Method, system and computer program for enhanced speech recognition of digits input strings

1. A method for speech recognition, the method comprising:

for an expected input string comprising a plurality of expected string segments comprising a first expected string segment and a second expected string segment, receiving a first speech segment for the first expected string segment and a second speech segment for the second expected string segment, wherein the first speech segment is different from the second speech segment;

performing speech recognition separately on the first speech segment and the second speech segment, wherein said performing speech recognition comprises generating a first segment n-best list and a second segment n-best list, the first segment n-best list comprising n highest confidence score results of said speech recognition on the first speech segment and the second segment n-best list comprising n highest confidence score results of said speech recognition on the second speech segment, where n comprises at least one integer;

generating a global n-best list corresponding to said expected input string, wherein the global n-best list comprises a plurality of results each generated at least in part by combining a result from said first segment n-best list with a result from said second segment n-best list; and

determining a final global speech recognition result corresponding to said expected input string,

wherein said determining said final global speech recognition result comprises pruning results of said global n-best list utilizing a pruning criterion.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving the first speech segment for the first expected string segment and receiving the second speech segment for the second expected string segment further comprises:

receiving the first speech segment corresponding to the first expected string segment from a speaker; and

prompting the speaker to speak the second speech segment corresponding to the second expected string segment.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving data representing a length of at least one expected string segment of said plurality of expected string segments from said speaker; and

restricting, utilizing said data, a grammar analysis of a speech recognition on said at least one expected string segment.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein performing speech recognition comprises:

performing a grammar analysis speech recognition utilizing a determined maximum length of the expected input string.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein performing speech recognition comprises:

performing a grammar analysis speech recognition utilizing a determined exact length of the expected input string.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: receiving a single continuous speech segment input corresponding to said expected input string from a speaker;

determining one or more time positions within said single continuous speech segment input utilizing a signal received from said speaker to indicate one or more input speech segments; and

dividing said single continuous speech segment input into a plurality of input speech segments utilizing said one or more time positions.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a weight for each result in said global n-best list, wherein said determining said weight comprises calculating each said weight utilizing a plurality of weights associated with corresponding segment n-best lists results composing said each result in said global n-best list.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein calculating each said weight comprises:

summing said plurality of weights associated with said corresponding segment n-best lists results.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

prompting a speaker to repeat a speech segment in response to a determination that speech recognition performed on said speech segment fails to meet a predetermined accuracy threshold.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an accuracy level of said final global speech recognition result utilizing user input.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the expected input string corresponds to a credit card number.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the pruning criterion comprises the Luhn algorithm.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first segment n-best list comprises a first number of results and the second segment n-best list comprises a second number of results, and the first number is different from the second number.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein generating a global n-best list comprises:

generating a first result of the global n-best list by concatenating a first result of the first segment n-best list with a second result of the second segment n-best list; and

generating a second result of the global n-best list by concatenating the first result of the first segment n-list with a third result of the second segment n-best list.

15. One or more machine-readable storage devices having stored therein a program product, which, when executed by a set of one or more processors, causes the set of one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

for an expected input string comprising a plurality of expected string segments comprising a first expected string segment and a second expected string segment, receiving a first speech segment for the first expected string segment and a second speech segment for the second expected string segment, wherein the first speech segment is different from the second speech segment;

performing speech recognition separately on the first speech segment and the second speech segment, wherein said performing speech recognition comprises generating a first segment n-best list and a second segment n-best list, the first segment n-best list comprising n highest confidence score results of said speech recognition on the first speech segment, and the second segment n-best list comprising n highest confidence score results of said speech recognition on the second speech segment, where n comprises at least one integer;

generating a global n-best list corresponding to said expected input string, wherein the global n-best list comprises a plurality of results each generated at least in part by combining a result from said first segment n-best list with a result from said second segment n-best list; and

determining a final global speech recognition result corresponding to said expected input string, wherein said determining said final global speech recognition result comprises pruning results of said global n-best list utilizing a pruning criterion.

16. The one or more machine-readable storage devices according to claim 15 , wherein generating a global n-best list comprises:

generating a first result of the global n-best list by concatenating a first result of the first segment n-best list with a second result of the second segment n-best list; and

generating a second result of the global n-best list by concatenating the first result of the first segment n-best list with a third result of the second segment n-best list.

17. The one or more machine-readable storage devices according to claim 15 , wherein the first segment n-best list comprises a first number of results and the second segment n-best list comprises a second number of results, and the first number is different from the second number.

18. A system for speech recognition comprising:

a set of one or more processors;

a memory unit coupled with the set of one or more processors; and

a speech recognition unit operable to, for an expected input string comprising a plurality of expected string segments comprising a first expected string segment and a second expected string segment, receive a first speech segment for the first expected string segment and a second speech segment for the second expected string segment, wherein the first speech segment is different from the second speech segment;

perform speech recognition separately on said first speech segment and said second speech segment, wherein said speech recognition comprises generating a first segment n-best list and a second segment n-best list, the first segment n-best list comprising n highest confidence score results of said speech recognition on the first speech segment, and the second segment n-best list comprising n highest confidence score results of said speech recognition on the second speech segment, where n comprises at least one integer;

generating a global n-best list corresponding to said expected input string, wherein the global n-best list comprises a plurality of results each generated at least in part by combining a result from said first segment n-best list with a result from said second segment n-best list; and

determine a final global speech recognition result corresponding to said expected input string, wherein determining said final global speech recognition result comprises pruning results of said global n-best list utilizing a pruning criterion.

19. The system according to claim 18 , wherein the first segment n-best list comprises a first number of results and the second segment n-best list comprises a second number of results, and the first number is different from the second number.

20. The system according to claim 18 , wherein generating a global n-best list comprises:

generating a first result of the global n-best list by concatenating a first result of the first segment n-best list with a second result of the second segment n-best list; and

generating a second result of the global n-best list by concatenating the first result of the first segment n-best list with a third result of the second segment n-best list.