Centralized processing of digital speech data originated at the network clients of a set of servers

• US 6,760,697 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2000
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mintt Technology North Shore Limited
• Inventors: Neumeyer, Leonardo, Doval, Diego, Rtischev, Dimitry, Gargiulo, Juan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chawan, Vijay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Opsasnick, Michael N.
• Application Number:
  US09/535,061
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270.1, 704/270, 704/275, 704/231, 704/251, 704/201, 379/142.04, 379/142.07
• US Class Current: 704/201
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications

Abstract

Described herein is a system that enables service provider'"'"'s to integrate speech functionality into their applications. A service provider maintains a set of application servers. To provide a particular speech service to a client of the application server, the application server causes the client to request the speech service from another set of servers. This set of servers is responsible for providing this speech service as well as others. Such speech services include recording digital speech data at the client, and storing the recordings. Later, the application servers may retrieve the recordings, and even more, retrieve data derived from the recordings, such as data generated through speech recognition processes.

Claims

1. A method of managing speech processing over a network the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining on a first set of servers a set of speech services for processing digital speech data originated by clients of a second set of servers that are associated with a plurality service providers, wherein said first set of servers includes a first server and zero or more other servers;

said first server receiving from a client a request for a speech service of said set of speech services for processing digital speech data;

wherein said request is generated by said client in response to interaction with data received by said client from a second server of said second set of servers;

wherein said data is traismitted by said second server from a first network address;

wherein said first set of servers does not include said second server;

providing said requested speech service to said client in response to receiving said request for said speech service;

wherein said request is received by said first server without any intervention by the second set of servers in the communication of the request from the client to the first server;

wherein providing said requested speech service includes participation in establishing a connection from the client to a second network address of the first server, said second network address being different than said first network address; and

wherein said first server and said second server reside on different computers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said digital speech data includes a set of speech recordings of a user;

each speech recording of said set of speech recordings originated from a client of a particular server of said second set of servers; and

the method further includes the step generating data in a database that establishes an association between said each speech recording and said particular server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said second server is associated with a particular service provider;

said request is a request to;

generate digital speech data by recording sound at said client, and

transmit said digital speech data to a particular server of said first set of servers; and

the step of providing said requested speech service includes receiving said digital speech data generated by recording sound at said client to said particular server of said first set of servers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said speech service is a speech service for generating digital speech data by recording, at said client, a voice of a user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said requested speech service is a service for authenticating a user based on a recording of a voice.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said requested speech service is a service for identifying the one of either the age or gender of a user based on digital speech data generated from a voice.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said data received by said client from a second server includes data embedded in a page, wherein said data embedded in a page conforms to HTML.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said data received by said client from a second server is received from said second server over a public network, wherein said first server receiving from a client a request for a speech service includes said first server receiving said request over said public network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said public network is the Internet.

10. The method of claim 2, further including the step of transmitting administrative data describing a particular speech recording to said second server.

11. The method of claim 1, further including the step of said first server transmitting derivative data derived from said digital speech data originated by clients of a second set of servers.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said derivative data is word data.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein said data received by said client over said network from a second server includes an ID identifying said speech service.

26. The method of claim 1, the steps further including the step of a browser on said client causing said client to execute one or more software modules that participate in providing said requested speech service to said client.

27. The method of claim 26, the steps further including executing said one or more software modules to record second digital speech data.

28. The method of claim 26, the steps further including executing said one or more software modules to playback second digital speech data.

29. The method of claim 26, the steps further including executing said one or more software modules to provide up-streaming of second digital speech data.

30. The method of claim 26, the steps further including executing said one or more software modules to provide down-streaming of second digital speech data.

31. The method of claim 26, the steps further including executing said one or more software modules to provide client-side caching of second digital speech data.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital speech data is communicated by said client to said first server without intervention by said second set of servers in the communication of said digital speech data by said client.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second server requires user input from said client;

the step of providing said requested speech service to said client in response to receiving said request for said speech service includes generating particular data from digital speech data received from said client;

wherein said digital speech data is communicated by said client via said connection to said first server without intervention by said second set of servers in the communication of said digital speech data by said client; and

the steps further include the first server providing said particular data to said second server as said user input.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein said first computer and said second computer are connected to a public network via different local area networks.

13. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for managing speech processing over a network, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

maintaining on a first set of servers a set of speech services for processing digital speech data originated by clients of a second set of servers that are associated with a

plurality service providers, wherein said first set of servers includes a first server and zero or more other servers;

said first server receiving from a client a request for a speech service of said set of speech services for processing digital speech data;

wherein said request is generated by said client in response to interaction with data received by said client from a second server of said second set of servers;

wherein said data is transmitted by said second server from a first network address;

wherein said first set of servers does not include said second server;

providing said requested speech service to said client in response to receiving said request for said speech service;

wherein said request is received by said first server without any intervention by the second set of servers in the communication of the request from the client to the first server;

wherein providing said requested speech service includes participating in establishing a connection from the client to a second network address of the first server, said second network address being different than said first network address; and

wherein said first server and said second server reside on different computer.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

said digital speech data includes a set of speech recordings of a user;

each speech recording of said set of speech recordings originated from a client of a particular server of said second set of servers; and

the one or more sequences include one or more instructions for generating data in a database that establishes an association between said each speech recording and said particular server.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

said second server is associated with a particular service provider;

said request is a request to;

generate digital speech data by recording sound at said client, and

transmit said digital speech data to a particular server of said first set of servers; and

the step of providing said requested speech service includes receiving said digital speech data generated by recording sound at said client to said particular server of said first set of servers.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein said speech service is a speech service for generating digital speech data by recording, at said client, a voice of a user.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein said requested speech service is a service for authenticating a user based on a recording of a voice.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein said requested speech service is a service for identifying the one of either the age or gender of a user based on digital speech data generated from a voice.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein said data received by said client from a second server includes data embedded in a page, wherein said data embedded in a page conforms to HTML.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein said data received by said client from a second server is received from said second server over a public network, wherein said first server receiving from a client a request for a speech service includes said first server receiving said request over said public network.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein said public network is the Internet.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more sequences include one or more instructions for transmitting administrative data describing a particular speech recording to said second server.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more sequences include one or more instructions for the first server transmitting derivative data derived from said digital speech data originated by clients of a second set of servers.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein said derivative data is word data.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein said data received by said client over said network from a second server includes an ID identifying said speech service.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, the steps further including the step of a browser on said client causing said client to execute one or more software modules that participate in providing said requested speech service to said client.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, the steps further including executing said one or more software modules to record second digital speech data.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, the steps the steps further including executing said one or more software modules to playback second digital speech data.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, the steps further including executing said one or more software modules to provide up-streaming of second digital speech data.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, the steps further including executing said one or more software modules to provide down-streaming of second digital speech data.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, the steps further including executing said one or more software modules to provide client-side caching of second digital speech data.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein said digital speech data is communicated by said client to said first server without intervention by said second set of servers in the communication of said digital speech data by said client.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

the second server requires user input from said client;

the step of providing said requested speech service to said client in response to receiving said request for said speech service includes generating particular data from digital speech data received from said client;

wherein said digital speech data is communicated by said client via said connection to said fist server without intervention by said second set of servers in the communication of said digital speech data by said client; and

the steps further include the first server providing said particular data to said second server as said user input.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein said first computer and said second computer are connected to a public network via different local area networks.