Speech recognition system and method with automatic syntax generation

Claim 2

A syntax rule authoring system for use in conjunction with a syntax based speech recognition system, comprising: a first data structure storing data corresponding to a set of user selectable predefined inputs associated with an application program; a second data structure storing for each of said predefined inputs an associated sequence of one or more words, wherein each said associated sequence of one or more words comprises a longest word sequence for uniquely identifying each said associated sequence's predefined input; and a voice syntax generation procedure, having access to said second data structure, for generating syntax rules, each generated syntax rule corresponding to a distinct one of said predefined inputs and including a representation of said longest word sequence associated with said one predefined input; at least a plurality of said generated syntax rules each including a representation of additional word sequences, each of said additional word sequences comprising a subset of said longest word sequence that uniquely identifies said one predefined input; wherein said generated syntax rules are for use in said syntax based speech recognition system.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1, said voice syntax generation procedure including: a word sequence generation procedure, having access to said second data structure, for automatically generating for each said predefined input a set of potential identifying word sequences, each of said potential identifying word sequences including a subset of said longest word sequence associated with said each predefined input; said word sequence generation procedure storing said potential identifying word sequences for all of said predefined inputs in a third data structure; a redundant word sequence elimination procedure, having access to said third data structure, for identifying redundant sets of matching word sequences in said second data structure, where each said redundant set of matching word sequences includes said potential identifying word sequences for at least two distinct ones of said predefined inputs whose word sequences satisfy predefined match criteria; and a second syntax generation procedure for generating said generated syntax rules, each said generated syntax rule corresponding to those of said potential identifying word sequences for a distinct one of said predefined inputs included in any of said identified redundant sets.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2, said potential identifying word sequences each including the corresponding longest word sequence; and said redundant word sequence elimination procedure including instructions for not including in said redundant sets of matching word sequences said longest word sequence in each of said sets of potential identifying word sequences.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1, further including: a microphone for receiving verbal inputs from a user; and a syntax based speech recognition subsystem, having access to said microphone and said generated syntax rules, for receiving said verbal inputs from said user and for identifying which of said predefined inputs, if any, correspond to said verbal inputs in accordance with said generated syntax rules.

Claim 6

The system of claim 1, wherein said application program has multiple contexts, each context having an associated set of user selectable predefined inputs represented by distinct sets of data in said first data structure; said second data structure defining for each context, a longest word sequence for uniquely identifying each predefined input associated with said context; and said voice syntax generation procedure generating a separate set of syntax rules for each said context.

Claim 7

A syntax rule authoring system for use in conjunction with a syntax based speech recognition system, comprising: memory for storing an application program having an associated set of user selectable predefined inputs; a first data structure defining for each of said predefined inputs an associated sequence of one or more words, wherein each said associated sequence of one or more words comprises a longest word sequence for uniquely identifying each said associated sequence's predefined input; a voice syntax generation procedure, including a word sequence generation procedure, having access to said first data structure, for automatically generating for each said predefined input a set of potential identifying word sequences, each of said potential identifying word sequences including a subset of said longest word sequence associated with said each predefined input; said word sequence generation procedure storing said potential identifying word sequences for all of said predefined inputs in a second data structure; a redundant word sequence elimination procedure, having access to said second data structure, for identifying redundant sets of matching word sequences in said second data structure, where each said identified redundant set of matching word sequences includes said potential identifying word sequences for at least two distinct ones of said predefined inputs whose word sequences satisfy predefined match criteria; and a syntax generation procedure for generating syntax rules, each said generated syntax rule corresponding to those of said potential identifying word sequences for a distinct one of said predefined inputs included in any of said identified redundant sets; wherein said generated syntax rules are for use in said syntax based speech recognition system.

