyzed to identify an executable command, and the command can be executed against one or more system resources. If the system resources are located in separate computing environments, different operations can be used to target the system resources in the separate computing environments. A script repository can be searched to identify an executable script containing the command referenced by the received natural language statement. A message can be transmitted to the user device, recommending execution of the identified script. In a different or further embodiment, if a given user is not authorized to execute a given command or script, a request for authorization can be sent to a supervisor of the given user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jordan Barry Brest, Gunja Agrawal, Rahul Sharma, Venkata Keerthana Atchutuni, Vijay Dheeraj Reddy Mandadi
  • Patent number: 11100068
    Abstract: A method includes generating from a time-series dataset multiple corresponding time-slice datasets. Each time-slice dataset has a corresponding time-slice time index and includes field-value data strings and associated field-value-time-index data strings, or pointers indicating the corresponding strings in an earlier time-slice dataset, that are the latest in the time-series dataset that are also earlier than the corresponding time-slice time index. A query of the time-series dataset for latest data records earlier than a given query time index is performed by using the time-slice datasets to reduce or eliminate the need to directly access or interrogate the time-series dataset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: MOONSHADOW MOBILE, INC.
    Inventors: Roy W. Ward, David S. Alavi
  • Patent number: 11094327
    Abstract: One embodiment provides a method, comprising: capturing, at an information handling device, audible input from at least one user; providing, on a display device operatively coupled to the information handling device, at least one transcription suggestion, wherein the at least one transcription suggestion is associated with a portion of the audible input; and inputting, responsive to receiving a selection input on the at least one transcription suggestion, the at least one transcription suggestion into an underlying application. Other aspects are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Russell Speight VanBlon, Kevin Wayne Beck, Thorsten Peter Stremlau
  • Patent number: 11093265
    Abstract: A method may include presenting a user interface (UI), to a user, in a first mode on a client device, the UI including a list portion, the list portion including a plurality of transactions associated with respective activity on a user account, and the client device including an input device; receiving an indication of a first user action on a transaction presented in the list portion of the UI; in response to receiving the indication, updating a section of the list portion corresponding to the transaction, the updating including revealing a set of options for the transaction; receiving an indication of a second user action corresponding to activation of an option of the set of options; and in response to receiving the indication of the second user action, transitioning the UI from the first mode to a second mode, the second mode including a chatbot interface instantiated with respect to the transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
    Inventor: Rajiv Ranjan
  • Patent number: 11094321
    Abstract: A voice control system for ophthalmologic laser treatment systems sets parameters for delivering laser energy based on voice commands and prevents potentially harmful parameters due to operator mistakes and misunderstood voice commands by providing incremental parameter adjustment and restricting the amount by which the parameters can be adjusted for each executed voice command. Valid voice commands include indications of which parameter to set, a value for the parameter, and whether to increase or decrease the value of the parameter. In one example, parameter values can only be increased or decreased by a certain percentage with respect to the current value. In another example, the parameters are adjusted by selecting the next highest or lowest value with respect to the current parameter value from a predetermined sequence of possible values for particular parameters. Voice control functionality can also be deactivated under certain conditions such as when it is determined that a parameter was not set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Norlase APS
    Inventors: Greg Fava, Peter Skovgaard
  • Patent number: 11086595
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a microphone; a display; a touch panel; and a controller. The controller is configured to start accepting, through the microphone, a specific voice command input. The controller is configured to start accepting voice input in response to a text input field being displayed on the display, wherein the accepting voice input includes converting voice inputted through the microphone into text, and inputting the converted text into the text input field. During the accepting voice input, when a predetermined word corresponding to a specific voice command is recognized, the controller is configured to determine whether voice is inputted through the microphone during two intervals of a predetermined duration before and after the predetermined word, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Ueno, Shigeki Tanabe, Hideki Morita, Isao Masuike, Koutaro Yamauchi, Manabu Sakuma
  • Patent number: 11077361
    Abstract: Using voice recognition, a user can interact with a companion application to control a video game from a mobile device. Advantageously, the user can interact with the companion application when the video game is unavailable because, for example, of the user's location. Moreover, machine learning may be used to facilitate generating voice responses to user utterances that are predicted to improve or maintain a user's level of engagement with the companion application, or its corresponding video game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Electronic Arts Inc.
