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US6021384A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Automatic generation of superwords

Assignee: Nuance Communications Inc
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Filing: 1997-10-29
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Granted: 2000-02-01
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Expires: 2017-10-29
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Abstract

Abstract This invention is directed to the automatic selection and generation of superwords based on a criterion relevant to speech recognition. Superwords are used to refer to those word combinations which are so often spoken that they can be recognized by a recognition device as being a single word.

Inventors

  • 👤 Allen Louis Gorin
  • 👤 Giuseppe Riccardi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 12:13
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10L; G10L15/00; G10L15/08; G10L15/18; G10L15/183; G10L15/19; G10L15/197

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim 86 words
A method for determining superwords, comprising the steps of: generating a set of candidate phrases from a database of observed sequences of words, symbols and/or sounds, the database having a perplexity value based on a language model; incorporating one of the candidate phrases from the database into the language model; analyzing how the perplexity value of the database, which is based on the language model, is affected by the incorporated candidate phrase; and determining if the candidate phrase is a superword based on the analyzing step.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 86 words
A method for determining superwords, comprising the steps of: generating a set of candidate phrases from a database of observed sequences of words, symbols and/or sounds, the database having a perplexity value based on a language model; incorporating one of the candidate phrases from the database into the language model; analyzing how the perplexity value of the database, which is based on the language model, is affected by the incorporated candidate phrase; and determining if the candidate phrase is a superword based on the analyzing step.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 34 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step determines that if the perplexity value for the database decreases in the analyzing step, the candidate phrase is added to the database as a superword.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the determining step further determines a new perplexity value for the database using the superword.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step determines that if the perplexity value for the database does not decrease in the analyzing step, the candidate phrase is rejected as a superword.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method of claim 3, wherein the inserting, analyzing, and determining steps are repeated for another one of the candidate phrases using the new perplexity value.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 12 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the superword is a word pairs.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the superword is a plurality of adjacent words.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the database is used by a speech recognizer.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 102 words
An apparatus that determines superwords, comprising: a database of observed sequences of words, symbols and/or sounds, the database having a perplexity value based on a language model; generating means for generating candidate phrases from the database; input means for incorporating one of the candidate phrases from the database into the language model; analyzing means for analyzing how the perplexity value of the database, which is based on the language model, is affected by the incorporated candidate phrase, the analyzing means producing an output; and determining means for determining if the candidate phrase is a superword from the output of the analyzing means.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 102 words
An apparatus that determines superwords, comprising: a database of observed sequences of words, symbols and/or sounds, the database having a perplexity value based on a language model; generating means for generating candidate phrases from the database; input means for incorporating one of the candidate phrases from the database into the language model; analyzing means for analyzing how the perplexity value of the database, which is based on the language model, is affected by the incorporated candidate phrase, the analyzing means producing an output; and determining means for determining if the candidate phrase is a superword from the output of the analyzing means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 38 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the determining means decides based on the output of the analyzing means that if the perplexity value for the database decreases, the candidate phrase is added to the database as a superword.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 20 words
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the determining means determines a new perplexity value for the database using the superword.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 23 words
The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the analyzing means uses the new perplexity value determined by the determining means for another candidate phrase.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 34 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the determining means decides based on the output of the analyzing means that if the perplexity value of the database is not decreased, the candidate phrase is rejected.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 12 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the superword is a word pairs.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 14 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the superword is a plurality of adjacent words.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 14 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the database is used by a speech recognizer.
Claim 19
Independent Claim 93 words
An apparatus that generates and selects superwords, comprising: a database of observed sequences of words, symbols and/or sounds, the database having a perplexity value based on a language model; and a superword selector that generates candidate phrases from the database, the selector incorporating one of the candidate phrases from the database into the language model, the selector further analyzing how the perplexity value of the database, which is based on the language model, is affected by the incorporated candidate phrase and determining whether the candidate phrase is a superword based on the analysis.
Claim 20
Independent Claim 93 words
An apparatus that generates and selects superwords, comprising: a database of observed sequences of words, symbols and/or sounds, the database having a perplexity value based on a language model; and a superword selector that generates candidate phrases from the database, the selector incorporating one of the candidate phrases from the database into the language model, the selector further analyzing how the perplexity value of the database, which is based on the language model, is affected by the incorporated candidate phrase and determining whether the candidate phrase is a superword based on the analysis.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 39 words
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein if the superword selector determines that the perplexity value of the database decreases when the candidate phrase is inserted into the database, the candidate phrase is added to the database as a superword.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 35 words
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein if the superword selector determines that the perplexity value is not decreased when the candidate phrase is inserted into the database, the candidate phrase is rejected as a superword.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 24 words
The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising: a recognizer that uses the database to recognize any of the superwords contained in a user's input.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 18 words
The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the recognizer is a speech recognizer and the user's input is speech.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5384892A Cited
US5390279A Cited
US5467425A Cited
US5642519A Cited
US5675707A Cited
US5839106A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2003-01-31 2003-08-02 2004-02-01 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2007-01-31 2007-08-02 2008-02-01 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2011-01-31 2011-08-02 2012-02-01 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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