Claim 8

A syntax rule authoring system for use in conjunction with a syntax based speech recognition system, comprising: memory for storing an application program having an associated set of user selectable predefined inputs; a first data structure defining for each of said predefined inputs an associated sequence of one or more words, wherein each said associated sequence of one or more words comprises a longest word sequence for uniquely identifying each said associated sequence's predefined input; a voice syntax generation procedure, including a word sequence generation procedure, having access to said first data structure, for automatically generating for each said predefined input a set of potential identifying word sequences, each of said potential identifying word sequences including a subset of said longest word sequence associated with said each predefined input; said word sequence generation procedure storing said potential identifying word sequences for all of said predefined inputs in a second data structure; a redundant word sequence elimination procedure, having access to said second data structure, for identifying redundant sets of matching word sequences in said second data structure, where each said identified redundant set of matching word sequences includes said potential identifying word sequences for at least two distinct ones of said predefined inputs whose word sequences satisfy predefined match criteria; and a syntax generation procedure for generating syntax rules, each said generated syntax rule corresponding to those of said potential identifying word sequences for a distinct one of said predefined inputs included in any of said identified redundant sets; wherein said generated syntax rules are for use in said syntax based speech recognition system.

Claim 9

The system of claim 6, said potential identifying word sequences each including the corresponding longest word sequence; said redundant word sequence elimination procedure including instructions for not including in said redundant sets of matching word sequences said longest word sequence in each of said sets of potential identifying word sequences.

Claim 10

The system of claim 6, further including: a microphone for receiving verbal inputs from a user; and a syntax based speech recognition subsystem, having access to said microphone and said generated syntax rules, for receiving said verbal inputs from said user and for identifying which of said predefined inputs, if any, correspond to said verbal inputs in accordance with said generated syntax rules.

Claim 11

The system of claim 8, wherein said application program has multiple contexts, each context having an associated set of the user selectable predefined inputs; said first data structure storing for each context, a longest word sequence for uniquely identifying each said predefined input associated with said context; said voice syntax generation procedure generating a separate set of syntax rules for each said context; said application program including instructions for sending context signals to said syntax based speech recognition subsystem indicating which of said contexts is in use by said application program; and said syntax based speech recognition subsystem including instructions for receiving said context signals and for identifying which of said predefined inputs, if any, correspond to said verbal inputs in accordance with the generated set of syntax rules corresponding to said received context signals.

Claim 14

The method of claim 10, said syntax rule generating step including: automatically generating for each said predefined input a set of potential identifying word sequences, each of said potential identifying word sequences including a subset of said longest word sequence associated with said each predefined input, and storing said potential identifying word sequences for all of said predefined inputs in a third data structure; identifying redundant sets of matching word sequences in said third data structure, where each said redundant set of matching word sequences includes said potential identifying word sequences for at least two distinct ones of said predefined inputs whose word sequences satisfy predefined match criteria; and generating said syntax rules, each said generated syntax rule corresponding to those of said potential identifying word sequences for a distinct one of said predefined inputs included in any of said identified redundant sets.

Claim 15

The method of claim 11, said generated potential identifying word sequences each including the corresponding longest word sequence; and said redundant sets identifying step including the step of excluding from said redundant sets of matching word sequences said longest word sequence in each of said sets of potential identifying word sequences.

Claim 16

The method of claim 10, further including: providing a microphone for receiving verbal inputs from a user; and receiving said verbal inputs from said user and identifying which of said predefined inputs, if any, correspond to said verbal inputs in accordance with said generated syntax rules.

Claim 17

The method of claim 10, wherein said application program has multiple contexts, each context having an associated set of user selectable predefined inputs represented by distinct sets of data in said first data structure; said second storing step including storing in said second data structure, for each context, a longest word sequence for uniquely identifying each predefined input associated with said context; and said syntax generating step including generating a separate set of syntax rules for each said context.

Claim 20

The method of claim 15, said generated potential identifying word sequences each including the corresponding longest word sequence; and said redundant sets identifying step including the step of excluding from said redundant sets of matching word sequences said longest word sequence in each of said sets of potential identifying word sequences.

Claim 21

The method of claim 15, further including: providing a microphone for receiving verbal inputs from a user; and receiving said verbal inputs from said user and identifying which of said predefined inputs, if any, correspond to said verbal inputs in accordance with said generated syntax rules.

Claim 22

The method of claim 17, wherein said application program has multiple contexts, each context having an associated set of the user selectable predefined inputs represented by distinct sets of data in said first data structure; said second storing step including storing in said second data structure, for each context, a longest word sequence for uniquely identifying each said predefined input associated with said context; said syntax generating step including generating a separate set of syntax rules for each said context; said application program generating context signals indicating which of said contexts is in use by said application program; and identifying which of said predefined inputs, if any, correspond to said verbal inputs in accordance with the generated set of syntax rules corresponding to said received context signals.