A METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR RECOGNISING SPEECH

• US 20020032567A1
• Filed: 05/17/1999
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: LINDHOLM, CHRISTIAN B., LAURILA, KARI A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,694,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/246
• 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

According to the invention, speech recognition can be limited to a smaller number making use of commands (16, 17) given by a user. By means of a method and device, according to the invention, it is also possible to activate a speech recognition device by making use, in the activation, of an existing keyboard or a touch-sensitive screen of the device. A method, according to the invention, provides the user with a logical way to activate the speech recognition device in the device simultaneously providing an improved capacity of the speech recognition device. According to the invention, it is also possible to carry out the speech recognition process by making use of commands given by the user irrespective of how the speech recognition device itself is activated. According to an embodiment of the invention, the device comprises a touch-sensitive screen or surface, in which case the information about a single letter or several letters written on the screen is transmitted to the speech recognition device, whereupon speech recognition is limited to words, wherein the letters in question occur. Speech recognition is most preferably limited to a name beginning with the letter written on the touch screen by the user.

Claims

1. A method for recognising an utterance of a user with a device, wherein a set of models of the utterances have been stored in advance and for speech recognition, the utterance of the user is received, the utterance of the user is compared with the prestored models and, on the basis of the comparison, a recognition decision is made, wherein, in the method,

the user is allowed to provide a qualifier limiting the comparison by touching the device, the qualifier itentifying an item in a menu structure of the device,

a sub-set of models is selected from the stored models on the basis of the qualifier provided by the user said sub-set of models identifying sub-items of the menu structure, and

a comparison is made for making the recognition decision by comparing the utterance of the user with said sub-set of models.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a speech recognition device is activated in response to the qualifier provided by the user.

4. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the user is allowed to give said qualifier by pressing a key.

5. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the user is allowed to provide said qualifier by writing an alphanumeric character on a touch-sensitive surface of the device.

6. A method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the user is allowed to provide said qualifier as a press-and-hold.

2. A method for recognising an utterance of a user with a device, wherein a set of models of the utterances have been stored in advance and for speech recognition, the utterance of the user is received, the utterance of the user is compared with the prestored models and, on the basis of the comparison, a recognition decision is made, wherein, in the method,

a comparison is made for making a first recognition decision by comparing the utterance of the user with the prestored models,

the user is allowed to provide a qualifier limiting the comparison by touching the device for selecting a sub-set of models, the qualifier itentifying an item in a menu structure of the device and said sub-set of models identifies sub-items of the menu structure,

a final comparison is made for making the recognition decision by comparing the first recognition decision with said sub-set of models.

7. A device comprising a speech recognition device for recognising the utterance of a user, memory means for storing speech models, and means for receiving the utterance of the user, comparison means for carrying out the recognition process by comparing the utterance of the user with the models stored in the memory means, wherein the device also comprises means for receiving a qualifier from the user by touching the device, means for selecting a set from the stored models on the basis of the qualifier received from the user for limiting the comparison made by the comparison means to said set of models and means for storing a menu structure of a device and for identifying the received qualifier as an item in a menu structure of the device.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the means for receiving the qualifier from the user comprise a keyboard.

9. A device according to claim 7, wherein the means for receiving the qualifier comprise a touch-sensitive surface.

10. A device according to claim 7, wherein it comprises means for activating the speech recognition device in response to the qualifier received from the user.