Abstract: The present invention comprises a system and method for speech recognition utilizing a multi-language dictionary, and may include a recognizer that is configured to compare input speech data to a series of dictionary entries from the multi-language dictionary to detect a recognized phrase or command. The multi-language dictionary may be implemented with a mixed-language technique that utilizes dictionary entries which incorporate multiple different languages such as Cantonese and English. The speech recognizer may thus advantageously achieve more accurate speech recognition accuracy in an efficient and compact manner.

Abstract: A system and method for effectively implementing an optimized language model for speech recognition includes initial language models each created by combining source models according to selectable interpolation coefficients that define proportional relationships for combining the source models. A rescoring module iteratively utilizes the initial language models to process input development data for calculating word-error rates that each correspond to a different one of the initial language models. An optimized language model is then selected from the initial language models by identifying an optimal word-error rate from among the foregoing word-error rates. The speech recognizer may then utilize the optimized language model for effectively performing various speech recognition procedures.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a system and method for implementing a Mandarin Chinese speech recognizer with an optimized phone set, and may include a recognizer configured to compare input speech data to phone strings from a vocabulary dictionary that is implemented according to an optimized Mandarin Chinese phone set. The optimized Mandarin Chinese phone set may be implemented with a phonetic technique to separately include consonantal phones and vocalic phones. For reasons of system efficiency, the optimized Mandarin Chinese phone set may preferably be implemented in a compact manner to include only a minimum required number of consonantal phones and vocalic phones to accurately represent Mandarin Chinese speech during the speech recognition procedure.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a system and method for implementing a Cantonese speech recognizer with an optimized phone set, and may include a recognizer configured to compare input speech data to phone strings from a vocabulary dictionary that is implemented according to an optimized Cantonese phone set. The optimized Cantonese phone set may be implemented with a phonetic technique to separately include consonantal phones and vocalic phones. For reasons of system efficiency, the optimized Cantonese phone set may preferably be implemented in a compact manner to include only a minimum required number of consonantal phones and vocalic phones to accurately represent Cantonese speech during the speech recognition procedure.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a system and method for effectively implementing a Mandarin Chinese speech recognition dictionary, and may include a recognizer configured to compare input speech data to phone strings from a vocabulary dictionary that is implemented according to an optimized Mandarin Chinese phone set. The optimized Mandarin Chinese phone set may efficiently be implemented by utilizing an allophone and phonemic variation technique. In addition, the foregoing vocabulary dictionary may be implemented by utilizing unified dictionary optimization techniques to provide robust and accurate speech recognition. Furthermore, the vocabulary dictionary may be implemented as an optimized dictionary to accurately recognize either Northern Mandarin Chinese speech or Southern Mandarin Chinese speech during the speech recognition procedure.

Abstract: A system and method for performing a refinement procedure to effectively implement a speech recognition dictionary for spontaneous speech recognition may include a problematic word identifier configured to divide vocabulary words from an initial speech recognition dictionary into problematic words and non-problematic words according to pre-defined identification criteria. A candidate generator may analyze the problematic words to produce one or more pronunciation candidates for each of the problematic words. An optimization module may then perform an optimization process for refining one or more pronunciation candidates according to certain optimization criteria to thereby generate optimized problematic pronunciations. A dictionary refinement manager may finally combine the optimized problematic pronunciations with non-problematic pronunciations of the non-problematic words to produce a refined speech recognition dictionary for use by the speech recognition system.

Abstract: A system and method for utilizing speech recognition to efficiently perform data indexing procedures includes an authoring module that coordinates an authoring procedure for creating an index file that has pattern word sets corresponding to data objects stored in a memory of a host electronic device. The pattern word sets are generated with a speech recognition engine that transforms spoken data descriptions into text data descriptions for creating the pattern word sets. The pattern word sets are associated in the index file with data object identifiers that uniquely identify the corresponding data objects. A retrieval module manages a retrieval procedure in which the speech recognition engine converts a spoken data request into a text data request. The retrieval module compares the text data request and the pattern word sets to identify a requested object identifier for locating a requested data object from among the data objects stored in the memory of the host electronic device.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a system and method for speech recognition utilizing a merged dictionary, and may include a recognizer that is configured to compare input speech data to a series of dictionary entries from the merged dictionary to detect a recognized phrase or command. The merged dictionary may be implemented by utilizing a merging technique that maps two or more related phrases or commands with similar meanings to a single one of the dictionary entries. The recognizer may thus achieve more accurate speech recognition accuracy by merging phrases or commands which might otherwise be erroneously mistaken for each other.

Abstract: A system and method for effectively performing speech recognition procedures includes enhanced demiphone acoustic models that a speech recognition engine utilizes to perform the speech recognition procedures. The enhanced demiphone acoustic models each have three states that are collectively arranged to form a preceding demiphone and a succeeding demiphone. An acoustic model generator may utilize a decision tree for analyzing speech context information from a training database. The acoustic model generator then effectively configures each of the enhanced demiphone acoustic models as either a succeeding-dominant enhanced demiphone acoustic model or a preceding-dominant enhanced demiphone acoustic model to accurately model speech characteristics.

Abstract: A system and method for implementing a refined dictionary for speech recognition includes a database analyzer that initially identifies first vocabulary words that are present in a training database and second vocabulary words that are not present in the training database. A relevance module then performs refinement procedures upon the first vocabulary words to produce refined short word pronunciations and refined long word pronunciations that are added to a refined dictionary. A consensus module compares the second pronunciations with calculated plurality pronunciations to identify final consensus pronunciations that are then included in the refined dictionary.

