Data processing apparatus comprising: input means for receiving recognition data from a speech recognition engine and corresponding audio data, said recognition data including a string of recognised words and audio identifiers identifying audio components corresponding to each recognised word; storage means for storing said audio data received from said input means; interface application program means comprising means for receiving the input recognised words, means for placing the recognised words into positions in text in a processing application program means to allow the processing of the recognised words to change the positions of the recognised words to form a processed word string, means for determining the positions of the recognised words in said processing application program means, means for monitoring changes in the positions of the recognised words, and means for forming link data linking the audio data to the recognised words, said link data comprising the audio identifiers and the determined positions of corresponding recognised words, said interface application program means including means for updating said link data in response to monitored changes in positions of the recognised words; display means for displaying the recognised words received and processed by said processing application program means; user operable selection means for selecting at least one word in the displayed words, said interface application program means including means for identifying any audio components, if present, which are linked to the at least one selected word; and audio playback means for playing back any identified audio components in the order of the word positions in the word string or the processed word string. view more

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said storage means also stores the recognised words and the link data, the apparatus including storage reading means for reading the stored recognised words into said processing application program means and for reading the stored link data for use by said interface application program means. view more

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including user operable correction means for selecting a displayed recognised word which has been incorrectly recognised; correction audio playback means for controlling said audio playback means to play back any audio component corresponding to the selected word to aid correction; and speech recognition update means for sending the corrected word and the audio identifier for the audio component corresponding to the corrected word to the speech recognition engine. view more

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said recognition data includes alternative words, said display means including means to display a choice list comprising the alternative words, and said selecting and correcting means includes means to select one of the alternative words or to enter a new word. view more

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said audio identifiers comprise a list of positions of the corresponding audio components in the audio data.

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said word string is formed of a plurality of separately dictated passages of words, said storage means stores said audio data for each dictated passage of words in a separate file, and said memory means stores a list identifying the files and positions in the files of the audio components in said audio data corresponding to the word locations in the word string. view more

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said recognition data includes recognition status indicators to indicate whether each recognised word is a word finally selected as recognised by said speech recognition engine or a word which is the most likely at that time but which is still being recognised by said speech recognition engine, the apparatus including status detection means for detecting said recognition status indicators, and display control means to control said display means to display words which are still being recognised differently to words which have been recognised, said interface application program means being responsive to said recognition status indicators to link the recognised words to the corresponding audio component in the audio data. view more

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including contextual update means operable by a user to select recognised words which are to be used to provide contextual correcting parameters to said speech recognition engine, and to send said contextual correcting parameters to said speech recognition engine. view more

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said recognition data includes a likelihood indicator for each word in the word string indicating the likelihood that the word is correct, and said link means stores the likelihood indicators, the apparatus including automatic error detection means for detecting possible errors in recognition of words in the recognised words by scanning the likelihood indicators in said link means for the recognised words and detecting if the likelihood indicator for a word is below a likelihood threshold, whereby said display means highlights the word having a likelihood indicator below the likelihood threshold; second user operable selection means for selecting a word to replace an incorrectly recognised word highlighted in the recognised words; and correction means for replacing the incorrectly recognised word with the selected word to correct the recognised words. view more

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including file storage means for storing the recognised words in a file; means for selectively disabling one of the receipt of the recognised words by said processing application program means and the recognition of speech by said speech recognition engine for a period of time, means for storing the audio data for the period of time in said storage means as an audio message associated with the file; and storage reading means for reading said file for input to said processing application program means, and for reading said audio message for playback by said audio playback means. view more

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said storage reading means is controllable by a user to read said audio message at any time after said file has been input to said processing application program means until said processing application program means is no longer processing said file. view more

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said user operable selection means is operative to allow a user to select to playback the audio data for the most recent passage of dictated words, or to select words and play back the corresponding audio components. view more

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said interface application program means is operative to determine and monitor the positions of the recognised words by determining and monitoring the position of a first letter of each of the recognised words in text of said processing application program means, and said link data comprises the audio identifiers and the determined positions of the first letter of corresponding recognised words. view more

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising processing means operative under the control of a computer operating system, wherein said interface application program means comprises an interface application program implemented from within said computer operating system, said processing application program means comprises a processing application program implemented from within said computer operating system, and said interface application program is operative to determine and monitor the positions of the recognised words using operating system functions communicated via the computer operating system. view more

