System for recognizing or counting spoken itemized expressions

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) comprises the following steps: determining a ratio indicative of comparative duration of the higher and lower amplitude segments; and recognizing the higher amplitude segment as a spoken itemized expression when the ratio is within a selected range of values.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein the spoken itemized expression comprises a character.

Claim 7

The method of claim 4 wherein the selected range of values is greater than 10 milliseconds and less than about 250 milliseconds.

Claim 8

The method of claim 4 wherein the selected range of values includes values less than a specified maximum value.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1 or 4 or 7 wherein the itemized expression is selected from the group consisting of individual words, digits, and characters.

Claim 12

The method of claim 1 or 4 or 7 wherein the higher and lower amplitude segments comprise a plurality of segments, and wherein the method further comprises the step of counting each higher amplitude segment recognized as a spoken itemized expression.

Claim 14

The method of claim 1 or 4 or 7 wherein the accented portion recognizing step comprises the step of counting the accented portions of the higher amplitude segment.

Claim 15

The method of claim 1 or 4 or 7 wherein the accented portion recognizing step comprises the steps of comparing the higher amplitude segment with a reference amplitude, recognizing the accented portion of the higher amplitude segment when the higher amplitude segment exceeds the reference amplitude, and counting the recognized accented portion.

Claim 16

A speech categorization system for counting portions of a voice message comprising at least one higher amplitude segment and at least one lower amplitude segment, at least some of said higher amplitude segments indicative of voiced speech, at least some of said lower amplitude segments indicative of periods of non-speech between adjacent voiced speech, said system comprising: a timer operative to generate first and second measured durations, wherein the first measured durations vary as a function of duration of selected higher amplitude segments, and wherein the second measured durations vary as a function of selected lower amplitude segments; means for recognizing and counting an accented portion of at least one of the higher amplitude segments; means for classifying a higher amplitude segment in a first category when the first and second measured durations corresponding to the higher amplitude segment and an adjacent and subsequent lower amplitude segment satisfy a classification test; and a counter operative to count the number of higher amplitude segments classified in the first category.

Claim 17

A speech categorization system for counting portions of a voice message comprising at least one higher amplitude segment and at least one lower amplitude segment, at least some of said higher amplitude segments indicative of voiced speech, at least some of said lower amplitude segments indicative of periods of non-speech between adjacent voiced speech, said system comprising: a timer operative to generate first and second measured durations, wherein the first measured durations vary as a function of duration of selected higher amplitude segments, and wherein the second measured durations vary as a function of selected lower amplitude segments; means for recognizing and counting an accented portion of at least one of the higher amplitude segments; means for classifying a higher amplitude segment in a first category when the first and second measured durations corresponding to the higher amplitude segment and an adjacent and subsequent lower amplitude segment satisfy a classification test; and a counter operative to count the number of higher amplitude segments classified in the first category.

Claim 18

The invention of claim 13 wherein the classifying means comprises: means for taking a ratio of the first and second durations; and means for comparing the ratio to a selected value and for classifying the higher amplitude segment in the first category when the ratio has a selected relationship to the selected value.

Claim 19

The invention of claim 13 wherein the recognizing means comprises: a comparator that compares the higher amplitude segment with a reference amplitude; and means for recognizing the accented portion of the higher amplitude segment when the higher amplitude segment exceeds the reference amplitude.

Claim 20

A speech categorization system for categorizing portions of a voice message comprising at least one higher amplitude segment and at least one lower amplitude segment,.at least some of said higher amplitude segments indicative of voiced speech, at least some of said lower amplitude segments indicative of periods of non-speech between adjacent voiced speech, said system comprising: a timer operative to generate first and second measured durations, wherein the first measured durations vary as a function of duration of selected higher amplitude segments, and wherein the second measured durations vary as a function of selected lower amplitude segments; means for recognizing an accented portion of at least one of the higher amplitude segments; and means for classifying a higher amplitude segment as a spoken itemized expression based on when the first and second measured durations for the higher amplitude segment and the adjacent subsequent lower amplitude segment satisfy a classification test.

