Overriding default speech processing behavior using a default focus receiver

• US 20070038462A1
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Abbott, Lisa, Woodward, Steven, Ruback, Harvey, Badt, Daniel, Eckhart, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/28 Constructional details of speech recognition systems

Abstract

A method for implementing speech focus in a speech processing system can include the step of establishing a default focus receiver as a first entity to request speech focus of a speech processing system having multiple applications that share speech resources based upon speech focus. An event occurrence can be detected. An event handler of the default speech receiver can previously define behavior for the event occurrence and where default system behavior can be implemented within the speech processing system for the event occurrence. The default system behavior can be utilized when speech focus is not assigned during the event occurrence. Responsive to the event occurrence, at least one programmatic action can be performed in accordance with machine readable instructions of the event handler. The default system behavior is not implemented responsive to the event occurrence.

Claims

1. A method for implementing speech focus in a speech processing system comprising:

establishing a default focus receiver as a first entity to request speech focus of a speech processing system having multiple applications that share speech resources based upon speech focus;

detecting an event occurrence, wherein an event handler of the default speech receiver has previously defined behavior for the event occurrence and wherein default system behavior is implemented within the speech processing system for the event occurrence, wherein the default system behavior is utilized when speech focus is not assigned during the event occurrence;

responsive to the event occurrence, performing at least one programmatic action in accordance with machine readable instructions of the event handler, wherein the default system behavior is not implemented responsive to the event occurrence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing of the default focus receiver occurs during system initialization time before other entities have been able to request speech focus.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the default focus receiver is active after being initialized for an entire duration that the speech processing system which was initialized is active.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the default focus receiver is always available at the bottom of a focus queue associated with the speech focus while the speech processing system is running.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the event handier is written for a specific implementation of the speech processing system, wherein the event handler is linked to code of the default focus receiver to override the default system behavior of the speech processing system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for speech focus from at least one speech application; and

placing the requesting speech application in a queue for acquiring speech focus in a position having priority over the default focus receiver.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein during operation of the speech processing system, a plurality of speech applications are placed in a queue for acquiring speech focus, wherein each of the speech applications has priority in the queue over the default focus receiver.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the default focus receiver is a sequence of instructions that operate within the speech processing system as a thread of execution.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the speech processing system is an embedded speech processing system, wherein a plurality of speech processing applications that compete for speech focus are stored within read-only-memory of the embedded speech processing system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of claim 1 are performed by a machine in accordance with at least one computer program having a plurality of code sections that are executable by the machine.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is a software method in which said steps of claim 1 performed within at least one computing space by at least one computing device, said method further comprising the step of:

within a carrier wave, digitally encoding a plurality of instructions for causing said at least one computing device to perform the steps of claim 1.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of claim 1 are performed by at least one of a service agent and a computing device manipulated by the service agent, the steps being performed in response to a service request.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of claim 1 are performed by a machine in accordance with a plurality of machine readable instructions that are executed by the machine, and wherein a service agent responding to a service request specifically configures said machine to perform said steps of claim 1.

14. A system for speech processing comprising:

speech processing resources for performing at least one speech processing task;

a plurality of applications that utilize said speech processing resources, wherein utilization of the speech processing resources by the applications require that a utilizing application obtain a speech focus; and

a waiting queue for assigning speech focus, said waiting queue being configured to queue entries for waiting ones of said plurality of applications, said waiting queue also being configured for an entry for a default focus receiver and being configured for default system behavior, wherein speech focus is assigned to the default focus receiver when no entries associated with said plurality of applications are in said waiting queue, and wherein programmatic actions defined using the default focus receiver override corresponding programmatic actions specified as default system behavior.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the default focus receiver entry is placed within the waiting queue during initialization of the system before other entries are able to be placed within the waiting queue.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

at least one event handler linked to code of the default focus receiver, wherein instructions for performing said programmatic actions defined using the default focus receiver are defined within the event handler.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the default focus receiver is a sequence of instructions that operate within the system as a thread of execution.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the system is an embedded speech processing system, wherein a plurality of applications that compete for speech focus are stored within read-only-memory of the embedded speech processing system.

19. A default focus receiver for receiving speech focus to override default speech processing system behavior, said entity comprising:

a sequence of instructions that are activated responsive to event occurrences before instructions corresponding to default speech processing behavior are activated, wherein said sequence of instructions are only activated when a speech focus has not been obtained by a plurality of speech-enabled applications that request speech processing resources responsive to said event occurrences; and

at least one event handler programmatically referenced by said sequence of instructions, said event handler specifying at least one programmatic action that is to be performed responsive to one of said event occurrences being detected, wherein when events occur that have associated event handler programmatic actions and default behavior associated with the events, the programmatic actions specified in the event handler override the default behavior.

20. The default focus receiver of claim 19, wherein the default focus receiver is a sequence of instructions that operate within a speech processing system as a thread of execution.