Method for compressing dictionary data

Abstract

The invention relates to pre-processing of a pronunciation dictionary for compression in a data processing device, the pronunciation dictionary comprising at least one entry, the entry comprising a sequence of character units and a sequence of phoneme units. According to one aspect of the invention the sequence of character units and the sequence of phoneme units are aligned using a statistical algorithm. The aligned sequence of character units and aligned sequence of phoneme units are interleaved by inserting each phoneme unit at a predetermined location relative to the corresponding character unit.

1 . An electronic device comprising a processing unit and a memory for storing a pre-processed pronunciation dictionary including a first set of units having character units and a second set of units having phoneme units, the units of the first set and the units of the second set being aligned and interleaved by having each phoneme unit at a predetermined location relative to the corresponding character unit, wherein 
 the electronic device is configured to find a matching entry for a text string input from the pre-processed pronunciation dictionary using said first set of units of the entry from the predetermined locations;    the electronic device is configured to select from said matching entry phoneme units of said second set of units from predetermined locations; and    the electronic device is configured to concatenate the selected phoneme units into a sequence of phoneme units.    
   
   
       2 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is configured to remove empty spaces from said sequence of phoneme units.  
   
   
       3 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is configured to retrieve from the memory a pronunciation model for each phoneme unit in said sequence of phoneme units, and 
 the electronic device is configured to concatenate the pronunciation models.    
   
   
       4 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is configured to map each phoneme unit from a first phonemic representation method to a second phonemic representation method.  
   
   
       5 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a mobile communications device.  
   
   
       6 . An electronic device comprising a processing unit and memory for storing a pre-processed pronunciation dictionary including entries, the entries having a first set of units having character units and a second set of units having phoneme units; the units of the first set and the units of the second set being aligned and interleaved by having each phoneme unit at a predetermined location relative to the corresponding character unit; 
 the electronic device is configured to store or create pronunciation models of each entry's phonemic representation;    the electronic device is configured to find a matching entry for a speech information input by comparing said speech information input to said pronunciation models and selecting the most corresponding entry;    the electronic device is configured to select from said matching entry character units of said first set of units from predetermined locations; and    the electronic device is configured to concatenate the selected character units into a sequence of character units.    
   
   
       7 . The electronic device of  claim 6 , wherein the electronic device is configured to remove empty spaces from said sequence of character units.  
   
   
       8 . The electronic device of  claim 6 , wherein, for creating the pronunciation models, the electronic device is configured to: 
 find a matching entry for a text string input from the pre-processed pronunciation dictionary using said first set of units of the entry from the predetermined locations;    select from said matching entry phoneme units of said second set of units from predetermined locations and concatenate them into a sequence of phoneme units;    remove empty spaces from said sequence of phoneme units;    retrieve from the memory a pronunciation model for each phoneme unit in said sequence of phoneme units, and    concatenate the pronunciation models.    
   
   
       9 . The electronic device of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic device is configured to map each phoneme unit from a first phonemic representation method to a second phonemic representation method.  
   
   
       10 . The electronic device of  claim 6 , wherein the electronic device is configured to receive the pre-processed pronunciation dictionary and the pronunciation models, and 
 the electronic device is configured to store the received pre-processed pronunciation dictionary and the pronunciation models into the memory.    
   
   
       11 . The electronic device of  claim 6 , wherein the electronic device is a mobile communications device.  
   
   
       12 . A system comprising a first electronic device and a second electronic device arranged in a communication connection with each other, the system being configured to convert a text string input into a sequence of phoneme units, wherein: 
 the first electronic device comprises means for storing a pre-processed pronunciation dictionary including a first set of units having character units and a second set of units having phoneme units, wherein entries are aligned and interleaved by having each phoneme unit at a predetermined location relative to the corresponding character unit;    the first electronic device comprises means for finding a matching entry for said text string input from the pre-processed pronunciation dictionary using said first set of units of the entry;    the first electronic device comprises means for transmitting said matching entry to the second electronic device;    the second electronic device comprises means for receiving said matching entry from the first electronic device;    the second electronic device comprises means for selecting from said matching entry units of said second set of units and concatenating them into a sequence of phoneme units; and    the second electronic device comprises means for removing empty spaces from said sequence of phoneme units.    
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the second electronic device is configured to map each phoneme unit from a first phonemic representation method to a second phonemic representation method.  
   
