Methods and apparatus for performing speech recognition and using speech recognition results

• US 6,915,262 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Telesector Resources Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Levas, Suzi, Reding, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): MCFADDEN, SUSAN IRIS
• Application Number:
  US09/726,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20020065657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 704/257, 704/270, 704/275, 704/270.1, 379/88.04
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/08 Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/02 Feature extraction for speech recognition; Selection of recognition unit
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/063 Training
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• 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 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/04 Training, enrolment or model building
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/221 Announcement of recognition results
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27

Abstract

Techniques for generating, distributing, and using speech recognition models are described. A shared speech processing facility is used to support speech recognition for a wide variety of devices with limited capabilities including business computer systems, personal data assistants, etc., which are coupled to the speech processing facility via a communications channel, e.g., the Internet. Devices with audio capture capability record and transmit to the speech processing facility, via the Internet, digitized speech and receive speech processing services, e.g., speech recognition model generation and/or speech recognition services, in response. The Internet is used to return speech recognition models and/or information identifying recognized words or phrases. Thus, the speech processing facility can be used to provide speech recognition capabilities to devices without such capabilities and/or to augment a device'"'"'s speech processing capability. Voice dialing, telephone control and/or other services are provided by the speech processing facility in response to speech recognition results.

Claims

1. A method of operating a speech processing facility coupled to the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving speech data transmitted over the Internet;

performing a speech recognition operation using the received speech data;

performing an action based on the results of the speech recognition operation performed using the received speech information, including initiating a telephone call using a telephone number associated with a name recognized by performing said speech recognition operation;

initiating an additional telephone call to a telephone where the human being who was the source of speech corresponding to said speech data can be contacted; and

bridging said telephone call and said additional telephone call.

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

receiving via the Internet said telephone number where the human being who was the source of speech corresponding to said speech data can be contacted.

3. A method of operating a speech processing facility coupled to the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving speech data transmitted over the Internet;

receiving a contact telephone number corresponding to a telephone at which a human being who was the source of the received speech can be contacted;

performing a speech recognition operation using the received speech data;

performing an action based on the results of the speech recognition operation performed using the received speech information, including controlling a telephony device, wherein the telephony device is coupled to the Internet and a telephone line and wherein the telephony device is controlled to perform dialing operations;

causing the device to initiate a telephone call by dialing a telephone number determined by the speech recognition operation;

causing the device to initiate an additional telephone call by dialing the received contact telephone number; and

causing the device to bridge said telephone call and said additional telephone call.