Speech Recognition Using Loosely Coupled Components

• US 20150179172A1
• Filed: 03/03/2015
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Health Information Systems (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: MModal IP LLC (3M Company)
• Inventors: Koll, Detlef, Finke, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,208,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

An automatic speech recognition system includes an audio capture component, a speech recognition processing component, and a result processing component which are distributed among two or more logical devices and/or two or more physical devices. In particular, the audio capture component may be located on a different logical device and/or physical device from the result processing component. For example, the audio capture component may be on a computer connected to a microphone into which a user speaks, while the result processing component may be on a terminal server which receives speech recognition results from a speech recognition processing server.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an audio capture component, the audio capture component comprising means for capturing a first audio signal representing first speech of a user to produce a first captured audio signal;

a speech recognition processing component comprising means for performing automatic speech recognition on the first captured audio signal to produce first speech recognition results;

a first result processing component, the first result processing component comprising first means for processing the first speech recognition results to produce first result output;

a second result processing component, the second result processing component comprising second means for processing the first speech recognition results to produce second result output;

a context sharing component comprising means for identifying a first one of the first and second result processing components as being associated with a first context of the user at a first time; and

speech recognition result provision means for providing the first speech recognition results to the identified first one of the first and second result processing components.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the audio capture component further comprises means for capturing a second audio signal representing second speech of the user to produce a second captured audio signal;

the speech recognition processing component further comprises means for performing automatic speech recognition on the second captured audio signal to produce second speech recognition results;

the context sharing component further comprises means for identifying a second one of the first and second result processing components as being associated with a second context of the user at a second time, wherein the second one of the first and second result processing components differs from the first one of the first and second result processing components; and

wherein the speech recognition result provision means further comprises means for providing the second speech recognition results to the identified second one of the first and second result processing components.

3. A computer-implemented method for use with a system:

wherein the system comprises;

an audio capture component;

a speech recognition processing component;

a first result processing component;

a second result processing component;

a context sharing component; and

speech recognition result provision means;

wherein the method comprises;

(A) using the audio capture component to capture a first audio signal representing first speech of a user to produce a first captured audio signal;

(B) using the speech recognition processing component to perform automatic speech recognition on the first captured audio signal to produce first speech recognition results;

(C) using the first result processing component to process the first speech recognition results to produce first result output;

(D) using second result processing component to process the first speech recognition results to produce second result output;

(E) using the context sharing component to identify a first one of the first and second result processing components as being associated with a first context of the user at a first time;

(F) using the speech recognition result provision means to provide the first speech recognition results to the identified first one of the first and second result processing components.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

(G) using the audio capture component to capture a second audio signal representing second speech of the user to produce a second captured audio signal;

(H) using the speech recognition processing component to perform automatic speech recognition on the second captured audio signal to produce second speech recognition results;

(I) using the context sharing component to identify a second one of the first and second result processing components as being associated with a second context of the user at a second time, wherein the second one of the first and second result processing components differs from the first one of the first and second result processing components; and

(J) using the speech recognition result provision means to provide the second speech recognition results to the identified second one of the first and second result processing components.

5. A system comprising:

a first audio capture component comprising first means for capturing a first audio signal representing speech of a user to produce a first captured audio signal;

a first speech recognition processing component comprising first means for performing automatic speech recognition on the first captured audio signal to produce first speech recognition results;

a first result processing component comprising first means for processing the first speech recognition results to produce first result output;

a context sharing component comprising means for dynamically coupling at least two of the first audio capture component, the first speech recognition processing component, and the first result processing component to each other.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a first device, wherein the first device comprises the first audio capture component, and a second device, wherein the second device includes the first result processing component, wherein the first device is distinct from the second device.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the context sharing component comprises means for dynamically coupling the first audio capture component to the first speech recognition processing component.

8. The system of claim 7:

further comprising a second audio capture component comprising second means for capturing a second audio signal representing speech of a user to produce a second captured audio signal; and

wherein the context sharing component further comprises means for dynamically coupling the second audio capture component to the first speech recognition processing component.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

means for providing the first captured audio signal to the first speech recognition processing component after dynamically coupling the first audio capture component to the first speech recognition processing component.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the context sharing component comprises the means for providing the first captured audio signal.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first audio capture component comprises the means for providing the first captured audio signal.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first speech recognition processing component comprises the means for providing the first captured audio signal.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for providing comprises means for providing the first captured audio signal to the first speech recognition processing component in real-time.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein the context sharing component comprises means for dynamically coupling the first audio capture component to the first result processing component.