A data processing arrangement comprising: a data processing apparatus, the data processing apparatus comprising: input means for receiving recognition data from a speech recognition engine and corresponding audio data, said recognition data including a string of recognised words and audio identifiers identifying audio components corresponding to each recognised word; interface application program means comprising means for receiving the input recognised words, means for placing the recognised words into positions in text in a processing application program means to allow the processing of the recognised words to change the positions of the recognised words to form a processed word string, means for determining the positions of the recognised words in said processing application program means, means for monitoring changes in the positions of the recognised words, and means for forming link data linking the audio data to the recognised words, said link data comprising the audio identifiers and the determined positions of corresponding recognised words, said interface application program means including means for updating said link data in response to monitored changes in positions of the recognised words; storage means for storing said recognition data and audio data received from said input means, and for storing said link data; display means for displaying the recognised words received and processed by said processing application program means; user operable selection means for selecting at least one word in the displayed words, said interface application program means including means for identifying any audio components, if present, which are linked to the at least one selected word; and audio playback means for playing back any identified audio components in the order of the word positions in the word string or the processed word string; and an editor work station comprising: data reading means for reading the words, link data, and audio data from said data processing apparatus; editor processing means for processing the words; editor link means for linking the audio data to the word positions using the link data; editor display means for displaying the words being processed; editor correction means for selecting and correcting any displayed words which have been incorrectly recognised; editor audio playback means for playing back an audio component corresponding to any selected words to aid correction; editor speech recognition update means for storing the corrected words and the audio identifier for the audio component corresponding to the corrected word in a word correction file; and data transfer means for transferring the word correction file to said data processing apparatus for later updating of models used by said speech recognition engine; said data processing apparatus including correction file reading means for reading said word correction file to pass the data contained therein to said speech recognition engine for the updating of the models used by said speech recognition engine. view more

A data processing arrangement as claimed in claim 15 wherein said recognition data includes alternative words, said editor display means including means to display a choice list comprising the alternative words, and said editor correcting means includes means to select one of the alternative words or to enter a new word. view more

A data processing arrangement as claimed in claim 15 including editor contextual update means operable by a user to select recognised words which are to be used to provide contextual correcting parameters to said speech recognition engine of said data processing apparatus, and to store said contextual correcting parameters in a contextual correction file; said data transfer means being responsive to the contextual correction file to transfer the contextual correction file to said data processing apparatus for later updating of models used by said speech recognition engine; said correction file reading means of said data processing apparatus being responsive to the contextual correction file to read the contextual correction file to pass the data contained therein to said speech recognition engine. view more

A data processing arrangement as claimed in claim 15 wherein said recognition data includes a likelihood indicator for each word in the word string indicating the likelihood that the word is correct, and said link data includes the likelihood indicators, said editor work station including editor automatic error detection means for detecting possible errors in recognition of words in the recognised words by scanning the likelihood indicators in said recognition data for the words and detecting if the likelihood indicator for a word is below a likelihood threshold, whereby said editor display means highlights words having a likelihood indicator below the likelihood threshold; editor selection means for selecting a word to replace an incorrectly recognised word highlighted in the text; and second editor correction means for replacing the incorrectly recognised word with the selected word to correct the recognised words. view more

A data processing arrangement as claimed in claim 15 wherein said data processing apparatus includes file storage means for storing the recognised words in a file; means for selectively disabling one of the receipt of the recognised words by said processing application program means and the recognition of speech by said speech recognition engine for a period of time; means for storing the audio data during the period of time in said storage means as an audio message associated with the file; and storage reading means for reading said file for input to said processing application program means, and for reading said audio message for playback by said audio playback means; said editor work station including audio message reading means for reading the audio message associated with words being processed by said editor processing means for playback by said editor audio playback means. view more

A data processing arrangement as claimed in claim 19 wherein said audio message reading means is controllable by a user to read said audio message at any time the associated words are being processed by said editor processing means.

