Method and apparatus for locating a desired record in a plurality of records in an input recognizing telephone directory
First Claim
1. A method of locating a desired record amongst a plurality of records in a telephone directory, the method comprising:
- a) associating a frequency field with each of said records, said frequency field being operable to store a frequency metric representing the frequency of use of said record, based on incoming and outgoing calls;
b) associating a characteristic field with each of said records, said characteristic field being operable to store a characteristic representation of at least one identifying characteristic of a rendering associated with said record;
c) producing an input representation of a rendering purporting to identify said desired record;
d) comparing said input representation with the contents of the characteristic fields of at least some of said records and assigning confidence metrics to said records respectively, each of said confidence metrics representing a respective probability that a respective record is the desired record;
e) determining which of said records have the first and second highest confidence metrics; and
f) selecting said desired record from said records having the first and second highest confidence metrics, as a function of said first and second highest confidence metrics and the frequency metrics of said records having the first and second highest confidence metrics.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for locating a desired record amongst a plurality of records in a telephone directory involves associating a frequency field with each of the records, the frequency field being operable to store a frequency metric. A characteristic field is also associated with each of the records, the characteristic field being operable to store a characteristic representation of at least one identifying characteristic of a rendering associated with the record. An input representation of a rendering purporting to identify the desired record is produced and the input representation is compared with the contents of the characteristic fields of at least some of the records and confidence metrics are assigned to the records respectively, each of the confidence metrics representing a respective probability that a respective record is the desired record. A determination is then made as to which of the records have the first and second highest confidence metrics. The frequency fields of the records having the first and second highest confidence metrics are then read and the record with the highest frequency metric is identified as the desired record. Instruction codes stored on a computer-readable memory medium may be used to configure a general purpose computer to effect the method.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A method of locating a desired record amongst a plurality of records in a telephone directory, the method comprising:
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a) associating a frequency field with each of said records, said frequency field being operable to store a frequency metric representing the frequency of use of said record, based on incoming and outgoing calls;
b) associating a characteristic field with each of said records, said characteristic field being operable to store a characteristic representation of at least one identifying characteristic of a rendering associated with said record;
c) producing an input representation of a rendering purporting to identify said desired record;
d) comparing said input representation with the contents of the characteristic fields of at least some of said records and assigning confidence metrics to said records respectively, each of said confidence metrics representing a respective probability that a respective record is the desired record;
e) determining which of said records have the first and second highest confidence metrics; and
f) selecting said desired record from said records having the first and second highest confidence metrics, as a function of said first and second highest confidence metrics and the frequency metrics of said records having the first and second highest confidence metrics. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
a) determining which of said records having the first and second highest confidence metrics has the highest value in its frequency field;
b) determining a figure of merit based on a weighted sum of the confidence metric associated with the record having the frequency field with the highest value, the difference between the first and second highest confidence metrics and the contents of the frequency field of said record having the highest value in its frequency field; and
c) determining whether said figure of merit is greater than a sixth pre-defined value and if so, selecting as said desired record said record having the highest value in its frequency field.
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16. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said frequency field is further operable to store a frequency of success metric related to the number of times the related record is selected as the desired record.
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17. An apparatus for locating a desired record amongst a plurality of records in a telephone directory, the apparatus comprising:
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a) computer readable memory media operable to store said plurality of records, each of said records having a frequency field and a characteristic field, said frequency field being operable to store a frequency metric representing the frequency of use of said record, based on incoming and outgoing calls said characteristic field being operable to store a characteristic representation of at least one identifying characteristic of a rendering associated with said record;
b) a digitizer for producing an input representation of a rendering purporting to identify said desired record;
c) a processor; and
d) instruction codes operable to direct said processor to;
i) compare said input representation with the contents of the characteristic fields of at least some of said records and to assign confidence metrics to said records respectively, each of said confidence metrics representing a respective probability that a respective record is the desired record;
ii) determine which of said records have the first and second highest confidence metrics; and
iii) read the frequency fields of said records having the first and second highest confidence metrics and select said desired record from said records having the first and second highest confidence metrics, as a function of said first and second highest confidence metrics and the frequency metrics of said records having the first and second highest confidence metrics. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
a) determining which of said records having the first and second highest confidence metrics has the highest value in its frequency field;
b) determining a figure of merit based on a weighted sum of the confidence metric associated with the record having the frequency field with the highest value, the difference between the first and second highest confidence metrics and the contents of the frequency field of said record having the highest value in its frequency field; and
c) determining whether said figure of merit is greater than a sixth pre-defined value and if so, selecting as said desired record said record having the highest value in its frequency field.
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30. An apparatus as claimed in claim 29 further comprising instruction codes operable to direct the processor to perform the step of, where the user denies that the record having the first highest frequency metric is the desired record, prompting the user to confirm that the record having the second highest frequency metric is the desired record.
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31. An apparatus as claimed in claim 29 further comprising instruction codes operable to direct the processor to perform the step of receiving an oral utterance from said user.
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32. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein said frequency field is further operable to store a frequency of success metric related to the number of times the related record is selected as the desired record.
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33. A computer-readable storage medium operable to store codes operable to direct a computer to locate a desired record amongst a plurality of records in a telephone directory, by:
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a) associating a frequency field with each of said records, said frequency field being operable to store a frequency metric representing the frequency of use of said record, based on incoming and outgoing calls;
b) associating a characteristic field with each of said records, said characteristic field being operable to store a characteristic representation of at least one identifying characteristic of a rendering associated with said record;
c) producing an input representation of a rendering purporting to identify said desired record;
d) comparing said input representation with the contents of the characteristic fields of at least some of said records and assigning confidence metrics to said records respectively, each of said confidence metrics representing a respective probability that a respective record is the desired record;
e) determining which of said records have the first and second highest confidence metrics; and
f) selecting said desired record from said records having the first and second highest confidence metrics, as a function of said first and second highest confidence metrics and the frequency metrics of said records having the first and second highest confidence metrics. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
a) determining which of said records having the first and second highest confidence metrics has the highest value in its frequency field;
b) determining a figure of merit based on a weighted sum of the confidence metric associated with the record having the frequency field with the highest value, the difference between the first and second highest confidence metrics and the contents of the frequency field of said record having the highest value in its frequency field; and
c) determining whether said figure of merit is greater than a sixth pre-defined value and if so, selecting as said desired record said record having the highest value in its frequency field.
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48. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 33 wherein said frequency field is further operable to store a frequency of success metric related to the number of times the related record is selected as the desired record.
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49. A method of locating a desired record amongst a plurality of records in a telephone directory, the method comprising:
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a) associating a frequency metric with each of said records, said frequency metric representing the incoming and outgoing calls;
b) associating a characteristic representation with each of said records, said characteristic representation identifying a rendering;
c) receiving an input representation of a rendering to identify said desired record;
d) comparing said input representation with the characteristic representation for at least some of said records and assigning confidence metrics to said at least some of said records, each of said confidence metrics representing a probability that a respective record is the desired record; and
e) selecting said desired record as a function of said confidence metrics and the frequency metrics.
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Specification