    Inventors: Mohsen Sardari, Kenneth Alan Moss, Kazi Atif-Uz Zaman, Navid Aghdaie, John Kolen, Mohamed Marwan Mattar
  • Patent number: 11074911
    Abstract: In one aspect, a server that receives, from a client terminal via a network, a request to initiate a verbal conversation using natural language that is in a spoken or textual format, extracts information during the verbal conversation, determines a context of the verbal conversation, receives an inquiry during the verbal conversation, processes the inquiry, acquires response information based on the determined appropriate response, and transmits to the client terminal the response information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: FIRST ADVANTAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Arun N. Kumar, Stefano Malnati
  • Patent number: 11076274
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to monitoring sound in and around a vehicle to predict unsafe driving events, and using the sound information to detect and reduce unsafe driving conditions. A computing device receives information indicative of a sound in or near a vehicle. The sound information may be received via the vehicle itself or via a device. The computing device then determines whether there is an indication of an unwanted driving event. The computing device also receives vehicle operation data extracted from one or more vehicle sensors. The computing device then determines whether there is an indication of unsafe driving conditions, and if there is, the computing device may output a notice or alert via a notification system to alert the driver or, in certain embodiments, other parties via social media, text message, chat programs, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventors: Andre Rene Buentello, Mark Anthony Lopez, Gregory Brian Meyer, Ashley Raine Philbrick, Garrett Rielly Rapport, Jose L. Romero, Jr., Michael Jay Szentes
  • Patent number: 11074912
    Abstract: A device includes one or more processor devices, an audio sensor, a speaker device, and one or more memory devices. The audio sensor is configured to generate an audio stream. The one or more memory devices store data including data identifying a wake phrase and instructions. The instructions are executable by the one or more processor devices to initiate, as a result of detecting the wake phrase in the audio stream and determining that the wake phrase is invalid, presentation via the speaker device of audio output identifying a valid wake input. The instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to initiate, as a result of detecting the valid wake input, communication of a portion of the audio stream to a natural language processing service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Polycom, Inc.
    Inventors: Kwan Truong, Cody Schnacker, Jesse Coleman
  • Patent number: 11074416
    Abstract: Methods and systems for automating user interactions include annotating chat logs to identify user intent in question-answer pairs. A classifier is trained, using the annotated chat log, to identify user intent in automated conversations. Chat flows are formed, using the annotated chat logs, that provide responses to user statements based on identified user intent. An automated conversation is conducted with a user, using the chat flows and the classifier, to provide automated responses to user statements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Qi Cheng Li, Li Jun Mei, Jie Ma, Shao Chun Li
  • Patent number: 11069343
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a voice activation method, an apparatus, an electronic device, and a storage medium thereof. The voice activation method includes: capturing a voice signal in a vehicle; calculating an acoustic score of an activation keyword extracted from the voice signal, the acoustic score being used for indicating authenticity of the activation keyword, the authenticity of the activation keyword being a probability that the activation keyword is used for waking up the electronic device to perform a voice activation operation, and a magnitude of the acoustic score being positively correlated to a magnitude of the probability; determining a voice activation threshold according to a noise level in the vehicle, a magnitude of the voice activation threshold being negatively correlated to a magnitude of the noise; and performing the voice activation operation when the acoustic score is greater than the voice activation threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Qianbiao Xiang, Menglin Chen
  • Patent number: 11069357
    Abstract: Techniques for lip-reading session triggering events are described. A computing device is equipped with lip-reading capability that enables the device to “read the lips” (i.e., facial features) of a user. The computing device determines when a triggering event occurs to automatically cause the computing device to switch from one input type to a lip-reading session. Lip-reading is also used in conjunction with other types of inputs to improve accuracy of the input. Machine learning is used to personalize the lip-reading capability of the computing device for a particular user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: Neeraj Gupta
  • Patent number: 11069364
    Abstract: Described herein is a system for device arbitration using acoustic characteristics of a physical space, such as a user's household. The system generates a matrix of inter-device attenuation factors. The inter-device attenuation factors are determined using the attenuation experienced by a first device versus the attenuation experienced by a second device. Once the matrix is generated, an attenuation vector representing the attenuation corresponding to an input audio signal is determined and compared to the matrix. Based on the comparison, the system selects a device for further processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Henry Michael D Souza, Ragini Prasad, Rick Carragher, Joseph White
  • Patent number: 11064248
    Abstract: Devices and methods for routing content are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for routing content include receiving audio data representing a command from a first electronic device, determining content that is associated with the command, sending responsive audio data to the first electronic device, and sending instructions to the second electronic device to output the content associated with the command. In some embodiments, a method for routing contents includes determining a state of the second electronic device and sending instructions to output the content to a selected one of the first and second electronic devices based on the state of the second electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Soniya Jobanputra, Marcello Typrin, Mallory Trudell
  • Patent number: 11062691
