Influencing a voice recognition matching operation with user barge-in time

• US 7,069,213 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Netbytel Incorporated (West Corporation)
• Inventors: Thompson, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Opsasnick, Michael N.
• Application Number:
  US10/047,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20030093274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 704/231, 704251-255, 704/270, 704/275, 379/88.02
• US Class Current: 704/231
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for automated voice recognition using the barge-in time of a user'"'"'s utterance is provided. A list of items is audibly provided to a user. The user selects one item from the list by providing an utterance representing the user'"'"'s selection. The utterance time (i.e., the barge-in time) is calculated from the utterance of the user. Then, the utterance is compared to each item in the list so as to generate a confidence score for each item in the list, with the confidence score being based on the similarity between the item and the utterance. The confidence scores are also based on the barge-in time. One of the items from the list is selected based on the confidence scores of the items.

Claims

1. A method for automated voice recognition, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an audible list containing a plurality of items;

receiving an utterance indicating a selected one of the items from the list; and

performing a matching operation that uses a time that the utterance was received in making a determination that matches the utterance with one of the items from the list, the time that the utterance was received influencing the determination of which one of the items from the list matches the utterance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing step includes sub-steps of:

comparing the utterance to each of the items in the list so as to generate a confidence score for each of the items in the list, the confidence score for at least one of the items being influenced by the time that the utterance was received relative to the items in the list; and

selecting the matched one of the items based on the confidence scores of the items in the list.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing step includes the sub-step of determining the time that the utterance was received based on an echo cancellation time for the utterance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in the matching operation, the degree of proximity between the time of the utterance and a time when each of the items was provided is used in matching the utterance with one of the items from the list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing step includes sub-steps of:

determining when the utterance was received relative to the items in the list; and

using when the utterance was received relative to the items in the list to influence the determination of which one of the items from the list matches the utterance.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein in the using sub-step, when the utterance was received relative to the items in the list influences a confidence score of at least one of the items from the list.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing step includes sub-steps of:

calculating an initial confidence score for each of the items in the list based on a comparison of the utterance to the item; and

selectively modifying the initial confidence scores based on the time that the utterance was received relative to the items in the list.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the comparison of the utterance to the item is performed using natural language processing.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein in the sub-step of selectively modifying the initial confidence scores, the initial confidence scores of the items that were provided after the time that the utterance was received are decreased.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein in the sub-step of selectively modifying the initial confidence scores, the initial confidence score of the item that was provided immediately before the time that the utterance was received is increased by a first amount.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein in the sub-step of selectively modifying the initial confidence scores, the initial confidence score of the item that precedes the item that was provided immediately before the time that the utterance was received is increased by a second amount, which is less than the first amount.

12. A method for automated voice recognition, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an audible list containing a plurality of items;

receiving an utterance indicating a selected one of the items from the list; and

matching the utterance with a matched one of the items from the list based on a time that the utterance was received,

wherein in the matching step, the utterance is matched with the matched one of the items based on the degree of proximity between the time of the utterance and a time when each of the items was provided.

13. A machine-readable medium encoded with a program for automated voice recognition, said program containing instructions for performing the steps of:

providing an audible list containing a plurality of items;

receiving an utterance indicating a selected one of the items from the list; and

performing a matching operation that uses a time that the utterance was received in making a determination that matches the utterance with one of the items from the list, the time that the utterance was received influencing the determination of which one of the items from the list matches the utterance.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the performing step includes the sub-steps of:

comparing the utterance to each of the items in the list so as to generate a confidence score for each of the items in the list, the confidence score for at least one of the items being influenced by the time that the utterance was received relative to the items in the list; and

selecting the matched one of the items based on the confidence scores of the items in the list.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein in the performing step, the utterance is matched with one of the items based on the degree of proximity between the time of the utterance and a time when each of the items was provided.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the performing step includes the sub-step of determining the time that the utterance was received based on an echo cancellation time for the utterance.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the performing step includes sub-steps of:

calculating an initial confidence score for each of the items in the list based on a comparison of the utterance to the item; and

selectively modifying the initial confidence scores based on the time that the utterance was received relative to the items in the list.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein in the sub-step of selectively modifying the initial confidence scores, the initial confidence score of the item that was provided immediately before the time that the utterance was received is increased by a first amount.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein in the sub-step of selectively modifying the initial confidence scores, the initial confidence scores of the items that were provided after the time that the utterance was received are decreased.

20. An automated voice recognition system comprising:

a first input for receiving a list containing a plurality of items;

a second input for receiving an utterance indicating a selected one of the items from the list;

a third input for receiving a time that the utterance was received; and

a comparator for performing a matching operation that uses the time that the utterance was received in making a determination that matches the utterance with one of the items from the list, the time that the utterance was received influencing the determination of which one of the items from the list matches the utterance.

21. The automated voice recognition system of claim 20,

wherein the comparator compares the utterance to each of the items in the list so as to generate a confidence score for each of the items in the list, and selects the matched one of the items based on the confidence scores of the items in the list, and

the confidence score for at least one of the items is influenced by the time that the utterance was received relative to the items in the list.

22. The automated voice recognition system of claim 20, wherein the comparator matches the utterance with one of the items based on the degree of proximity between the time of the utterance and a time when each of the items was provided.

23. The automated voice recognition system of claim 20, wherein the comparator generates confidence scores for each of the items in the list by:

calculating an initial confidence score for each of the items in the list based on a comparison of the utterance to the item; and

selectively modifying the initial confidence scores based on the time that the utterance was received relative to the items in the list.

24. The automated voice recognition system of claim 23, wherein the initial confidence score of the item that was provided immediately before the time that the utterance was received is increased by a first amount.