Method and system for semantic speech recognition
First Claim
1. A computer implemented speech recognition method for performing Natural Language Understanding (NLU) functions, comprising the steps of:
- (a) converting a user utterance directly into a plurality of basic speech units without convening the utterance into a sequence of textually represented words, said user utterance being a sequence of words expressing a query or a command;
(b) matching said plurality of basic speech units against a plurality of combinations of items, wherein each item is tagged data or is a concept code; and
(c) generating a combination of items likely to be representative of said user utterance.
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Abstract
The present invention discloses a computer-implemented method to understand queries or commands spoken by users when they use natural language utterances similar to those that people use spontaneously to communicate. More precisely, the invention discloses a method that identifies user queries or commands from the general information involved in spoken utterances directly by the speech recognition system, and not by a post-process as is conventionally used. In a phase of preparation of the system, a vocabulary of items representing data and semantic identifiers is created as well as a syntax module having valid combinations of items. When the system is in use, a user utterance is first discretized into a plurality of basic speech units which are compared to the items in the vocabulary and a combination of items is selected according to the evaluation from the syntax module in order to generate the most likely sequence of items representative of the user utterance. Finally the semantic identifiers and the data extracted from the user utterance are used to call the appropriate function that process the user request.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A computer implemented speech recognition method for performing Natural Language Understanding (NLU) functions, comprising the steps of:
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(a) converting a user utterance directly into a plurality of basic speech units without convening the utterance into a sequence of textually represented words, said user utterance being a sequence of words expressing a query or a command;
(b) matching said plurality of basic speech units against a plurality of combinations of items, wherein each item is tagged data or is a concept code; and
(c) generating a combination of items likely to be representative of said user utterance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A speech recognition system for performing Natural Language Understanding, said system comprising:
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(a) a converter, said converter directly converting a user utterance into a plurality of basic speech units without converting the utterance into a sequence of textually represented words, said user utterance being a sequence of words expressing a query or a command;
(b) a processor, said processor matching said plurality of basic speech units against a plurality of combinations of items, wherein each item is tagged data or is a concept code; and
(c) a generator, said generator generating a combination of items likely to be representative of said user utterance.
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18. A speech recognition system for performing Natural Language Understanding, said system comprising:
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an acoustic processor, said acoustic processor for receiving a user spoken utterance and directly determining a string of labels identifying a corresponding sound of said user spoken utterance without converting the utterance into a sequence of textually represented words;
a decoder communicatively linked to said acoustic processor, said decoder determining a likely sequence of items corresponding to said determined string of labels;
a conceptual pronunciation dictionary providing said decoder with a pronunciation of said items;
a conceptual syntax module providing said decoder with a set of allowable combined items; and
a target function identification module communicatively linked to said decoder, said target function identification module executing a function corresponding to said likely sequence of items. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. 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:
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(a) converting a user utterance directly into a plurality of basic speech units without converting the utterance into a sequence of textually represented words, said user utterance being a sequence of words expressing a query or a command;
(b) matching said plurality of basic speech units against a plurality of combinations of items, wherein each item is tagged data or is a concept code; and
(c) generating a combination of items likely to be representative of said user utterance. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification