Abstract:
Systems and techniques for analyzing voice recognition results in order to improve efficiency and accuracy of voice recognition. When a voice activated module undertakes a voice recognition attempt, it invokes a voice recognition module that constructs a list of voice recognition results. The list is analyzed by a results postprocessor that employs information relating to past recognition results and user information to make changes to the list. The results postprocessor may delete results that have been previously rejected during a current recognition transaction and may further alter and reorder the results list based on historical results. The results postprocessor may further alter and reorder the results list based on information relating to the user engaging in the recognition attempt.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to improvements in automated voice response systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a recognition results postprocessor for performing processing on a recognition results list in light of user configuration details and previous recognition results, in order to improve recognition accuracy.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Automated voice response systems, particularly those employing speech recognition, typically receive a voice input from a user and then construct a recognition results list of possible matches to the user input. Frequently, the system simply presents the matches to the user in order, seeking confirmation that a match is the input intended by the user. For example, a system may receive an input such as “John Smith” from the user, compare the input to a list of existing names in the directory to create a list of possible matches including the names “John Smith,” “Jane Smith,” “Jake Smith” and “Johann Smithers,” and simply present these names to the user in order. Sometimes, given the current state of recognition technology, none of the presented names will match what the user intended, and the system will ask the user to repeat the voice input. The system will then create a new list of possible matches for presentation to the user.  
         [0003]     If no account is taken of the user identity and of past recognition results, it is entirely possible that some of the names in the list constructed as a result of the repeated utterance will match some of the names that were previously presented and rejected. Presentation of names that were just rejected wastes the user&#39;s time and can result in considerable user dissatisfaction and frustration. In addition, even an accurate selection may be incomplete. For example, identifying “John Smith” may not identify whether the user wishes to call his landline number or his mobile number, so that once “John Smith” has been identified as the desired result, the user may still need to be presented with the choice of which specific number to call.  
         [0004]     A system employing voice recognition may include a number of modules or applications that use voice recognition results, and each such module or application may use recognition results in different ways. For example, a system may provide directory lookup and voice dialing for persons inside an organization, may provide bank account information services for persons who may call from outside the organization and may provide general educational information for persons who may call from outside the organization. Each module may have its own configuration parameters and may require different treatment of recognition results in order to achieve the best and most efficient matching. In addition, some modules may have information available that can be taken advantage of to improve results, while others may not. For example, a module that provides services to users within an organization may have a user profile available for each user, while such information may not be available to a module that provides services to external users whose identity is not known in advance.  
         [0005]     There exists, therefore, a need for systems and techniques to process recognition results to improve recognition efficiency and accuracy for various modules, with such systems being adapted to receive and interpret differing information furnished or used by the different modules.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     A system according to one aspect of the invention includes a central server hosting various modules providing services to users. The modules may suitably employ voice recognition in order to interpret user inputs. When a module requires a response from a user, it provides a prompt to the user, asking the user to provide a voice input. A voice recognition module receives the input and prepares a recognition results list of candidate recognition results, with each candidate recognition result representing an estimate by the voice recognition module of the user input. A confidence score, that is, a score representing the confidence that a particular result matches the user input, is associated with each candidate recognition result, and the candidate recognition results are suitably ranked by confidence score.  
         [0007]     Once the list of candidate recognition results is prepared, the list is processed by a results postprocessor. The results postprocessor receives parameters from the module that is to act on the recognition result, and also retrieves or is provided with information such as user information and prior results information. The prior results information suitably represents the results of past recognition attempts by the module that is to act on the recognition result.  
         [0008]     Each attempt to recognize what the user is saying may be defined as a transaction, and the module requiring the voice input indicates the start and stop of each transaction to the results postprocessor. The results postprocessor is updated with events or results that occur during a transaction, such as rejections of a candidate recognition result by a user. The results postprocessor processes the recognition results list in light of known user information and results information previously provided, as well as information relating to occurrences during the transaction. Once the recognition results list has been processed, the candidate results are presented to the user for acceptance or rejection.  
