Integration of Embedded and Network Speech Recognizers

• US 20110184740A1
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: GRUENSTEIN, Alexander, Byrne, William J.
• Application Number:
  US12/794,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20110184740A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/32 Multiple recognisers used in sequence or in parallel; Score combination systems therefor, e.g. voting systems

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and system are provided for performing a voice command on a client device. The method can include translating, using a first speech recognizer located on the client device, an audio stream of a voice command to a first machine-readable voice command and generating a first query result using the first machine-readable voice command to query a client database. In addition, the audio stream can be transmitted to a remote server device that translates the audio stream to a second machine-readable voice command using a second speech recognizer. Further, the method can include receiving a second query result from the remote server device, where the second query result is generated by the remote server device using the second machine-readable voice command and displaying the first query result and the second query result on the client device.

Claims

1. A method for performing a voice command on a client device, comprising:

translating, using a first speech recognizer located on the client device, an audio stream of a voice command to a first machine-readable voice command;

generating a first query result using the first machine-readable voice command to query a client database;

transmitting the audio stream to a remote server device that translates the audio stream to a second machine-readable voice command using a second speech recognizer;

receiving a second query result from the remote server device, wherein the second query result is generated by the remote server device using the second machine-readable voice command to query a remote server database; and

displaying the first query result and the second query result on the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing at least a portion of the first and second query results on the client device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising retrieving the stored first and second query results when translation of a subsequent voice command is determined to be substantially similar to the translated voice command that generated the first and second query results.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting to the remote server device a second audio stream associated with the subsequent voice command;

translating the second audio stream to a third machine-readable voice command using the second speech recognizer;

receiving a third query result from the remote server device, wherein the third query result is generated from a subsequent query made to the server database based on the third machine-readable voice command; and

displaying the first, second, and third query results on the client device.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising identifying which portion of the first and second query results to store, the identification comprising:

receiving a user selection of an item of interest from a list of items returned as part of the second query result.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first query result comprises transmitting the audio stream to the second speech recognizer such that the query made to the remote server database based on the second machine-readable voice command occurs during a time period that overlaps when the query is made to the client database based on the first machine-readable voice command.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the audio stream comprises transmitting a compressed audio stream of the voice command from the client device to the server device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first and second query results comprises displaying the first result and a first subset of the second query result at a first time instance and the first result, the first subset of the second query result, and a second subset of the second query result at a second time instance.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor to perform a voice command on a client device, the computer program logic comprising:

first computer readable program code that enables a processor to translate, using a first speech recognizer located on the client device, an audio stream of a voice command to a first machine-readable voice command;

second computer readable program code that enables a processor to generate a first query result using the first machine-readable voice command to query a client database;

third computer readable program code that enables a processor to transmit the audio stream to a remote server device that translates the audio stream to a second machine-readable voice command using a second speech recognizer;

fourth computer readable program code that enables a processor to receive a second query result from the remote server device, wherein the second query result is generated by the remote server device using the second machine-readable voice command to query a remote server database; and

fifth computer readable program code that enables a processor to display the first query result and the second query result on the client device.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

sixth computer readable program code that enables a processor to store at least a portion of the first and second query results on the client device.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

seventh computer readable program code that enables a processor to retrieve the stored first and second query results when translation of a subsequent voice command is determined to be substantially similar to the translated voice command that generated the first and second query results.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

eighth computer readable program code that enables a processor to transmit to the remote server device a second audio stream associated with the subsequent voice command;

ninth computer readable program code that enables a processor to translate the second audio stream to a third machine-readable voice command using the second speech recognizer;

tenth computer readable program code that enables a processor to receive a third query result from the remote server device, wherein the third query result is generated from a subsequent query made to the server database based on the third machine-readable voice command; and

eleventh computer readable program code that enables a processor to display the first, second, and third query results on the client device.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the sixth computer readable program code comprises:

seventh computer readable program code that enables a processor to identify which portion of the first and second query results to store, the identification comprising receiving a user selection of an item of interest from a list of items returned as a part of the second query result.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the second computer readable program code comprises:

sixth computer readable program code that enables a processor to transmit the audio stream to the second speech recognizer such that the query made to the remote server database based on the second machine-readable voice command occurs during a time period that overlaps when the query is made to the client database based on the first machine-readable voice command.

15. A system for performing a voice command on a client device, comprising:

a first speech recognizer device configured to translate an audio stream of a voice command to a first machine-readable voice command;

a client query manager configured to;

generate a first query result using the first machine-readable voice command to query a client database;

transmit the audio stream to a remote server device that translates the audio stream to a second machine-readable voice command using a second speech recognizer device; and

receive a second query result from the remote server device, wherein the second query result is generated by the remote server device using the second machine-readable voice command to query a remote server database; and

a display device configured to display the first query result and the second query result on the client device.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a microphone configured to receive the audio stream of the voice command and to provide the audio stream to the first speech recognizer device; and

a storage device configured to store at least a portion of the first and second query results on the client device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the client query manager is configured to retrieve the stored first and second query results from the storage device when translation of a subsequent voice command is determined to be substantially similar to the translated voice command that generated the first and second query results.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the client query manager is configured to:

transmit to the remote server device a second audio stream associated with the subsequent voice command;

translate the second audio stream to a third machine-readable voice command using the second speech recognizer device; and

receive a third query result from the remote server device, wherein the third query result is generated from a subsequent query made to the server database based on the third machine-readable voice command.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the client query manager is configured to transmit the audio stream to the second speech recognizer device such that the query made to the remote server database based on the second machine-readable voice command occurs during a time period that overlaps when the query is made to the client database based on the first machine-readable voice command.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the display device is configured to display the first result and a first subset of the second query result at a first time instance and the first result, the first subset of the second query result, and a second subset of the second query result at a second time instance.