Abstract:
A public speaking self-evaluation tool that helps a user practice public speaking in terms of avoiding undesirable words or sounds, maintaining a desirable speech rhythm, and ensuring that the user is regularly glancing at the audience. The system provides a user interface through which the user is able to define the undesirable words or sounds that are to be avoided, as well as a maximum frequency of occurrence threshold to be used for providing warning signals based on detection of such filler or undesirable words or sounds. The user interface allows a user to define a speech rhythm, e.g. in terms of spoken syllables per minute, that is another maximum threshold for providing a visual warning indication. The disclosed system also provides a visual indication when the user fails to glance at the audience at least as often as defined by a predefined minimum threshold.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The disclosed system relates generally to automated self evaluation tools, and more specifically to a public speaking self evaluation tool. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Public speaking is an important activity for many people today, and is often a required professional activity. However, effective training tools are not available to assist in preparing for public speaking. This is a significant problem for people that need to prepare for an important speech or the like, such as may be delivered either during a conference or a large convention. Accordingly, preparation for public speaking has typically been done in the past using simple devices, such as cameras and/or video cameras. These existing tools have not been particularly effective. Practicing public speaking in front of a mirror is not a natural way to prepare, since the speaker is effectively just talking to themselves. Using a video camera to record a practice run of the speech generally requires the user to continuously rewind and fast forward in order to observe the details of their speech after it has been recorded, e.g. to observe the recording later in order to determine if they have orally stumbled in some way. As a result, the feedback regarding such errors is not immediate and hence less effective. 
     For the above reasons above and others, it would be desirable to have a new tool that enables a user to conveniently and effectively prepare for public speaking. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To address the above described and other shortcomings of existing systems, a public speaking self-evaluation tool is disclosed that helps a user practice public speaking in terms of avoiding filler or other undesirable words or sounds, maintaining a desirable speech rhythm, and ensuring that the user is regularly glancing at various places in the audience from time to time. The disclosed system provides a user interface through which the user is able to define the filler or undesirable words or sounds that are to be avoided, as well as a maximum frequency of occurrence threshold to be used for providing warning signals output based on detection of such filler or undesirable words or sounds. Similarly, the user interface allows a user to define a speech rhythm, e.g. in terms of spoken syllables per minute, that is another maximum threshold for providing a visual indication of when the threshold is exceeded. The disclosed system also provides a visual indication when the user fails to glance at the audience at least as often as defined by a minimum threshold. 
     Because the filler or undesirable words or sounds are user defined, and because the speech rhythm is measured in terms of syllables, the system desirably operates in a language and culture independent fashion. 
     Thus there is disclosed a tool that enables a user to conveniently and effectively prepare for public speaking. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order to facilitate a fuller understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the appended drawings. These drawings should not be construed as limiting the present invention, but are intended to be exemplary only. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of hardware and/or software components in an illustrative embodiment of the disclosed system; 
         FIG. 2  is a simplified screen shot showing an example of a user interface provided by the disclosed system; and 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart showing steps performed by an illustrative embodiment of the disclosed system during operation. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of hardware and/or software components in an illustrative embodiment of the disclosed system. In the example of  FIG. 1 , a Public Speaking Training System  10  includes an audio data input device, shown for purposes of illustration as the Microphone  14 , a visual data input device, shown for purposes of illustration as the Web Cam  16 , and a User Interface  22 . Public Speaking Training System  10  further includes Speech Processing Logic  24 , Eye Movement Processing Logic  36 , and User Interface Logic  58 . The Speech Processing Logic  24  includes Undesirable Sound Detection Logic  26 , Undesirable Sound Detected Warning Output Logic  28 , Speech Speed Determining Logic  30 , Speech Speed Threshold Comparison Logic  32 , Speech Speed Threshold Exceeded Warning Output Logic  34 , Undesirable Sound Frequency Determining Logic  44 , Undesirable Sound Frequency Comparison Logic  46 , and Undesirably Sound Frequency Threshold Exceeded Warning Output Logic  48 . The Speech Processing Logic  24  further includes or has access to a number of User Defined Undesirable Sounds  52 . 
     The Eye Movement Processing Logic  36  of  FIG. 1  includes Audience Glance Frequency Determining Logic  38 , Audience Glance Comparison Logic  40 , and Audience Glance Frequency Threshold Not Met Warning Output Logic  42 . User Interface and Configuration Logic  58  is shown including a Maximum Speech Speed Threshold  58 , a Minimum Audience Glance Frequency Threshold  60 , an Undesirable Sound Frequency Threshold  62 , and a number of Warnings  64 . 
