Patent 9502025

Prior art

Earlier patents, publications, and products that may anticipate or render the claims unpatentable.

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Prior art

Earlier patents, publications, and products that may anticipate or render the claims unpatentable.

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Here is an analysis of the most relevant patent prior art for US patent 9502025, based on the citations listed on its Google Patents page and assessed against its priority date of November 10, 2009. The claims of US9502025B2 primarily focus on a "natural language content dedication service" that involves detecting multi-modal interactions, identifying content, processing transactions for that content, using natural language to customize the content for recipients, and delivering the customized content.

The prior art below is evaluated for potential anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102, meaning each element of a claim of US9502025B2 is found, either explicitly or inherently, in a single prior art reference.

Prior Art Patent Citations for US9502025B2:

  1. US7398209B2

    • Full Citation: US7398209B2, "Systems and methods for responding to natural language speech utterance", Kennewick; Mike, Armstrong; Lynn Elise (VoiceBox Technologies Corp).
    • Publication/Filing Date: Published July 8, 2008. The application (Ser. No. 10/452,147) was filed on June 2, 2003. Both dates are prior to the priority date of US9502025B2 (November 10, 2009).
    • Brief Description: This patent describes systems and methods for responding to natural language speech utterances, focusing on a voice user interface that supports free-form speech input and determines intent to retrieve information or invoke services. It details mechanisms for parsing utterances, determining context, and generating responses. The patent also mentions subscription models for natural language services.
    • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
      • Claims 1 & 12 (Detecting multi-modal device interactions, identifying content from natural language utterances): This patent broadly covers the detection and interpretation of natural language utterances for various requests and content retrieval.
      • Claims 1 & 12 (Processing transactions, processing natural language to customize content, delivering customized content): While it discusses responding to requests and potentially invoking services, it does not explicitly disclose the specific combination of "processing transactions for content dedication", "processing natural language to customize the content for recipients of dedications," and "delivering the customized content to recipients" in the context of a dedication service. Therefore, it does not fully anticipate the core "dedication service" aspects of Claims 1 and 12.

  2. US7620549B2

    • Full Citation: US7620549B2, "System and method of supporting adaptive misrecognition in conversational speech", Kennewick; Mike, Armstrong; Lynn Elise (VoiceBox Technologies Corp).
    • Publication/Filing Date: Published November 17, 2009. The application (Ser. No. 11/200,164) was filed on August 9, 2005. The filing date is prior to the priority date of US9502025B2 (November 10, 2009).
    • Brief Description: This patent describes systems and methods for improving speech recognition and natural language understanding by detecting and correcting misrecognitions in conversational speech. It focuses on using subsequent interactions and context to adapt recognition parameters.
    • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent primarily addresses the robustness and accuracy of natural language processing itself, rather than the specific application of a content dedication service with transactional and customization features. It contributes to the underlying technology of "detecting multi-modal device interactions" and "identifying content from natural language utterances" by improving ASR and NLP accuracy. However, it does not disclose a "content dedication service" as defined in US9502025B2's claims, especially the transaction, customization, and delivery aspects. Therefore, it does not anticipate Claims 1 or 12.

  3. US7640160B2

    • Full Citation: US7640160B2, "Systems and methods for responding to natural language speech utterance", Kennewick; Mike, Armstrong; Lynn Elise (VoiceBox Technologies Corp).
    • Publication/Filing Date: Published December 29, 2009. The application (Ser. No. 11/197,504) was filed on August 4, 2005. The filing date is prior to the priority date of US9502025B2 (November 10, 2009).
    • Brief Description: This patent describes systems and methods for responding to natural language speech utterances, specifically detailing a multi-pass speech recognition engine to generate transcriptions and a conversational language processor to determine intent and resolve requests. It's an enhancement of general natural language processing capabilities.
    • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US7620549B2, this patent provides foundational technology for accurate speech recognition and intent determination. It enables the "detecting multi-modal device interactions" and "identifying content from natural language utterances" elements. However, it lacks disclosure of the specific "content dedication service," including the transaction processing, natural language customization for recipients, and delivery of customized content. Therefore, it does not anticipate Claims 1 or 12.

  4. US20080312918A1

    • Full Citation: US20080312918A1, "System and method for an integrated, multi-modal, multi-device natural language voice services environment", Kennewick; Mike, Armstrong; Lynn Elise (VoiceBox Technologies Corp).
    • Publication/Filing Date: Published December 18, 2008. The application (Ser. No. 12/127,343) was filed on May 27, 2008. Both dates are prior to the priority date of US9502025B2 (November 10, 2009).
    • Brief Description: This application describes a hybrid processing environment where multiple devices (client, server, other voice-enabled devices) cooperatively interpret and process natural language utterances, often involving a virtual router. It focuses on sharing knowledge (e.g., constellation model) across devices to resolve multi-modal interactions.
    • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is highly relevant to the "system" aspect of US9502025B2, particularly the hybrid processing environment and the interaction of a client device with a server and virtual router. It enables "detecting multi-modal device interactions" and "identifying the content... from natural language utterances" within a distributed system. However, it does not specifically disclose the purpose of this interaction as being a "content dedication service" that involves "processing transactions" for content dedication, "processing natural language to customize the content for recipients," and "delivering customized content" to those recipients. While it provides the underlying architecture, it lacks the specific application and its unique steps. Therefore, it does not fully anticipate Claims 1 or 12.