15. The system of claim 5, wherein the context sharing component comprises means for dynamically coupling the first speech recognition processing component to the first result processing component.

16. The system of claim 15:

further comprising a second speech recognition processing component comprising second means for performing automatic speech recognition on the first captured audio signal to produce second speech recognition results; and

wherein the context sharing component further comprises means for dynamically coupling the first audio capture component to the second speech recognition processing component.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for providing the first speech recognition results to the first result processing component after dynamically coupling the first speech recognition processing component to the first result processing component.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the context sharing component comprises the means for providing the first speech recognition results.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the first speech recognition processing component comprises the means for providing the first speech recognition results.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the first result processing component comprises the means for providing the first speech recognition results.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for providing comprises means for providing the first speech recognition results to the first result processing component in real-time.

22. The system of claim 5, wherein the context sharing component comprises means for dynamically coupling the first audio capture component to the first speech recognition processing component and for dynamically coupling the first speech recognition processing component to the first result processing component.

23. The system of claim 5, wherein the means for dynamically coupling comprises means for dynamically coupling at least two of the first audio capture component, the first speech recognition processing component, and the first result processing component to each other at run-time.

24. A computer-implemented method for us with a system:

wherein the system comprises;

a first audio capture component;

a first speech recognition processing component;

a first result processing component; and

a context sharing component;

wherein the method comprises;

(A) using the first audio capture component to capture a first audio signal representing speech of a user to produce a first captured audio signal;

(B) using the first speech recognition processing component to perform automatic speech recognition on the first captured audio signal to produce first speech recognition results;

(C) using the first result processing component to process the first speech recognition results to produce first result output;

(D) using the context sharing component to dynamically couple at least two of the first audio capture component, the first speech recognition processing component, and the first result processing component to each other.

25. The method of claim 24:

wherein the system further comprises;

a first device, wherein the first device comprises the first audio capture component; and

a second device, wherein the second device includes the first result processing component;

wherein the first device is distinct from the second device.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein (D) comprises dynamically coupling the first audio capture component to the first speech recognition processing component.

27. The method of claim 24:

wherein the system further comprises a second audio capture component;

wherein the method further comprises;

(E) using the second audio capture component to capture a second audio signal representing speech of a user to produce a second captured audio signal; and

wherein (D) comprises dynamically coupling the second audio capture component to the first speech recognition processing component.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

(E) providing the first captured audio signal to the first speech recognition processing component after dynamically coupling the first audio capture component to the first speech recognition processing component.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein (E) is performed by the context sharing component.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein (E) is performed by the first audio capture component.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein (E) is performed by the first speech recognition processing component.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein (E) comprises providing the first captured audio signal to the first speech recognition processing component in real-time.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein (D) comprises dynamically coupling the first audio capture component to the first result processing component.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein (D) comprises dynamically coupling the first speech recognition processing component to the first result processing component.

35. The method of claim 34:

wherein the system further comprises a second speech recognition processing component; and

wherein the method further comprises;

(E) performing automatic speech recognition on the first captured audio signal to produce second speech recognition results; and

wherein (D) comprises dynamically coupling the first audio capture component to the second speech recognition processing component.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

(F) providing the first speech recognition results to the first result processing component after dynamically coupling the first speech recognition processing component to the first result processing component.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein (F) is performed by the context sharing component.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein (F) is performed by the first speech recognition processing component.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein (F) is performed by the first result processing component.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein (F) comprises providing the first speech recognition results to the first result processing component in real-time.

41. The method of claim 24, wherein (D) comprises dynamically coupling the first audio capture component to the first speech recognition processing component and dynamically coupling the first speech recognition processing component to the first result processing component.

42. The method of claim 24, wherein (D) comprises dynamically coupling at least two of the first audio capture component, the first speech recognition processing component, and the first result processing component to each other at run-time.