Methods and apparatus for the systematic adaptation of classification systems from sparse adaptation data

• US 20030036904A1
• Filed: 08/16/2001
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Navratil, Jiri, Maes, Stephane H., Chaudhari, Upendra V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,437,289 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/250
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/20 Pattern transformations or operations aimed at increasing system robustness, e.g. against channel noise or different working conditions

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for the rapid adaptation of classification systems using small amounts of adaptation data. Improvements in classification accuracy are attainable when conditions similar to those that present in adaptation are observed. The attendant methods and apparatus are suitable for a wide variety of different classification schemes, including, e.g., speaker identification and speaker verification.

Claims

1. A method of adapting a classification system, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a classification system, the classification system including at least one structural parameter and at least one derived function; and

adapting the classification system via adapting the at least one derived function of the classification system.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a set of trained data; and

obtaining a set of observation data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one derived function of the classification system comprises at least one of:

likelihoods and sets of likelihoods.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of providing a classification system comprises providing a classification system configured for providing speaker verification.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one derived function of the classification system comprises at least one likelihood measure representing the likelihood of an acoustic utterance to be generated by a model.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said adapting step comprises continuously adapting the classification system.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said step of providing a classification system comprises providing a classification system configured for providing speaker verification.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said adapting step comprises continuously adapting the classification system to new acoustic conditions.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said step of continuously adapting the classification system comprises automatically detecting a new acoustic environment.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said step of continuously adapting the classification system comprises satisfying a preset security level in verifying the claimed identity of a speaker.

11. An apparatus for adapting a classification system, said apparatus comprising:

an arrangement for obtaining a classification system, the classification system including at least one structural parameter and at least one derived function; and

an arrangement for adapting the classification system via adapting the at least one derived function of the classification system.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

an arrangement for obtaining a set of trained data; and

an arrangement for obtaining a set of observation data.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the at least one derived function of the classification system comprises at least one of:

likelihoods and sets of likelihoods.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said classification system comprises providing a classification system configured for providing speaker verification.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the at least one derived function of the classification system comprises at least one likelihood measure representing the likelihood of an acoustic utterance to be generated by a model.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said adapting arrangement is configured for continuously adapting the classification system.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said classification system is configured for providing speaker verification.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said adapting arrangement is configured for continuously adapting the classification system to new acoustic conditions.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said adapting arrangement is configured for automatically detecting a new acoustic environment in continuously adapting the classification system to new acoustic conditions.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said adapting arrangement is configured for satisfying a preset security level in verifying the claimed identity of a speaker in continuously adapting the classification system to new acoustic conditions.

21. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for adapting a classification system, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a classification system, the classification system including at least one structural parameter and at least one derived function; and

adapting the classification system via adapting the at least one derived function of the classification system.