  5. US20090204396A1

    • Full Citation: US20090204396A1, "System and method for selecting and presenting advertisements based on natural language processing of voice-based input", Kennewick; Mike, Armstrong; Lynn Elise (VoiceBox Technologies Corp).
    • Publication/Filing Date: Published August 13, 2009. The application (Ser. No. 11/671,526) was filed on February 6, 2007. Both dates are prior to the priority date of US9502025B2 (November 10, 2009).
    • Brief Description: This application describes a system where advertisements are selected and presented based on natural language processing of voice input, where the NLP determines the user's intent and context to provide relevant ads.
    • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference relates to using natural language processing for commercial purposes (advertising), which involves a form of "transaction" in a broader sense (e.g., delivering an ad based on intent). However, the specific "transaction" in US9502025B2 is for content requested for dedication, and the service involves customizing content with natural language for recipients and delivering that customized content. The advertising system does not perform this specific sequence of steps for content dedication. Therefore, it does not anticipate Claims 1 or 12.

  6. US20090287479A1

    • Full Citation: US20090287479A1, "System and method for a cooperative conversational voice user interface", Kennewick; Mike, Armstrong; Lynn Elise (VoiceBox Technologies Corp).
    • Publication/Filing Date: Published November 12, 2009. The application (Ser. No. 11/580,926) was filed on October 16, 2006. The filing date is prior to the priority date of US9502025B2 (November 10, 2009).
    • Brief Description: This application describes a cooperative conversational voice user interface that engages users in query, didactic, or exploratory conversations to resolve the intent of multi-modal interactions, clarifying ambiguity and guiding the user.
    • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent focuses on improving the conversational flow and intent resolution in natural language interfaces. It supports the "detecting multi-modal device interactions" and "identifying content from natural language utterances" elements by enabling more effective user interaction to narrow down intent and content. However, it does not disclose the specific application of a "content dedication service" with its unique transactional, customization (via natural language), and delivery features. Therefore, it does not anticipate Claims 1 or 12.

  7. US20090306967A1

    • Full Citation: US20090306967A1, "Mobile systems and methods of supporting natural language human-machine interactions", Kennewick; Mike, Armstrong; Lynn Elise (VoiceBox Technologies Corp).
    • Publication/Filing Date: Published December 10, 2009. The application (Ser. No. 11/212,693) was filed on August 29, 2005. The filing date is prior to the priority date of US9502025B2 (November 10, 2009).
    • Brief Description: This application describes mobile systems for natural language human-machine interactions, leveraging knowledge-enhanced speech recognition and cognitive models (personalized, general, environmental) to determine intent, especially in mobile environments.
    • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference provides foundational technology for mobile natural language processing and intent determination, contributing to the "detecting multi-modal device interactions" and "identifying content from natural language utterances" elements. While relevant to the operating environment, it does not disclose the specific "content dedication service" as defined in US9502025B2, including the transactional, natural language customization for recipients, and customized content delivery aspects. Therefore, it does not anticipate Claims 1 or 12.

  8. US20100063852A1

    • Full Citation: US20100063852A1, "System and method for processing multi-modal device interactions in a natural language voice services environment", Kennewick; Mike, Armstrong; Lynn Elise (VoiceBox Technologies Corp).
    • Publication/Filing Date: Published March 11, 2010. The application (Ser. No. 12/389,678) was filed on February 20, 2009. The filing date is prior to the priority date of US9502025B2 (November 10, 2009).
    • Brief Description: This application describes processing multi-modal device interactions, where voice and non-voice inputs are combined by a voice-click module to provide context for a conversational language processor to determine the intent. It's about combining different input modalities for better NLP.
    • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent directly addresses the "detecting multi-modal device interactions" element. It focuses on the technical aspects of integrating various input modalities to enhance natural language understanding and intent determination. However, it does not extend to the specific application of a "content dedication service" with its unique transaction, natural language customization, and delivery steps as claimed in US9502025B2. Therefore, it does not anticipate Claims 1 or 12.

  9. EP1572079A2

    • Full Citation: EP1572079A2, "Systems and methods for responding to natural language speech utterance", VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    • Publication/Filing Date: Published September 7, 2005. This date is prior to the priority date of US9502025B2 (November 10, 2009).
    • Brief Description: This European patent application is a counterpart or closely related to US7398209B2, describing similar systems and methods for natural language speech utterance processing to determine user intent and respond to requests.
    • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US7398209B2, this document covers general natural language speech processing and intent determination. It supports the foundational elements of "detecting multi-modal device interactions" and "identifying content from natural language utterances." However, it lacks the specific disclosure of a "content dedication service" that encompasses processing financial transactions for content dedication, customizing content with natural language for specific recipients, and delivering that customized content. Therefore, it does not anticipate Claims 1 or 12.

Conclusion on Anticipation:

While the cited prior art documents, particularly those from VoiceBox Technologies, provide a strong foundation for natural language processing, multi-modal interactions, and intent determination, none of them appear to fully anticipate, on their own, the specific combination of features defining the "natural language content dedication service" in US9502025B2. The distinguishing elements of US9502025B2's independent claims (Claims 1 and 12) revolve around the purpose and specific actions related to content dedication: the processing of financial transactions, the use of natural language to customize the content for recipients, and the delivery of that customized content. The cited prior art broadly covers the underlying NLP and system architecture, but not the specific "dedication service" application with these unique transactional and customization functionalities.

Generated 5/21/2026, 6:49:31 AM