A method includes receiving a training example that includes audio data representing a spoken utterance and a ground truth transcription. For each word in the spoken utterance, the method also includes inserting a placeholder symbol before the respective word identifying a respective ground truth alignment for a beginning and an end of the respective word, determining a beginning word piece and an ending word piece, and generating a first constrained alignment for the beginning word piece and a second constrained alignment for the ending word piece. The first constrained alignment is aligned with the ground truth alignment for the beginning of the respective word and the second constrained alignment is aligned with the ground truth alignment for the ending of the respective word. The method also includes constraining an attention head of a second pass decoder by applying the first and second constrained alignments.

Provided is a system which allows a learner who is a non-native speaker of a given language to intuitively improve pronunciation of the language. A pronunciation conversion apparatus includes a conversion section which converts a first feature value corresponding to a first speech signal obtained when a first speaker who speaks a given language as his/her native language speaks another language such that the first feature value approaches a second feature value corresponding to a second speech signal obtained when a second speaker who speaks the other language as his/her native language speaks the other language, each of the first feature value and the second feature value is a feature value capable of representing a difference in pronunciation, and a speech signal obtained from the first feature value after the conversion is presented to the first speaker.

Provided is a system which allows a learner who is a non-native speaker of a given language to intuitively improve pronunciation of the language. A pronunciation conversion apparatus includes a conversion section which converts a first feature value corresponding to a first speech signal obtained when a first speaker who speaks a given language as his/her native language speaks another language such that the first feature value approaches a second feature value corresponding to a second speech signal obtained when a second speaker who speaks the other language as his/her native language speaks the other language, each of the first feature value and the second feature value is a feature value capable of representing a difference in pronunciation, and a speech signal obtained from the first feature value after the conversion is presented to the first speaker.

The present invention provides a method for speech separation and recognition. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the existing techniques by providing automatic speech recognition and separation that helps managers see what their service agents and customers are saying. From there, quickly and objectively knowing the wishes and concerns of customers as well as whether their service agents can give accurate and correct advice. In addition, the system is constantly updated based on the semi-supervised training mechanism, which means that the system can self-learn from actual data during operation, thereby helping to improve the system's accuracy.

The present invention provides a method for speech separation and recognition. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the existing techniques by providing automatic speech recognition and separation that helps managers see what their service agents and customers are saying. From there, quickly and objectively knowing the wishes and concerns of customers as well as whether their service agents can give accurate and correct advice. In addition, the system is constantly updated based on the semi-supervised training mechanism, which means that the system can self-learn from actual data during operation, thereby helping to improve the system's accuracy.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving audio data including an utterance, obtaining context data that indicates one or more expected speech recognition results, determining an expected speech recognition result based on the context data, receiving an intermediate speech recognition result generated by a speech recognition engine, comparing the intermediate speech recognition result to the expected speech recognition result for the audio data based on the context data, determining whether the intermediate speech recognition result corresponds to the expected speech recognition result for the audio data based on the context data, and setting an end of speech condition and providing a final speech recognition result in response to determining the intermediate speech recognition result matches the expected speech recognition result, the final speech recognition result including the one or more expected speech recognition results indicated by the context data.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving audio data including an utterance, obtaining context data that indicates one or more expected speech recognition results, determining an expected speech recognition result based on the context data, receiving an intermediate speech recognition result generated by a speech recognition engine, comparing the intermediate speech recognition result to the expected speech recognition result for the audio data based on the context data, determining whether the intermediate speech recognition result corresponds to the expected speech recognition result for the audio data based on the context data, and setting an end of speech condition and providing a final speech recognition result in response to determining the intermediate speech recognition result matches the expected speech recognition result, the final speech recognition result including the one or more expected speech recognition results indicated by the context data.

A system, method and apparatus for detecting facial expressions according to EMG signals.

A system, method and apparatus for detecting facial expressions according to EMG signals.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for speech endpointing are described. In one aspect, a method includes the action of accessing voice query log data that includes voice queries spoken by a particular user. The actions further include based on the voice query log data that includes voice queries spoken by a particular user, determining a pause threshold from the voice query log data that includes voice queries spoken by the particular user. The actions further include receiving, from the particular user, an utterance. The actions further include determining that the particular user has stopped speaking for at least a period of time equal to the pause threshold. The actions further include based on determining that the particular user has stopped speaking for at least a period of time equal to the pause threshold, processing the utterance as a voice query.