Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120215539 | HYBRIDIZED CLIENT-SERVER SPEECH RECOGNITION - A recipient computing device can receive a speech utterance to be processed by speech recognition and segment the speech utterance into two or more speech utterance segments, each of which can be to one of a plurality of available speech recognizers. A first one of the plurality of available speech recognizers can be implemented on a separate computing device accessible via a data network. A first segment can be processed by the first recognizer and the results of the processing returned to the recipient computing device, and a second segment can be processed by a second recognizer implemented at the recipient computing device. | 08-23-2012 |
20150110285 | MODIFYING AN AUDIO PANORAMA TO INDICATE THE PRESENCE OF DANGER OR OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST - A personal safety system detects imminent danger or other event of interest and then modifies a sound panorama to focus a user's attention towards the direction of the danger or other event of interest. The personal safety system may isolate sounds originating from the direction of the danger or other event of interest, collapse the sound panorama towards the direction of the danger or other event of interest, or compress the sound panorama to align with the direction of the danger or other event of interest. The personal safety system may be integrated into an automobile or a wearable system physically attached to the user. Advantageously, the attention of the user may be drawn towards imminent danger or other events of interest without introducing additional sensory information to the user, thereby reducing the likelihood of startling or distracting the user. | 04-23-2015 |
20150137998 | USING EXTERNAL SOUNDS TO ALERT VEHICLE OCCUPANTS OF EXTERNAL EVENTS AND MASK IN-CAR CONVERSATIONS - An audio processing system may selectively identify certain environmental sounds and playing back these sounds, or a representation of these sounds, in the vehicle's cabin. The audio processing system may filter the environmental sounds to identify a particular sound that matches an event such as a bouncing ball, squealing tires, footsteps, and the like. The audio processing system may then provide an audio alert to an occupant in the vehicle. For example, the system may process the identified sound (e.g., amplify and/or isolate the sound) and use a speaker to output the processed sound into the interior of the vehicle. In another embodiment, the audio processing system may use environmental sounds as an audio masking sound for creating privacy zones within the vehicle. The audio processing system may filter the environmental sounds to identify a continuous sound which is then output to generate the privacy zones. | 05-21-2015 |
20150162000 | CONTEXT AWARE, PROACTIVE DIGITAL ASSISTANT - A digital assistant system may be used to proactively retrieve and provide information to a user based on an identified context of the user's environment and/or activities. By monitoring a user's environment and/or activities, an inference can be made about what supplemental information the user may find helpful and/or relevant. The supplemental information can be proactively retrieved and presented to the user. The system can include one or more sensors to gather information about the user's environment and/or activities. The system can also include one or more output modules for proactively providing information to the user, such as a speaker for providing information in an auditory format and a display for providing information in a visual format. The system can be wearable and always on so that it can quickly and unobtrusively provide information to the user. | 06-11-2015 |
20150193069 | SEAMLESS CONTENT TRANSFER - One embodiment provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer program code that, when executed by a processor, performs an operation. The operation includes detecting a gesture performed by a user and identifying a first device. A direction in which a second device is positioned, relative to the first device, is then determined, based on at least one of 1) the detected gesture and 2) an orientation of the first device. In response to identifying the second device, content to transmit between the first device and the second device is determined. Additionally, the operation includes transmitting the content between the first device and the second device. | 07-09-2015 |
20150195641 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USER CONTROLLABLE AUDITORY ENVIRONMENT CUSTOMIZATION - A method for generating an auditory environment for a user may include receiving a signal representing an ambient auditory environment of the user, processing the signal using a microprocessor to identify at least one of a plurality of types of sounds in the ambient auditory environment, receiving user preferences corresponding to each of the plurality of types of sounds, modifying the signal for each type of sound in the ambient auditory environment based on the corresponding user preference, and outputting the modified signal to at least one speaker to generate the auditory environment for the user. A system may include a wearable device having speakers, microphones, and various other sensors to detect a noise context. A microprocessor processes ambient sounds and generates modified audio signals using attenuation, amplification, cancellation, and/or equalization based on user preferences associated with particular types of sounds. | 07-09-2015 |
20150197283 | HAPTIC LANGUAGE THROUGH A STEERING MECHANISM - A system, and method for communicating navigation information to a vehicle operator through actuators in a steering mechanism for a vehicle. The steering mechanism can include multiple actuators along or in a surface a vehicle operator touches to steer the vehicle. Different numbers of actuators can be actuated under an operator's hand to communicate the severity of an upcoming turn. Alternatively, an actuator can be actuated by different amounts to communicate the severity of an upcoming turn. Proximity of an upcoming turn can be communicated by cycling actuators at different rates for different turns. By actuating actuators under an operator's left hand or the left portion of a hand, a left-hand turn can be communicated. Conversely, by actuating actuators under an operator's right hand or the right portion of a hand, a right-hand turn can be communicated. | 07-16-2015 |
20150203023 | ROADWAY PROJECTION SYSTEM - A roadway projection system integrated into a vehicle is configured to identify a specific driving scenario encountered by a driver of the vehicle, and to then project an image onto a roadway along which the vehicle travels based on that scenario. The image is intended to provide guidance to the driver in negotiating the identified scenario and/or to visualize potential driving actions of the driver for the benefit of others. The image could be, for example, and without limitation, an indicator that the driver should follow to perform a specific driving or navigation action, or a preference that the driver wishes to share with other drivers. In addition, the roadway projection system may detect images projected by other roadway projection systems in other vehicles and to determine mutual preferences shared between drivers. When a shared preference is violated, the roadway projection system may alert the driver of the vehicle. | 07-23-2015 |