Patent ID: 6272464
Filing Date: 2001-08-07
Classification: G10L

Abstract:
A method of generating a plurality of plausible pronunciations for a proper name, the method for use in performing speech recognition of speech utterances comprising the proper name by individuals within a given population of speakers, the method comprising the steps of:identifying one or more of a plurality of languages as a potential origin of the proper name; andgenerating a plurality of plausible pronunciations for the given proper name, one or more of said plurality of pronunciations based on the one or more identified languages, and said plurality of plausible pronunciations based further on one or more characteristics associated with said given population of speakers,wherein the step of identifying the one or more of said languages as a potential origin of the proper name comprises the steps of:determining one or more successive letter sequences included in an orthographic representation of said proper name;for each of said successive letter sequences, computing a plurality of first probabilities corresponding to said plurality of languages, each of said first probabilities representative of a likelihood for said successive letter sequence to occur in the corresponding language; andcomputing a plurality of second probabilities corresponding to each of said plurality of languages, each of said second probabilities based on a corresponding set of said first probabilities, and representative of a likelihood for said corresponding language to be an origin of said proper name.