Speech recognition system for electronic switches in a non-wireline communications network

• US 7,551,944 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2002
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Foster, Peter J., Schalk, Thomas B., Bareis, Bernard F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer; Temica M
• Application Number:
  US10/308,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20030087675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,394 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/563, 455/564, 455/560
• US Class Current: 455/563
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18567 Arrangements for providing additional services to the basic mobile satellite telephony service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/10 with dictation recording and playback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/405 involving speaker-dependent recognition adaptation to speaker for speech recognition G10L15/07
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices

Abstract

An advanced telecommunications system is provided for the recognizing of spoken commands over a cellular telephone, satellite telephone, or personal communications network. In the cellular application, for example, a Speech Recognition System interconnects either internally with or as an external peripheral to a cellular telecommunications switch. The Speech Recognition System includes an administrative subsystem, a call processing subsystem, a speaker-dependent recognition subsystem, a speaker-independent recognition subsystem, and a data storage subsystem. The Speech Recognition System also allows for increased efficiency in the cellular telephone network by integrating with the switch or switches as a shared resource. The administrative subsystem of the Speech Recognition System is used to keep statistical logs of pertinent call information. Pre-recorded instructional messages are stored in the memory of the call processing subsystem for instructing a user on his or her progress in using the system. The speaker-independent recognition subsystem allows the user to interact with the system employing non-user specific functions. User specific functions are controlled with the speaker-dependent recognition subsystem. User specific attributes collected by the recognition subsystems are stored in the data storage subsystem.

Claims

1. A method for voice activated dialing in a mobile telecommunications system, the method comprising:

at a switching office of a wireless network, receiving a voice input from a remote wireless network user;

using automatic speech recognition to determine a telephone number to be dialed by;

when the voice input is a first input type, accepting from the voice input a sequence of digits for use as the telephone number; and

when the voice input is a second input type, accepting from the voice input a keyword associated with the telephone number; and

initiating a telephone call by dialing the telephone number.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the telephone number was previously stored in association with the keyword.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the keyword is a name of a person associated with the previously stored telephone number.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the keyword is a location modifier associated with the previously stored telephone number.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the location modifier is home, work or office.

6. A method according to claim 2, wherein the keyword is a relationship modifier descriptive of a person associated with the previously stored telephone number.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving the voice input, verifying the voice input by repeating it back to the user.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

before initiating the telephone call, verifying the user'"'"'s identity.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

before receiving the voice input, prompting the user to enter the voice input.

10. A voice activated dialing apparatus using a method according to any one of claim 1.

11. A wireless communications network using a method according to any one of claims 1.

12. A method for voice activated dialing in a mobile telecommunications system, the method comprising:

receiving a voice input from a wireless network user;

determining a telephone number to be dialed by;

when the voice input is a first input type, using speaker independent speech recognition to interpret the voice input to determine the telephone number; and

when the voice input is a second input type, using speaker dependent speech recognition to interpret the voice input to determine the telephone number; and

initiating a telephone call by dialing the telephone number.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the second input type represents a keyword associated with a previously stored telephone number.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the keyword is a location modifier associated with the previously stored telephone number.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the keyword is a name of a person associated with the previously stored telephone number.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein the keyword is a relationship modifier descriptive of a person associated with the previously stored telephone number.

17. A method according to claim 12, wherein the first input type includes digits spoken by the wireless network user.

18. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

after receiving the voice input, verifying the voice input by repeating it back to the user.

19. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

before initiating the telephone call, verifying the user'"'"'s identity.

20. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

before receiving the voice input, prompting the user to enter the voice input.

21. A voice activated dialing apparatus using a method according to any one of claim 12.

22. A wireless communications network using a method according to any one of claims 12.

23. A method for voice activated dialing in a mobile telecommunications system, the method comprising:

receiving a voice input from a wireless network user;

determining a telephone number to be dialed by;

when the voice input is a first input type, accepting from the voice input a sequence of digits for use as the telephone number,

when the voice input is a second input type, accepting from the voice input a voice-enrolled name associated with the telephone number, and

when the voice input is a third type, accepting from the voice input a non-voice-enrolled keyword associated with the telephone number; and

initiating a telephone call by dialing the telephone number.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein speaker-dependent speech recognition is used for accepting the voice-enrolled name.

25. A method according to claim 23, wherein speaker-independent speech recognition is used for accepting the non-voice-enrolled keyword.

26. A method according to claim 23, wherein the keyword is a name of a person associated with the telephone number.

27. A method according to claim 23, wherein the keyword is a location modifier associated with the telephone number.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein the location modifier is home, work or office.

29. A method according to claim 23, wherein the keyword is a relationship modifier descriptive of a person associated with the telephone number.

30. A method according to claim 23, further comprising:

after receiving the voice input, verifying the voice input by repeating it back to the user.

31. A method according to claim 23, further comprising:

before initiating the telephone call, verifying the user'"'"'s identity.

32. A method according to claim 23, further comprising:

before receiving the voice input, prompting the user to enter the voice input.

33. A voice activated dialing apparatus using a method according to any one of claim 23.

34. A wireless communications network using a method according to any one of claim 23.