IP Library Granted Patent US 7,720,203
Granted Patent B2
US 7,720,203 · App. 11/809,817 · Granted May 18, 2010

System and method for processing speech

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,720,203
App. No.
11/809,817
Granted
May 18, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for processing speech are provided. A system may include an acoustic model to transform speech input into one or more word strings. The system may also include a semantic model to convert each of the one or more word strings into a detected object and a detected action. The system may also include a synonym table to determine a preferred object based on the detected object and to determine a preferred action based on the detected action.

Claims (24)

1. A system to process speech, the system comprising:

an acoustic model to transform speech input into one or more word strings;

a semantic model to convert each of the one or more word strings into a detected object and a detected action; and

a synonym table storing data that can be processed to determine a preferred object based on the detected object and to determine a preferred action based on the detected action.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a processor to perform an act based on the preferred action and the preferred object.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a processor to route a caller to a desired destination based on the preferred action and the preferred object.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a processor to determine a dominant action based at least partially on the preferred action, and to determine a dominant object based at least partially on the preferred object.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the preferred object and preferred action are determined based at least partially on geographic designation information related to the speech input.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic model transforms the speech input into the one or more word strings based on detected phonemes.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic model assigns probability values to the one or more word strings based on an evaluation of coherency of the one or more word strings.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the semantic model parses the one or more word strings to identify nouns to determine the detected object and wherein the semantic model parses the one or more word strings to identify verbs to determine the detected action.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the semantic model assigns a first probability value to the detected object and a second probability value to the detected action, wherein the first probability value and the second probability value indicate a likelihood that the detected object and the detected action reflect an intent of a speaker of the speech input.

10. A system to process speech, the system comprising:

a synonym table including a plurality of preferred objects associated with a plurality of detected objects and a plurality of preferred actions associated with a plurality of detected actions; and

a processor to receive a detected object based on speech input, to select a preferred object from the synonym table based on the detected object, to receive a detected action based on the speech input, and to select a preferred action from the synonym table based on the detected action.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of detected objects of the synonym table includes a natural language phrase including at least one noun.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of detected actions of the synonym table includes a natural language phrase including at least one verb.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of detected objects of the synonym table includes a natural language phrase including at least one adjective and at least one noun.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of detected actions of the synonym table includes a natural language phrase including at least one adverb and at least one verb.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor determines a first confidence level associated with the preferred object based on the detected object, and wherein the processor determines a second confidence level associated with the preferred action based on the detected action.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor determines a plurality of preferred objects based on the detected object, and selects a dominant object from the plurality of preferred objects.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor determines a plurality of preferred actions based on the detected action, and selects a dominant action from the plurality of preferred actions.

18. The system of claim 10 , further comprising an object-action routing module to route a call associated with the speech input, wherein the object-action routing module includes a plurality of call destinations related to object-action pairs.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein more than 80% of calls processed using the object-action routing module are successfully routed to a desired destination.

Assignments (24)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 4, 2025
From: RUNWAY GROWTH FINANCE CORP., AS AGENT
To: INTERACTIONS CORPORATION; INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 072802/0931 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE APPLICATION NUMBER PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 060445 FRAME: 0733. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 1, 2023
From: INTERACTIONS LLC; INTERACTIONS CORPORATION
To: RUNWAY GROWTH FINANCE CORP.
Reel/Frame 062919/0063 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME: 036100/0925 Recorded Jul 1, 2022
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 060559/0576 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME: 049388/0082 Recorded Jun 30, 2022
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 060558/0474 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 27, 2022
From: INTERACTIONS LLC; INTERACTIONS CORPORATION
To: RUNWAY GROWTH FINANCE CORP.
Reel/Frame 060445/0733 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded May 23, 2022
From: ORIX GROWTH CAPITAL, LLC
To: INTERACTIONS CORPORATION; INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 061749/0825 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 18, 2020
From: BEARCUB ACQUISITIONS LLC
To: ARES VENTURE FINANCE, L.P.
Reel/Frame 052693/0866 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 5, 2019
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 049388/0082 →
ASSIGNMENT OF IP SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 17, 2017
From: ARES VENTURE FINANCE, L.P.
To: BEARCUB ACQUISITIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 044481/0034 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CHANGE PATENT 7146987 TO 7149687 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 036009 FRAME 0349. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Nov 17, 2015
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: ARES VENTURE FINANCE, L.P.
Reel/Frame 037134/0712 →
FIRST AMENDMENT TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 13, 2015
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 036100/0925 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2015
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: ARES VENTURE FINANCE, L.P.
Reel/Frame 036009/0349 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 19, 2014
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: ORIX VENTURES, LLC
Reel/Frame 034677/0768 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2014
From: AT&T ALEX HOLDINGS, LLC
To: INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 034642/0640 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 10, 2014
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
To: AT&T ALEX HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 034467/0944 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2014
From: BUSHEY, ROBERT R.; KNOTT, BENJAMIN ANTHONY; MARTIN, JOHN MILLS; KORTH, SARAH
To: SBC KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
Reel/Frame 034441/0178 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 9, 2014
From: AT&T KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 034562/0112 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 5, 2014
From: BUSHEY, ROBERT R.; KNOTT, BENJAMIN ANTHONY; MARTIN, JOHN MILLS; KORTH, SARAH
To: SBC KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
Reel/Frame 034400/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 5, 2014
From: BUSHEY, ROBERT R.; KNOTT, BENJAMIN ANTHONY; MARTIN, JOHN MILLS; KORTH, SARAH
To: SBC KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
Reel/Frame 034399/0766 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 5, 2014
From: SBC KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
To: AT&T KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
Reel/Frame 034536/0955 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 5, 2014
From: AT&T KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 034536/0981 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 29, 2014
From: SBC KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 033846/0082 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 15, 2011
From: SBC KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 027394/0680 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 1, 2007
From: BUSHEY, ROBERT R.; KNOTT, BENJAMIN ANTHONY; MARTIN, JOHN MILLS; KORTH, SARAH
To: SBC KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, LP
Reel/Frame 019439/0001 →