Abstract: Improved techniques are disclosed for permitting a user to employ more human-based grammar (i.e., free form or conversational input) while addressing a target system via a voice system. For example, a technique for determining intent associated with a spoken utterance of a user comprises the following steps/operations. Decoded speech uttered by the user is obtained. An intent is then extracted from the decoded speech uttered by the user. The intent is extracted in an iterative manner such that a first class is determined after a first iteration and a sub-class of the first class is determined after a second iteration. The first class and the sub-class of the first class are hierarchically indicative of the intent of the user, e.g., a target and data that may be associated with the target.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for automatically building a native phonetic lexicon for a speech-based application trained to process a native (base) language, wherein the native phonetic lexicon includes native phonetic transcriptions (base forms) for non-native (foreign) words which are automatically derived from non-native phonetic transcriptions of the non-native words.

Abstract: A technique for determining intent associated with a spoken utterance of a user comprises the following steps/operations. Decoded speech uttered by the user is obtained. An intent is then extracted from the decoded speech uttered by the user. The intent is extracted in an iterative manner such that a class is determined after a first iteration and a sub-class of the class is determined after a second iteration. The class and the sub-class of the class are hierarchically indicative of the intent of the user, e.g., a target and data that may be associated with the target. The user intent extracting step may further determine a sub-class of the sub-class of the class after a third iteration, such that the class, the sub-class of the class, and the sub-class of the sub-class of the class are hierarchically indicative of the intent of the user.

Abstract: Improved techniques are disclosed for permitting a user to employ more human-based grammar (i.e., free form or conversational input) while addressing a target system via a voice system. For example, a technique for determining intent associated with a spoken utterance of a user comprises the following steps/operations. Decoded speech uttered by the user is obtained. An intent is then extracted from the decoded speech uttered by the user. The intent is extracted in an iterative manner such that a first class is determined after a first iteration and a sub-class of the first class is determined after a second iteration. The first class and the sub-class of the first class are hierarchically indicative of the intent of the user, e.g., a target and data that may be associated with the target. The multi-stage intent extraction approach may have more than two iterations.

Abstract: Improved techniques are disclosed for permitting a user to employ more human-based grammar (i.e., free form or conversational input) while addressing a target system via a voice system. For example, a technique for determining intent associated with a spoken utterance of a user comprises the following steps/operations. Decoded speech uttered by the user is obtained. An intent is then extracted from the decoded speech uttered by the user. The intent is extracted in an iterative manner such that a first class is determined after a first iteration and a sub-class of the first class is determined after a second iteration. The first class and the sub-class of the first class are hierarchically indicative of the intent of the user, e.g., a target and data that may be associated with the target. The multi-stage intent extraction approach may have more than two iterations.