Devices and methods providing automated assistance for verbal communication

• US 20060106611A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Krasikov, Sophia, Velayudham, Senthilnathan, Morar, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/04 Speaking with audible presentation of the material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/26 Recognition of special voice characteristics, e.g. for use in lie detectors; Recognition of animal voices

Abstract

Devices and methods are provided for automatically analyzing a user'"'"'s conversation or verbal presentation and providing feedback to the user, in real-time and/or off-line, to make the user aware of improper speech habits and thus enable the user to acquire better language habits while speaking. For example, a device for providing user awareness of speech habits may be a portable device, which can be worn or carried by the user, has various functions for monitoring and analyzing a speech session (e.g. conversation, verbal presentation) of a user and providing notification to the user of improper speech or language habits that are identified during the speech session.

Claims

1. A device to provide user awareness of speech habits, comprising:

an audio input device;

a speech processing system to process continuous speech input from the user, which is input through the audio input device,

a language analysis system to analyze speech processing results output from the speech processing system using pre-specified criteria to identify a speech habit;

an alert system to alert the user when a speech habit is identified by the language analysis system; and

a user interface.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a portable hand-held device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device can be worn by the user.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the speech processing system comprises a word spotting method for analyzing the speech input of the user to detect one or more words or expressions or sounds, if any, in the speech input, which are specified in a vocabulary list.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein an identified speech habit comprises an incorrect pronunciation of a word.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein an identified speech habit comprises a repetitive use of a word or expression specified in the vocabulary list.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein an identified speech habit comprises the user making a sound specified in the vocabulary list.

8. The device of claim 4, wherein the speech processing system comprises a learning method for automatically compiling the vocabulary list from speech data collected during usage of the device.

9. The device of claim 4, wherein the vocabulary list can be edited by the user through the user interface.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the alert system provides a tactile alert signal.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the tactile alert signal comprises a vibration.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the tactile alert signal comprises a pin prick.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the alert system provides an audio alert signal.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the user interface allows the user to specify an alert type provided by the alert system.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the device can operate in an “

off-line”

mode wherein the speech processing results obtained during a user session are stored, and wherein analysis of the speech processing results are performed after the user session has ended.

16. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors to collect environmental data during a user session, wherein the language analysis system can use the collected environmental data to identify a speech habit or to evaluate an identified speech habit.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the one or more sensors include a temperature sensor, a lighting sensor, or a time sensor.

18. An automated method for providing user awareness of speech habits, comprising:

processing continuous speech input from the user;

analyzing speech processing results using pre-specified criteria to identify a speech habit; and

alerting the user when a speech habit is identified.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method is implemented using a portable hand-held device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the method is implemented using a device that is worn by the user.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein processing continuous speech input from the user comprises analyzing the speech input of the user to detect one or more words or expressions or sounds, if any, in the speech input, which are specified in a vocabulary list.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein an identified speech habit comprises an incorrect pronunciation of a word.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein an identified speech habit comprises a repetitive use of a word or expression specified in the vocabulary list.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein an identified speech habit comprises the user making a sound specified in the vocabulary list.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising automatically compiling the vocabulary list from speech data collected from the user.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising manually editing the vocabulary list by the user.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein alerting the user comprises providing a tactile alert signal.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the tactile alert signal comprises a vibration.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the tactile alert signal comprises a pin prick.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein alerting the user comprises providing an audio alert signal.

31. The method of claim 18, further comprising manually specifying an alert signal by the user.

32. The method of claim 18, further comprising storing speech processing results obtained during a user session, and wherein analyzing the speech processing results is performed after the user session has ended.

33. The method of claim 18, further comprising collecting environmental data during a user session, wherein analyzing further comprises using the collected environmental data to identify a speech habit or to evaluate an identified speech habit.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the collected environmental data comprises one of temperature, lighting, time, and a combination thereof.

35. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for providing user awareness of speech habits, the method steps comprising:

processing continuous speech input from the user;

analyzing speech processing results using pre-specified criteria to identify a speech habit; and

alerting the user when a speech habit is identified.