Systems and Methods for Tuning Automatic Speech Recognition Systems

Abstract

A tuning system for tuning a speech recognition system includes a transmitter for sending a user response to a speech recognition system. The user response is based at least in part on a test stimulus that may be generated by the control system. A receiver receives a recognized response from the speech recognition system; this recognized response is based at least in part on the associated user response. An adjustment module adjusts at least one parameter of the speech recognition system based at least in part on at least one of the test stimulus, the associated user response, and the recognized response.

1 . A tuning system for tuning a speech recognition system, the tuning system comprising:
 a transmitter for sending an associated user response to a speech recognition system, wherein the associated user response is based at least in part on a test stimulus;   a receiver for receiving a recognized response from a speech recognition system, wherein the recognized response is based at least in part on the associated user response; and   an adjustment module for adjusting at least one parameter of a speech recognition system based at least in part on at least one of the test stimulus, the associated user response, and the recognized response.   
     
     
         2 . The tuning system of  claim 1 , further comprising a test stimulus generation module for sending a test stimulus to a user. 
     
     
         3 . The tuning system of  claim 1 , further comprising a comparison module for comparing the associated user response to the recognized response, wherein the comparison module identifies an error between the associated user response to the recognized response. 
     
     
         4 . The tuning system of  claim 1 , further comprising a comparison module for comparing the test stimulus to the recognized response, wherein the comparison module identifies an error between the test stimulus to the recognized response. 
     
     
         5 . The tuning system of  claim 3 , wherein the comparison module compares an acoustic feature of the test stimulus to an acoustic feature of the associated user response. 
     
     
         6 . The tuning system of  claim 5 , wherein the acoustic feature comprises at least one of a cepstral coefficient and a speech feature. 
     
     
         7 . The tuning system of  claim 3 , wherein the adjustment module adjusts the at least one parameter based at least in part on the error. 
     
     
         8 . The tuning system of  claim 7 , wherein the adjustment module predicts at least a second parameter based at least in part on the error. 
     
     
         9 . The tuning system of  claim 3 , further comprising a storage module for storing at least one of the test stimulus, the associated user response, and the recognized response. 
     
     
         10 . The tuning system of  claim 9 , wherein the storage module stores a plurality of test stimuli, a plurality of associated user responses, and a plurality of recognized responses. 
     
     
         11 . The tuning system of  claim 10 , wherein the comparison module compares at least two of the plurality of test stimuli, the plurality of associated user responses, and the plurality of recognized responses and generates a speech model based at least on part on the comparison. 
     
     
         12 . A method of tuning a speech recognition system, the method comprising the steps of:
 transmitting an associated user response to a speech recognition system, wherein the associated user response is based at least in part on a test stimulus;   receiving a recognized response from a speech recognition system, wherein the recognized response is based at least in part on the associated user response; and   adjusting at least one parameter of a speech recognition system based at least in part on at least one of the test stimulus, the associated user response, and the recognized response.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the steps of:
 selecting a test stimulus; and   sending the test stimulus to a user.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of comparing the associated user response to the recognized response. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of storing the associated user response and the associated user response. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:
 repeating the selecting step, the sending step, the transmitting step, the receiving step, the adjusting step, the comparing step, and the storing step; and   creating an error set.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the error set comprises a first difference between a first associated user response and a second recognized response and a second difference between a second associated user response and a second recognized response. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of predicting at least a second parameter based at least in part on the error set. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the comparing step compares an acoustic feature of the associated user response to an acoustic feature of the recognized response. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the acoustic feature comprises at least one of a cepstral coefficient and a speech feature. 
     
     
         21 . An article of manufacture having computer-readable program portions embedded thereon for tuning a speech recognition system, the program portions comprising:
 instructions for transmitting an associated user response to a speech recognition system, wherein the associated user response is based at least in part on a test stimulus;   instructions for receiving a recognized response from a speech recognition system, wherein the recognized response is based at least in part on the associated user response; and   instructions for adjusting at least one parameter of a speech recognition system based at least in part on at least one of the test stimulus, the associated user response, and the recognized response.