     During operation of the components shown in the illustrative embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the User Interface and Configuration Logic  58  generates the User Interface  22 , and a User  12  provides Threshold Configuration Values  56  through the User Interface  22 . The Threshold Configuration Values  56  may, for example, include user defined values for the Maximum Speech Speed Threshold  58 , the Minimum Audience Glance Threshold  60 , and the Undesirable Sound Frequency Threshold  62 . In one embodiment, the Maximum Speech Speed Threshold  58  provided by User  12  through the User Interface  22  is a maximum number of syllables per second detected within a speech before a warning is output, the Minimum Audience Glance Frequency Threshold provided by User  12  through the User Interface  22  is a minimum number of times per second that a speaker must glance up towards where an audience would be before a warning is output, and the Undesirable Sound Frequency Threshold  62  provided by User  12  through the User Interface  22  is a maximum number of undesirable sounds per minute (or other predetermined time period) that a speaker may say before a warning is output. The specific Warnings  64  may either be preset, system parameters or user defined through the User Interface  22 . 
     The User  12  also indicates through the User Interface  22  that they are going to provide the undesirable sounds to be detected by the Public Training System  10  during a speech. After such indication, the User  12  speaks Undesirable Sounds  50  through the Microphone  14 , and the Speech Processing Logic  24  stores representations (e.g. digitized representations) of the Undesirable Sounds  50  spoken by User  12  as the User defined Undesirable Sounds  52 . 
     When User  12  begins a practice speech, shown as User Speech  18 , the practice speech is input by the Microphone  14 , digitized and stored, and then processed by the Speech Processing Logic  24 . The Undesirable Sound Detection Logic  26  analyzes the input speech by identifying individual syllables in the input speech, and then comparing the undesirable syllables to the User Defined Undesirable Sounds  52 . While single syllable undesirable sounds may be identified in this way, the disclosed system is not so limited, and multi-syllable words may similarly be defined within the User Defined Undesirable Sounds  52 , and identified in the input speech by the Undesirable Sound Detection Logic. For example, a user may wish to be warned when they use filler words or sounds, such as “Ah”, “Um”, etc., or any other particular type of undesirable word that the user wishes to avoid (e.g. words that they are in the habit of overusing, such as “like”, etc.). When the Undesirable Sound Detection Logic  26  detects an undesirable word in the input speech, the Undesirable Sound Detected Warning Output Logic  28  causes a warning to appear in the User Interface  22  indicating to the user that an undesirable sound or word was detected in the input speech (e.g. through a light, sound, text warning, etc.), and potentially also indicating/displaying to the user the detected undesirable word. 
     Further during operation of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the Speech Speed Determining Logic  30  operates to continuously determine a speed at which the input speech is being delivered. For example, in one embodiment, the Speech Speed Determining Logic  30  counts the number of syllables identified in the input speech, and continuously determines a current syllable rate for the input speech, e.g. based on the number of syllables in the input speech detected during each time period indicated by a timer configured for this purpose. As each new current speech speed is determined (e.g. at the end of each time period during which speech syllables are counted), the current speech speed is compared to the Maximum Speech Speed Threshold  58  by the Speech Speed Threshold Comparison Logic  32 . In the event that the current speech speed is determined to be greater than the Maximum Speech Speed Threshold  58 , the Speech Speed Threshold Exceeded Warning Output Logic  34  is triggered by the Speech Speed Threshold Comparison Logic  32  to output a warning through the User Interface  22  indicating that the Maximum Speech Speed Threshold  58  has been exceeded. 
     Also during operation of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the Undesirable Sound Frequency Determining Logic  44  operates to continuously determine a frequency at which the User Defined Undesirable Sounds  52  are detected in the input speech. For example, in one embodiment, the Undesirable Sound Frequency Determining Logic  44  counts the number of User Defined Undesirable Sounds  52  identified in the input speech, and continuously determines a current frequency for undesirable sounds detected in the input speech, e.g. based on the number of undesirable sounds in the input speech detected during each time period indicated by a timer configured for this purpose. As each new current frequency for undesirable sounds is determined (e.g. at the end of each time period during which undesirable sounds are counted), the current undesirable sound frequency is compared to the Undesirable Sound Frequency Threshold  62  by the Undesirable Sound Frequency Comparison Logic  46 . In the event that the current undesirable sound frequency is determined to be greater than the Undesirable Sound Frequency Threshold  62 , the Undesirable Sound Frequency Threshold Exceeded Warning Output Logic  48  is triggered by the Undesirable Sound Frequency Comparison Logic  46  to output a warning through the User Interface  22  indicating that the Undesirable Sound Frequency Threshold  62  has been exceeded. 
