Speech interface for search engines
View Patent ↗An embodiment provides search results from a speech initiated search query. The system receives voiced utterances from a user, converts the voiced utterances through use of a speech recognition application, system or method into data strings, identifies from the data strings a search engine identifier representing a search engine chosen by the user to perform a search, identifies from the data strings a query term to be searched for, modifies the query term to be searched for by replacing any spaces in the query term to be searched for with a query term separator compatible with the search engine represented by the search engine identifier thereby creating a modified query term to be searched for, constructs a uniform resource locator that includes the modified query term to be searched for such that the constructed uniform resource locator represents a valid request to the search engine represented by the search engine identifier, opens the constructed uniform resource locator which causes the chosen search engine to make a search for the modified query term, and provides the results of the search system to the user.
1. A method for providing search results comprising the steps of:
receiving voiced utterances;
converting said voiced utterances into data;
identifying from said data, information comprising: (i) a query term to be searched for of a plurality of query terms to be searched for, (ii) a search engine identifier of a plurality of search engine identifiers representing a search engine of a plurality of search engines;
modifying said query term to be searched for of a plurality of query terms to be searched for by replacing any spaces in said query term to be searched for of a plurality of query terms to be searched for with a query term separator compatible with said search engine of a plurality of search engines creating a modified query term to be searched for;
constructing a uniform resource locator that includes said modified query term to be searched for, such that said constructed uniform resource locator represents a valid request to said search engine of a plurality of search engines to perform a search;
opening said constructed uniform resource locator, via a uniform resource locator transmission method of a plurality of uniform resource locator transmissions methods;
and providing results of the search system.
2. The Method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving and displaying web pages or other information returned by opening said search engine's uniform resource locator.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein converting said voiced utterances into data is performed by a speech recognition application.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein converting said voiced utterances into data is performed by a speech recognition system.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the voiced utterances comprise conversational speech.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the application comprises a web browser.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the application comprises a plug in for a web browser.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the application comprises a web application.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a search engine identifier of a plurality of search engine identifiers from said data includes: parsing said data to identify said search engine identifier of a plurality of search engine identifiers.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying said query term to be searched for of a plurality of query terms to be searched for from said data includes: parsing said data to identify said query term to be searched for of a plurality of query terms to be searched for.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the application is programmed using a platform specific programming language.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the application is programmed using a cross platform programming language.
13. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically translating the query term to be searched for into a plurality of automatically selected languages other than a language of a plurality of languages spoken by the user.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving and displaying web pages or other information returned by opening said constructed uniform resource locator in said language of a plurality of languages spoken by the user.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying said search engine identifier of a plurality of search engine identifiers from said data comprises: comparing said data to a plurality of search engine identifiers, to find a match.
16. A method for providing search results comprising the steps of:
providing sets of data comprising:
(a) one or more search engine identifiers of a plurality of search engine identifiers,
(b) one or more search engine uniform resource locators of a plurality of search engine uniform resource locators,
(c) one or more second placeholder patterns of a plurality of second placeholder patterns,
(d) one or more query term separators of a plurality of query term separators,
and wherein said search engine identifier of a plurality of search engine identifiers represents a search engine of a plurality of search engines,
and wherein said search engine identifier of a plurality of search engines identifiers is linked to components of said sets of data including:
(i) said search engine uniform resource locator of a plurality of search engine uniform resource locators,
(ii) said second placeholder pattern of a plurality of second placeholder patterns, and
(iii) said query term separator of a plurality of query term separators,
and wherein said search engine uniform resource locator of a plurality of search engine uniform resource locators includes:
(a). a scheme of a plurality of schemes,
(b). a host of a plurality of hosts,
(c). a path of a plurality of paths,
(d). a query of a plurality of queries comprising: a first placeholder pattern of a plurality of first placeholder patterns representing a value of a plurality of values in a name value pair of a plurality of name value pairs,
and wherein said second placeholder pattern of a plurality of second placeholder patterns is identical to said first placeholder pattern of a plurality of first placeholder patterns;
loading said sets of data;
receiving voiced utterances from a user of a plurality of users;
converting said voiced utterances into a first data string;
matching said first data string to said sets of data, identifying a corresponding said search engine identifier of a plurality of search engine identifiers;
retrieving data linked to matched said search engine identifier of a plurality of search engine identifiers;
storing retrieved data linked to said matched search engine identifier of a plurality of search engine identifiers in variables;
signaling said user of a plurality of users that said first data string matched a corresponding said search engine identifier of a plurality of search engine identifiers;
receiving a second set of voiced utterances from said user of a plurality of users specifying a query term to be searched for;
converting said second set of voiced utterances into a second data string;
modifying said second data string by replacing any spaces in said second data string with retrieved said query term separator linked to said search engine identifier of a plurality of search engine identifiers, creating a modified second data string;
replacing said first placeholder pattern of a plurality of placeholder patterns in retrieved said search engine uniform resource locator of a plurality of search engine uniform resource locators with said modified second data string creating a modified search engine uniform resource locator;
opening said modified search engine uniform resource locator through a uniform resource locator transmission method of a plurality of uniform resource locator transmission methods;
and providing results of the search system.