An editor work station for use with the data processing arrangement as claimed in claim 15, said editor work station comprising: data reading means for reading the words, link data, and audio data from said data processing apparatus; editor processing means for processing words; editor link means for linking the audio data to the word positions using the link data; editor display means for displaying the read words; editor correction means for selecting and correcting any displayed words which have been incorrectly recognised; editor audio playback means for playing back any audio component corresponding to the selected words to aid correction; editor speech recognition update means for storing the corrected word and the audio identifier for the audio component corresponding to the corrected word in a character correction file; and data transfer means for transferring the word correction file to said data processing apparatus for later updating of models used by said speech recognition engine. view more

An editor work station as claimed in claim 21 wherein said recognition data includes alternative words, said editor display means including means to display a choice list comprising the alternative words, and said editor correcting means includes means to select one of the alternative words or to enter a new word. view more

An editor work station as claimed in claim 21 including editor contextual update means operable by a user to select recognised words which are to be used to provide contextual correcting parameters to said speech recognition engine of said data processing apparatus, and to store said contextual correcting parameters in a contextual correction file; said data transfer means being responsive to the contextual correction file to transfer the contextual correction file to said data processing apparatus for later updating of models used by said speech recognition engine; said correction file reading means of said data processing apparatus being responsive to the contextual correction file to read the contextual correction file to pass the data contained therein to said speech recognition engine. view more

An editor work station as claimed in claim 21 wherein said recognition data includes a likelihood indicator for each word in the word string indicating the likelihood that the word is correct, and said link data includes the likelihood indicators, said editor work station including editor automatic error detection means for detecting possible errors in recognition of words in the recognised words by scanning the likelihood indicators in said recognition data for the words and detecting if the likelihood indicator for a word is below a likelihood threshold, whereby said editor display means highlights characters having a likelihood indicator below the likelihood threshold; editor selection means for selecting a word to replace an incorrectly recognised word highlighted in the word string; and second editor correction means for replacing the incorrectly recognised word with the selected word to correct the recognised word. view more

A data processing arrangement as claimed in claim 15 comprising a plurality of said data processing apparatus connected to a network, and at least one editor work station, wherein each editor work station can access and edit stored words and audio data on a plurality of said data processing apparatus. view more

A data processing arrangement as claimed in claim 15 wherein said interface application program means is operative to determine and monitor the positions of the recognised words by determining and monitoring the position of a first letter of each of the recognised words in text of said processing application program means, and said link data comprises the audio identifiers and the determined positions of the first letter of corresponding recognised words. view more

Data processing arrangement as claimed in claim 15 further comprising processing means operative under the control of a computer operating system, wherein said interface application program means comprises an interface application program implemented from within said computer operating system, said processing application program means comprises a processing application program implemented from within said computer operating system, and said interface application program is operative to determine and monitor the positions of the recognised words using operating system functions communicated via the computer operating system. view more

A method of processing data comprising: at an author work station, carrying out the method as claimed in claim 28 wherein the recognised words, the link data and the audio data are stored; and at an editor work station, obtaining the stored recognised words, link data and audio data from the author work station; inputting the recognised words into a processor application program; linking the audio data to the word positions using the link data; displaying the words being processed; selecting any displayed words which have been incorrectly recognised; playing back any audio component corresponding to the selected words to aid correction; correcting the incorrectly recognised words; storing the corrected word and the audio identifier for the audio component corresponding to the corrected word in a word correction file; and transferring the word correction file to the author work station for later updating of models used by said speech recognition engine; wherein, at a later time, said word correction file is read at said author work station to pass the data contained therein to said speech recognition engine for updating of said models. view more

Data processing apparatus comprising: input means for receiving recognition data and corresponding audio data from a speech recognition engine, said recognition data including a string of recognised characters and audio identifiers identifying audio components corresponding to a character component of the recognised characters; storage means for storing said audio data received from said input means; processing means for receiving and processing the input recognised characters to at least one of replace, insert move and position the recognised characters to form a processed character string; link means for forming link data linking the audio identifiers to the character component positions in the character string and for updating said link data after processing to maintain the link between the audio identifiers and the character component positions in the processed character string; display means for displaying the characters received by said processing means; user operable selection means for selecting characters in the displayed characters for audio playback, where said link data identifies any selected audio components, if present, which are linked to the selected characters; audio playback means for playing back the selected audio components in the order of the character component positions in the character string or the processed character string; file storage means for storing the recognised characters in a file; means for selectively disabling one of the receipt of the recognised characters by said processing means and the recognition of speech by said speech recognition engine for a period of time, means for storing the audio data for the period of time in said storage means as an audio message associated with the file; and storage reading means for reading said file for input to said processing means, and for reading said audio message for playback by said audio playback means. view more

