Variable speed audio playback in speech recognition proofreader

• US 6,338,038 B1
• Filed: 09/02/1998
• Issued: 01/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hanson, Gary Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): Opsasnick, Michael N.
• Application Number:
  US09/145,782
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 704/500, 704/270, 704/275
• US Class Current: 704/500
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/04 Time compression or expansion

Abstract

A method for inserting a delay between the playback of individual words or phrases by a speech recognition system, comprises the steps of: (A) waiting for a playback command; (B) measuring a delay upon occurrence of the playback command; (C) initiating playback of only one of the individual words or phrases upon expiration of the delay; (D) waiting for a subsequent playback command; and, (E) upon occurrence of the subsequent playback command, repeating the steps (B), (C) and (D) for playing subsequent ones of the individual words or phrases, one at a time. The method can further comprise the steps of: (F) comparing a user requested delay to a predetermined delay; (G) changing from one at a time playback to continuous playback whenever the user requested delay is not greater than the predetermined delay; and, (H) changing from continuous playback to one at a time playback whenever the user requested delay is greater than the predetermined delay.

Claims

1. A method for inserting a delay between the playback of individual speech recognized words or phrases responsive to a user playback command, said method comprising the steps of:

(A) receiving a play event for initiating playback of only one of said individual speech recognized words or phrases;

(B) responsive to receiving said play event, pausing for a delay period;

(C) when said delay period has lapsed, initiating playback of only one of said individual speech recognized words or phrases;

(D) waiting for a subsequent play event; and

,

(E) upon receiving said subsequent play event, repeating said steps (B), (C), and (D) for playing subsequent ones of said individual speech recognized words or phrases, one at a time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(F) generating a user interface for detecting said playback command and playing back said individual words and phrases; and

,

(G) executing said steps (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E) in an independent thread of execution.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(F) tracking said playback of said individual words and phrases according to an ordered index;

(G) issuing a notification each time a playback of one of said individual words or phrases is completed;

(H) automatically repeating said steps (B), (C) and (D) for playing subsequent ones of said individual words or phrases responsive to each said notification; and

,

(I) continuing said playing back until all unplayed ones of said individual word or phrases in said ordered index are played back.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

(J) varying said delay responsive to a user requested delay.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(F) varying said delay responsive to a user requested delay.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

(K) comparing said user requested delay to a predetermined delay;

(L) repeating said step (E) if said user requested delay is greater than said predetermined delay; and

,

(M) terminating said step (E) if said user requested delay is not greater than said predetermined delay.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

(G) comparing said user requested delay to a predetermined delay;

(H) repeating said step (E) if said user requested delay is greater than said predetermined delay; and

,

(I) terminating said step (E) if said user requested delay is not greater than said predetermined delay.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

(N) initiating playback of said individual or words or phrases as a continuous stream responsive to said terminating step (M).

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

(J) initiating playback of said individual or words or phrases as a continuous stream responsive to said terminating step (I).

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

(F) generating a user interface for detecting said playback command and playing back said individual words and phrases; and

,

(G) executing said steps (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E) in an independent thread of execution.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

(F) generating a user interface for detecting said playback command and playing back said individual words and phrases; and

,

(G) executing said steps (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E) in an independent thread of execution.

12. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

(K) comparing said user requested delay to a predetermined delay;

(L) changing from playing back said individual words or phrases one at a time to playing back said individual words or phrases as a continuous stream whenever said user requested delay is not greater than said predetermined delay; and

,

(M) changing from playing back said individual words or phrases as a continuous stream to playing back said individual words or phrases one at a time whenever said user requested delay is greater than said predetermined delay.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

(G) comparing said user requested delay to a predetermined delay;

(H) changing from playing back said individual words or phrases one at a time to playing back said individual words or phrases as a continuous stream whenever said user requested delay is not greater than said predetermined delay; and

,

(I) changing from playing back said individual words or phrases as a continuous stream to playing back said individual words or phrases one at a time whenever said user requested delay is greater than said predetermined delay.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

(N) generating a user interface for detecting said playback command and playing back said individual words and phrases; and

,

(O) executing said steps (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E) in an independent thread of execution.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

(J) generating a user interface for detecting said playback command and playing back said individual words and phrases; and

,

(K) executing said steps (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E) in an independent thread of execution.