     The visual data of the User  12  giving a speech is shown in  FIG. 1  as the User Images  20  that are captured by a visual data input device, such as the Web Cam  16 . The captured user images are processed (including any necessary digitization and/or any other pre-processing as may be necessary) to determine whether the User  12  is looking up with sufficient frequency, as they should look up towards different points/audience members in an audience during delivery of an actual speech. For example, the Audience Glance Frequency Determining Logic  38  monitors eye movements of User  12 , and operates to continuously determine a frequency at which the User  12  looks up from his or her speaking materials, laptop, etc., at a sufficient angle, or towards an area in which an audience would be located. For example, in one embodiment, the Audience Glance Frequency Determining Logic  38  counts the number times User  12  looks up at a sufficient angle from his or her speech materials, or towards an area in which an audience would be located, and continuously determines a current frequency of audience glances during the input speech, e.g. based on the number of time User  12  looks up during each time period indicated by a timer configured for this purpose. As each new current audience glance frequency is determined (e.g. at the end of each time period during which audience glances are counted), the current audience glance frequency is compared to the Minimum Audience Glance Frequency Threshold  60  by the Audience Glance Comparison Logic  40 . In the event that the current audience glance frequency is determined to be less than the Minimum Audience Glance Frequency Threshold  62 , the Audience Glance Frequency Threshold Not Met Warning Output Logic  42  is triggered by the Audience Glance Comparison Logic  40  to output a warning through the User Interface  22  indicating that the Minimum Audience Glance Frequency Threshold  60  is not being met. 
     The Public Speaking Training System  10  may include or consist of any specific type of electronic device or devices. For example, the Public Speaking Training System  10  may include a dedicated or multipurpose computer system or other intelligent electronic device, such as a desktop, laptop, or palmtop computer system, or a personal digital assistant, cell phone, or other electronic device. The Public Speaking Training System  10  of  FIG. 1  may include or control a display device capable of displaying a graphical user interface (e.g. the User Interface  22 ) to a local user (e.g. User  12 ), such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), cathode ray tube (CRT), interferometric modulator display (IMOD), light emitting diode (LED), or the like. 
     Those skilled in the art will recognize that the Speech Processing Logic  24 , Eye Movement Processing Logic  36 , and User Interface and Configuration Logic  58  may be embodied using software or firmware, such as computer application program code, operating system program code, middleware, and/or wholly or partly using digital hardware components, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and the like, and/or combinations of hardware and/or software or firmware. Those skilled in the art will further recognize that the Public Speaking Training System  10  may include one or more processors, and program storage, such as memory, for storing program code executable on such processors, as well as input/output devices and/or interfaces. 
       FIG. 2  is a simplified screen shot showing an example of a User Interface  80  generated by the disclosed system. The User Interface  80  of  FIG. 2  is an example of the User Interface  22  shown in  FIG. 1 . The User Interface  80  includes three visual signals related to detection of undesirable sounds or words, shown as a green light  82 , a yellow light  84 , and a red light  86 . In the illustrative embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the disclosed system causes the green light  82  to be lit while the user is speaking and has not spoken any undesirable words either from the beginning at the speech, or for a predetermined time period. The disclosed system causes the yellow light  84  to be lit or flash when it detects that the user has spoken an undesirable sound or word. This provides the user with immediate visual feedback regarding his or her use of undesirable sounds or words. When the frequency with which the user speaks undesirable sounds or words exceeds the user defined maximum undesirable sound frequency threshold, the disclosed system causes the red light  86  to be lit, indicating that the undesirable sound frequency has reached an unacceptable level. 
     Further in the User Interface  80 , a user selectable microphone icon  88  enables the user to record undesirable sounds that are to be detected while the user practices their speech. A line  90  is continuously updated in box plot  91  to show the current speed of the user&#39;s speech, e.g. in terms of syllables per second. The user defined maximum speech speed threshold is visually displayed by the line  92 . Thus when the user&#39;s speech speed exceeds the maximum speech speed threshold line  92 , the line  90  goes above the maximum speech speed threshold line  92 , thus providing visual warning to the user that their speech speed is in excess of the maximum speech speed threshold. A slider-type user interface display object  94  in the illustrative user interface  80  is provided to allow the user to set the maximum speech speed threshold. A warning  96  is displayed by the disclosed system in response to detecting that the frequency at which the user is glancing up as if they were glancing up at an audience is not as high as the minimum audience glance frequency threshold. 
     In order to support situations in which a user is taping themselves while using the disclosed system, the specific warnings provided by the disclosed system may be selectively disabled. For example, one or more of the warning shown in the user interface  80  may be disabled by the user through buttons or the like provided through the User Interface  22  of  FIG. 1 . Such a feature is advantageous in the case where a specific type of warning would interfere with the taping of the speech, e.g. a flashing light that might inadvertently be recorded. 