         [0009]     A more complete understanding of the present invention, as well as further features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following Detailed Description and the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates a system employing a recognition results postprocessor according to an aspect of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates additional details of a recognition results postprocessor according to an aspect of the present invention; and  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates a process of voice recognition employing a recognition results postprocessor according to an aspect of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a system  100  employing a central exchange  102 , serving a plurality of users communicating through the use of telephone sets such as the sets  103 A . . .  103 N. The telephone sets may be internal or external to an organization by or for which the system  100  is maintained. The central exchange  102  communicates with a server  104 , operative to provide various services to users of telephone sets such as the telephone sets  103 A . . .  103 N. The server  104  includes a processor  106 , memory  108  and long term storage  110 . The server  104  hosts various modules, suitably implemented as software residing on the long term storage  110  and executed as needed by the processor  106 . The modules suitably include a directory lookup module  112 , a voice dialing module  114 , a voice mail module  116  and an information lookup module  118 . Each of the various modules  112 - 118  may suitably be operated using voice recognition. The server  104  therefore hosts a voice recognition module  120 , that receives voice inputs from a user and interprets the voice inputs to issue commands and provide data to the modules  112 - 118 . Suitably, the server  104  also hosts a user interface module  122 , that provides an initial interface to the user, allowing the user to select the desired module. Suitably, the user interface module  122  presents one or more voice prompts to the user in order to allow selection of the desired module. The interface module  122  may simply ask the user what he or she wishes to do, and may interpret the user&#39;s response in order to select the desired module.  
         [0014]     Alternatively, the interface module  122  may present a menu of choices to the user and interpret a user response provided after the presentation of choices. The user provides a voice input in response to the prompts provided by the module  122 . This voice input is processed by the voice recognition module  120  and passed to the user interface module  122 . The user interface module  122  then invokes the selected one of the modules  112 - 118 . The invoked module presents its own initial menu to the user, and the user then provides a response which is interpreted by the voice recognition module  120 . The voice recognition module  120  operates by creating a list of possible matches to the user&#39;s voice input. Creation of the list of possible matches depends on the module for which the voice recognition module is performing voice recognition. For example, for directory lookup or voice dialing, the list of possible matches may be created by searching a directory of names, while for voicemail or information lookup, the list of possible matches may be created by examining a list of commands.  
         [0015]     The voice recognition module  120  creates a recognition results list  124  of possible matches, which may then be presented to the user for confirmation. The recognition results list suitably comprises information used for matching to the user&#39;s voice input, such as the name of a party, and may also include additional information, such as information that can be found in a directory entry associated with the party. The recognition results list also suitably includes a confidence score for each entry, indicating a level of confidence in the correctness of the match. Preparation of the recognition results list  124 , and computation of the confidence scores for the entries in the list  124 , may be accomplished using known voice recognition techniques.  
         [0016]     The voice recognition module maintains an attempt counter  125  that tracks the number of times an attempt at recognition has been made in a current transaction, but all choices in the list  124  have been rejected. If the value stored in the attempt counter  125  exceeds predetermined criteria, the attempt at voice recognition may be abandoned and other means employed to determine the user intent.  
         [0017]     Creating and presenting a list without taking into account the specific needs of the module for which the list is created, or previous recognition results, can lead to inefficient ordering of recognition results and wasted user time. For example, past recognition results may suggest that when the user “Bob Jones” seeks to call the user “John Smith,” the number desired is John Smith&#39;s mobile number. If this fact is not taken into account, the user may be repeatedly presented first with the choice to call John Smith&#39;s office number and then, after this choice is rejected, to call his mobile number. In order to achieve greater efficiency, a recognition results postprocessor  126  operates on the list  124  in order to take into account factors such as past experience, user preferences and predetermined parameters. The recognition results postprocessor  126  receives information from a user data repository  128  and the module  112 - 118  for which the recognition is being performed. The information from the user data repository  128  may include information for each user, such as a user model  130 . The user model  130  includes information that can be used to evaluate whether a particular candidate recognition result is the result intended by the user. One example of information that may be included in the user model  130  is a likely contact cache  132 . The likely contact cache  132  includes names and associated directory records of persons the user is considered more likely to call. The use of a cache similar to that discussed herein is addressed in “Methods and Apparatus for Data Caching to Improve Name Recognition in Large Namespaces,” U.S. patent Ser. No. ______, assigned to a common assignee with the present invention and filed on even date herewith, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.  
         [0018]     The information provided by a module such as one of the modules  112 - 118  may include recognition history, either over the immediately ongoing recognition attempt, past recognition attempts or both. For example, suppose that the user is attempting to place a call using the voice dialing module  114 . The user has provided the name “John Smith,” and the recognition results list  124  includes the names “Jane Smith,” “Jake Smith,” and “Johann Smithers.” The voice dialing module  114  has presented these names to the user for confirmation, and the user has rejected them. The voice dialing module  114  then prompts the user to repeat the input, and the voice recognition module  120  processes the repeated input to create a new recognition list. At the same time, the voice dialing module indicates to the recognition results postprocessor  126  that the names “Jane Smith,” “Jake Smith,” and “Johann Smithers” have been rejected in the immediately prior recognition attempt, allowing the recognition results postprocessor  126  to remove these names from any list that is generated for the current attempt.  
