System and method using N-best strategy for real time recognition of continuously spelled names
First Claim
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1. A method for recognizing continuously spelled names input as a sequence of letters uttered into a microphonic transducer comprising:
- providing a predetermined letter grammar, defining a plurality of groups of letters;
processing said sequence of letters through a speech recognizer using said letter grammar to produce a first list comprising a plurality of groups of letters representing a set of N-best letter sequence hypotheses, where N is an integer greater than one;
providing a name dictionary comprising a first plurality of names representing possible choices of said continuously spelled names;
performing alignment between said first list and said name dictionary and selecting a second plurality of names from said name dictionary that represents the N-best name candidates;
building a dynamic grammar using said second plurality of names selected in said alignment step;
processing said sequence of letters through a speech recognizer using said dynamic grammar to select one name from said second plurality of names as representing a best hypothesis for the continuously spelled name.
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Abstract
A multipass recognition strategy selects the N-best hypotheses resulting from each pass and propagates these N-best to the next pass. This strategy outperforms conventional hidden Markov model recognizers using a grammar constraining all possible names. Real time recognition of continuously spelled names is made feasible, in part, because the processor-intensive costly constraints are applied, if at all, in the 4th pass, after the system has produced a much smaller dynamic grammar.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for recognizing continuously spelled names input as a sequence of letters uttered into a microphonic transducer comprising:
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providing a predetermined letter grammar, defining a plurality of groups of letters; processing said sequence of letters through a speech recognizer using said letter grammar to produce a first list comprising a plurality of groups of letters representing a set of N-best letter sequence hypotheses, where N is an integer greater than one; providing a name dictionary comprising a first plurality of names representing possible choices of said continuously spelled names; performing alignment between said first list and said name dictionary and selecting a second plurality of names from said name dictionary that represents the N-best name candidates; building a dynamic grammar using said second plurality of names selected in said alignment step; processing said sequence of letters through a speech recognizer using said dynamic grammar to select one name from said second plurality of names as representing a best hypothesis for the continuously spelled name. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for recognizing continuously spelled names input as a sequence of letters uttered into a microphonic transducer, comprising:
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a first speech recognizer for processing said sequence of letters to produce a first list comprising a plurality of groups of letters representing a set of N-Best letter sequence hypotheses where N is an integer greater than one; a name dictionary for representing possible choices of said continuously spelled names; alignment means coupled to said first speech recognizer and said name dictionary for performing alignment between said first list and said name dictionary and selecting a first plurality of names from said name dictionary that represents the N-best name candidates; a dynamic grammar storage coupled to said alignment means for storing said first plurality of names; and a second speech recognizer coupled to said dynamic grammar storage for processing said sequence of letters to select one candidate from said first plurality of names as representing a best hypothesis for the continuously spelled name.
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Specification