Method and system for determining available and alternative speech commands

• US 6,591,236 B2
• Filed: 04/13/1999
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ortega, Kerry, Lewis, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAWAN, VIJAY B
• Application Number:
  US09/290,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20020161584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275, 704/244, 704/251, 704/257, 704/260, 704/235, 704/243, 704/255, 704/270.1
• US Class Current: 704/251
• 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 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

A method and system for use with a computer speech recognition system to efficiently identify valid system commands to users. The method involves a series of steps including: receiving data representative of a speech recognition system user input; comparing the data to a grammar defined for the speech recognition system to determine whether the data is representative of a user input which is a valid system command; and notifying the user as to whether the data is representative of a valid system command. The process can also involve the additional steps of determining a functional expression for the data; and comparing the functional expression to a set of all functional expressions permitted in the grammar to identify any alternate user inputs for producing the functional expression.

Claims

1. In a computer speech recognition system, a method for efficiently identifying valid system commands to users comprising the steps of:

receiving data representative of at least a complete speech recognition system command in a single user input;

comparing said data to a grammar defined for said speech recognition system to determine whether said data is representative of a user input which is a complete and valid system command; and

notifying said user as to whether said data is representative of a complete and valid system command.

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

determining a functional expression for said data; and

comparing said functional expression to a set of all functional expressions permitted in said grammar to identify any alternate user inputs for producing said functional expression.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising the step of notifying said user of said alternate user inputs for producing said functional expression.

4. The method according to claim 3 further comprising the step of listing said alternate user inputs in sequence based upon criteria selected from the group consisting of:

the order in which they were identified in the search, alphabetical order, length, recognition accuracy, and a user preference.

5. The method according to claim 2 further comprising the step of notifying said user that there exist no alternate user inputs for producing said functional expression.

6. The method according to claim 2 wherein said determining step is performed by searching a set of translation rules to identify said functional expression and said alternate user inputs.

7. A computer speech recognition system for efficiently identifying valid system commands to users comprising:

interface means for receiving data representative of at least a complete speech recognition system command in a single user input;

processor means for comparing said data to a grammar defined for said speech recognition system to determine whether said data is representative of a user input which is a complete and valid system command; and

display means for notifying said user as to whether said data is representative of a complete and valid system command.

8. The system according to claim 7 further comprising:

function determining means for determining a functional expression for said data; and

function comparison means for comparing said functional expression to a set of all functional expressions permitted in said grammar to identify any alternate user inputs for producing said functional expression.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein said display means further comprises means for notifying said user of said alternate user inputs for producing said functional expression.

10. The system according to claim 9 wherein said display means further comprises means for listing said alternate user inputs in sequence based upon criteria selected from the group consisting of:

the order in which they were identified in the search, alphabetical order, length, recognition accuracy, and a user preference.

11. The system according to claim 8 wherein said display means further comprises means for notifying said user that there exist no alternate user inputs for producing said functional expression.

12. The system according to claim 8 wherein said function determining means includes means for searching a set of translation rules to identify said functional expression and said alternate user inputs.

13. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving data representative of at least a complete speech recognition system command in a single user input;

comparing said data to a grammar defined for said speech recognition system to determine whether said data is representative of a user input which is a complete and valid system command; and

notifying said user as to whether said data is representative of a complete and valid system command.

14. The machine readable storage according to claim 13 for causing the machine to perform the further steps of:

determining a functional expression for said data; and

comparing said functional expression to a set of all functional expressions permitted in said grammar to identify any alternate user inputs for producing said functional expression.

15. The machine readable storage according to claim 14 for causing the machine to perform the further step of notifying said user of said alternate user inputs for producing said functional expression.

16. The machine readable storage according to claim 15 for causing the machine to perform the further step of listing said alternate user inputs in sequence based upon criteria selected from the group consisting of:

the order in which they were identified in the search, alphabetical order, length, recognition accuracy, and a user preference.