Method for enhancing dictation and command discrimination

• US 6,795,806 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2000
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lewis, James R., Ortega, Kerry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knepper, David D.
• Application Number:
  US09/665,939
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 704/235, 704/231, 704/260, 704/270-271, 704/275, 704/277, 704/278
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/24 Speech recognition using non-acoustical features
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/227 of the speaker; Human-factor methodology
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

A method for discriminating between an instance of a voice command and an instance of speech dictation can include identifying a focus point in a user interface; defining a surrounding region about the focus point; identifying user interface objects in the surrounding region; further identifying among the identified user interface objects those user interface objects which are configured to accept speech dictated text and those user interface objects which are not configured to accept speech dictated text; computing a probability based upon those user interface objects which have been further identified as being configured to accept speech dictated text and those user interface objects which have been further identified as not being configured to accept speech dictated text; receiving speech input; and, biasing a determination of whether the speech input is a voice command or speech dictation based upon the computed probability. Additionally, the method can include identifying a focus point outside of the user interface; and, biasing a determination of whether the speech input is a voice command or speech dictation based upon a default probability.

Claims

1. A method for discriminating between an instance of a voice command and an instance of speech dictation comprising:

identifying a focus point in a user interface;

defining, a surrounding region about said focus point;

identifying user interface objects disposed in a speech-enabled application in said surrounding region;

further identifying among said identified user interface objects those user interface objects which are configured to accept speech dictated text and those user interface objects which are not configured to accept speech dictated text;

computing a probability based upon those user interface objects which have been further identified as being configured to accept speech dictated text and those user interface objects which have been further identified as not being configured to accept speech dictated text;

receiving speech input; and

,

biasing a determination of whether said speech input is a voice command or speech dictation based upon said computed probability.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a focus point outside of said user interface; and

,

biasing a determination of whether said speech input is a voice command or speech dictation based upon a default probability.

3. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for discriminating between an instance of a voice command and an instance of speech dictation, said computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

identifying a focus point in a user interface;

defining a surrounding region about said focus point;

identifying user interface objects disposed in a speech-enabled application in said surrounding region;

further identifying among said identified user interface objects those user interface objects which are configured to accept speech dictated text and those user interface objects which are not configured to accept speech dictated text;

computing a probability based upon those user interface objects which have been further identified as being configured to accept speech dictated text and those user interface objects which have been further identified as not being configured to accept speech dictated text;

receiving speech input; and

,

biasing a determination of whether said speech input is a voice command or speech dictation based upon said computed probability.

4. The machine readable storage of claim 3, further comprising:

identifying a focus point outside of said user interface; and

,

biasing a determination of whether said speech input is a voice command or speech dictation based upon a default probability.