Abstract: An apparatus for recognizing a word based on voice information, includes, a keyword model storing device, a non-keyword model storing device, a model updating device and a recognition device. The keyword model storing device stores words to be potentially spoken, as keyword models. The non-keyword model storing device stores words to be potentially spoken, as non-keyword models. The model updating device updates the recognition and non-keyword models, based on a previously recognized word. The recognition device matches the recognition and non-keyword models updated with the voice information. The model updating device updates the non-keyword models utilizing a non-keyword variation vector, which is indicative of variation of the non-keyword models, from the non-updated to the updated, and has been set to be smaller than a non-keyword variation vector applied in the updating of the non-keyword models.

Abstract: A speech recognizer 300 built into a navigation apparatus 100 includes a noise estimator 320 which calculates a noise model based on a microphone input signal, an adaptive processor 330 which performs an adaptive process on each keyword model and each non-keyword model stored in an HMM database 310 based on the noise model. The adaptive processor 330 performs a data adaptation process on each keyword model and non-keyword model based on the noise model and word spotting is performed based on the keyword models and the non-keyword models subjected to the data adaptation process.