System and Method for Improving Name Dialer Performance

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer readable-media for improving name dialer performance. The method includes receiving a speech query for a name in a directory of names, retrieving matches to the query, if the matches are uniquely spelled homophones or near-homophones, identifying information that is unique to all retrieved matches, and presenting a spoken disambiguation statement to a user that incorporates the identified unique information. Identifying information can include multiple pieces of unique information if necessary to completely disambiguate the matches. A hierarchy can establish priority of multiple pieces of unique information for use in the spoken disambiguation statement.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 retrieving matches to a spoken query, the matches comprising a first match and a second match that are one of homophonic and near-homophonic;   identifying, via an analysis of first meta-data associated with the first match and second meta-data associated with the second match, a first meta-data component of the first meta-data and a second meta-data component of the second meta-data, wherein the first meta-data component and the second meta-data component have a highest strength of difference between the first meta-data and the second meta-data; and   presenting a spoken disambiguation statement to in response to the spoken query that incorporates the first meta-data component and the second meta-data component.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying of the first meta-data component and the second meta-data component comprises identifying multiple pieces of unique information when necessary to completely disambiguate the matches. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a hierarchy establishes priority of multiple pieces of the first meta-data and the second meta-data for use in determining the highest strength of difference. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a threshold is used to determine near-homophones. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 receiving a confirmation of one of the matches, to yield a confirmed match; and   connecting a caller to the confirmed match.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first meta-data and the second meta-data are customized. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 receiving a request from a user for further disambiguation information; and   presenting the further spoken disambiguation information to the user.   
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 a processor; and   a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:   retrieving matches to a spoken query, the matches comprising a first match and a second match that are one of homophonic and near-homophonic;   identifying, via an analysis of first meta-data associated with the first match and second meta-data associated with the second match, a first meta-data component of the first meta-data and a second meta-data component of the second meta-data, wherein the first meta-data component and the second meta-data component have a highest strength of difference between the first meta-data and the second meta-data; and   presenting a spoken disambiguation statement to in response to the spoken query that incorporates the first meta-data component and the second meta-data component.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein identifying of the first meta-data component and the second meta-data component comprises identifying multiple pieces of unique information when necessary to completely disambiguate the matches. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein a hierarchy establishes priority of multiple pieces of the first meta-data and the second meta-data for use in determining the highest strength of difference. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein a threshold is used to determine near-homophones. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in operations comprising:
 receiving a confirmation of one of the matches, to yield a confirmed match; and   connecting a caller to the confirmed match.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first meta-data and the second meta-data are customized. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in operations comprising:
 receiving a request from a user for further disambiguation information; and   presenting the further spoken disambiguation information to the user.   
     
     
         15 . A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
 retrieving matches to a spoken query, the matches comprising a first match and a second match that are one of homophonic and near-homophonic;   identifying, via an analysis of first meta-data associated with the first match and second meta-data associated with the second match, a first meta-data component of the first meta-data and a second meta-data component of the second meta-data, wherein the first meta-data component and the second meta-data component have a highest strength of difference between the first meta-data and the second meta-data; and   presenting a spoken disambiguation statement to in response to the spoken query that incorporates the first meta-data component and the second meta-data component.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 15 , wherein identifying of the first meta-data component and the second meta-data component comprises identifying multiple pieces of unique information when necessary to completely disambiguate the matches. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 16 , wherein a hierarchy establishes priority of multiple pieces of the first meta-data and the second meta-data for use in determining the highest strength of difference. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 15 , wherein a threshold is used to determine near-homophones. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 15 , having additional instructions stored which result in operations comprising:
 receiving a confirmation of one of the matches, to yield a confirmed match; and   connecting a caller to the confirmed match.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 15 , wherein the first meta-data and the second meta-data are customized.