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 52 wherein said storage reading means is controllable by a user to read said audio message at any time after said file has been input to said processing means until said processing means is no longer processing said file. view more

A data processing arrangement comprising: a data processing apparatus, the data processing apparatus comprising: input means for receiving recognition data and corresponding audio data from a speech recognition engine, said recognition data including a string of recognised characters and audio identifiers identifying audio components corresponding to a character component of the recognised characters; processing means for receiving and processing the input recognised characters to at least one of replace, insert move and position the recognised characters to form a processed character string; link means for forming link data linking the audio identifiers to the character component positions in the character string and for updating said link data after processing to maintain the link between the audio identifiers and the character component positions in the processed character string; storage means for storing said recognition data and audio data received from said input means, and for storing said link data; display means for displaying the characters received by said processing means; user operable selection means for selecting characters in the displayed characters for audio playback, where said link data identifies any selected audio components, if present, which are linked to the selected characters; and audio playback means for playing back the selected audio components in the order of the character component positions in the character string or the processed character string; file storage means for storing the recognised characters in a file; means for selectively disabling one of the receipt of the recognised characters by said processing means and the recognition of speech by said speech recognition engine for a period of time with means for storing the audio data for the period of time in said storage means as an audio message associated with the document; storage reading means for reading said document for input to said processing means, and for reading said audio message for playback by said audio playback means; and an editor work station comprising: data reading means for reading the characters, link data, and audio data from said data processing apparatus; editor processing means for processing the characters; editor link means for linking the audio data to the character component position using the link data; editor display means for displaying the characters being processed; editor correction means for selecting and correcting any displayed characters which have been incorrectly recognised; editor audio playback means for playing back any audio component corresponding to the selected characters to aid correction; editor speech recognition update means for storing the corrected characters and the audio identifier for the audio component corresponding to the corrected character in a character correction file; data transfer means for transferring the character correction file to said data processing apparatus for later updating of models used by said speech recognition engine; and audio message reading means for reading the audio message associated with characters being processed by said editor processing means for playback by said editor audio playback means; said data processing apparatus including correction file reading means for reading said character correction file to pass the data contained therein to said speech recognition engine for the updating of the models used by said speech recognition engine. view more

A data processing arrangement as claimed in claim 54 wherein said audio message reading means is controllable by a user to read said audio message at any time the associated characters are being processed by said editor processing means.

A method of processing data comprising: at an author work station: receiving recognition data and corresponding audio data from a speech recognition engine, said recognition data including recognised characters and audio identifiers identifying audio components corresponding to text components in the recognised text; storing the audio data; inputting the recognised characters to a processor for the processing of the characters to at least one of replace, insert move and position the characters to form a processed character string; forming link data linking the audio identifiers to the character component positions in the characters and updating said link data after processing to maintain the link between the audio identifiers and the character component positions in the processed character string; displaying the characters input to the processor; selecting displayed characters for audio playback, whereby said link data identifies any selected audio components, if present, which are linked to the selected characters; and playing back the selected audio components in the order of the character component positions in the character string; wherein the characters, the link data, and the audio data are stored; and at an editor work station: obtaining the stored characters, link data and audio data from the author work station; inputting the characters into a processor; linking the audio data to the character component positions using the link data; displaying the characters being processed; selecting any displayed characters which have been incorrectly recognised; playing back any audio component corresponding to the selected characters to aid correction; correcting the incorrectly recognised characters; storing the corrected characters and the audio identifier for the audio component corresponding to the corrected character in a character correction file; and transferring the character correction file to the author work station for later updating of models used by said speech recognition engine; wherein, at a later time, said character correction file is read at said author work station to pass the data contained therein to said speech recognition engine for updating of said models; wherein, at said author work station, storing the characters as a file; selectively disabling one of the importation of recognised characters into the processor and the recognition of speech by said speech recognition engine for a period of time; storing the audio data for the period of time as an audio message associated with the file; and at a later time, reading said file for input to the processor; and at said editor work station, reading the audio message associated with the file being processed by the processor, and playing back the read audio message. view more

