IP Library Granted Patent US 9,280,972
Granted Patent B2
US 9,280,972 · App. 13/892,094 · Granted Mar 8, 2016

Speech to text conversion

Inventors: Daniel McCulloch (Kirkland, WA); Abby Lin Lee (Seattle, WA); Adam Benjamin Smith-Kipnis (Seattle, WA); Jonathan William Plumb (Seattle, WA); Alexandre David (Seattle, WA); Michael O Hale (Bellevue, WA); Jeff Cole (Seattle, WA); Hendrik Mark Langerak (Bellevue, WA)
Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
G10L15/26G06F1/163
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,280,972
App. No.
13/892,094
Granted
Mar 8, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments that relate to converting audio inputs from an environment into text are disclosed. For example, in one disclosed embodiment a speech conversion program receives audio inputs from a microphone array of a head-mounted display device. Image data is captured from the environment, and one or more possible faces are detected from image data. Eye-tracking data is used to determine a target face on which a user is focused. A beamforming technique is applied to at least a portion of the audio inputs to identify target audio inputs that are associated with the target face. The target audio inputs are converted into text that is displayed via a transparent display of the head-mounted display device.

Claims (72)

1. A speech conversion system for converting audio inputs from an environment into text, comprising:

a head-mounted display device operatively connected to a computing device, the head-mounted display device comprising:

a display system including a transparent display;

an eye-tracking system for tracking a gaze of a user's eye;

a microphone array including a plurality of microphones rigidly mounted to the head-mounted display device for receiving the audio inputs; and

one or more image sensors for capturing image data;

a face detection program executed by a processor of the computing device, the face detection program configured to detect from the image data one or more possible faces;

a user focus program executed by a processor of the computing device, the user focus program configured to use eye-tracking data from the eye-tracking system to determine a target face on which the user is focused; and

a speech conversion program executed by a processor of the computing device, the speech conversion program configured to:

use a beamforming technique applied to at least a portion of the audio inputs from the microphone array to identify target audio inputs for speech to text conversion that are associated with the target face;

convert the target audio inputs into text;

determine if the text is related to the environment; and

if the text is related to the environment, then display the text via the transparent display of the head-mounted display device as geo-located within the environment for a predetermined period of time.

2. The speech conversion system of claim 1 , wherein the speech conversion program is further configured to:

receive from one or more external sources additional audio inputs from an environment; and

use the additional audio inputs to identify the target audio inputs.

3. The speech conversion system of claim 1 , wherein the face detection program is further configured to determine an identity associated with the target face.

4. The speech conversion system of claim 3 , wherein the speech conversion program is further configured to:

access speech pattern data corresponding to the identity associated with the target face; and

use the speech pattern data to convert the target audio inputs into the text.

5. The speech conversion system of claim 3 , wherein the displayed text is tagged to a person corresponding to the identity.

6. The speech conversion system of claim 1 , further comprising a sign language program executed by a processor of the computing device, the sign language program configured to:

identify one or more of sign language letters and words from the image data;

convert the letters and words into signed text; and

display the signed text via the transparent display of the head-mounted display device.

7. The speech conversion system of claim 1 , further comprising a lip reading program executed by a processor of the computing device, the lip reading program configured to:

identify from the image data of the target face movements of one or more of lips and a tongue of the target face;

convert the movements into lip read text; and

display the lip read text via the transparent display of the head-mounted display device.

8. The speech conversion system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of microphones comprise omnidirectional microphones, and the speech conversion system further comprises a speech focus program executed by a processor of the computing device, the speech focus program configured to:

identify a location from which speech is received at one or more of the omnidirectional microphones; and

using the beamforming technique applied to the speech received at the one or more omnidirectional microphones, identify the target audio inputs that are associated with the location.

9. A method for converting audio inputs from an environment into text, the audio inputs being received at a microphone array of a head-mounted display device, comprising:

capturing image data from the environment;

detecting from the image data one or more possible faces;

using eye-tracking data from an eye-tracking system of the head-mounted display device to determine a target face on which a user is focused;

using a beamforming technique applied to at least a portion of the audio inputs from the microphone array to identify target audio inputs for speech to text conversion that are associated with the target face;

converting the target audio inputs into text;

determining if the text is related to the environment; and

if the text is related to the environment, then displaying the text via a transparent display of the head-mounted display device as geo-located within the environment for a predetermined period of time.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving from one or more external sources additional audio inputs from the environment; and

using the additional audio inputs to identify the target audio inputs.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining an identity of the target face.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

accessing speech pattern data corresponding to the identity of the target face; and

using the speech pattern data to convert the target audio inputs into the text.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising tagging the displayed text to a person corresponding to the identity.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

identifying one or more of sign language letters and words from the image data;

converting the letters and words into signed text; and

displaying the signed text via the transparent display of the head-mounted display device.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

identifying from the image data of the target face movements of one or more of lips and a tongue of the target face;

converting the movements into lip read text; and

displaying the lip read text via the transparent display of the head-mounted display device.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of microphones comprise omnidirectional microphones, and further comprising:

identifying a location from which speech is received at one or more of the omnidirectional microphones; and

identifying the target audio inputs that are associated with the location using the beamforming technique applied to the speech received at the one or more omnidirectional microphones.

17. A method for converting audio inputs from an environment into text, the audio inputs being received at a microphone array of a head-mounted display device, comprising:

capturing image data from the environment;

detecting from the image data one or more possible faces;

using eye-tracking data from an eye-tracking system of the head-mounted display device to determine a target face on which a user is focused;

determining an identity of the target face;

using a beamforming technique applied to at least a portion of the audio inputs from the microphone array to identify target audio inputs that are associated with the target face;

converting the target audio inputs into text;

determining if the text is related to the environment;

if the text is related to the environment, then displaying the text via a transparent display of the head-mounted display device as geo-located within the environment for a predetermined period of time; and

tagging the displayed text to a person corresponding to the identity.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

accessing speech pattern data corresponding to the identity of the target face; and

using the speech pattern data to convert the target audio inputs into the text.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 17, 2015
From: MCCULLOCH, DANIEL; LEE, ABBY LIN; SMITH-KIPNIS, ADAM BENJAMIN; PLUMB, JONATHAN WILLIAM; DAVID, ALEXANDRE; HALE, MICHAEL O.; COLE, JEFF; LANGERAK, HENDRIK MARK
To: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036595/0053 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 9, 2015
From: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 039025/0454 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140337023A1 · Nov 13, 2014