Communicating metadata that identifies a current speaker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9704488-B2
Application number	US-201514664047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 20, 2015
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A computer system may communicate metadata that identifies a current speaker. The computer system may receive audio data that represents speech of the current speaker, generate an audio fingerprint of the current speaker based on the audio data, and perform automated speaker recognition by comparing the audio fingerprint of the current speaker against stored audio fingerprints contained in a speaker fingerprint repository. The computer system may communicate data indicating that the current speaker is unrecognized to a client device of an observer and receive tagging information that identifies the current speaker from the client device of the observer. The computer system may store the audio fingerprint of the current speaker and metadata that identifies the current speaker in the speaker fingerprint repository and communicate the metadata that identifies the current speaker to at least one of the client device of the observer or a client device of a different observer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system for communicating metadata that identifies a current speaker, the computer system comprising:
a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions; and
memory storing one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations including:
receive audio data that represents speech of the current speaker;
generate an audio fingerprint of the current speaker based on the audio data;
perform automated speaker recognition including comparing the audio fingerprint of the current speaker against one or more stored audio fingerprints contained in a speaker fingerprint repository;
communicate data indicating that the current speaker is unrecognized to a first client device of an observer;
receive tagging information that identifies the current speaker from the first client device of the observer;
store the audio fingerprint of the current speaker and metadata that identifies the current speaker in the speaker fingerprint repository, the metadata being at least partly based on the tagging information;
communicate the metadata that identifies the current speaker to at least one of the first client device of the observer or a second client device of a different observer;
receive a request that identifies a particular speaker from at least one of the first client device of the observer or the second client device of the different observer; and
communicate an alert to at least one of the first client device of the observer or the second client device of the different observer when the particular speaker is currently speaking.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations including:
receive additional tagging information that identifies the current speaker from at least one other client device of at least one other observer; and
resolve a conflict between the tagging information that identifies the current speaker and the additional tagging information that identifies the current speaker by identifying the current speaker based on an identity supplied by a majority of observers.

3. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations including:
receive confirmation that the current speaker has been correctly identified.

4. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations including:
retrieve additional information for the current speaker from an information source; and
communicate the additional information in the metadata that identifies the current speaker.

5. The computer system of claim 4 , wherein the additional information includes one or more of: a company of the current speaker, a department of the current speaker, a job title of the current speaker, or contact information for the current speaker.

6. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations including:
generate augmented audio data that includes the audio data that represents speech of the current speaker and the metadata that identifies the current speaker.

7. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the metadata that identifies the current speaker is communicated to the at least one of the first client device of the observer or the second client device of the different observer via the augmented audio data.

8. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the memory further stores one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations including:
store the augmented audio data;
receive a query indicating a recognized speaker;
search the augmented audio data for metadata that identifies the recognized speaker; and
output portions of the augmented audio data that represent speech of the recognized speaker.

9. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations including:
generate a transcription of a conversation having multiple speakers, wherein text of speech spoken by a recognized speaker is associated with an identifier for the recognized speaker;
store the transcription;
receive a query indicating the recognized speaker;
search the transcription for the identifier for the recognized speaker; and
output portions of the transcription that include the text of speech spoken by the recognized speaker.

10. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations including:
receive subsequent audio data representing speech of the current speaker;
generate a new audio fingerprint of the current speaker based on the subsequent audio data;
perform speaker recognition by comparing the new audio fingerprint of the current speaker against the stored audio fingerprint of the current speaker; and
communicate the metadata that identifies the current speaker to the client device of the observer or the client device of the different observer.

11. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations including:
operate on metadata included in augmented audio data that is being communicated in real time to determine that the particular speaker is currently speaking; and
wherein communicate an alert to at least one of the first client device of the observer or the second client device of the different observer when the particular speaker is currently speaking includes transmit data to the at least one of the first client device of the observer or the second client device of the different observer for generating at least one of an audible or visual alert whenever the particular speaker talks.

12. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations including:
provide an online meeting for participants;
receive an audio fingerprint of a participant from at least one client device of at least one participant; and
store the audio fingerprint of at least one participant and metadata that identifies at least one participant in the speaker fingerprint repository.

13. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations including:
communicate the audio fingerprint of the current speaker to the first client device of the observer.

14. A computer-implemented method for communicating metadata that identifies a current speaker performed by a computer system including one or more computing devices, the computer-implemented method comprising:
generating an audio fingerprint of the current speaker based on audio data that represents speech of the current speaker;
performing automated speaker recognition based on the audio fingerprint of the current speaker and one or more stored audio fingerprints;
receiving tagging information that identifies the current speaker from a first client device of an observer when the current speaker is unrecognized;
storing the audio fingerprint of the curren

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Kashtan Guy
• Schlesinger Benny
• Fitoussi Hen

Classifications

• H04M3/569

  using the instant speaker's algorithm (speech detection per se G10L25/78) · CPC title

• G10L17/00 Primary

  Speaker identification or verification techniques · CPC title

• H04M2203/5081

  Inform conference party of participants, e.g. of change of participants · CPC title

• H04M3/563

  User guidance or feature selection · CPC title

• H04M2201/41

  using speaker recognition · CPC title