A universal speech-recognition interface that enables operative coupling of a speech-recognition engine to at least any one of a plurality of different computer-related applications, the universal speech-recognition interface comprising: input means for receiving speech-recognition data including recognised words; output means for outputting the recognised words into at least any one of the plurality of different computer-related applications to allow processing of the recognised words as input text; and audio playback means for playing audio data associated with the recognised words. view more

The universal speech-recognition interface of claim 60, further comprising: means, independent of the one computer-related application, for forming link data linking a portion of the audio data to at least one the recognised words independently of the one computer-related application, the link data comprising: one or more audio identifiers which link a portion of the audio data to one or more recognised words; and one or more position identifiers which link the recognised words to corresponding positions within the one computer-related application; and means, independent of the one computer-related application, for updating the position identifiers in response to changes in positions of the recognised words within the one computer-related application. view more

The universal speech-recognition interface of claim 60 further comprising: user operable selection means for selecting one or more of the recognised words in the one computer-related application, wherein the audio playback means is responsive to the selection means to playback audio data associated with the one or more recognised words. view more

The universal speech-recognition interface of claim 60 wherein the plurality of different computer-related applications includes a wordprocessing application and at least one of a spreadsheet processing application, an electronic-mail application, a presentation application, and a computer-aided-design application. view more

A speech-recognition interface that enables operative coupling of a speech-recognition engine to a computer-related application, the interface comprising: input means for receiving speech-recognition data including recognised words; output means for outputting the recognised words into a computer-related application to allow processing of the recognised words as input text, including changing positions of the recognised words; and means, independent of the computer-related application, for determining positions of the recognised words in the computer-related application. view more

The speech-recognition interface of claim 64, further comprising: means, independent of the computer-related application, for monitoring changes in positions of the recognised words in the computer-related application.

The speech-recognition interface of claim 64, further comprising: means, independent of the computer-related application, for forming link data linking a portion of the audio data to at least one of the recognised words independently of the computer-related application, the link data comprising: one or more audio identifiers which link a portion of the audio data to one or more recognised words; and one or more position identifiers which link the recognised words to corresponding positions within the computer-related application; and means, independent of the computer-related application, for updating the position identifiers in response to changes in positions of the recognised words within the computer-related application. view more

The speech-recognition interface of claim 64, further comprising: audio playback means for playing audio data associated with the recognised words.

The universal speech-recognition interface of claim 67, further comprising: user operable selection means for selecting one or more of the recognised words in the computer-related application, wherein the audio playback means is responsive to the selection means to playback audio data associated with the one or more recognised words. view more

Data processing apparatus comprising input means for receiving recognition data from a speech recognition engine and corresponding audio data, said recognition data including a string of recognised words and audio identifiers identifying audio components corresponding to each of the recognised words; processing means for implementing an interface application program which receives the input recognised words, inputs the recognised words into a processing application program to process the input recognised words to cause the recognised words to be moved, and forms link data linking the audio data to the recognised words, said link data comprising the audio identifiers and information identifying the corresponding recognised words; display means for displaying the words received and processed by said processing application program; user operable selection means for selectively identifying a word in the displayed words, wherein said interface application program is operative to compare the identity of the selected word with said link data to identify any corresponding audio component; and audio playback means for playing back any identified corresponding audio component. view more

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 69 including storage means for storing said link data, and said audio data.

Data processing apparatus comprising: input means for receiving recognition data from a speech recognition engine and corresponding audio data, said recognition data including a string of recognised words and audio identifiers including audio components corresponding to each recognised word; storage means for storing the audio data received from said input means; processing means operative under the control of an operating system to implement a first application program which receives the input recognised words in text positions, and which processes the recognised words such that the positions of the recognised words are changed to form a processed word string, and a second application program which determines the positions of and monitors changes in the positions of the recognised words in said first application program using operating system functions communicated via the computer operating system, and which forms link data linking the audio data to the recognised words and updates said link data in response to monitored changes in the positions of the recognised words, said link data comprising the audio identifiers and the determined positions of corresponding recognised words; display means for displaying the recognised words; user operable selection means for selecting at least one word in the displayed words, wherein said second application program is operative to identify any selected audio components, if present, which are linked to the at least one selected word; and audio playback means for playing back any selected audio component. view more

Data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 75 including means operable by a user to allow the selection of said second application program from amongst a plurality of application programs implementable within the computer operating system.