Automated Language Detection for Speech Recognition

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current speech recognition engines often fail to handle multiple languages effectively, leading to unusable automated assistants and excessive resource usage when encountering utterances in unsupported languages, and require manual language designation, which can result in errors and resource inefficiency.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system that automatically determines the language for speech recognition using user profiles and probability metrics based on past usage and contextual parameters, selecting only the most likely languages for processing to conserve resources and improve accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a speech recognition engine is configured to recognize speech in multiple languages, then language coverage is improved, but device complexity increases due to requiring multiple speech recognition models

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelanguage coverageVSAvoidspeech recognition model complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The speech recognition system is segmented into multiple independent language-specific models (e.g., English model, Spanish model, French model). Each model is trained separately for a specific language, allowing the system to handle multiple languages while keeping each individual model relatively simple and manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The automated assistant system is designed with multi-functionality to support multiple languages through a single unified architecture that can dynamically select and switch between different language-specific speech recognition models based on the detected language of the incoming utterance.

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

2Measurement precision

If all available speech recognition models are processed for every spoken utterance, then language identification accuracy is improved, but computational resource usage increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelanguage identification accuracyVSAvoidcomputational resource usage
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary language identification using acoustic models and probability metrics before committing to full speech recognition processing. By pre-assessing the likelihood of different languages based on phoneme-level analysis, the system can prepare the appropriate language-specific model in advance, improving accuracy while avoiding the need to process all models simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies partial processing by using acoustic models to generate probability metrics for multiple languages, then selectively applying full speech recognition only to the most likely candidate languages rather than processing all available language models, thus reducing computational overhead while maintaining sufficient accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Measurement precision

If a user must manually designate the default language, then language recognition accuracy is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to additional user interaction requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelanguage recognition accuracyVSAvoiduser interaction complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically determines the language of spoken utterances using acoustic models and probability metrics without requiring manual user designation. The automated language identification process analyzes phoneme characteristics and compares them against multiple language models to autonomously select the correct language, eliminating the need for user intervention while maintaining recognition accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from acoustic model analysis and probability metric calculations to automatically adjust and determine the correct language for speech recognition, creating a closed-loop system that continuously refines language identification based on the characteristics of the incoming utterance without requiring explicit user input.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

4Device complexity

If speech recognition in a single language is implemented, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability deteriorates when users speak in unsupported languages

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespeech recognition model complexityVSAvoidlanguage support
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The speech recognition capability is segmented into separate language-specific models that can be independently managed. This allows the system to maintain simple, focused models for each language while providing the overall system with the ability to support multiple languages through selective model activation based on the detected language of the utterance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4254402B1Automatically determining language for speech recognition of spoken utterance received via an automated assistant interface
Publication Date: 2025.01.01 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP4254402B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4254402B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4254402B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Determining a language for speech recognition of a spoken utterance received via an automated assistant interface for interacting with an automated assistant. Implementations can enable multilingual interaction with the automated assistant, without necessitating a user explicitly designate a language to be utilized for each interaction. Implementations determine a user profile that corresponds to audio data that captures a spoken utterance, and utilize language(s), and optionally corresponding probabilities, assigned to the user profile in determining a language for speech recognition of the spoken utterance. Some implementations select only a subset of languages, assigned to the user profile, to utilize in speech recognition of a given spoken utterance of the user. Some implementations perform speech recognition in each of multiple languages assigned to the user profile, and utilize criteria to select only one of the speech recognitions as appropriate for generating and providing content that is responsive to the spoken utterance.