Data processing system for autonomously building speech identification and tagging data

[0001] 1. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates in general to computer based speech-to-text logic. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to using an autonomic speech and corpus processing agent to build identification and tagging data of a conversation.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Current computer logic allows speech to be autonomously converted into text. However, components of speech such as emotions and voice inflections are often lost in the conversion. In many situations, this lost supporting information may cause a speech capture to text conversion to convey an incomplete meaning of a conversation.

[0005] A method, system, and computer program product for autonomously transcribing and building tagging data of a conversation. A corpus processing agent monitors a conversation and utilizes a speech recognition agent to identify the spoken languages, speakers, and emotional patterns of speakers of the conversation. While monitoring the conversation, the corpus processing agent determines emotional patterns by monitoring voice modulation of the speakers and evaluating the context of the conversation. When the conversation is complete, the corpus processing agent determines synonyms and paraphrases of spoken words and phrases of the conversation taking into consideration any localized dialect of the speakers. Additionally, metadata of the conversation is created and stored in a link database, for comparison with other processed conversations. A corpus, a transcription of the conversation containing metadata links, is then created. The corpus processing agent also determines the frequency of spoken keywords and phrases and compiles a popularity index.

[0006] The above as well as additional objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.

[0011] The illustrative embodiments provide a method, system, and computer program product for autonomously building speech identification and tagging data of a conversation via a corpus processing agent, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

[0012] In the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical, architectural, programmatic, mechanical, electrical and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.

[0013] It is understood that the use of specific component, device and/or parameter names are for example only and not meant to imply any limitations on the invention. The invention may thus be implemented with different nomenclature/terminology utilized to describe the components/devices/parameters herein, without limitation. Each term utilized herein is to be given its broadest interpretation given the context in which that term is utilized.

[0014] With reference now to FIG. 1, there is depicted a block diagram of an exemplary corpus processing agent (CPA) 102 in which the present invention may be implemented. CPA 102 includes a processor 104 that is coupled to a system bus 106. A network interface 117, connected to system bus 106, enables CPA 102 to connect to computer terminals 202a-n and network 142 via wired or wireless technology. Input/Output (I/O) Interface 110, also connected to system bus 106, permits user interaction with CPA 102, such as data and/or audio entry via keyboard 112 and microphone 114, respectively. Display 108, coupled to system bus 106, allows for presentation of a general user interface (including text and graphics) for use by a user of CPA 102. System bus 106 also affords communication with a readable medium 116 (e.g., Compact Disk-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), flash drive memory, etc).

[0015] CPA 102 also comprises system memory 118, which is connected to system bus 106. System memory 118 of CPA 102 includes corpus processing logic (CPL) 120. CPL 120 includes code for implementing the processes described in FIG. 2-3. CPL 120 also includes a speech recognition agent 122 for identifying and transcribing spoken languages and human emotions identified in a conversation. In one embodiment, CPA 102 is able to utilize CPL 120 to build a corpus of a conversation, as described in greater detail below in FIG. 2-3.

[0016] As shown, system memory 118 also comprises a link database 124, lexical database 126, conversation database 128, and popularity index 130. Link database 124 contains metadata tags of corpuses analyzed by CPA 102. Lexical database 126 is an electronic reference dictionary utilized by CPA 102 to substitute correct spellings for incorrectly spelled words of a corpus. Conversational database 128 is a paraphrase reference database which enables CPL 120 to substitute or build paraphrases for portions of a corpus. Popularity index 130 is a database of keywords and phrases of corpuses analyzed by CPA 102.

[0017] As illustrated and described herein, CPA 102 may be a computer system of server having the required hardware components and programmed with CPL 120, executing on the processor to provide the functionality of the invention. However, CPA 102 may also be a speech-to-text device that is specifically designed to include the functionality of CPL 120, as described herein. The hardware elements depicted in CPA 102 are not intended to be exhaustive, but rather are representative to highlight essential components required by and/or utilized to implement the present invention. For instance, CPA 102 may include alternate memory storage devices such as magnetic cassettes, Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs), Bernoulli cartridges, and the like. These and other variations are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0018] With reference now to FIG. 2, there is illustrated an exemplary system for implementing a corpus processing agent (CPA) to build a corpus of a conversation. The illustrative embodiment is described from the perspective of the CPA building Corpus 204a-n from a conversation between multiple parties; However, the described features and functionality of CPA are fully applicable to a speech that involves a single speaker. CPA 102 monitors a conversation and builds Corpus 204a-n of the conversation. Corpus 204a-n contains an electronic Transcription 206a-n of the conversation and additionally contains Speech Identification and Tagging Data 208a-n of both the speakers and the content of Transcription 206a-n. CPA 102 contains logic (e.g., CPL 120) that autonomously monitors the conversation and creates Corpus 204a-n. The conversation may be a previously recorded conversation or a live conversation monitored in real time by a microphone (e.g., microphone 114). In an alternate embodiment, the conversation may be a digital recording stored on a readable medium (e.g., readable medium 116), or a digital recording transferred to CPA 102 by a Computer Terminal 202a-n through a network connection (not shown).