         [0019]     In addition, the recognition results postprocessor  126  may incorporate the information received from the module  114  into a results history file  134 , allowing the postprocessor  126  to subsequently evaluate a list created in a recognition attempt in light of the fact that these names have previously been rejected and may therefore have an increased probability of being incorrect.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  illustrates additional details of the recognition results postprocessor  126 , showing, for purposes of example, the interaction between the postprocessor  126  and the voice dialing module  114 . While the voice dialing module  114  is shown in  FIG. 2  and discussed below by way of example, it will be recognized that in the system  100 , the postprocessor  126  interacts in a similar way with each of the other modules  112 ,  116  and  118 . In addition, it will be recognized that a postprocessor such as the postprocessor  126  could operate in a way similar to that discussed below in order to provide services to any module or device that needed to choose a particular voice recognition result.  
         [0021]     The recognition results postprocessor  126  includes a processing module  202 . The results postprocessor  126  also receives the results of user decisions, that is, the confirmation or rejection of a suggested recognition result. The results postprocessor  126  stores rejected results in a skip list  204  and stores accepted results in a results cache  206 . The skip list  204  is typically constructed for a single transaction and cleared after the transaction is completed. The recognition results cache  206  may suitably include historical data retrieved from the historical results file  134  by the module  114  and passed to the postprocessor  126  by the module  114  at an appropriate time, for example at the beginning of a recognition transaction or at the beginning of a telephone call.  
         [0022]     The results postprocessor  126  also employs various recognition parameters from the module for which the recognition is performed, such as the module  114 . When a module such as the module  114  needs voice recognition to be performed, it suitably initiates a voice recognition transaction and provides the postprocessor  126  with an indication that the transaction is starting. The module  114  invokes the voice recognition module  120 , which receives a user input and creates the list  124 . The module  114  also passes commands and parameters to the processing module  202 . The commands and parameters indicate various criteria the postprocessor  126  is to use in evaluating the list  124 .  
         [0023]     The following parameters may suitably be employed:  
         [0024]     Size of the list  124 , that is, the maximum number of entries to be included in the list  124 .  
         [0025]     Contents of the recognition results cache.  
         [0026]     Size of the results cache, that is, the maximum number of entries to be maintained in the results cache.  
         [0027]     Final list size, that is, the maximum number of recognition results to be returned to the module  114  after processing by the postprocessor  126 .  
         [0028]     Upper and lower rejection thresholds for including recognition results in the list  124 . Each suggested recognition result presented in the list  124  is typically associated with a confidence level and the recognition results are ranked by confidence level. If a result exceeds the upper threshold, it will be retained, while if the result falls below the lower threshold, it will be rejected. If a result falls between the upper and lower thresholds, it will be retained only if it appears in the results cache  206 .  
         [0029]     Confidence increase value. The confidence increase value is an amount by which to increase the confidence score of a recognition result if it appears in the results cache  206 . The typical effect of this confidence increase value is a reordering of the list  124 . An item appearing in the list and also appearing in the results cache is likely to be promoted over items appearing in the list and not appearing in the results cache.  
         [0030]     Processing technique. The processing module  202  may employ several possible methods of processing the entries in the list  124  depending on whether they appear in the results cache  206 . These methods may include “greedy,” where all result cache items appear above non-cache items, “conservative,” where the first cache item is promoted to the top and the confidence value associated with the rest of the cache items is increased by the amount equal to the difference between the first non-cache and cache item confidence and “fixed,” where the confidence value of all cache items is increased by a fixed amount, and may be selected based on a command from the module  114 .  
         [0031]     Confidence delta value. This is a value that will be subtracted from the highest confidence score associated with an entry in the list  124 . The use of the confidence delta value allows setting of a range of confidence values within which the results in the list  124  will be considered. Setting the confidence delta value to 0 prevents specification of the confidence range.  
         [0032]     Choice to use or not to use the skip list  204 . The module  114  passes a parameter to the postprocessor  126  to select use or nonuse of the skip list  204 .  