Abstract: A system and method for performing a grapheme-to-phoneme conversion procedure includes a graphone model generator that performs a graphone model training procedure to produce an N-gram graphone model based upon dictionary entries in a training dictionary. A grapheme-to-phoneme decoder then references the N-gram graphone model to perform grapheme-to-phoneme decoding procedures to convert input text into corresponding output phonemes.

Abstract: A system and method for effectively implementing an optimized language model for speech recognition includes initial language models each created by combining source models according to selectable interpolation coefficients that define proportional relationships for combining the source models. A rescoring module iteratively utilizes the initial language models to process input development data for calculating word-error rates that each correspond to a different one of the initial language models. An optimized language model is then selected from the initial language models by identifying an optimal word-error rate from among the foregoing word-error rates. The speech recognizer may then utilize the optimized language model for effectively performing various speech recognition procedures.

Abstract: A system and method for utilizing speech recognition to efficiently perform data indexing procedures includes an authoring module that coordinates an authoring procedure for creating an index file that has pattern word sets corresponding to data objects stored in a memory of a host electronic device. The pattern word sets are generated with a speech recognition engine that transforms spoken data descriptions into text data descriptions for creating the pattern word sets. The pattern word sets are associated in the index file with data object identifiers that uniquely identify the corresponding data objects. A retrieval module manages a retrieval procedure in which the speech recognition engine converts a spoken data request into a text data request. The retrieval module compares the text data request and the pattern word sets to identify a requested object identifier for locating a requested data object from among the data objects stored in the memory of the host electronic device.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically cataloguing data by utilizing speech recognition procedures includes an electronic device that captures audio/video data and corresponding verbal narration. A speech recognition engine coupled to the electronic device automatically performs a speech recognition process upon the audio/video data and verbal narration to generate labels that correspond to respective subject matter locations in the audio/video data. A label manager of the electronic device manages a label mode for generating and storing the foregoing labels. The label manager also controls a label search mode during which a system user utilizes the labels to automatically locate corresponding subject matter locations in the captured audio/video data.

Abstract: A system and method for performing a refinement procedure to effectively implement a speech recognition dictionary for spontaneous speech recognition may include a problematic word identifier configured to divide vocabulary words from an initial speech recognition dictionary into problematic words and non-problematic words according to pre-defined identification criteria. A candidate generator may analyze the problematic words to produce one or more pronunciation candidates for each of the problematic words. An optimization module may then perform an optimization process for refining one or more pronunciation candidates according to certain optimization criteria to thereby generate optimized problematic pronunciations. A dictionary refinement manager may finally combine the optimized problematic pronunciations with non-problematic pronunciations of the non-problematic words to produce a refined speech recognition dictionary for use by the speech recognition system.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a system and method for speech recognition utilizing a multi-language dictionary, and may include a recognizer that is configured to compare input speech data to a series of dictionary entries from the multi-language dictionary to detect a recognized phrase or command. The multi-language dictionary may be implemented with a mixed-language technique that utilizes dictionary entries which incorporate multiple different languages such as Cantonese and English. The speech recognizer may thus advantageously achieve more accurate speech recognition accuracy in an efficient and compact manner.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a system and method for implementing a Cantonese speech recognizer with an optimized phone set, and may include a recognizer configured to compare input speech data to phone strings from a vocabulary dictionary that is implemented according to an optimized Cantonese phone set. The optimized Cantonese phone set may be implemented with a phonetic technique to separately include consonantal phones and vocalic phones. For reasons of system efficiency, the optimized Cantonese phone set may preferably be implemented in a compact manner to include only a minimum required number of consonantal phones and vocalic phones to accurately represent Cantonese speech during the speech recognition procedure.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a system and method for speech recognition utilizing a merged dictionary, and may include a recognizer that is configured to compare input speech data to a series of dictionary entries from the merged dictionary to detect a recognized phrase or command. The merged dictionary may be implemented by utilizing a merging technique that maps two or more related phrases or commands with similar meanings to a single one of the dictionary entries. The recognizer may thus achieve more accurate speech recognition accuracy by merging phrases or commands which might otherwise be erroneously mistaken for each other.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a system and method for effectively implementing a Mandarin Chinese speech recognition dictionary, and may include a recognizer configured to compare input speech data to phone strings from a vocabulary dictionary that is implemented according to an optimized Mandarin Chinese phone set. The optimized Mandarin Chinese phone set may efficiently be implemented by utilizing an allophone and phonemic variation technique. In addition, the foregoing vocabulary dictionary may be implemented by utilizing unified dictionary optimization techniques to provide robust and accurate speech recognition. Furthermore, the vocabulary dictionary may be implemented as an optimized dictionary to accurately recognize either Northern Mandarin Chinese speech or Southern Mandarin Chinese speech during the speech recognition procedure.

Abstract: A system and method for speech verification using out-of-vocabulary models includes a speech recognizer that has a model bank with system vocabulary word models, a garbage model, and one or more noise models. The model bank may reject an utterance or other sound as an invalid vocabulary word when the model bank identifies the utterance or other sound as corresponding to the garbage model or the noise models. Initial noise models may be selectively combined into a pre-determined number of final noise model clusters to effectively reduce the number of noise models that are utilized by the model bank of the speech recognizer to verify system vocabulary words.