Speech recognition system for electronic switches in a non-wireline communications network

A voice recognition system for use in a non-wireline telecommunications switch connected between a telephone network and at least one transmission site that communicates with non-wireline units, comprising:

• a voice recognizer having a speaker-independent recognition subsystem and a speaker-dependent recognition subsystem for recognizing characters and commands spoken by a non-wireline telephone unit customer, wherein the speaker-independent recognition subsystem recognizes predetermined control commands and characters and the speaker-dependent recognition subsystem recognizes control commands previously stored by the non-wireline telephone unit customer in an off-line process;
• announcing means, responsive to a service request from the non-wireline telephone unit customer, for providing an indication to the non-wireline telephone unit customer indicating that the voice recognizer is prepared to receive identifying information to control a call;
• and
• processor means, operative under the control of a program stored therein and responsive to receipt by the voice recognizer of a spoken command from said telephone unit customer, for controlling the announcing means to request the telephone unit customer to confirm whether identifying information for directing a telephone call entered by the non-wireline telephone unit customer has been properly recognized by the voice recognizer;
• the processor means further operative under the control of said program for transferring dialing information to the non-wireline telecommunications switching office if the identifying information has been properly recognized by the voice recognizer.

A non-wireline telecommunications switching office connected between a telephone network and a group of cell sites that communicate with non-wireline telephone units, comprising:

• a non-wireline telephone switching exchange for routing incoming and outgoing calls between the telephone units and land-based customers served by the telephone network;
• a voice recognizer having a speaker-independent recognition subsystem and a speaker-dependent recognition subsystem for recognizing characters and commands spoken by a non-wireline telephone unit customer, wherein the speaker-independent recognition subsystem recognizes predetermined control commands and characters and the speaker-dependent recognition subsystem recognizes control commands previously stored by the non-wireline telephone unit customer in an off-line process;
• announcing means, responsive to a service request from the non-wireline telephone unit customer, for providing an indication to the non-wireline telephone unit customer indicating that the voice recognizer is prepared to receive identifying information to control a call;
• and
• processor means, operative under the control of a program stored therein and responsive to receipt by the voice recognizer of a spoken command from said telephone unit customer, for controlling the announcing means to request the telephone unit customer to confirm whether identifying information for directing a telephone call entered by the non-wireline telephone unit customer has been properly recognized by the voice recognizer;
• the processor means further operative under the control of said program for transferring dialing information to the non-wireline telecommunications switching office if the identifying information has been properly recognized by the voice recognizer.

A voice recognition system for use in a non-wireline line telecommunications switching office connected between a telephone network and a group of cell sites that communicate with non-wireline units, the non-wireline telecommunications switching office including a non-wireline telephone switching exchange for routing incoming and outgoing calls between the non-wireline units and land-based customers served by the telephone network, comprising:

• a voice recognizer having a speaker-independent recognition subsystem and a speaker-dependent recognition subsystem for recognizing characters and commands spoken by a non-wireline telephone unit customer, wherein the speaker-independent recognition subsystem recognizes predetermined control commands and characters and the speaker-dependent recognition subsystem recognizes control commands previously stored by the non-wireline telephone unit customer in an off-line process;
• announcing means, responsive to a service request from the non-wireline telephone unit customer, for providing an indication to the non-wireline telephone unit customer indicating that the voice recognizer is prepared to receive identifying information to control a call;
• and
• processor means, operative under the control of a program stored therein and responsive to receipt by the voice recognizer of a spoken command from said telephone unit customer, for controlling the announcing means to request the telephone unit customer to confirm whether identifying information for directing a telephone call entered by the non-wireline telephone unit customer has been properly recognized by the voice recognizer;
• the processor means further operative under the control of said program and responsive to confirmation of the identifying information by the non-wireline unit customer for controlling the announcing means to prompt the non-wireline unit customer to answer a question uniquely associated with an authorized user of the non-wireline unit;
• and
• wherein the processor means is further operative under the control of said program and responsive to receipt of a correct answer to the question for transferring dialing information to the non-wireline telecommunications switching office for subsequent action if the identifying information has been properly recognized by the voice recognizer.