ASR Disfluent Speech Recognition via Dynamic Model Adaptation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Automatic speech recognition systems struggle to accurately interpret disfluent speech, which includes breaks, irregularities, and non-lexical sounds, often due to conditions like stuttering or nasality, leading to poor recognition performance.

Innovation Solution

The system determines the presence and type of disfluent speech and compensates by using optimized statistical language models and acoustic models specific to disfluent speech types, modifying ASR variables to improve recognition accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the ASR system uses standard speech recognition models designed for fluent speech, then the system structure remains simple and easy to implement, but the recognition accuracy deteriorates when processing disfluent speech

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecognition accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The ASR system dynamically adapts its processing parameters and model selection based on the detected disfluency characteristics. The system adjusts acoustic model parameters, grammar rules, and processing thresholds in real-time according to the speaker's speech patterns, enabling accurate recognition of disfluent speech without requiring a completely separate complex system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system modifies key ASR parameters such as acoustic model variance, language model weighting, and decision thresholds based on detected disfluency types. By changing these parameters dynamically, the system optimizes recognition accuracy for different speech patterns without fundamentally altering the core system architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the ASR system is programmed with assumptions about fluent speech patterns, then the programming and implementation become straightforward, but the system fails to accurately interpret speech from people with speech difficulties

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterpretation accuracyVSAvoidspeech type adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments speech processing into distinct phases: initial fluent speech processing using standard models, disfluency detection phase, and adapted processing phase. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simple fluent speech handling while adding specialized处理能力 for disfluent speech without compromising overall reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of speech patterns to detect disfluency characteristics before main recognition processing. By identifying speech difficulties early in the processing pipeline, the system can pre-adjust parameters and select appropriate models, ensuring accurate interpretation from the outset rather than attempting to correct errors later.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If the ASR system uses a single processing model for all speech types, then the system complexity remains low, but the recognition performance deteriorates for specific disfluent speech types such as stuttering or nasality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecognition accuracyVSAvoidmodel complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The ASR system implements a universal framework that can handle both fluent and disfluent speech through a single integrated architecture. The system selectively applies different processing strategies and parameter sets within this unified framework, allowing it to maintain low overall complexity while achieving high accuracy across diverse speech types including stuttering, stammering, and nasality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10255913B2Automatic speech recognition for disfluent speech
Publication Date: 2019.04.09 GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
  • US10255913B2 patent drawing
  • US10255913B2 patent drawing
  • US10255913B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A system and method of processing disfluent speech at an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system includes: receiving speech from a speaker via a microphone; determining the received speech includes disfluent speech; accessing a disfluent speech grammar or acoustic model in response to the determination; and processing the received speech using the disfluent speech grammar.