Abstract: Large vocabulary speech recognition can automatically turn recognition off in one or more ways. A user command can turn on recognition that is automatically turned off after the next end of utterance. A plurality of buttons can each be associated with a different speech mode and the touch of a given button can turn on, and then automatically turn off, the given button's associated speech recognition mode. These selectable modes can include large vocabulary and alphabetic entry modes, or continuous and discrete modes. A first user input can start recognition that allows a sequence of vocabulary words to be recognized and a second user input can start recognition that turns off after one word has been recognized. A first user input can start recognition that allows a sequence of utterances to be recognized and a second user input can start recognition that allows only a single utterance to be recognized.

Abstract: Text-to-speech (TTS) generation is used in conjunction with large vocabulary speech recognition to say words selected by the speech recognition. The software for performing the large vocabulary speech recognition can share speech modeling data with the TTS software. TTS or recorded audio can be used to automatically say both recognized text and the names of recognized commands after their recognition. The TTS can automatically repeats text recognized by the speech recognition after each of a succession of end of utterance detections. A user can move a cursor back or forward in recognized text, and the TTS can speak one or more words at the cursor location after each such move. The speech recognition can be used to produces a choice list of possible recognition candidates and the TTS can be used to provide spoken output of one or more of the candidates on the choice list.

Abstract: Word recognition enables a user to have a selected transformation performed on a given word produced by word recognition. In one aspect of the invention, a selectable transformation changes the given word to a differently spelled word having the same word root. In another, a selectable transformation changes a given word to one or more of its homonyms. In yet another, a selectable transformation changes the given word between a representation that spells the word with letters and one that does not. In one aspect of the invention a user can select to display a choice list of transformed words corresponding to a given recognized word and then select to have one of the listed transformed words replace the given word. In another aspect of the invention word recognition favors recognition of words corresponding to a user selected part of speech.

Abstract: A method of processing speech in a noisy environment includes determining, upon a wake-up command, when the environment is too noisy to yield reliable recognition of a user's spoken words, and alerting the user that the environment is too noisy. Determining when the environment is too noisy includes calculating a ratio of signal to noise. The signal corresponds to of an amount of energy in the spoken utterance, and the noise corresponds to an amount of energy in the background noise. The method further includes comparing the signal to noise to a threshold.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for synthesizing audible phrases (words) that includes capturing a spoken utterance, which may be a word, and extracting prosodic information (parameters) there from, then applying the prosodic parameters to a synthesized (nominal) word to produce a prosodic mimic word corresponding to the spoken utterance and the nominal word.

Abstract: A mobile voice communication device including a wireless transceiver circuit for transmitting and receiving voice communications and for receiving data; a digital processor; and a memory storing application program code which when executed on the digital processor causes the mobile voice communication device to provide predetermined functionality to the user of the mobile voice communication device. The predetermined functionality includes basic features and it includes enhanced features that are in addition to the basic features. The application program code has a deactivated state in which the mobile voice communication device provides the basic features to the user without providing the enhanced features and an activated state in which the mobile voice communication device provides the enhanced features.

Abstract: An apparatus for voice-activated control of an electrical device comprises a receiving arrangement for receiving audio data generated by user. A vioce recognition arrangement is provided for determining whether the received audio data is a command word for controlling the electrical device. The voice recognition arrangement includes a microprocessor for comparing the received audio data with voice recognition data previously stored in the voice recognition arrangement. The voice recognition arrangment generates at least one control signal based on the comparison when the comparison reaches a predetermined threshold value. A power control controls power delivered to the electrical device. The power control is responsive to at least one control signal generated by the voice recognition arrangement for operating the electrical device in response to the at least one audio command generated by the user.