Method and apparatus for creating a geographically limited vocabulary for a speech recognition system

• US 20030125869A1
• Filed: 01/02/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Adams, Hugh William Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/040,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20030125869A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

A speech recognition input interface for a portable computing device is disclosed that limits the geographic references in a speech recognition vocabulary, such as street names, local landmarks and points of interest, to those geographic references that are within a predefined distance of the current location of a user. The predefined distance may be varied, for example, in accordance with the expected range of a user. Thus, the present invention provides a vocabulary containing only those entries that are most likely to be utilized by the speech recognition system, based on the current location and expected range of the user. A navigation system uses an improved speech recognition interface in conjunction with a position location device that determines a current location of a user within a geographic domain. A limiting process generates a navigational vocabulary containing geographic references that are most likely to be utilized, in order to improve the accuracy of the speech recognition interface.

Claims

1. A method for generating a vocabulary for use by a speech recognition system, comprising:

determining a current location of a user within a geographic domain; and

generating a vocabulary of entries corresponding to geographic references within said geographic domain that are within a given distance of said user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said geographic references include street names within said geographic domain.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said geographic references include landmarks within said geographic domain.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said geographic references include points of interest within said geographic domain.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said predefined distance is varied in proportion to an expected range of said user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said user is moving and said current location is an instantaneous position of said user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said geographic domain is selected from the group consisting essentially of a part of a geographic region, a part of a town, a part of a city and a floor plan of a building.

8. A method for entering information into a navigation system, comprising:

determining a current location of a user within a geographic domain;

generating a navigational vocabulary of entries corresponding to geographic references within said geographic domain that are within a given distance of said user; and

transcribing speech from said user to commands for said navigation system using said vocabulary.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said geographic references include street names within said geographic domain.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said geographic references include landmarks within said geographic domain.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said geographic references include points of interest within said geographic domain.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said predefined distance is varied in proportion to an expected range of said user.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said user is moving and said current location is an instantaneous position of said user.

14. A speech recognition interface, comprising:

a position location for determining a current location of a user within a geographic domain;

geographic database having geographic references within said geographic domain; and

a processor for generating a speech recognition vocabulary containing entries corresponding to said geographic references that are within a given distance of said user.

15. The speech recognition system of claim 14, wherein said geographic references include street names within said geographic domain.

16. The speech recognition system of claim 14, wherein said geographic references include landmarks within said geographic domain.

17. The speech recognition system of claim 14, wherein said geographic references include points of interest within said geographic domain.

18. The speech recognition system of claim 14, wherein said predefined distance is varied in proportion to an expected range of said user.

19. The speech recognition system of claim 14, wherein said user is moving and said current location is an instantaneous position of said user.

20. The speech recognition system of claim 14, further comprising a navigation system for providing directions based on said geographic database and said current position of said user.

21. The speech recognition system of claim 14, further comprising a navigation system for providing navigational information based on said geographic database and said current position of said user.

22. An article of manufacture for generating a vocabulary for use by a speech recognition system, comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable code means embodied thereon, said computer readable program code means comprising;

a step to determine a current location of a user within a geographic domain; and

a step to generate a vocabulary of entries corresponding to geographic references within said geographic domain that are within a given distance of said user.