Speech recognition method and apparatus

• US 20050131699A1
• Filed: 12/08/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fukada, Toshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,624,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/06 Creation of reference templates; Training of speech recognition systems, e.g. adaptation to the characteristics of the speaker's voice G10L15/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/10 using distance or distortion measures between unknown speech and reference templates
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/14 using statistical models, e.g. Hidden Markov Models [HMMs] G10L15/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/18 using natural language modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1815 Semantic context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word meaning
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/28 Constructional details of speech recognition systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

A speech recognition apparatus and method of this invention manage previously input frequencies of occurrence for respective geographical names to be recognized (202), update the probability of occurrence of the geographical name to be recognized of interest on the basis of the frequency of occurrence of that geographical name, and those of geographical names to be recognized located within a predetermined region including the position of the geographical name of interest using a table (114) that describes correspondence between the geographical names to be recognized and their positions, and perform this update process for respective geographical names to be recognized (203).

Claims

1. A method for performing speech recognition of geographical names using weight information associated with respective geographical names to be recognized, comprising:

a frequency-of-occurrence management step of managing previously input frequencies of occurrence for respective geographical names to be recognized;

an extraction step of extracting geographical names to be recognized located within a region having a predetermined positional relationship with a position of the geographical name to be recognized of interest on the basis of a table that describes correspondence between geographical names to be recognized and their positions; and

an update step of updating the weight information associated with the geographical name to be recognized of interest on the basis of the frequencies of occurrence of the extracted geographical names.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the update step includes a step of updating the weight information further in consideration of distances from a position of the geographical name to be recognized of interest for respective positions of the geographical names to be recognized located within the predetermined region.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the update step includes a step of updating the weight information further in consideration of name recognition levels of geographical names respectively set for geographical names to be recognized.

4. Computer executable program for performing speech recognition of geographical names using weight information associated with respective geographical names to be recognized, comprising:

code for managing previously input frequencies of occurrence for respective geographical names to be recognized;

code for extracting geographical names to be recognized located within a region having a predetermined positional relationship with a position of the geographical name to be recognized of interest on the basis of a table that describes correspondence between geographical names to be recognized and their positions; and

code for updating the weight information associated with the geographical name to be recognized of interest on the basis of the frequencies of occurrence of the extracted geographical names.

5. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program of claim 4.

6. A speech recognition apparatus for performing speech recognition of geographical names using weight information associated with respective geographical names to be recognized, comprising:

frequency-of-occurrence management means for managing previously input frequencies of occurrence for respective geographical names to be recognized;

extraction means for extracting geographical names to be recognized located within a region having a predetermined positional relationship with a position of the geographical name to be recognized of interest on the basis of a table that describes correspondence between geographical names to be recognized and their positions; and

update means for updating weight information associated with the geographical name to be recognized of interest on the basis of the frequencies of occurrence of the extracted geographical names.