METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATION OF DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE USING SPEECH RECOGNITION

摘要

In a telecommunication system, automatic directory assistance uses a voice processing unit comprising a database of vocabulary items and data representing a predetermined relationship between each vocabulary item and a calling number in a location served by the automated directory assistance apparatus. The voice processing unit issues messages to a caller making a directory assistance call to prompt the caller to utter a required one of said vocabulary items. The unit detects a calling number originating a directory assistance call and, responsive to the calling number and the relationship data computes a probability index representing the likelihood of a vocabulary item being the subject of the directory assistance call. The unit employs a speech recognizer to recognize, on the basis of the acoustics of the caller's utterance and the probability index, a vocabulary item corresponding to that uttered by the caller. 24