Language identifying device and computer program for same, and speech processing device

A speech processing device, comprising:

• a language name storage for storing language name of a default language to be an object of speech processing;
• a processor
• capable of performing at least speech recognition of each of a plurality of languages, for receiving designation of a language name and for processing a given speech signal as a speech of the designated language;
• the processor configured to, responsive to an input of said speech signal, identify a language represented by the speech signal as one of said plurality of languages;
• the processor configured to, responsive to the input of said speech signal, designate said default language stored in said language name storage, and activate first processing of said speech signal;
• the processor configured to determine whether the language identified matches said default language or not;
• and
• the processor configured to, when the language identified does not match the default language, end the first processing of said speech signal, and activate, from a prescribed position of said speech signal, second processing of said speech signal by designating the language identified.

A method of identifying a language of an input speech signal among a plurality of languages, comprising the steps of:

• a first step of trying, based on said speech signal from the start of said speech signal until a lapse of a first time period, identification of the language of said speech signal among said plurality of languages;
• a step of outputting, in response to identification of language of the speech signal at said first step, information indicating the language;
• a second step of trying, in response to failure of language identification of said speech signal at said first step, based on said speech signal from the start of said speech signal until a lapse of a second time period longer than said first time period, identification of the language of said speech signal among said plurality of languages;
• a step of outputting, in response to identification of language of the speech signal at said second step, information indicating the language;
• and
• an additional identification step of executing, in response to failure of language identification of said speech signal at said second step, a prescribed additional process for identifying the language of said speech signal.