System and method for gender identification in a speech application environment
View Patent ↗An automatic speech recognizer (ASR) is used in conjunction with a gender-neutral grammar to recognize words uttered by a user of a speech application at a given state of the dialogue implemented by the speech application. An identification of the gender (i.e., male or female) of the user is then made from one or more of the recognized words based on gender-specific characteristics of the written language of the user. The identified gender is used in various ways to improve the performance of the speech application.
1. A method for improving the performance of an application deployed in an environment in which the written language of a user exhibits gender specific characteristics, the method comprising:
(a) recognizing words provided by a user based on a gender-neutral grammar; and
(b) identifying a gender of the user from one or more of the recognized words provided by the user, based on gender-specific characteristics of the written language of the user, including the tense of the written language.
2. The method recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
(c) recognizing words subsequently provided by the user based on a grammar specific to the identified gender of the user.
3. The method recited in claim 2 , further comprising performing (b) and (c) only if a confidence level associated with the recognition of words in (a) is above a predetermined threshold.
4. The method recited in claim 2 , further comprising repeating (a) and (b) if a confidence level associated with the recognition of words in (c) is below a predetermined threshold.
5. The method recited in claim 2 , wherein prior to performing (a), the method further comprises prompting the user to elicit a response from the user that is likely to exhibit the gender-specific charactetistics.
6. The method recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
(c) recognizing words subsequently provided by the user based on the gender-neutral grammar;
(d) identifying a gender of the user from one or more of the words recognized in (c), based on gender-specific characteristics of the written language of the user; and
(e) adjusting a confidence level associated with the words recognized in (c) based on a comparison of the identified genders obtained in (b) and (d).
7. The method recited in claim 1 , further comprising providing subsequent prompts to the user based at least in part upon the identified gender of the user.
8. The method recited in claim 7 , wherein said prompts are provided in written form.
9. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the words provided by a user are provided by the user in written form.
10. A system for conducting a dialogue between a user and a computer, the system comprising:
a speech application executing on the computer that carries out the dialogue, wherein the dialogue comprises a plurality of states;
an automatic speech recognizer (ASR) that, at the direction of the speech application, recognizes words provided by the user in response to a prompt at a given state of the dialogue based on a grammer specified by the speech application for that state; and
a memory device that stores, for each of at least some of the states of the dialogue, a gender-neutral grammer for that state,
the system identifying a gender of the user from one or more of the words recognized by the ASR at a given state using the gender-neutral grammar for that state, based on gender-specific characteristics of the written language of the user, including the tense of the written language.
11. The system recited in claim 10 , wherein the speech application is designed to prompt the user at a particular state in the dialogue to elicit a response from the user that is expected to exhibit the gender-specific characteristics.
12. The system recited in claim 10 , wherein the ASR comprises a speaker independent, continuous speech recognizer.
13. The system recited in claim 10 , wherein the memory deivce also stores, for each of the at least some states, at least one gender-specific grammar for that state, and wherein after an identification of the gender of the user is made, the speech application selects for use by the ASR at a subsequent state a gender-specific grammar for that state based on the identification of the gender of the user.
14. The system recited in claim 13 , wherein the at least one gender-specific grammar for a given state comoprises a first grammar specific to a male gender and a second grammar specific to a female gender, the speech application selecting one of the first and second gender-specific grammars based on the identification of the gender of the user.
15. The system recited in claim 13 , wherein the speech application reverts to a gender-neutral grammar at a subsequent state if the use of a gender-specific grammar at a prior state results in a recognition of words provided by a user having an associated confidence level that is below a predetermined threshold.
16. The system recited in claim 10 , wherein a confidence level associated with a recognition of words by the ASR at one state is adjusted based on a comparison of a gender identification made for that state with a gender identification made for a different state.
17. The sytem recited in claim 10 , wherein the speech application selects a prompt to be played to the user at a given state based at least in part on a prior identification of the gender of the user.
18. The system recited in claim 10 wherein prompts are provided to the user in written form.
19. The system recited in claim 10 wherein the words recognized by the system are provided by a user in written form.
20. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon program code for improving the performance of a speech application deployed in an environment in which the written language of a user exhitibs gender specific characteristics, the program code, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to:
(a) recognize words provided by a user based on a gender-neutral grammar; and
(b) identify a gender of the user from one or more of the recognized words provided by the user, based on gender-specific characteristics of the written language of the user, including the tense of the written language.
21. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 20 , wherein the program code further causes the computer to:
(c) recognize words subsequently provided by the user based on a grammar specific to the identified gender of the user.
22. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 21 , wherein the program code causes the computer to perform (b) and (c) only if a confidence level associated with the recognition of words in (a) is above a predetermined threshold.
23. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 21 , wherein the program code causes the computer to repeat (a) and (b) if a confidence level associated with the recognition of words in (c) is below a predetermined threshold.
24. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 21 , wherein prior to performing (a), the program code causes the computer to prompt the user to elicit a response from the user that is likely to exhibit the gender-specific characteristics.
25. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 20 , wherein the program code further causes the computer to:
(c) recognize words subsequently provided by the user based on the gender-neutral grammar;
(d) identity a gender of the user from one or more of the words recognized in (c), based on gender-specific characteristics of the written language of the user; and
(e) adjust a confidence level associated with the words recognized in (c) based on a comparison of the identified genders obtained in (b) and (d).
26. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 20 , wherein the program code further causes the computer to provide subsequent prompts to the user based at least in part upon the identified gender of the user.
27. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 26 , wherein said prompts are provided in written form.
28. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 20 , wherein the words provided by a user in written form.