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present systems and methods may provide techniques that provide the capability to automatically generate allowance intervals for voice personas that meet desired requirements for realism and fidelity. For example, a method for voice persona generation may be implemented in a computer system comprising a processor, memory accessible by the processor, and computer program instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the method comprising: displaying to a user, a plurality of user-selectable voice persona parameters that control features of a synthesized voice signal, and displaying, in conjunction with each of at least some of plurality of user-selectable voice persona parameters, voice transformation allowance intervals of the voice persona parameters, accepting from a user, a selection of at least one user-selectable voice persona parameter, and generating a synthesized voice signal based on the selected at least one user-selectable voice persona parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vyacheslav Shechtman, Alexander Sorin
  • Patent number: 11056127
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device that includes a processing system having a processor and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, where the operations include determining parameters for adapting audio in the content to the device, wherein the device renders the content, and wherein the parameters are based on semantic metadata embedded in the content, adapting the audio in the content based on the parameters, and rendering the content, as adapted by the parameters, to represent a semantic in the semantic metadata. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Zavesky, Jason Decuir, Robert Gratz
  • Patent number: 11056114
    Abstract: A computer enabled method of controlling a secondary system with a primary system for taking commands that includes analyzing a historical database to create a probability factor for matching an initial commands to a primary device and a following interaction to generate secondary requests to a second device. The method further includes receiving a user command at the primary device, and determining whether the user command at the primary device matches at least one initial commands having above a threshold value for the probability factor linking the initial command to the primary device to the request the at least one secondary device. The method further includes sending a signal to activate the at least one secondary device to perform the request without requiring an activation command from the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jennifer M. Hatfield, Michael Bender, Jeremy R. Fox, Sarbajit K. Rakshit
  • Patent number: 11056117
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for enhanced voiceprint authentication. The method includes receiving an utterance from a user, and determining that a portion of the utterance matches a pre-determined keyword. Also, the method includes authenticating the user by comparing the portion of the utterance with a voiceprint that is associated with the pre-determined keyword. Further, the method includes identifying a resource associated with the pre-determined keyword while comparing the portion of the utterance with the voiceprint. Still yet, the method includes accessing the resource in response to authenticating the user based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Erik Keil Perotti
  • Patent number: 11056108
    Abstract: An interactive method and a device thereof are provided. The method includes obtaining voice data of the object in response to determining that the object is facing the interactive device and is in the utterance state; and establishing an interaction between the object and the interactive device based on the voice data. The method solves the technical problems in which current interactions need to set up wakeup terms for interactive devices which are prone to false wakeups through the wakeup terms due to an existence of a relatively small number of wakeup terms. The above methods can implement the technical effects of remote interactions without the need of a wakeup term.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Limited
    Inventors: Nan Wu, Ming Lei
  • Patent number: 11052761
    Abstract: A control device in a vehicle display system includes: a gazed image display output unit configured to display a normal gazed image in a part of each of main screen areas; a gazed image visual recognition determination unit configured to determine, based on a line-of-sight state, whether an occupant visually recognizes a normal gazed image in one of the main screen areas; and a main screen area selection unit configured to select, based on an input unit, the main screen area corresponding to the normal gazed image determined to be visually recognized by the occupant. Earlier selection display information displayed in an earlier selection main screen area selected earlier by the main screen area selection unit is displayed in a later selection main screen area selected later.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Saito, Kentaro Otomo, Atsushi Ishibashi, Yu Kawahara, Shinichi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 11052919
    Abstract: A system for creating a digital map for driver assistance systems of a vehicle, includes a communications unit for exchanging messages between vehicles. A position acquisition unit acquires the position of the individual vehicle. A map unit stores and processes a digital map. A detection unit detects ambiguities of a driving situation in relation to a position in the digital map. Upon detection of an ambiguity, a message including map data and/or a warning message is/are output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventor: Ulrich Stählin
  • Patent number: 11042910
    Abstract: Systems and methods for processing automated message exchanges using artificial intelligence are providing. In some embodiments, a message is generated by populating variable fields within a message template with corresponding data from a knowledge set and/or a lead data set. Lead data is the data known about the intended recipient of the message, whereas the knowledge set is contextual knowledge useful for the artificial intelligence. Once the message has been generated, the system waits for a response from the lead. Once the response is received, the AI algorithms may categorize the response and generate a corresponding confidence value for the categorization. The categorization and confidence level are utilized to determine which subsequent action the system takes. The actions consist of sending a follow-up message, a subsequent message in the series, requesting user input, or discontinuing messaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: CONVERSICA, INC.
