An intelligent automated assistant system engages with the user in an integrated, conversational manner using natural language dialog, and invokes external services when appropriate to obtain information or perform various actions. The system can be implemented using any of a number of different platforms, such as the web, email, smartphone, and the like, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the system is based on sets of interrelated domains and tasks, and employs additional functionally powered by external services with which the system can interact.

Intelligent Automated Assistant

A speech recognition system receives and analyzes speech input from a user in order to recognize and accept a response from the user. Under certain conditions, information about the response expected from the user may be available. In these situations, the available information about the expected response is used to modify the behavior of the speech recognition system by taking this information into account. The modified behavior of the speech recognition system comprises adjusting the rejection threshold when speech input matches the predetermined expected response.

Method and system for considering information about an expected response when performing speech recognition

A speech recognition technique is described that has the dual benefits of not requiring collection of recordings for training while using computational resources that are cost-compatible with consumer electronic products. Methods are described for improving the recognition accuracy of a recognizer by developer interaction with a design tool that iterates the recognition data during development of a recognition set of utterances and that allows controlling and minimizing the computational resources required to implement the recognizer in hardware.

Method and apparatus of specifying and performing speech recognition operations

A method and apparatus that dynamically adjust operational parameters of a text-to-speech engine in a speech-based system are disclosed. A voice engine or other application of a device provides a mechanism to alter the adjustable operational parameters of the text-to-speech engine. In response to one or more environmental conditions, the adjustable operational parameters of the text-to-speech engine are modified to increase the intelligibility of synthesized speech.

Systems and methods for dynamically improving user intelligibility of synthesized speech in a work environment

A method and apparatus are provided for building an intelligent automated assistant. Embodiments of the present invention rely on the concept of “active ontologies” (e.g., execution environments constructed in an ontology-like manner) to build and run applications for use by intelligent automated assistants. In one specific embodiment, a method for building an automated assistant includes interfacing a service-oriented architecture that includes a plurality of remote services to an active ontology, where the active ontology includes at least one active processing element that models a domain. At least one of the remote services is then registered for use in the domain.

Method and apparatus for building an intelligent automated assistant

A technique for adaptation of a speech recognizing system across multiple remote communication sessions with a speaker. The speaker can be a telephone caller. An acoustic model is utilized for recognizing the speaker's speech. Upon initiation of a first remote session with the speaker, the acoustic model is speaker-independent. During the first session, the speaker is uniquely identified and speech samples are obtained from the speaker. In the preferred embodiment, the samples are obtained without requiring the speaker to engage in a training session. The acoustic model is then modified based upon the samples thereby forming a modified model. The model can be modified during the session or after the session is terminated. Upon termination of the session, the modified model is then stored in association with an identification of the speaker. During a subsequent remote session, the speaker is identified and, then, the modified acoustic model is utilized to recognize the speaker's speech. Additional speech samples are obtained during the subsequent session and, then, utilized to further modify the acoustic model. In this manner, an acoustic model utilized for recognizing the speech of a particular speaker is cumulatively modified according to speech samples obtained during multiple sessions with the speaker. As a result, the accuracy of the speech recognizing system improves for the speaker even when the speaker only engages in relatively short remote sessions.

Adaptation of a speech recognition system across multiple remote sessions with a speaker

A system and method optionally includes or utilizes a processor may receive a request for social network content for display in a position of a plurality of sponsored content positions in a newsfeed of a social network interface, each of the plurality of sponsored content positions having a position criterion, at least two of the plurality of sponsored content positions having a different position criterion and identify a sponsored content item of a plurality of sponsored content items stored on a database based, at least in part, on a characteristic of the sponsored content item meeting the position criterion and a bid associated with the sponsored content item. A transmitter may transmit the sponsored content item from the processor to a server for display on a user interface.

System and method for positioning sponsored content in a social network interface

A machine may be configured to generate and provide, for example, a voice-user interface to a social networking service. The voice-user interface may enable a member of the social networking service to access member profile information for other members of the social networking service. Using the voice-user interface, a first member of the social networking service can speak a natural language command or request to receive an aural response that includes information regarding a second member of the social networking service. In this manner, the first member can request and receive specific member profile information of a second member. In another aspect, the first member can record audio notes to be assigned to his or her own member profile or assigned to a member profile of the second member. The first member may subsequently use the voice-user interface to have such audio notes played back when desired.

Voice interface to a social networking service

Method and apparatus for multi-pass speech recognition. An input device receives spoken input. A processor performs a first pass speech recognition technique on the spoken input and forms first pass results. The first pass results include a number of alternative speech expressions, each having an assigned score related to the certainty that the corresponding expression correctly matches the spoken input. The processor selectively performs a second pass speech recognition technique on the spoken input according to the first pass results. Preferably, the second pass attempts to correctly match the spoken input to only those expressions which were identified during the first pass. Otherwise, if one of the expressions identified by the first pass is assigned a score higher than a predetermined threshold (e.g., 95%), the second pass is not performed. Because the second pass is performed only when necessary, the invention recognizes speech with a faster average speed for a given accuracy in comparison to prior systems. Alternately, the first pass results identify a characteristic of the spoken input. The characteristic can be the gender of the speaker or a type of telephone the speaker is calling from. In which case, the second pass speech recognition technique is selected from a plurality of speech recognition techniques according to the characteristic identified by the first pass. Because the selected second pass technique is specific to the characteristic of the spoken input, the second pass technique can perform speech recognition faster for a given accuracy than a technique which is not specific.

Speech recognition system to selectively utilize different speech recognition techniques over multiple speech recognition passes

The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for predicting a frequency with which an advertisement displayed in response to a query will be selected. The method of the present invention comprises receiving analytics data associated with a display of one or more advertisements in response to one or more queries. One or more features associated with the one or more advertisements displayed in response to the one or more queries are identified. One or more functions are generated for predicting a frequency with which a given advertisement displayed in response to a query will be selected using the analytics data and features associated with the one or more advertisements displayed in response to the one or more queries.

Ashvin Kannan

Papers

Adaptation of a speech recognition system across multiple remote sessions with a speaker

System and method for positioning sponsored content in a social network interface

Voice interface to a social networking service

Speech recognition system to selectively utilize different speech recognition techniques over multiple speech recognition passes

System and method for generating functions to predict the clickability of advertisements