Context-based grammars for automated speech recognition

• US 8,566,087 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Cross, Charles W. Jr., Jania, Frank L.
• Primary Examiner(s): PULLIAS, JESSE SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US13/614,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20130006621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 704/9, 704/10, 704231-278
• US Class Current: 704/231
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/183 using context dependencies, e.g. language models
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/19 Grammatical context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word sequence rules
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and computer program products for providing a context-based grammar for automatic speech recognition, including creating by a multimodal application a context, the context comprising words associated with user activity in the multimodal application, and supplementing by the multimodal application a grammar for automatic speech recognition in dependence upon the context.

Claims

1. A method of providing a context-based grammar for automatic speech recognition at a first web page, the method comprising:

creating by a multimodal application a context, the context comprising words taken from at least one second web page different from the first web page, and/or taken from at least one grammar for the at least one second web page; and

determining, in dependence upon the context, which words should be part of a grammar and/or lexicon that determines which words can be recognized by an automatic speech recognition system at the first web page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the context comprises words taken from the at least one second web page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the context comprises words taken from at least one grammar for the at least one second web page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the context comprises words taken from at least one previously visited web page.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the context comprises maintaining a history of at least some words from previously visited web pages and selecting words for the context from the history.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein creating the context comprises generating a frequent values list for words in the history, and selecting words for the context from the history based at least in part on the frequent values list.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein creating the context comprises generating a list of most recently used words in the history, and selecting words for the context from the history based at least in part on the list of most recently used words.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein creating the context comprises generating a list of words from the history used during a predetermined period of time, and selecting words for the context from the history based at least in part on the list of words used during the predetermined period of time.

9. A system for providing a context-based grammar for automatic speech recognition at a first web page, the system comprising a computer processor and a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

creating by a multimodal application a context, the context comprising words taken from at least one second web page different from the first web page, and/or taken from at least one grammar for the at least one second web page; and

determining, in dependence upon the context, which words should be part of a grammar and/or lexicon that determines which words can be recognized by an automatic speech recognition system at the first web page.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the context comprises words taken from at least one previously visited web page.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein creating the context comprises maintaining a history of at least some words from previously visited web pages and selecting words for the context from the history.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein creating the context comprises generating a frequent values list for words in the history, and selecting words for the context from the history based at least in part on the frequent values list.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein creating the context comprises generating a list of most recently used words in the history, and selecting words for the context from the history based at least in part on the list of most recently used words.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein creating the context comprises generating a list of words from the history used during a predetermined period of time, and selecting words for the context from the history based at least in part on the list of words used during the predetermined time.

15. A computer program product for providing a context-based grammar for automatic speech recognition at a first web page, the computer program product comprising at least one recordable medium storing computer program instructions that, when executed, perform acts of:

creating by a multimodal application a context, the context comprising words taken from at least one second web page different from the first web page, and/or taken from at least one grammar for the at least one second web page; and

determining, independence context, which words should be part of a grammar and/or lexicon that determines which words can be recognized by an automatic speech recognition system at the first web page.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the context comprises words taken from at least one previously visited web page.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein creating the context comprises maintaining a history of at least some words from previously visited web pages and selecting words for the context from the history.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein creating the context comprises generating a frequent values list for words in the history, and selecting words for the context from the history based at least in part on the frequent values list.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein creating the context comprises generating a list of most recently used words in the history, and selecting words for the context from the history based at least in part on the list of most recently used words.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein creating the context comprises generating a list of words from the history used during a predetermined period of time, and selecting words for the context from the history based at least in part on the list of words used during the predetermined period of time.