IP Library Granted Patent US 10,540,140
Granted Patent B2
US 10,540,140 · App. 15/651,315 · Granted Jan 21, 2020

System and method for continuous multimodal speech and gesture interaction

Inventors: Michael Johnston (New York, NY); Derya Ozkan (Playa Vista, CA)
Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
G06F3/167G06F3/017G10L15/22G06F2203/0381G10L2015/223
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,540,140
App. No.
15/651,315
Granted
Jan 21, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for processing multimodal input. A system configured to practice the method continuously monitors an audio stream associated with a gesture input stream, and detects a speech event in the audio stream. Then the system identifies a temporal window associated with a time of the speech event, and analyzes data from the gesture input stream within the temporal window to identify a gesture event. The system processes the speech event and the gesture event to produce a multimodal command. The gesture in the gesture input stream can be directed to a display, but is remote from the display. The system can analyze the data from the gesture input stream by calculating an average of gesture coordinates within the temporal window.

Claims (32)

1. A method comprising:

monitoring an audio stream associated with a non-tactile gesture input stream;

identifying a speech event in an audio stream;

analyzing, via a processor, data from the non-tactile gesture input stream to identify a non-tactile gesture event;

determining, based on the non-tactile gesture event, a temporal window associated with a time of the speech event; and

processing the speech event and the non-tactile gesture event within the temporal window to produce a multimodal command, wherein the temporal window comprises one of a modified temporal window representing a change from an original temporal window associated with the speech event or the original temporal window associated with the speech event and which is unchanged based on a type of the non-tactile gesture event.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the type of the non-tactile gesture event is associated with parameters describing specific three-dimensional characteristics of the non-tactile gesture event.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temporal window comprises a sliding time window with a width in time that depends on the type of the non-tactile gesture event.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the type of the non-tactile gesture event is chosen from a set of gestures.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the speech event and the non-tactile gesture event comprises carrying out the multimodal command.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the temporal window associated with the time of the speech event and based on the type of the non-tactile gesture event is further based on other data separate from speech event data or non-tactile gesture event data.

7. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

monitoring an audio stream associated with a non-tactile gesture input stream;

identifying a speech event in an audio stream;

analyzing data from the non-tactile gesture input stream to identify a non-tactile gesture event;

determining, based on the non-tactile gesture event, a temporal window associated with a time of the speech event; and

processing the speech event and the non-tactile gesture event within the temporal window to produce a multimodal command, wherein the temporal window comprises one of a modified temporal window representing a change from an original temporal window associated with the speech event or the original temporal window associated with the speech event and which is unchanged based on a type of the non-tactile gesture event.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the type of the non-tactile gesture event is associated with parameters describing specific three-dimensional characteristics of the non-tactile gesture event.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the temporal window comprises a sliding time window with a width in time that depends on the type of the non-tactile gesture event.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the type of the non-tactile gesture event is chosen from a set of gestures.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein processing the speech event and the non-tactile gesture event comprises carrying out the multimodal command.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein determining the temporal window associated with the time of the speech event and based on the type of the non-tactile gesture event is further based on other data separate from speech event data or non-tactile gesture event data.

13. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

monitoring an audio stream associated with a non-tactile gesture input stream;

identifying a speech event in an audio stream;

analyzing data from the non-tactile gesture input stream to identify a non-tactile gesture event;

determining, based on the non-tactile gesture event, a temporal window associated with a time of the speech event; and

processing the speech event and the non-tactile gesture event within the temporal window to produce a multimodal command, wherein the temporal window comprises one of a modified temporal window representing a change from an original temporal window associated with the speech event or the original temporal window associated with the speech event and which is unchanged based on a type of the non-tactile gesture event.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the type of the non-tactile gesture event is associated with parameters describing specific three-dimensional characteristics of the non-tactile gesture event.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the temporal window comprises a sliding time window with a width in time that depends on the type of the non-tactile gesture event.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 9, 2023
From: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 065531/0665 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 4, 2019
From: JOHNSTON, MICHAEL; OZKAN, DERYA
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 051185/0937 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 4, 2019
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
To: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051185/0948 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14875105 · Oct 5, 2015
Continuation 13308846 · Dec 1, 2011
Related Publication 20180004482A1 · Jan 4, 2018