Patent ID: 7835901

Claim:
A speech recognition apparatus comprising: an input unit configured to be used for inputting a speech; a dictionary storage unit configured to store a plurality of language-specific dictionaries and a switching use dictionary, each language-specific dictionary which is specific to one of a plurality of languages and includes (i) speech commands for operating a target application and (ii) switching commands for selecting the each language-specific dictionary as an active language dictionary used when the target application is operated by a speech via the input unit, the switching use dictionary which includes an aggregation of switching commands included in all the language-specific dictionaries; a determination unit configured to determine whether a certain speech inputted via the input unit is matched with a switching command in the switching use dictionary; and a switching unit configured to select, as the active language-specific dictionary, a certain language-specific dictionary corresponding to a certain switching command, which the certain speech is determined to be matched with.