# US 2014/0207446 A1 · Indefinite speech inputs

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- Number: US 2014/0207446 A1
- Document ID: US20140207446A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/749,431
- Filed: 2013-01-24
- Published: 2014-07-24
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-24
- Assignees: Microsoft Corporation
- Applicants: Microsoft Corporation
- Inventors: Christian Klein; Gregg Wygonik
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140207446A1

## CPC

- G10L 21/10: Transforming into visible information
- G10L 15/1815: {Semantic context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word meaning}
- G10L 15/22: Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
- G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING

## Abstract

Embodiments are disclosed that relate to the use of speech inputs including indefinite quantitative terms as computing device inputs. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a method of operating a computing device, the method including receiving a speech input comprising an indefinite quantitative term, determining a definite quantity corresponding to the indefinite quantitative term, and applying the definite quantity to an action performed via the computing device in response to the speech input.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of operating a computing device, the method comprising:
receiving a speech input comprising an indefinite quantitative term;
determining a definite quantity corresponding to the indefinite quantitative term; and
applying the definite quantity to an action performed via the computing device in response to the speech input.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the action is specified by the speech input, and wherein the indefinite quantitative term comprises a parameter for the action.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the speech input is a follow-up speech input that follows a previous speech input and that requests performance of an additional quantity of an action specified by the previous speech input.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising modifying a mapping of the indefinite quantitative term based upon the follow-up speech input.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving the previous speech input and storing information regarding the previous speech input for use in disambiguating the follow-up speech input.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the speech input comprises a composite speech input that further comprises an input received via a second input mode.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the speech input comprises no specified action, and further comprising determining an action based a state of an application currently in use.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises an action performed to control playback of a media item.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises an action performed to control the display of information.

### Claim 10

A computing device, comprising:
a logic subsystem configured to execute instructions; and
a data storage subsystem comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by the logic subsystem to
receive a speech input comprising an indefinite quantitative term,
determine a mapping of the indefinite quantitative term to a definite quantity; and
apply the definite quantity to an action performed via the computing device in response to the speech input.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The computing device of claim 10, wherein the action is specified by the speech input, and wherein the indefinite quantitative term comprises a parameter for the action.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The computing device of claim 10, wherein the speech input is a follow-up speech input that follows a previous speech input and that requests performance of an additional quantity of an action specified by the previous speech input.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The computing device of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further executable to modify a mapping of the indefinite quantitative term based upon the follow-up speech input.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The computing device of claim 10, wherein the speech input comprises a composite speech input that further comprises an input received via a second input mode.

### Claim 15

A method of operating a computing device, the method comprising:
receiving a composite user input comprising a speech input and a non-speech input, one of the speech input and the non-speech input requesting an action and another of the speech input and the non-speech input providing an indefinite quantitative term related to the action requested;
determining a definite quantity corresponding to the indefinite quantitative term; and
applying the definite quantity to an action performed in response to the speech input.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the speech input requests the action and the non-speech input specifies the indefinite quantitative term.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving a follow-up input requesting an additional quantity of the action, and in response performing the additional quantity of the action and modifying a mapping of the indefinite quantitative term based upon the follow-up speech input.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the follow-up input comprises a speech input.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the non-speech input requests the action and the speech input specifies the indefinite quantitative term.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the non-speech input comprises one or more of a gesture and a posture.