   
       14 . A method for converting a text string input into a sequence of phoneme units, the method comprising: 
 accessing a pre-processed pronunciation dictionary including a first set of units having character units and a second set of units having phoneme units, the units of the first set and the units of the second set being aligned and interleaved by having each phoneme unit at a predetermined location relative to the corresponding character unit;    finding a matching entry from the pre-processed pronunciation dictionary for a text string input using said first set of units of the entry from the predetermined locations and ignoring empty spaces;    selecting from said matching entry phoneme units of said second set of units from the predetermined locations; and    concatenating the selected phoneme units into a sequence of phoneme units.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 removing empty spaces from said sequence of phoneme units.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 retrieving a pronunciation model for each phoneme unit in said sequence of phoneme units; and    concatenating the pronunciation models.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 mapping each phoneme unit from a first phonemic representation method to a second phonemic representation method.    
   
   
       18 . A method for converting a speech information input into a sequence of character units, the method comprising: 
 accessing a pre-processed pronunciation dictionary including a first set of units having character units and a second set of units having phoneme units, the units of the first set and the units of the second set being aligned and interleaved by having each phoneme unit at a predetermined location relative to the corresponding character unit,    obtaining pronunciation models of each entry's phonemic representation;    finding a matching entry for a speech information input by comparing said speech information input to said pronunciation models and selecting the most corresponding entry;    selecting from said matching entry character units of said first set of units from the predetermined locations; and    concatenating the selected character units into a sequence of character units.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 removing empty spaces from said sequence of character units.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of obtaining the pronunciation models comprises: 
 finding a matching entry for a text string input from the pre-processed pronunciation dictionary using said first set of units of the entry from the predetermined locations;    selecting from said matching entry phoneme units of said second set of units from predetermined locations and concatenate them into a sequence of phoneme units;    removing empty spaces from said sequence of phoneme units;    retrieving from the memory a pronunciation model for each phoneme unit in said sequence of phoneme units, and    concatenating the pronunciation models.    
   
   
       21 . A computer readable medium storing a computer program product comprising code which is executable in an electronic device for causing the electronic device to: 
 access a pre-processed pronunciation dictionary including a first set of units having character units and a second set of units having phoneme units, the first set of units and the second set of units being aligned and interleaved by having each phoneme unit at a predetermined location relative to the corresponding character unit;    find a matching entry from the pre-processed pronunciation dictionary for a text string input using said first set of units of the entry from the predetermined locations and ignoring empty spaces; and    select from said matching entry phoneme units of said second set of units from the predetermined locations and concatenate them into a sequence of phoneme units.    
   
   
       22 . The computer readable medium of  claim 21 , further comprising code for mapping each phoneme unit from a first phonemic representation method to a second phonemic representation method.  
   
   
       23 . A computer readable medium storing a computer program product comprising code which is executable in an electronic device for causing the electronic device to: 
 access a pre-processed pronunciation dictionary including a first set of units having character units and a second set of units having phoneme units, the first set of units and the second set of units being aligned and interleaved by having each phoneme unit at a predetermined location relative to the corresponding character unit;    store or create pronunciation models of each entry's phonemic representation;    find a matching entry for a speech information input by comparing said speech information input to said pronunciation models and selecting the most corresponding entry;    select from said matching entry character units of said first set of units from the predetermined locations and concatenate them into a sequence of character units.    
   
   
       24 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , further comprising code for removing empty spaces from said sequence of character units.