Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for validating a candidate answer to an input question. A candidate answer to an input question is identified using a natural language processing of the input question and a corpus of information from which the candidate answer is identified. A validator is selected to apply to the candidate answer based on a characteristic of a correct answer for the input question. The validator is applied to the candidate answer to evaluate whether or not criteria of the validator are met by the candidate answer. Validation information is generated based the evaluation of whether or not criteria of the validator are met by the candidate answer. The validation information is stored in a validation status object associated with the input question.

Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for validating a candidate answer to an input question. A candidate answer to an input question is identified using a natural language processing of the input question and a corpus of information from which the candidate answer is identified. A validator is selected to apply to the candidate answer based on a characteristic of a correct answer for the input question. The validator is applied to the candidate answer to evaluate whether or not criteria of the validator are met by the candidate answer. Validation information is generated based the evaluation of whether or not criteria of the validator are met by the candidate answer. The validation information is stored in a validation status object associated with the input question.

Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for validating a candidate answer to an input question. A candidate answer to an input question is identified using a natural language processing of the input question and a corpus of information from which the candidate answer is identified. A validator is selected to apply to the candidate answer based on a characteristic of a correct answer for the input question. The validator is applied to the candidate answer to evaluate whether or not criteria of the validator are met by the candidate answer. Validation information is generated based the evaluation of whether or not criteria of the validator are met by the candidate answer. The validation information is stored in a validation status object associated with the input question.

Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for validating a candidate answer to an input question. A candidate answer to an input question is identified using a natural language processing of the input question and a corpus of information from which the candidate answer is identified. A validator is selected to apply to the candidate answer based on a characteristic of a correct answer for the input question. The validator is applied to the candidate answer to evaluate whether or not criteria of the validator are met by the candidate answer. Validation information is generated based the evaluation of whether or not criteria of the validator are met by the candidate answer. The validation information is stored in a validation status object associated with the input question.

Abstract: A real-time system incorporating speech recognition and linguistic processing for recognizing a spoken query by a user and distributed between client and server, is disclosed. The system accepts user's queries in the form of speech at the client where minimal processing extracts a sufficient number of acoustic speech vectors representing the utterance. These vectors are sent via a communications channel to the server where additional acoustic vectors are derived. Using Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), and appropriate grammars and dictionaries conditioned by the selections made by the user, the speech representing the user's query is fully decoded into text (or some other suitable form) at the server. This text corresponding to the user's query is then simultaneously sent to a natural language engine and a database processor where optimized SQL statements are constructed for a full-text search from a database for a recordset of several stored questions that best matches the user's query.

Abstract: A speech recognition system includes distributed processing across a client and server for recognizing a spoken query by a user. A number of different speech models for different languages are used to support and detect a language spoken by a user. In some implementations an interactive electronic agent responds in the user's language to facilitate a real-time, human like dialogue.

Abstract: A speech recognition engine is configured to permit partial or full recognition of an utterance at a client device and/or a server device. This allows for support for client devices having differing computing capabilities. Natural language operations can also be supported as desired. A user can thus interact with content also accessible at a web page and select items of interest using speech as a mode of input. Dynamic grammars can assist in the recognition operations to improve speed and comprehension.

Abstract: An intelligent query system for processing voiced-based queries is disclosed, which uses semantic based processing to identify the question posed by the user by understanding the meaning of the users utterance. Based on identifying the meaning of the utterance, the system selects a single answer that best matches the user's query. The answer that is paired to this single question is then retrieved and presented to the user. The system, as implemented, accepts environmental variables selected by the user and is scalable to provide answers to a variety and quantity of user-initiated queries.

Abstract: A prosody analyzer enhances the interpretation of natural language utterances. The analyzer is distributed over a client/server architecture, so that the scope of emotion recognition processing tasks can be allocated on a dynamic basis based on processing resources, channel conditions, client loads etc. The partially processed prosodic data can be sent separately or combined with other speech data from the client device and streamed to a server for a real-time response. Training of the prosody analyzer with real world expected responses improves emotion modeling and the real-time identification of potential features such as emphasis, intent, attitude and semantic meaning in the speaker's utterances.

