Abstract: A speech controlled verification system for verifying the identity of a person using a telephone calling card, bank card or other credit card. The systems connects the user of the card to a telephone network, wherein the user enters the card number. The card number is used to access a central data base through the telephone network, wherein a voice verification template is retrieved corresponding to the entered card number. The voice verification contains various samples of the authorized user's voice stating selected words, phrases and/or numbers. Once the proper voice verification template is retrieved, the system prompts the user to state one of the words, phrases and/or numbers contained within the voice verification template. The word, phrase and/or numbers stated in response to the prompt is compared with the voice verification template. If the stated words match the template, the user is considered to be the authorized user and the card is validated.

Abstract: There is disclosed a dynamic time warping (DTW) apparatus for use in a speech recognition system which also performs wordspotting or speaker verification based on speech recognition techniques. The DTW apparatus has the capability of processing given different groups of coefficients and doing such processing to arrive at Euclidean and dynamic distances independent of the number of coefficients in the group. Essentially the DTW can process 8, 16 or 24 coefficients and provide distance measurements based on such coefficients which will enable the same stored template to be utilized in comparing speech utterances as defined by the coefficients with stored template data. The configuration of the DTW is such that rapid processing can occur whereby the unit can process a large number of frames in a relatively short period, as the number of frames processed is a function of the number of coefficients in the processed group and can process different numbered coefficients in a rapid and reliable manner.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for recognition of sentences comprised of utterances separated by short pauses, the utterances representative of both isolated words and connected words. Speech to be recognized is converted into frames of digital signals. Selected ones of the frames of digital signals are compared with isolated word and connected word templates stored in a template memory. Recognition of isolated words is done by comparing the selected frames of digital signals with the isolated word templates in accordance with a windowed dynamic programming algorithm having path boundary control, while connected word recognition is accomplished by comparing selected frames of digital signals with the connected word templates in accordance with a full DPA having path score normalization and utterance frame penalty calculation capability. Variable frame rate encoding is used to identify the selected frames of digital signals.

Abstract: A continuous speech recognition system includes a plurality of processors doing template comparisons of speech data. Each processor has an associated memory shared with the other processors by direct memory access (DMA) through a shared data bus. The DMA circuitry is distributed between the processors to eliminate redundancy, since if each processor had a full DMA circuit, one of the circuits would be idle when the processors communicated.

Abstract: A dynamically programmable processing element (DPPE) is disclosed which element has the utility in a digital processing system which requires complicated arithmetic procedures to be implemented. The DPPE device is a special purpose computer which essentially has a program bus for transmitting and receiving program data from an external source. A data bus is also provided which bus can transmit or receive digital data. Coupled between the buses are input and output registers or buffers which are capable of storing transmitted or received data propagating on either of said buses. A program memory has an input coupled to said program bus and means coupling the output of the program memory to the program bus. A data memory has an addressable input means coupled to the program bus and an output coupled to the data bus.