Claim 21

A speech categorization system for categorizing portions of a voice message comprising at least one higher amplitude segment and at least one lower amplitude segment,.at least some of said higher amplitude segments indicative of voiced speech, at least some of said lower amplitude segments indicative of periods of non-speech between adjacent voiced speech, said system comprising: a timer operative to generate first and second measured durations, wherein the first measured durations vary as a function of duration of selected higher amplitude segments, and wherein the second measured durations vary as a function of selected lower amplitude segments; means for recognizing an accented portion of at least one of the higher amplitude segments; and means for classifying a higher amplitude segment as a spoken itemized expression based on when the first and second measured durations for the higher amplitude segment and the adjacent subsequent lower amplitude segment satisfy a classification test.

Claim 22

The invention of claim 16 wherein the classifying means comprises: means for taking a ratio of the first and second durations; and means for comparing the ratio to a selected value and for classifying the higher amplitude segment as a spoken itemized expression when the ratio has a selected relationship to the selected value.

Claim 23

The invention of claim 16 wherein the classifying means comprises: means for comparing the first and second durations and for classifying the higher amplitude segment as a spoken itemized expression when the first duration is less than the second duration.

Claim 24

The invention of claim 16 wherein the recognizing means comprises: a comparator that compares the higher amplitude segment with a reference amplitude; and means for recognizing the accented portion of the higher amplitude segment when the higher amplitude segment exceeds the reference amplitude.

Claim 25

A speech categorization system for categorizing portions of a voice message comprising at least one higher amplitude segment and at least one lower amplitude segment, at least some of said higher amplitude segments indicative of voiced speech, at least some of said lower amplitude segments indicative of periods of non-speech between adjacent voiced speech, said system comprising: means for developing a classification parameter indicative of comparative duration of at least some of the higher amplitude segments with respect to adjacent lower amplitude segments; means for classifying the higher amplitude segments into at least two categories, wherein one of said categories is indicative of a spoken itemized expression, said classifying means applying at least one classification test, said test operative to place one of the higher amplitude segments in a first category when the respective classification parameter is greater than a threshold value and to place said one of the higher amplitude segments in a second category when the respective classification parameter is less than the threshold value; means for recognizing and counting an accented portion of at least one of the higher amplitude segments; and a counter that compares the higher amplitude segments in one of the two categories to characterize the voice message.

Claim 26

A speech categorization system for categorizing portions of a voice message comprising at least one higher amplitude segment and at least one lower amplitude segment, at least some of said higher amplitude segments indicative of voiced speech, at least some of said lower amplitude segments indicative of periods of non-speech between adjacent voiced speech, said system comprising: means for developing a classification parameter indicative of comparative duration of at least some of the higher amplitude segments with respect to adjacent lower amplitude segments; means for classifying the higher amplitude segments into at least two categories, wherein one of said categories is indicative of a spoken itemized expression, said classifying means applying at least one classification test, said test operative to place one of the higher amplitude segments in a first category when the respective classification parameter is greater than a threshold value and to place said one of the higher amplitude segments in a second category when the respective classification parameter is less than the threshold value; means for recognizing and counting an accented portion of at least one of the higher amplitude segments; and a counter that compares the higher amplitude segments in one of the two categories to characterize the voice message.

Claim 27

The invention of claim 20 wherein each of the classification parameters is indicative of the ratio between the duration of one of the higher amplitude segments and the duration of an adjacent one of the lower amplitude segments.

Claim 28

The invention of claim 20 wherein the developing means comprises: a first timer operative to time duration of at least selected higher amplitude segments to generate a first measured duration; a second timer operative to time duration of at least selected lower amplitude segments adjacent to said selected higher amplitude segments to generate a second measured duration; and means for taking a ratio of one of the first and second measured durations to the other, wherein said classification parameter varies as a function of said ratio.

Claim 29

The invention of claim 20 wherein said one of the two categories is indicative of a spoken itemized expression, and wherein the invention further comprises: means for classifying one of the higher amplitude segments in the other of the two categories when the higher amplitude segment has a duration greater than a selected value.

Claim 30

The invention of claim 20 wherein the spoken itemized expression is a voiced character.

Claim 31

The invention of claim 20 wherein the recognizing means comprises: a comparator that compares the higher amplitude segment with a reference amplitude; and means for recognizing the accented portion of the higher amplitude segment when the higher amplitude segment exceeds the reference amplitude.