[0019] As a conversation is being analyzed, CPA 102 monitors language spoken by the speakers of the conversation to build Speech Identification and Tagging Data 208a-n. CPA 102 contains a speech recognition agent (SRA 122, FIG. 1) for identifying languages spoken by the speakers, emotional patterns of the speakers, and the identities of the speakers themselves. To identify a spoken language, CPA 102 establishes a relationship between accents and spoken words or phrases. This information is then compared against historical language index data of a language identification index (not pictured). To identify a speaker, CPA 102 identifies a sound signature from several voice segments of words spoken by a speaker. The tone is processed by logic of CPA 102 (e.g., CPL 120, FIG. 1), and the voice segments are connected to an identified tone of indexed historical voice data. To determine emotional patterns of the speakers, a logic of CPA 102 (e.g., CPL 120, FIG. 1) identifies emotional stress on a spoken portion of a conversation. The logic may then build prosodic patterns of spoken phrases by analyzing conversational stress levels (e.g., pitch variation and rate). Emotions in a speech can be detected using pattern catching algorithms through variations in pitch and tone and qualifying the pattern(s) against a historical database of known emotional patterns correlated with words and synonyms and attributing measurable parameters. Each detected pattern may then be scored and compared against historical conversational data. The patterns may then be correlated to emotions suitable for metadata tagging between different Corpuses 204a-n of communications.

[0020] A popularity index (e.g., popularity index 130, FIG. 1) may be created or further populated while a conversation is being analyzed by CPA 102. The popularity index contains an index of spoken words and phrases by speakers of a conversation, and the frequency for the number of times a particular word or phrase is spoken. Additionally, CPA 102 may build a list of synonyms for words and phrases spoken by a speaker in the conversation. The synonyms may be used to account for word choice, colloquialisms, or regional dialect of speakers in the conversation. A logic of CPA 102 (e.g., CPL 120, FIG. 1) may contrast data of the popularity index and the list of synonyms information against data of a lexical database (e.g., lexical database 126 of FIG. 1) and a conversational database (conversational database 128 of FIG. 1). This information may be used by CPA 102 to perform a word substitution of words and phrases of Corpus 204a-n to improve the meaning and comprehension. In an alternate embodiment, the list of synonyms may be incorporated into the popularity index.

[0021] Corpus 204a-n may be further enhanced with metadata tags to populate a link database (e.g. link database 124). A metadata tag may contain conversational information about speakers or content of a topic of a Corpus 204a-n. A metadata tag may further contain link data to associate similar patterns of content of a Corpus 204a to Corpuses 204b-n of other conversations (e.g., topics, speakers, spoken phrases, emotional patterns). This enables a user of CPA 102 to quickly reference related information of Corpus 204a-n to other related corpuses. Additionally, a metadata tag may contain a paraphrase of a portion of Corpus 204a-n. In an alternate embodiment, CPA 102 may also contain a search engine optimized keyword list for publishing content of Corpus 204a-n for a user of CPA 102.

[0022] With reference now to FIG. 3, a high-level logical flowchart of an exemplary method for using a corpus processing agent to build a corpus of a conversation is presented. After initiator block 302, the corpus processing agent is initialized (block 304). The user then selects a communication source (e.g., a previously recorded conversation, or a live conversation) for processing by the corpus processing agent (block 306). After selecting the communication source, the corpus processing agent will begin monitoring the conversation (block 308).

[0023] The corpus processing agent monitors the conversation to identify the languages spoken by the speakers (block 310). The corpus processing agent will also identify all speakers of the conversation (block 312). Additionally, emotion patterns of the speakers are analyzed and recorded (block 314) as the conversation is being transcribed (block 316). While the conversation is taking place, the corpus processing agent continually performs the actions of block 310, block 312, block 314, and block 316. This loop repeats in an iterative manner until the conversation is complete (block 318). While the actions performed in of block 310, block 312, block 314, and block 316 are shown sequentially, these actions may be performed concurrently and continuously for as long as the conversation is taking place.

[0024] Once the conversation is complete, the corpus processing logic of the corpus processing agent prepares the corpus of the conversation. The corpus processing logic autonomously analyzes the transcription and builds a synonym list of important words in the conversation through the use of a lexical database (block 320). The corpus processing logic then deduces paraphrases of specific topics of the conversation (block 322). Following these two actions, the corpus processing logic autonomously performs word substitution in the corpus of synonyms and paraphrases derived from the lexical database (block 324). The corpus processing logic then builds a popularity index for reoccurring keywords and phrases of the conversation (block 326). The processing logic then creates emotion identifiers in the corpus by qualifying detected emotional patterns exhibited by the speakers at various points in the conversation against known emotional patterns in the conversational database (block 328). The processing logic then updates the link database to correlate common identifiers, paraphrases, topics, and speakers of previously processed conversations with the current conversation (block 330). While the actions performed in block 320, block 322, block 324, block 326, block 328, block 330 are shown sequentially, these actions may be performed concurrently. Finally, the abstract of the conversation is finalized and saved to a storage medium of the corpus processing agent. The process then ends at terminator block 334.

[0025] Although aspects of the present invention have been described with respect to a computer processor and program application/logic, it should be understood that at least some aspects of the present invention may alternatively be implemented as a program product for use with a data storage system or computer system. Programs defining functions of the present invention can be delivered to a data storage system or computer system via a variety of signal-bearing media, which include, without limitation, non-writable storage media (e.g. CD-ROM), writable storage media (e.g. a floppy diskette, hard disk drive, read/write CD-ROM, optical media), and communication media, such as computer and telephone networks including Ethernet. It should be understood, therefore, that such signal-bearing media, when carrying or encoding computer readable instructions that direct method functions of the present invention, represent alternative embodiments of the present invention. Further, it is understood that the present invention may be implemented by a system having means in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware as described herein or their equivalent.

[0026] Having thus described the invention of the present application in detail and by reference to illustrative embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular system, device or component thereof to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another.