Abstract: Various embodiments contemplate systems and methods for performing automatic speech recognition (ASR) and natural language understanding (NLU) that enable high accuracy recognition and understanding of freely spoken utterances which may contain proper names and similar entities. The proper name entities may contain or be comprised wholly of words that are not present in the vocabularies of these systems as normally constituted. Recognition of the other words in the utterances in question, e.g. words that are not part of the proper name entities, may occur at regular, high recognition accuracy. Various embodiments provide as output not only accurately transcribed running text of the complete utterance, but also a symbolic representation of the meaning of the input, including appropriate symbolic representations of proper name entities, adequate to allow a computer system to respond appropriately to the spoken request without further analysis of the user's input.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for monitoring and notifying a user of changes to characteristics of interest list items. The method includes recording within a memory of a user device a specification of a user's interest list items and characteristics thereof, and a specification of the user's criteria for notification of changes to the characteristics. The method includes receiving at the user device update information including updated characteristics of interest list items, comparing the update information with the recorded specifications, and determining that the user's criteria for notification of changes to characteristics of interest list items are satisfied. In response, a notification of the changes is generated for the user. The method further includes replacing the recorded characteristics with the updated characteristics of the interest list items.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes generating an empirically derived acoustic confusability measure by processing example utterances and iterating from an initial estimate of the acoustic confusability measure to improve the measure. The method can further include using the acoustic confusability measure to selectively limit phrases to make recognizable by a speech recognition application.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments include a computer implemented method to control the presentation of an audio video stream. The method includes obtaining an audio video stream and associating the audio video stream with events. The events include an interpretation of content of the audio video stream. The method further includes obtaining a natural language command, generating a control signal based on the natural language command by referencing a particular event, and using the control signal to control presentation of the audio video stream relative to the particular event.

Abstract: A system (100) for enabling a user to select media content in an entertainment environment, comprising a remote control device (110) having a set of user-activated keys and a speech activation circuit adapted to enable a speech signal; a speech engine (160) comprising a speech recognizer (170); an application wrapper (180) configured to recognize substantive meaning in the speech signal; and a media content controller (190) configured to select media content. Every function that can be executed by activation of the user-activated keys can also be executed by the speech engine (160) in response to the recognized substantive meaning.

Abstract: A system (100) for enabling a user to select media content in an entertainment environment, comprising a remote control device (110) having a set of user-activated keys and a speech activation circuit adapted to enable a speech signal; a speech engine (160) comprising a speech recognizer (170); an application wrapper (180) configured to recognize substantive meaning in the speech signal; and a media content controller (190) configured to select media content. Every function that can be executed by activation of the user-activated keys can also be executed by the speech engine (160) in response to the recognized substantive meaning.

Abstract: A global speech user interface (GSUI) comprises an input system to receive a user's spoken command, a feedback system along with a set of feedback overlays to give the user information on the progress of his spoken requests, a set of visual cues on the television screen to help the user understand what he can say, a help system, and a model for navigation among applications. The interface is extensible to make it easy to add new applications.

Abstract: A system (100) for enabling a user to select media content in an entertainment environment, comprising a remote control device (110) having a set of user-activated keys and a speech activation circuit adapted to enable a speech signal; a speech engine (160) comprising a speech recognizer (170); an application wrapper (180) configured to recognize substantive meaning in the speech signal; and a media content controller (190) configured to select media content. Every function that can be executed by activation of the user-activated keys can also be executed by the speech engine (160) in response to the recognized substantive meaning.

Abstract: Various embodiments contemplate systems and methods for performing automatic speech recognition (ASR) and natural language understanding (NLU) that enable high accuracy recognition and understanding of freely spoken utterances which may contain proper names and similar entities. The proper name entities may contain or be comprised wholly of words that are not present in the vocabularies of these systems as normally constituted. Recognition of the other words in the utterances in question, e.g. words that are not part of the proper name entities, may occur at regular, high recognition accuracy. Various embodiments provide as output not only accurately transcribed running text of the complete utterance, but also a symbolic representation of the meaning of the input, including appropriate symbolic representations of proper name entities, adequate to allow a computer system to respond appropriately to the spoken request without further analysis of the user's input.

Abstract: A system (100) for enabling a user to select media content in an entertainment environment, comprising a remote control device (110) having a set of user-activated keys and a speech activation circuit adapted to enable a speech signal; a speech engine (160) comprising a speech recognizer (170); an application wrapper (180) configured to recognize substantive meaning in the speech signal; and a media content controller (190) configured to select media content. Every function that can be executed by activation of the user-activated keys can also be executed by the speech engine (160) in response to the recognized substantive meaning.