     Moreover, the specific types of visual warnings shown in the illustrative User Interface  80  of  FIG. 2  are given only for purposes of example, and the disclosed system may be embodied and/or configured to use any other specific types of visual warnings or alternatively may use audible warnings. 
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart showing steps performed by an illustrative embodiment of the disclosed system during operation. At step  100 , a user inputs the undesirable sounds and words to be detected, and threshold values with regard to undesirable sound frequency, speech speed and audience glancing. At step  102 , the disclosed system monitors and analyzes the user&#39;s speech and eye movements to determine whether the user is speaking any undesirable sounds or words, exceeding a maximum undesirable sound frequency threshold, exceeding a speech speed threshold, and/or not meeting a minimum audience glance frequency threshold at steps  104  and  106 . At step  108  the disclosed system operates to output warnings in response to detection of undesirable sounds, undesirable sound frequency threshold being exceeded, maximum speech rate threshold being exceeded, and/or eye movement frequency being less than the minimum audience glance frequency threshold. 
     The disclosed system uses voice recognition and eye tracking technologies to help a user improve his or her speech delivery. Various specific techniques used in speech recognition technology may be applied in the disclosed system to process the user&#39;s speech (e.g. by Speech Processing Logic  24 ). Such techniques may be from systems referred to as automatic speech recognition or computer speech recognition systems that involve converting a speech signal into a sequence of words, by means of an algorithm implemented in hardware components and/or as a computer program. Moreover, the disclosed system may be embodied such that the a user can use speech recognition technology to monitor whether user speaks any undesirable words (e.g. “Ah”, “Um”, etc.), or any other user-defined undesirable sounds or words. The disclosed system can further be conveniently configured and/or trained to operate based on an individual user&#39;s voice. Such user specific configuration is particularly useful for users whose language is not English, since undesirable sounds or words in the non-English language may not be the same as those typically used by English speakers (e.g. “Ah”, “Um”, etc.). For example, a Chinese speaking user may wish to configure the system to detect place holder sounds that are common in Chinese, e.g. “Eng” or the like. Moreover, the disclosed system may further be embodied such that a tone analysis component is provided in the undesirable sound detection logic  26 , so that a user can provide tone-specific undesirable sounds or words that are detected and counted by the disclosed system, e.g. when the user is speaking in a tonal language, such as Mandarin. 
     The syllable counting performed by an embodiment of the disclosed system may, for example, employ techniques for recognizing syllables in the input speech that have been applied in the context of speech recognition systems, such as, for example, syllable recognition techniques such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,639 and the like. 
     The eye tracking in the disclosed system may similarly be provided through any specific type of eye tracking technique. Such techniques are known to be able to track a user&#39;s eye movements in order to measure either the point of gaze (i.e. where the user is looking), and/or the motion of the eye itself relative to the head. For example, some eye-tracking designs that may be used involve video-based eye trackers, in which a camera focuses on one or both eyes and records their movement. By using such eye tracking techniques, the disclosed system can observe the eye movement of the user to help the user obtain with good public speaking skills such as browsing the audience from time to time. For example, by using the Web camera  16  of  FIG. 1  or the like, and as described above, the disclosed system can thus determine whether the user has made appropriate eye movements during a certain period of time (e.g. as measured by a timer or the like). 
     While the above description regarding illustrative embodiments of the disclosed system includes examples of specific user interface operations and/or display objects, such as may be provided using graphical buttons, menus, dialog boxes, and the like, the present invention is not limited to these specific examples. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize that alternative embodiments may use any specific type or kind of user interface display object that may be appropriate to provide the specific operation and/or output signal (i.e. warning). 
     The disclosed system can take the form of an entirely software embodiment, an entirely hardware embodiment, or an embodiment containing both software and hardware elements. The figures include block diagram and flowchart illustrations of methods, apparatus(s) and computer program products according to an embodiment of the invention. It will be understood that each block in such figures, and combinations of these blocks, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus create means for implementing the functions specified in the block or blocks. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function specified in the block or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the block or blocks. 
     Those skilled in the art should readily appreciate that programs defining the functions of the present invention can be delivered to a computer in many forms; including, but not limited to: (a) information permanently stored on non-writable storage media (e.g. read only memory devices within a computer such as ROM or CD-ROM disks readable by a computer I/O attachment); (b) information alterably stored on writable storage media (e.g. floppy disks and hard drives); or (c) information conveyed to a computer through communication media for example using wireless, baseband signaling or broadband signaling techniques, including carrier wave signaling techniques, such as over computer or telephone networks via a modem. 
     While the invention is described through the above exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that modification to and variation of the illustrated embodiments may be made without departing from the inventive concepts herein disclosed.