Patent ID: 6975985
Filing Date: 2005-12-13
Classification: G10L

Abstract:
1. A method of automatically updating a word database and a pronunciation database used by a speech recognition engine to convert speech utterances to text, the method comprising: taking a realization of spoken audio and a first representation that is an allegedly true textual representation for said realization; generating a second representation by performing speech recognition on said realization using the word database, said second representation being a time-based transcription of said realization; expanding said first and second representations to convert each acronym and abbreviation contained in said first and second representations to a speech equivalent; processing the first representation to remove all markup language tags; generating a line-by-line output by aligning said first representation and said second representation based on timed intervals derived from the time-based transcription of said realization, each line matching a segment of said first representation and a corresponding segment of said second representation for a particular one of the timed intervals; detecting and marking each line of output that comprises a one-word segment of said first representation and a one-word segment of said second representation; for each marked line of output whose one-word segment of said first representation and one-word segment of said second representation are similar, automatically updating said pronunciation database to include said similar one-word segments and a corresponding portion of said spoken audio; and for each marked line of output whose one-word segment of said first representation and one-word segment of said second representation are dissimilar, automatically updating said word database to include said dissimilar one-word segments and a corresponding portion of said spoken audio.