         [0033]     Choice to use or not to use the results cache  206 . The module  114  passes a parameter to the postprocessor  126  to select use or nonuse of the results cache  136 .  
         [0034]     The module  114  may also issue commands to the postprocessor  126 . These commands include commands to start, stop or abort a recognition transaction, to pass the list  124  to the postprocessor  126 , to direct the postprocessor  126  to furnish the current estimated best result to the module  114 , or to retrieve a specified intermediate result.  
         [0035]     Typically, the module  114  will set parameters such that the skip list  204  and the results cache  206  are both used. The list  124  and the results cache  206  will be set to a predetermined maximum size and the upper and lower confidence thresholds will be set to values estimated to provide reasonable upper and lower confidence bounds for entries in the list. The user model  130  will include elements such as the likely contact cache  132  and may include elements such as a user results cache  208 . The user results cache  208  includes recognition results that have previously been confirmed during voice recognition transactions for the user. Entries in the user results cache may be considered more likely to be correct user recognition results in a particular transaction. If the model  130  includes a user results cache such as the cache  208 , the user results cache  208  may be examined and selected entries added to the results cache  206 .  
         [0036]     To take an example of the operation of the postprocessor  126 , suppose that a user “Bob,” whose user model is the user model  130 , invokes the voice dialing module  114 . The voice dialing module  114  directs the postprocessor  126  to initiate a transaction and passes parameters to the postprocessor  126 , as discussed above. The module  114  adds entries to the results cache  206 , indicating past results of the operation of the module  114 . The postprocessor  126  retrieves and examines the user model  130  and combines the user results cache  208  with the results cache  206 .  
         [0037]     The module  114  presents a voice prompt to the user and invokes the recognition module  120 . The recognition module  120  creates a set of recognition results by comparing the user&#39;s voice input to a stored collection of data. For telephone dialing operations, this collection may suitably take the form of a directory  209 , while for operations such as information retrieval, the collection may take the form of a dictionary  210 , a database, or the like. The postprocessor  126  examines the list  124  in light of the criteria provided to the postprocessor  126  at the beginning of the transaction and accepts the entries meeting the criteria. The postprocessor  126  examines the results cache  206  and the user contact cache  132  and performs reordering of the list  124 , taking into account any matches between the list  124  and the caches  132  and  206 . At this point, no entries are present in the skip list  204 , so the skip list  204  is ignored.  
         [0038]     At this point, suppose the party the user wishes to call is “John Smith.” The voice recognition module  120  has created the following list:  
                                       Result No.   Recognition Result   Confidence                   1   Joanne Smith   60       2   Jane Smith   58                  
 
         [0039]     The module  114  engages in the following dialog with the user.  
                                                       System:   “Joanne Smith?”           User:   No.           System:   “Jane Smith?”           User:   “No.”           System:   “Please say the name again.”                      
 
         [0040]     During this dialog, the module  114  has provided the postprocessor  126  with the result of each attempt at confirmation. In this case, both results have been rejected, and each rejected result has been added to the skip list  204 . In this case, none of the results in the list  124  matches the party that the user intended, so each result in the list was presented to the user. It will be recognized that in some instances, a user will accept an entry before an entire list of possibilities is presented.  
         [0041]     Returning to the example, on the second attempt, the following set of results is obtained:  
                                       Result No.   Recognition Result   Confidence                   1   Joanne Smith   60       2   Jake Smith   58       3   John Smith   56                  
 
         [0042]     It will be noted that now the desired name, “John Smith,” appears on the list  124 . In the list as initially returned, however, the desired name is in the lowest position.  
         [0043]     Once the list  124  has been obtained, it is processed by the postprocessor  126 . The name “Joanne Smith” is now present in the skip list  204 , because it was rejected during the previous attempt. Therefore, the name “Joanne Smith” is removed from the list  124 . In addition, the postprocessor  126  examines the user model  130  and discovers that the name “John Smith” is in the results cache  206 . The name “John Smith” is present in the results cache  206  because it appears in the likely contact list  132  for the user. At initiation of the transaction, the postprocessor examined the user model  130 , as well as results information received from the module  114 , and created the results cache  206 .  
