Abstract: A speech recognition system recognizes a caller identifier received during a telephone call as a speech signal from a caller. The system generates a plurality of caller identifier choices from the speech signal and receives location information of the caller. The system includes a database on which is stored a plurality of caller identifiers indexed to a plurality of location information. The system queries a database based on the received location information and retrieves one or more caller identifiers from the database. The system then selects the recognized caller identifier from the plurality of caller identifier choices based on the retrieved one or more caller identifiers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for correcting misrecognized words appearing in electronic documents that have been generated by scanning an original document in accordance with an optical character recognition (“OCR”) technique. Each recognized word is generated by first producing, for each character position of the corresponding word in the original document, the N-best characters for occupying that character position. If an incorrect word is found in the electronic document, the present invention generates a plurality of reference words from which one is selected for replacing the incorrect word. This selected reference word is determined by the present invention to be the reference word that is the most likely correct replacement for the incorrect recognized word. This selection is accomplished by computing for each reference word a replacement word value. The reference word that is selected to replace the incorrect recognized word corresponds to the highest replacement word value.

Abstract: The invention provides an on-hold switching device that permits a subscriber to be engaged in other activities through a telephone network while being placed on-hold by another party. When placed on-hold, the on-hold switching device disconnects the subscriber from the other party and connects the subscriber to the telephone network so that the subscriber may engage in other activities. The on-hold switching device monitors the signal bus connected to the other party to determine whether the on-hold condition is removed. When the on-hold condition is removed, the subscriber is reconnected to the other party. Thus, the on-hold switching device permits a subscriber to be engaged in other activities when placed on-hold by the other party.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recognizing an input identifier on the basis of a set of comparison identifiers. After a user provides the input identifier according to a first form, the present invention provides a recognized identifier based on the input identifier. The present invention then generates a plurality of comparison identifiers on the basis of the recognized identifier. The user is then prompted to provide the input identifier again, but this time according to a second form that is different than the first form. A second recognized identifier is then generated on the basis of the input identifier provided according to the second form. If a match exists between the second recognized identifier and one of the comparison identifiers, the matched comparison identifier is selected as corresponding to the input identifier.

Abstract: A plurality of subscribers in a telecommunications network are divided into affinity groups. Subscribers in a particular affinity group have a common interest which is different from that of subscribers in other affinity groups. That interest may a common cultural heritage, a common language preference, a common vocational or avocational interest, or the like. Each respective affinity group has associated with it a customized set of call processing characteristics, such as a distinctive dial tone, a distinctive subscriber language preference, and/or an abbreviated dialing list of other subscribers in the group. In addition, each respective affinity group can have a special broadcast message sent to the some or all of the subscribers in the group.

Abstract: A collaborative application system initiates a communication session over a network. The collaborative application system receives an identity of a called party and an identity of a collaborative application from a calling party. The calling party participates in the communication session at a first endpoint and the called party participates in the communication session at a second endpoint. Further, the collaborative application system determines a first endpoint type and a second endpoint type and selects a first version of the collaborative application based on the first endpoint type and a second version of the collaborative application based on the second endpoint type. The collaborative application system then retrieves and makes available the first version of the application to the calling party and second version of the application to the called party.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for correcting misrecognized words appearing in electronic documents that have been generated by scanning an original document in accordance with an optical character recognition (“OCR”) technique. If an incorrect word is found in the electronic document, the present invention generates at least one reference word and selects the reference word that is the most likely correct replacement for the incorrect word. This selection is accomplished by comparing each character member of every reference word to a plurality of confusion sets. On the basis of this comparison, the reference words are reduced to a smaller candidate set of reference words, from which a reference word for replacing the incorrect word is selected on the basis of predetermined criteria.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing a set of reference identifiers to a candidate subset of reference identifiers. The reference identifiers are associated in memory with a plurality of index codes. A user provides an input identifier, causing a recognizing device of the present invention to produce a recognized identifier on the basis of the input identifier. The present invention determines an index code based on the recognized identifier and on the basis of a plurality of pre-stored confusion sets of characters that group together in individual confusion sets those characters having a relatively high likelihood of being confused with each other by the recognizing device. After matching the determined index code with one of the reference index codes, the present invention determines which reference index codes are within a predetermined distance of the matched reference index code.

Abstract: A network based language translation system is provided. A network is provided that has language translation software installed on the network. A user communication device that is interconnected to the network is utilized to communicate with the network. The user communication device both inputs text and/or spoken communications into the network and receives text and/or spoken communications from the network. The network is able to receive communication inputs from multiple users in multiple languages and translate and transmit output communications to those users in languages designated by the users.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for correcting misrecognized words appearing in electronic documents that have been generated by scanning an original document in accordance with an optical character recognition ("OCR") technique. If an incorrect word is found in the electronic document, the present invention generates at least one reference word and selects the reference word that is the most likely correct replacement for the incorrect word. This selection is accomplished by performing a probabilistic determination that assigns to each reference word a replacement word recognition probability. The probabilistic determination is carried out on the basis of a pre-stored confusion matrix that stores a plurality of probability values. The confusion matrix is used to associate each character of recognized word in the electronic document with a corresponding character of a word in the original document on the basis of these probability values.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recognizing an input identifier by comparing a recognized identifier based on the input identifier to a set of reference identifiers maintained in memory. When a match is found between the recognized identifier and one of the reference identifiers, a user is prompted with the matched reference identifier. If the user confirms that the matched reference identifier corresponds to the input identifier, a transaction is executed based on the matched reference identifier. If the user rejects the matched reference identifier, the recognized identifier is compared again to the set of reference identifiers, but for this comparison, the previously rejected reference identifier has been excluded from the set of reference identifiers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recognizing an identifier entered by a user. A caller enters a predetermined identifier through a voice input device or a touch-tone keypad of a telephone handset. A signal representing the entered identifier is transmitted to a remote recognizer, which responds to the identifier signal by producing a recognized output intended to match the entered identifier. The present invention compares this recognized identifier with a list of valid reference identifiers to determine which one of these reference identifiers most likely matches the entered identifier. In performing this determination, the present invention employs a confusion matrix, which is an arrangement of probabilities that indicate the likelihood that a given character in a particular character position of the reference identifier would be recognized by the recognizer as a character in the corresponding character position of the recognized identifier.