Abstract: Efficient empirical determination, computation, and use of an acoustic confusability measure comprises: (1) an empirically derived acoustic confusability measure, comprising a means for determining the acoustic confusability between any two textual phrases in a given language, where the measure of acoustic confusability is empirically derived from examples of the application of a specific speech recognition technology, where the procedure does not require access to the internal computational models of the speech recognition technology, and does not depend upon any particular internal structure or modeling technique, and where the procedure is based upon iterative improvement from an initial estimate; (2) techniques for efficient computation of empirically derived acoustic confusability measure, comprising means for efficient application of an acoustic confusability score, allowing practical application to very large-scale problems; and (3) a method for using acoustic confusability measures to make principled

Abstract: Assisted viewing of an indexed audio video stream is accomplished by enabling natural language command of an audio video stream repository to control the positioning of or selection within, manner of playback from, or other characteristic or action related to the viewed stream. Embodiments process spoken or textual commands, couched in ordinary natural language, which may include descriptive prose, or references to named persons or entities depicted in the stream. Both pre-recorded and live action audio video streams can be processed. Such processing can include creation anew or augmentation of an associated audio video stream index. Numerous particular useful commands, especially those pertinent to audio video streams of sports contests, are described. Embodiments may set alerts that are triggered by notable events within live action audio video streams, with notification of the user when they occur.

Abstract: A global speech user interface (GSUI) comprises an input system to receive a user's spoken command, a feedback system along with a set of feedback overlays to give the user information on the progress of his spoken requests, a set of visual cues on the television screen to help the user understand what he can say, a help system, and a model for navigation among applications. The interface is extensible to make it easy to add new applications.

Abstract: A system (100) for enabling a user to select media content in an entertainment environment, comprising a remote control device (110) having a set of user-activated keys and a speech activation circuit adapted to enable a speech signal; a speech engine (160) comprising a speech recognizer (170); an application wrapper (180) configured to recognize substantive meaning in the speech signal; and a media content controller (190) configured to select media content. Every function that can be executed by activation of the user-activated keys can also be executed by the speech engine (160) in response to the recognized substantive meaning.

Abstract: Various embodiments contemplate systems and methods for performing automatic speech recognition (ASR) and natural language understanding (NLU) that enable high accuracy recognition and understanding of freely spoken utterances which may contain proper names and similar entities. The proper name entities may contain or be comprised wholly of words that are not present in the vocabularies of these systems as normally constituted. Recognition of the other words in the utterances in question, e.g. words that are not part of the proper name entities, may occur at regular, high recognition accuracy. Various embodiments provide as output not only accurately transcribed running text of the complete utterance, but also a symbolic representation of the meaning of the input, including appropriate symbolic representations of proper name entities, adequate to allow a computer system to respond appropriately to the spoken request without further analysis of the user's input.

Abstract: Efficient empirical determination, computation, and use of an acoustic confusability measure comprises: (1) an empirically derived acoustic confusability measure, comprising a means for determining the acoustic confusability between any two textual phrases in a given language, where the measure of acoustic confusability is empirically derived from examples of the application of a specific speech recognition technology, where the procedure does not require access to the internal computational models of the speech recognition technology, and does not depend upon any particular internal structure or modeling technique, and where the procedure is based upon iterative improvement from an initial estimate; (2) techniques for efficient computation of empirically derived acoustic confusability measure, comprising means for efficient application of an acoustic confusability score, allowing practical application to very large-scale problems; and (3) a method for using acoustic confusability measures to make principled

Abstract: A global speech user interface (GSUI) comprises an input system to receive a user's spoken command, a feedback system along with a set of feedback overlays to give the user information on the progress of his spoken requests, a set of visual cues on the television screen to help the user understand what he can say, a help system, and a model for navigation among applications. The interface is extensible to make it easy to add new applications.

Abstract: Various embodiments contemplate systems and methods for performing automatic speech recognition (ASR) and natural language understanding (NLU) that enable high accuracy recognition and understanding of freely spoken utterances which may contain proper names and similar entities. The proper name entities may contain or be comprised wholly of words that are not present in the vocabularies of these systems as normally constituted. Recognition of the other words in the utterances in question, e.g. words that are not part of the proper name entities, may occur at regular, high recognition accuracy. Various embodiments provide as output not only accurately transcribed running text of the complete utterance, but also a symbolic representation of the meaning of the input, including appropriate symbolic representations of proper name entities, adequate to allow a computer system to respond appropriately to the spoken request without further analysis of the user's input.

Abstract: A global speech user interface (GSUI) comprises an input system to receive a user's spoken command, a feedback system along with a set of feedback overlays to give the user information on the progress of his spoken requests, a set of visual cues on the television screen to help the user understand what he can say, a help system, and a model for navigation among applications. The interface is extensible to make it easy to add new applications.

Abstract: Efficient empirical determination, computation, and use of an acoustic confusability measure comprises: (1) an empirically derived acoustic confusability measure, comprising a means for determining the acoustic confusability between any two textual phrases in a given language, where the measure of acoustic confusability is empirically derived from examples of the application of a specific speech recognition technology, where the procedure does not require access to the internal computational models of the speech recognition technology, and does not depend upon any particular internal structure or modeling technique, and where the procedure is based upon iterative improvement from an initial estimate; (2) techniques for efficient computation of empirically derived acoustic confusability measure, comprising means for efficient application of an acoustic confusability score, allowing practical application to very large-scale problems; and (3) a method for using acoustic confusability measures to make principled