Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Ann M Paradiso

Harish Kulkarni

Meredith June Morris

Alexander John Fiannaca

Jay Beavers

Jon Campbell

Mira E Shah

Jonathan Campbell

Eric Norman Badger

Jaime Brooks Teevan

Edward Bryan Cutrell

Saleema Amin Amershi

Kristina Nikolova Toutanova

Daniel John Liebling

Semiha Ece Kamar Eden

Peter John Ansell

Robert Warren Gruen

Pallavi Choudhury

Shamsi Tamara Iqbal

Jacob Daniel Cohen

Anthony Lee Carbary

Dwayne Lamb

Darren Francis Gehring

Kiley Rebecca Sobel

Generation of expressive content is provided. An expressive synthesized speech system provides improved voice authoring user interfaces by which a user is enabled to efficiently author content for generating expressive output. An expressive synthesized speech system provides an expressive keyboard for enabling input of textual content and for selecting expressive operators, such as emoji objects or punctuation objects for applying predetermined prosody attributes or visual effects to the textual content. A voicesetting editor mode enables the user to author and adjust particular prosody attributes associated with the content for composing carefully-crafted synthetic speech. An active listening mode (ALM) is provided, which when selected, a set of ALM effect options are displayed, wherein each option is associated with a particular sound effect and/or visual effect. The user is enabled to rapidly respond with expressive vocal sound effects or visual effects while listening to others speak.

User interface for generating expressive content

Edits on a content item, such as a document, are divided into microtasks. The microtasks associated with a document can be automatically identified based on a workflow or can be identified by a user associated with the content item or an administrator. At a later time, the user can complete the microtasks for a content item using an application associated with their smart phone or tablet. The application may present the microtasks in a game-like environment where the user can compete with other users based on metrics such as number of microtasks completed in a day or fastest completion time. In addition, the user can earn rewards such as badges, coupons, or credits by completing microtasks. In this way, users can use time that would have been wasted playing games to complete their content items, while still experiencing some of the fun and competition associated with the games.

Providing rewards and metrics for completion of microtasks

The systems and methods described herein assist persons with the use of computers based on eye gaze, and allow such persons to control such computing systems using various eye trackers. The systems and methods described herein use eye trackers to control cursor (or some other indicator) positioning on an operating system using the gaze location reported by the eye tracker. The systems and methods described herein utilize an interaction model that allows control of a computer using eye gaze and dwell. The data from eye trackers provides a gaze location on the screen. The systems and methods described herein control a graphical user interface that is part of an operating system relative to cursor positioning and associated actions such as Left-Click, Right-Click, Double-Click, and the like. The interaction model presents appropriate user interfaces to navigate the user through applications on the computing system.

Controlling a computer using eyegaze and dwell

Speech generating devices, communication systems, and methods for communicating using the devices and systems are disclosed herein. In certain examples, a communication system is configured to receive a generated communication, establish a connection between a speech generating device and a computing device subsequent to receipt of the generated communication, and transmit the generated communication to the computing device. In other examples, a computing device is configured to establish a connection with a speech generating device, and receive a transmission generated by the speech generating device following the connection, the transmission including previously generated communications or real-time communication segments or proxies. In other examples, a speech generating device is configured to establish a connection with one or more computing devices, receive one or more suggestions from at least one computing device during generation of the communication, and display a suggestion on the display device as a shortcut input key.

Facilitating awareness and conversation throughput in an augmentative and alternative communication system

Speech generating devices, communication systems, and methods for communicating using the devices and systems are disclosed herein. In certain examples, the speech generating device includes a display device and an input device configured to generate a communication to be displayed on the display device, wherein the speech generating device is configured to allow a user to select between playing the generated communication through a speaker and transmitting the generated communication via a communication network to a computing device separate from the speech generating device. In certain examples, the computing device may be designated with other computing devices of other conversation partners within a conversation group.

Directed personal communication for speech generating devices

Speech generating devices, communication systems, and methods for communicating using the devices and systems are disclosed herein. In certain examples, the speech generating device includes: a first display device positioned in a first direction, the first display device configured to face a user of the speech generating device; an input device configured to generate a communication to be displayed on the first display device; and a second display device positioned in a second direction different from the first direction, wherein the second display device is configured to display a social cue proxy or an emotional proxy of the generated communication.

Proxies for speech generating devices

Growing community of inventors

Shoreline, WA, United States of America

Ann M Paradiso