17. The Method of claim 16 , further comprising: receiving and displaying web pages or other information returned by opening said modified search engine uniform resource locator.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein converting said voiced utterances into data is performed by a speech recognition application.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein converting said voiced utterances into data is performed by a speech recognition system.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the voiced utterances comprise conversational speech.
21. The method of claim 16 further comprising automatically translating the query term to be searched for into a plurality of automatically selected languages other than a language of a plurality of languages spoken by the user.
22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising receiving and displaying web pages or other information returned by opening said constructed uniform resource locator in said language of a plurality of languages spoken by the user.
23. The method of claim 16 wherein the application is programmed using a platform specific programming language.
24. The method of claim 16 wherein the application is programmed using a cross platform programming language.
25. The method of claim 16 wherein the application comprises a web browser.
26. The method of claim 16 wherein the application comprises a plug in for a web browser.
27. The method of claim 16 wherein the application comprises a web application.
28. A physical medium containing instructions for controlling at least one processor to perform a method for generating a search query, comprising:
receiving voiced utterances from a user;
converting said voiced utterances into data;
identifying from said data, information including: (i) a query term to be searched for of a plurality of query terms to be searched for, (ii) a search engine identifier of a plurality of search engines identifiers representing a search engine of a plurality of search engines;
modifying said query term to be searched for of a plurality of query terms to be searched for by replacing any spaces in said query term to be searched for of a plurality of query terms to be searched for with a query term separator compatible with said search engine of a plurality of search engines, creating a modified query term to be searched for;
constructing a uniform resource locator that includes said modified query term to be searched for, such that said constructed uniform resource locator represents a valid request to said search engine of a plurality of search engines to perform a search;
opening said constructed uniform resource locator, via a uniform resource locator transmission method.
29. A computing system comprising: a memory configured to store instructions; and a processor configured to execute the instructions to:
receive voiced utterances from a user;
convert said voiced utterances into data;
identify from said data, information including: (i) a query term to be searched for of a plurality of query terms to be searched for, (ii) a search engine identifier of a plurality of search engines identifiers representing a search engine of a plurality of search engines;
modify said query term to be searched for of a plurality of query terms to be searched for by replacing any spaces in said query term to be searched for of a plurality of query terms to be searched for with a query term separator compatible with said search engine of a plurality of search engines, creating a modified query term to be searched for;
construct a uniform resource locator that includes said modified query term to be searched for, such that said constructed uniform resource locator represents a valid request to said search engine of a plurality of search engines to perform a search;
open said constructed uniform resource locator, via a uniform resource locator transmission method.
30. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the computing system is a set top box.
31. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the computing system is a cell phone.
32. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the computing system is a client device.
33. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the computing system is a server.
34. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the computing system is a wireless device.
35. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the computing system is a personal computer.
36. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the computing system is a device that retrieves, stores and plays audio.
37. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the computing system is a device that retrieves, stores and plays video.
38. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the computing system is a console gaming device.