Abstract: A system inserts one or more background sounds in a telephone call between a calling party and a called party. The system includes a network node coupled to a first telephone used by the calling party and a second telephone used by the called party. The network node is further coupled to an audio source. One or more background sounds are stored on the audio source. The calling party dials into the network node. The network node presents a menu of background sounds to the calling party who selects at least one background sound. The calling party then enters the phone number of the called party. The network node initiates the telephone call to the called party over a first telephone channel, and then inserts the selected background sound retrieved from the audio source onto the telephone channel. If a multi-party call is requested by the calling party, the calling party can select different background sounds that are inserted by the network node onto the telephone channel for each called party.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for matching at least a first input identifier with a reference identifier. A user provides an input identifier into a system, and the system produces a recognized identifier based on the input identifier. The system of the present invention perform a check-sum operation to determine whether the recognized identifier was recognized correctly. If the check-sum operation reveals that the recognized identifier is incorrect, the system of the present invention generates a plurality of substitute identifiers. The substitute identifiers are compared to a set of pre-stored reference identifiers. If a match is found between a reference identifier and a substitute identifier, the matched reference identifier is selected as corresponding to the input identifier provided by the user.

Abstract: A production script for interactions between participants and an automated data collection system is created by selectively tuning an experimental script through successive trials until a recognition rate of the system is at least an acceptability threshold. The data collection system uses a semi-constrained grammar, which is a practical accommodation of a larger range of possible inputs than a menu. The data collection system collects data by recognizing utterances from participants in accordance with the production script.

Abstract: A messaging system with a remote message recording device is provided. To compose and send a message to an intended recipient, the sending party remotely records a spoken message on a recording device. When recording the message, the sending party adds a predefined spoken header before the actual subject matter of the message and also adds a predefined spoken closure comment at the end of the message. The spoken header includes identification information for the intended recipient of the message. To transmit the message to the intended recipient, the sending party downloads the recorded message to a message transmission system. The transmission system includes speech recognition software. The speech recognition software interprets the identification information for the intended recipient contained in the spoken header of the message. The transmission system utilizes this identification information for the intended recipient to access a database that contains a routing access code for the intended recipient.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recognizing an identifier entered by a user. A caller enters a predetermined identifier through a telephone handset. A signal representing the entered identifier is transmitted to a remote recognizer, which responds to the signal by producing a recognized output intended to match the entered identifier. The present invention compares this recognized identifier with a list of valid reference identifiers to determine which one of these reference identifiers most likely matches the entered identifier. In performing this determination, the present invention employs a confusion matrix, which is an arrangement of probabilities that indicate the likelihood that a given character in a particular character position of the reference identifier would be recognized by the recognizer as a character in the corresponding character position of the recognized identifier.

Abstract: A speech recognition system recognizes a customer identifier received as a speech signal from a customer. The system generates a first plurality of customer identifier choices from the speech signal and a probability associated with each of the first plurality of choices. The system includes a database having stored thereon a plurality of customer attribute parameters indexed to a second plurality of customer identifier choices. The system queries the database using the first plurality of choices, and retrieves one or more customer attribute parameters from the database. The probabilities are adjusted by the system based on the retrieved customer attribute parameters. The customer identifier is then selected from the first plurality of choices based on the adjusted probabilities.

Abstract: A user identifier is preassigned to a user, the user identifier being generated by retrieving an implicit checksum and calculating the user identifier (by, for example, using a hidden Markov model) using a checksum operation such as a modulo algorithm so that the user identifier conforms to the implicit checksum, the implicit checksum being based on a checksum parameter, such as the current date or month or a user's phone number. The preassigned user identifier is then received from the user, at and least one recognized identifier is received that is based on the received preassigned user identifier. A checksum is calculated for one recognized identifier using a checksum operation, and the implicit checksum is retrieved. The calculated checksum is compared with the implicit checksum, and the one recognized identifier is selected as the received preassigned user identifier if the calculated checksum equals the retrieved implicit checksum.

Abstract: A vocoder according to the present invention includes an analyzer portion and a synthesizer portion. The analyzer portion encodes an input frame of speech on the basis of a candidate excitation selected from a group of candidate excitations stored in memory. Instead of transmitting the actual candidate excitation to the synthesizer portion, the analyzer portion generates and provides to the synthesizer portion a variable length index code that identifies the selected candidate excitation. The synthesizer portion stores in memory the same plurality of candidate excitations as the analyzer portion. The synthesizer portion uses the variable length index code to obtain from its memory the candidate excitation originally selected by the analyzer portion. The synthesizer portion reconstructs the input frame of speech on the basis of the obtained candidate excitation.