IP Library Granted Patent US 8,069,046
Granted Patent B2
US 8,069,046 · App. 12/608,572 · Granted Nov 29, 2011

Dynamic speech sharpening

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,069,046
App. No.
12/608,572
Granted
Nov 29, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

An enhanced system for speech interpretation is provided. The system may include receiving a user verbalization and generating one or more preliminary interpretations of the verbalization by identifying one or more phonemes in the verbalization. An acoustic grammar may be used to map the phonemes to syllables or words, and the acoustic grammar may include one or more linking elements to reduce a search space associated with the grammar. The preliminary interpretations may be subject to various post-processing techniques to sharpen accuracy of the preliminary interpretation. A heuristic model may assign weights to various parameters based on a context, a user profile, or other domain knowledge. A probable interpretation may be identified based on a confidence score for each of a set of candidate interpretations generated by the heuristic model. The model may be augmented or updated based on various information associated with the interpretation of the verbalization.

Claims (24)

1. A method for interpreting natural language utterances using out-of-vocabulary and noise toleration capabilities, comprising:

recognizing, on an electronic device, a phoneme stream contained in an utterance received at the electronic device;

mapping, on the electronic device, the recognized phoneme stream to a syllable series that includes one or more syllables that an acoustic grammar phonemically represents in accordance with an acoustic speech model; and

generating, on the electronic device, an interpretation of the utterance that includes the one or more syllables in the syllable series mapped to the recognized phoneme stream.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic speech model phonemically represents the one or more syllables with acoustic elements for an onset, a nucleus, and a coda.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic speech model includes an unstressed central vowel that links sequential phonemic elements in the acoustic speech model.

4. A method for interpreting natural language utterances using out-of-vocabulary and noise toleration capabilities, comprising:

recognizing, on an electronic device, a phoneme stream contained in an utterance received at the electronic device;

mapping, on the electronic device, the recognized phoneme stream to a syllable series that includes one or more syllables using an acoustic grammar that constrains transitions between acoustic elements phonemically representing the one or more syllables according to one or more phonotactic rules of an acoustic speech model; and

generating, on the electronic device, an interpretation of the utterance that includes the one or more syllables in the syllable series mapped to the recognized phoneme stream.

5. A system for interpreting natural language utterances using out-of-vocabulary and noise toleration capabilities, comprising:

an input device configured to receive an utterance; and

a speech interpretation engine configured to:

recognize a phoneme stream contained in the received utterance;

map the recognized phoneme stream to a syllable series that includes one or more syllables that an acoustic grammar phonemically represents in accordance with an acoustic speech model; and

generate an interpretation of the utterance, wherein the generated interpretation includes the one or more syllables in the syllable series mapped to the recognized phoneme stream.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the acoustic speech model phonemically represents the one or more syllables with acoustic elements for an onset, a nucleus, and a coda.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the acoustic speech model includes an unstressed central vowel that links sequential phonemic elements in the acoustic speech model.

8. A system for interpreting natural language utterances using out-of-vocabulary and noise toleration capabilities, comprising:

an input device configured to receive an utterance; and

a speech interpretation engine configured to:

recognize a phoneme stream contained in the received utterance;

map the recognized phoneme stream to a syllable series that includes one or more syllables using an acoustic grammar that constrains transitions between acoustic elements phonemically representing the one or more according to one or more phonotactic rules of an acoustic speech model; and

generate an interpretation of the utterance, wherein the generated interpretation includes the one or more syllables in the syllable series mapped to the recognized phoneme stream.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 16, 2022
From: VOICE INVENTIONS, LLC
To: DIALECT, LLC
Reel/Frame 060820/0857 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 10, 2021
From: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: VOICE INVENTIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 056185/0742 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 14, 2015
From: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 034703/0429 →
MERGER Recorded Apr 7, 2014
From: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 032620/0956 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2009
From: KENNEWICK, ROBERT A.; KE, MIN; TJALVE, MICHAEL; DI CRISTO, PHILIPPE
To: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 023444/0194 →