Phonetic searching

• US 7,313,521 B1
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Georgia Institute of Technology (University System of Georgia), Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Cardillo, Peter S., Clements, Mark A., Price, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARPER, V PAUL
• Application Number:
  US11/609,138
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 704/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3343 using phonetics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/685 using automatically derived transcript of audio data, e.g. lyrics speech recognition G10L15/00
• 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 15/187 Phonemic context, e.g. pronunciation rules, phonotactical constraints or phoneme n-grams
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

An improved method and apparatus is disclosed which uses probabilistic techniques to map an input search string with a prestored audio file, and recognize certain portions of a search string phonetically. An improved interface is disclosed which permits users to input search strings, linguistics, phonetics, or a combination of both, and also allows logic functions to be specified by indicating how far separated specific phonemes are in time.

Claims

1. A method for conveying to a user a quality of an input search string comprising:

associating each of a set of prior search strings with a corresponding value of a parameter characterizing the prior search string;

conducting plural searches using the prior search strings having different values of the parameter;

for each of the searches deriving a quality value using a result of said search;

storing quality information associating the derived quality and the value of the parameter;

determining the quality of the input search string, including determining a value of the parameter corresponding to the input search string and determining the quality using said determined value and the stored quality information; and

conveying the determined quality to the user.

2. A system for inputting a search string and for conveying to a user the quality of the input search string comprising:

apparatus for storing a quality value in relation to a value of a parameter of a search string, the quality value being associated with searching a stored file for a specified search string having the value of the parameter associated therewith;

apparatus for conducting plural searches using search strings having different values of the parameter, and for each search deriving a quality value using a result of said search and transmitting said quality value to said storing apparatus for storage therein in relation to the value of the parameter; and

a computer with a quality meter, the quality meter being viewable on a screen of said computer and indicating quality of search strings input to be searched for in a stored file.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a calibration means for calibrating the quality meter in response to the conducting of said plural searches.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said parameter includes a number of words or phonemes in the search string.