Method for using pauses detected in speech input to assist in interpreting the input during conversational interaction for information retrieval

1. A method for using speech disfluencies detected in speech input to assist in interpreting the input, the method comprising:

providing access to a set of content items, each of the content items being associated with metadata that describes the corresponding content item;

receiving a speech input from a user, the input intended by the user to identify at least one desired content item;

detecting a speech disfluency in the speech input;

determining a confidence measure of the user in a portion of the speech input following the speech disfluency based on a manner by which the user utters the portion of the speech input following the speech disfluency;

upon a condition in which the confidence measure does not exceed a threshold value:

retrieving from memory preferences of the user for particular content items of the set of content items;

comparing the portion of the speech input to metadata associated with the particular content items of the set of content items;

determining, based on the comparing, whether metadata associated with a content item of the particular content items at least partially matches the portion of the speech input;

in response to determining that metadata associated with the content item of the particular content items at least partially matches the portion of the speech input;

replacing the portion of the speech input with the metadata associated with the content item to generate a query comprising a modified speech input for searching a database associated with the set of content items;

selecting from the database a subset of content items from the set of content items based on comparing the query and metadata associated with the subset of content items;

upon a condition in which the confidence measure exceeds a threshold value, selecting the subset of content items from the set of content items based on comparing the speech input and the metadata associated with the subset of content items; and

presenting the subset of content items to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring a duration of the speech disfluency, wherein the determination of the confidence measure is based on the duration of the speech disfluency.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subset of content items is a first subset of content items, and wherein the determination of the confidence measure is based on a second subset of the content items.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising offering assistance when the user engages in a speech disfluency.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the assistance is inferring a word or phrase following the speech disfluency and presenting the word or phrase to the user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the speech disfluency is a pause or an auditory time filler.

7. A system for using speech disfluencies detected in speech input to assist in interpreting the input, the system comprising control circuitry configured to:

provide access to a set of content items, each of the content items being associated with metadata that describes the corresponding content item;

receive a speech input from a user, the input intended by the user to identify at least one desired content item;

detect a speech disfluency in the speech input;

determine a confidence measure of the user in a portion of the speech input following the speech disfluency based on a manner by which the user utters the portion of the speech input following the speech disfluency;

upon a condition in which the confidence measure does not exceed a threshold value:

retrieve from memory preferences of the user for particular content items of the set of content items;

compare the portion of the speech input to metadata associated with a content item of the particular content items at least partially matches the portion of the speech input;

in response to determining that the metadata associated with the content item of the particular content items at least partially matches the portion of the speech input:

replacing the portion of the speech input with the metadata associated with the content item to generate a query comprising a modified speech input for searching a database associated with the set of content items;

select from the database a subset of content items from the set of content items based on comparing the query and metadata associated with the subset of content items;

upon a condition in which the confidence measure exceeds a threshold value, select the subset of content items from the set of content items based on comparing the speech input and the metadata associated with the subset of content items; and

present the subset of content items to the user.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to measure a duration of the speech disfluency and wherein the determination of the confidence measure is based on the duration of the speech disfluency.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the subset of content items is a first subset of content items, and wherein the determination of the confidence measure is based on a second subset of the content items.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to offer assistance when the user engages in a speech disfluency.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the assistance is inferring a word or phrase following the speech disfluency and presenting the word or phrase to the user.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the speech disfluency is a pause or an auditory time filler.