    Inventor: Benjamin P. Brigham
  • Patent number: 11042599
    Abstract: According to an aspect, a method for identifying relevant messages in a conversation graph on a messaging platform includes transmitting, over a network, messages between a plurality of users on the messaging platform, generating a conversation graph based on relationships between the messages, where the conversation graph includes a plurality of messages related to a conversation, and the plurality of messages of the conversation graph include a root message and one or more reply messages connected to the root message. The method includes marking a subset of the plurality of messages of the conversation graph as relevant to the conversation, including marking a message from a user account having a credibility rating over a threshold level, and transmitting, over the network, digital information to render the subset of the plurality of messages on a user interface of a computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Twitter, Inc.
    Inventors: Ross Cohen, Kyle Maxwell, Stuart Hood, Cara Meverden, Coleen Baik, Marcel Molina
  • Patent number: 11042272
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to dynamically adjusting a UI based on the current modality. Layout features of a UI may be determined based on an input modality of a computing device. The arrangement of the UI elements may be determined based on the layout features and respective importance scores of the UI elements. The UI elements arranged based on the arrangement may be provided for display of the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Deselaers, Victor Carbune, Daniel Martin Keysers
  • Patent number: 11042615
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus displays a control, based on generation instructions of the control to accept a user operation, such that information indicating biometric authentication is requested is added to the control, executes a processing request corresponding to the control when the user operation on the displayed control is detected, and transmits, to a request destination of the processing request, data based on a result of biometric authentication using biometric information read by the information processing apparatus and stored biometric information. Information related to processing corresponding to the control is displayed based on the processing request and the data based on the result of the biometric authentication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kotaro Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11035692
    Abstract: Technologies for pedometric sensing in footwear include a step tracker compute device. The step tracker compute device is to receive acceleration data indicative of movement of a foot of a user, generate energy contour data indicative of energy levels over time, based on the received acceleration data, determine dynamic energy thresholds indicative of peaks in the energy contour data, and detect steps of the user based on the dynamic energy thresholds and the energy contour data to generate step data. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Mohsin Y. Ahmed, Suraj Sindia
  • Patent number: 11037568
    Abstract: Audio message processing methods and apparatuses are provided, where a method may include a server recognizing types of communication messages transmitted between communicating counterparties; when a type of any communication message is an audio type, the server acquiring the any communication message, and converting the any communication message to corresponding text content; and upon determining that any communicating party has a conversion need for the any communication message, the server sending the text content to the any communicating party. Through technical solutions of the present disclosure, text conversion may be performed upon audio messages in advance, thereby increasing response speed for audio conversion requests of users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Limited
    Inventors: Daping Zhang, Lili Zhang, Yixin Huang, Yun Chen, Jiandong Lai, Haohua Zhong
  • Patent number: 11036441
    Abstract: A system and method for language-based multifunction peripheral control includes receiving a user selection of an electronic document via a user interface of wireless portable data device. User selected print settings are also received via the user interface for printing the selected electronic document. The selected electronic document is then printed in accordance with the user selected print settings. The user associates a verbal shortcut with their current print settings, and the verbal instruction and settings are stored associatively. When the user wishes to print again, they can select their document and issue verbal print instructions which include their verbal shortcut. Print settings associated with this verbal shortcut are retrieved from memory and the document is printed using the print settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Marianne Kodimer
  • Patent number: 11037572
    Abstract: A speech recognition platform configured to receive an audio signal that includes speech from a user and perform automatic speech recognition (ASR) on the audio signal to identify ASR results. The platform may identify: (i) a domain of a voice command within the speech based on the ASR results and based on context information associated with the speech or the user, and (ii) an intent of the voice command. In response to identifying the intent, the platform may perform multiple actions corresponding to this intent. The platform may select a target action to perform, and may engage in a back-and-forth dialog to obtain information for completing the target action. The action may include streaming audio to the device, setting a reminder for the user, purchasing an item on behalf of the user, making a reservation for the user or launching an application for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeff Bradley Beal, Kevin Robert Charter, Ajay Gopalakrishnan, Sumedha Arvind Kshirsagar, Nishant Kumar