Abstract: A speech recognition method includes the steps of receiving input speech containing vocabulary, processing the input speech with a grammar to obtain N-best hypotheses and associated parameter values, and determining whether a first-best hypothesis of the N-best hypotheses is confusable with any vocabulary within the grammar. The first-best hypothesis is accepted as recognized speech corresponding to the received input speech if the first-best hypothesis is not determined to be confusable with any vocabulary within the grammar. Where the first-best hypothesis is determined to be confusable, at least one parameter value of the first-best hypothesis can be compared to at least one threshold value, and accepting the second-best as the recognized speech, if its confidence score is within certain lower and upper threshold values and is not confusable with the first-best.

Abstract: A speech recognition method includes the steps of receiving input speech containing vocabulary, processing the input speech with a grammar to obtain N-best hypotheses and associated parameter values, and determining whether a first-best hypothesis of the N-best hypotheses is confusable with any vocabulary within the grammar. The first-best hypothesis is accepted as recognized speech corresponding to the received input speech if the first-best hypothesis is not determined to be confusable with any vocabulary within the grammar. Where the first-best hypothesis is determined to be confusable, at least one parameter value of the first-best hypothesis can be compared to at least one threshold value. The first-best hypothesis can be accepted as recognized speech corresponding to the received input speech, if the parameter value of the first-best hypothesis is greater than the threshold value.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for estimating the remaining state-of-charge of a non-rechargeable power source, such as a back-up battery for an electronic module normally connected to a primary power source. A processor within the electronic module implements a prediction algorithm, in order to monitor the temperature of the back-up attery, and to calculate various current draws of the back-up battery. The processor adjusts the nominal self-discharge rate of the back-up battery in accordance with the measured temperatures, and calculates an adjusted self-discharge quantity. The processor also accumulates current draw data and reduces the initial state-of-charge value of the back-up battery by the temperature-adjusted self-discharge quantity and the cumulative current draw quantities to determine a remaining state-of-charge of the back-up battery. At a predetermined state-of-charge threshold level, an indicator can be activated to advise a user to replace the back-up battery.