Abstract: A network based interactive speech system responds in real-time to speech-based queries addressed to a set of topic entries. A best matching response is provided based on speech recognition processing and natural language processing performed on recognized speech utterances to identify a selected set of phrases related to the set of topic entries. Another routine converts the selected set of phrases into a search query suitable for identifying a first group of one or more topic entries corresponding to the speech-based query. The words/phrases can be assigned different weightings and can include entries which are not actually in the set of topic entries.

Abstract: Systems and methods for searching using spoken input and user context information are disclosed. In systems and methods according to embodiments of the invention, continuous speech natural language queries are accepted from a user using a client device. Speech processing tasks are divided between the client device and one or more server systems. Along with speech in compressed form, the client device transmits to the one or more server systems user context information, which is used by the one or more server systems to dynamically load one or more of a dictionary, a grammar, or a vocabulary.

Abstract: Systems and methods for query-based searching using spoken input are disclosed. In systems and methods according to embodiments of the invention, continuous speech natural language queries are accepted from a user using a client device. Speech processing tasks are divided between the client device and one or more server systems. Once user speech is recognized, the system searches one or more data repositories containing queries for at least one query that matches the recognized speech and returns information related to the query.

Abstract: A client device incorporates partial speech recognition for recognizing a spoken query by a user. The full recognition process is distributed over a client/server architecture, so that the amount of partial recognition signal processing tasks can be allocated on a dynamic basis based on processing resources, channel conditions, etc. Partially processed speech data from the client device can be streamed to a server for a real-time response. Additional natural language processing operations can also be performed to implement sentence recognition functionality.

Abstract: A speech-enabled WWW based computing system allows a user to interact with content associated with a web page and select items of interest using speech as a mode of input. Dynamic grammars can assist in the recognition operations to improve speed and comprehension.

Abstract: An intelligent query system for processing voiced-based queries is disclosed. This distributed client-server system, typically implemented on an intranet or over the Internet accepts a user's queries at his/her computer, PDA or workstation using a speech input interface. After converting the user's query from speech to text, a natural language engine, a database processor and a full-text SQL database is implemented to find a single answer that best matches the user's query. Both statistical and semantic decoding are used to assist and improve the performance of the query recognition.

Abstract: Candidate answers responsive to a user query are analyzed using a natural language engine to determine appropriate answers from an electronic database. The system and methods are useful for Internet based search engines, as well as distributed speech recognition systems such as a client-server system. The latter are typically implemented on an intranet or over the Internet based on user queries at his/her computer, a PDA, or a workstation using a speech input interface.

Abstract: A speech-enabled internet based computing system includes a configurable speech recognition engine which allows support for client devices having differing computing capabilities. Natural language operations can also be supported as desired.

Abstract: A prosody analyzer enhances the interpretation of natural language utterances. The analyzer is distributed over a client/server architecture, so that the scope of emotion recognition processing tasks can be allocated on a dynamic basis based on processing resources, channel conditions, client loads etc. The partially processed prosodic data can be sent separately or combined with other speech data from the client device and streamed to a server for a real-time response. Training of the prosody analyzer with real world expected responses improves emotion modeling and the real-time identification of potential features such as emphasis, intent, attitude and semantic meaning in the speaker's utterances.

Abstract: Sentence based queries from a user are analyzed to determine appropriate answers from an electronic database. Text in the queries is dissected to identify different phrases; the phrases in turn are matched against candidate phrases to determine best matching answers responsive to the user's question. The system and methods are useful for Internet based search engines, as well as distributed speech recognition systems such as a client-server system. The latter are typically implemented on an intranet or over the Internet based on user queries at his/her computer, a PDA, or a workstation using a speech input interface.

Abstract: A real-time speech recognition system includes distributed processing across a client and server for recognizing a spoken query by a user. Both the client and server can dedicate a variable number of processing resources for performing speech recognition functions. The partitioning of responsibility for speech recognition operations can be done on a client by client or connection by connection basis.