         [0044]     The entry for “John Smith” in the results cache  206  includes information related to the specific way in which the user is likely to contact the party. This information includes his location, as well as the expected contact method, for example, office telephone or mobile telephone. This information is retrieved from the results cache and added to the entry for “John Smith” in the list  124 . In addition, the entry for “John Smith” is promoted to the top of the list  124 . The list  124 , therefore, after processing by the postprocessor  126 , appears as follows:  
                                           Result No.   Recognition Result   Confidence   Cache Data                   1   John Smith   56   Location =       Phone = Mobile           Columbia, SC;       2   Jake Smith   58                  
 
         [0045]     At this point, the module  114  presents the results to the user. The interaction between the module  114  and the user may now proceed as follows:  
                                                       System:   “John Smith?”           User:   “Yes.”           System:   “John Smith in Columbia, SC?”           User:   “Yes.”           System:   “Dial his mobile number?”           User:   “Yes.”           System:   “Dialing.”                      
 
         [0046]     Alternatively, if the confidence level were sufficiently high, the system  100  might ask if it should dial the mobile number for John Smith in Columbia, S.C.  
         [0047]     In the second interaction, the processing performed by the postprocessor  126  made the recognition process much more efficient. In the first interaction, postprocessing did not greatly speed the interaction because none of the results in the list  124  was a match. At the time, it was not known whether or not any of the results was a match, so there was nothing for the module  114  to do other than to present the results to the user for confirmation or rejection. However, in the second interaction, when one of the results was a match for which there was stored cache data and a previously rejected result could be eliminated, the speed of the process was greatly increased. The previously rejected result was again rejected, but this time there was no need to present it to the user. In addition, information reflecting previous experience was used to assign a higher priority to one result and to include additional information with that result. This approach advantageously makes use of previous experience information so that the first choice presented to the user is a choice that was deemed more likely correct in the light of experience.  
         [0048]      FIG. 3  illustrates a process  300  of voice recognition according to an aspect of the present invention. The process  300  may suitably be implemented using a system similar to the system  100  of  FIG. 1 . At step  302 , upon invocation by a user of a voice activated module providing services to a user as directed by user voice responses, parameters are established for processing of a voice recognition result list to be returned to the module. The parameters may suitably include parameters to be used to determine which results are to be included in a results list and various criteria for examining and reordering the results list. At step  304 , user information and module results information is retrieved and examined, and stored in an easily accessible format so as to be used in evaluating a results list. The user information may suitably comprise a user model including a contacts cache, and the module results information may suitably include historical results relating to confirmation or rejection of recognition results previously presented to the module.  
         [0049]     At step  306 , upon receipt of a user input, a recognition results list is prepared. At step  308 , the recognition results list is compared to a skip list reflecting results that have already been rejected by the voice activated module during the current transaction. At the beginning of the transaction, the skip list is empty, but as the transaction continues, rejected results are added to the skip list. At step  310 , results present in the skip list are removed from the recognition results list. At step  312 , the recognition results list is evaluated in light of the user information and reordering of the results list, as well as association of additional information with results list entries, is performed in light of the user information. For example, if a recognition result corresponds to an entry in a user contact cache, that recognition result may be moved higher in the list. In addition, information found in the contact cache, such as a preferred contact method, may be added to the entry in the results list.  
         [0050]     At step  314 , further evaluation of the list is performed in light of the results cache including historical information relating to past transactions, with a reordering and other processing being performed according to predetermined criteria. At step  316 , the recognition results list is presented to the voice activated module. At step  318 , the entries in the list are presented to the user for acceptance or rejection. Whenever a user rejects an entry, the entry is added to the skip list. In addition, further updates to the historical results information may be performed. For example, the number of times a result has been accepted or rejected may be updated. Past experience of a high number of acceptances or rejections of a result appearing in a recognition results list may tend to indicate the likelihood that the result is or is not a match to a user input in the current transaction.  
         [0051]     If the user accepts an entry, the process proceeds to step  320 , the historical results are updated, the recognition transaction is concluded and services are performed or information entries recorded according to the information or command provided by the recognition result. The process then concludes at step  350 . If the user rejects all entries, the process proceeds to step  322  and an attempt counter is examined. If the value of the attempt counter exceeds a predetermined value, the transaction is concluded, the process proceeds to step  380  and techniques other than voice recognition are employed to receive user input. If the value of the attempt counter does not exceed the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step  324 , the attempt counter is incremented and the user is prompted to repeat the input. Depending on the value of the attempt counter and user experience information stored in the user model, additional explanatory prompts may also be provided. The process then returns to step  306 .  
         [0052]     While the present invention is disclosed in the context of a presently preferred embodiment, it will be recognized that a wide variety of implementations may be employed by persons of ordinary skill in the art consistent with the above discussion and the claims which follow below.