Systems and methods for natural spoken language word prediction and speech recognition

• US 7,359,852 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2001
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mori, Shinsuke, Nishimura, Masafumi, Itoh, Nobuyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): {hacek over (S)}mits; Talivaldis Ivars
• Application Number:
  US09/904,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20020038207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,470 Days
• Field of Search: 704/251, 704/254, 704/4, 704/257, 704/249, 704/243, 704/1, 704/9
• US Class Current: 704/9
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/19 Grammatical context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word sequence rules

Abstract

A word prediction method that improves the precision accuracy, and a speech recognition method and an apparatus therefor are provided. For the prediction of a sixth word “?”, a partial analysis tree having a modification relationship with the sixth word is predicted. “sara-ni sho-senkyoku no” has two partial analysis trees, “sara-ni” and “sho-senkyoku no”. It is predicted that “sara-ni” does not have a modification relationship with the sixth word, and that “sho-senkyoku no” does. Then, “donyu”, which is the sixth word from “sho-senkyoku no”, is predicted. In this example, since “sara-ni” is not useful information for the prediction of “donyu”, it is preferable that “donyu” be predicted only by “sho-senkyoku no”.

Claims

1. A word prediction method, said method comprising the steps of:

specifying a sentence structure consisting of multiple words, including a target word to be predicted;

employing said sentence structure to select a word and/or a word sequence that has a modification relationship with said target word to be predicted;

predicting said target word based only on said word and/or said word sequence that is selected; and

returning to a user said predicted target word.

2. The word prediction method according to claim 1, wherein said word and/or said word sequence constitute a partial analysis tree structure in said sentence structure.

3. The word prediction method according to claim 1, wherein, when multiple words and/or word sequences are selected, word prediction is performed based on said words and/or word sequences that are selected.

4. The word prediction method according to claim 1, wherein said returning to a user comprises displaying said predicted target word.

5. A word prediction method, said method comprising the steps of:

specifying a modification of a word to be predicted by a different word and/or word sequence; and

predicting said word using only said different word and/or word sequence that is specified; and

returning to a user said predicted target word.

6. The word prediction method according to claim 5, wherein said modification includes a modification direction, and said word to be predicted modifies a prior word.

7. The word prediction method according to claim 5, wherein, when multiple modifications are established between said word to be predicted and said different word and/or word sequence, a word is predicted for each of said modifications.

8. A word prediction apparatus comprising:

a storer which stores a dictionary wherein text data that have been learned is written;

a predictor which employs a structure of a sentence consisting of multiple words, including a word to be predicted, to select a word and/or a word sequence that has a modification relationship with said word to be predicted, and which predicts said word based only on said word and/or said word sequence that is selected; and

an arrangement which returns said predicted word to a user.

9. The word prediction apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said arrangement which returns said predicted word to a user comprises an external storage medium for storing said predicted word.

10. A word prediction apparatus comprising:

a storer which stores a dictionary wherein text data that have been learned is written;

a predictor which selects a word and/or a word sequence that has a modification relationship with a word to be predicted, and which predicts said word based only on said word and/or said word sequence that is selected; and

an arrangement which returns said predicted word to a user.

11. The word prediction apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, for a predetermined word or word sequence based on said text data, a frequency where at another predetermined word appears is stored in said dictionary.

12. The word prediction apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said predictor calculates a probability value for a word sequence including a word that is predicted based on said frequency.

13. The word prediction apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said predictor selects, as a prediction result, a word sequence having the maximum probability value.

14. A computer system comprising:

a specifier which specifies a modification relationship between a word to be predicted and another word and/or word sequence, and which predicts said word by only employing said word and/or word sequence modifying said word; and

an arrangement which returns said predicted word to a user, and said modification relationship.

15. A storage medium, on which a computer readable program is stored, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer, that permits the computer to perform:

a first process for specifying a sentence structure consisting of multiple words, including a target word to be predicted;

a second process for employing said sentence structure to select a word and/or a word sequence that has a modification relationship with said target word to be predicted;

a third process for predicting said target word based only on said word and/or said word sequence that is selected; and

returning to a user said predicted target word.

16. A storage medium, on which a computer readable program is stored, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer, that permits the computer to perform:

a first process for specifying a modification relationship between a word to be predicted and a different word and/or word sequence;

a second process for predicting said word using only said different word and/or word sequence that is specified; and

returning to a user said predicted word.

17. A program transmission apparatus comprising:

a storer which stores a program, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer, permitting the computer to perform

a first process for specifying a sentence structure of a multiple word sentence, including a target word to be predicted,

a second process for employing said sentence structure to select a word and/or a word sequence that has a modification relationship with said target word to be predicted,

a third process for predicting said target word based only on said word and/or said word sequence that is selected;

a transmitter which reads said program from said storer and transmits said program; and

an arrangement which returns said predicted target word to a user.

18. A program transmission apparatus comprising:

a storer which stores a program tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer, permitting the computer to perform

a first process for specifying a modification relationship between a word to be predicted and a different word and/or word sequence, and

a second process for predicting said word using only said different word and/or word sequence that is specified;

a transmitter which reads said program from said storer and transmits said program; and

an arrangement which returns said predicted word to a user.

19. A program storage device readable by computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for word prediction, said method comprising the steps of:

specifying a sentence structure consisting of multiple words, including a target word to be predicted;

employing said sentence structure to select a word and/or a word sequence that has a modification relationship with said target word to be predicted;

predicting said target word based only on said word and/or said word sequence that is selected; and

returning to a user said predicted target word.

20. A program storage device readable by computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for word prediction, said method comprising the steps of:

specifying a modification of a word to be predicted by a different word and/or word sequence;

predicting said word using only said different word and/or word sequence that is specified; and

returning to a user said predicted word.