Speech processing system based upon a representational state transfer (rest) architecture that uses web 2.0 concepts for speech resource interfaces

Abstract

A speech processing system can include a client, a speech for Web 2.0 system, and a speech processing system. The client can access a speech-enabled application using at least one Web 2.0 communication protocol. For example, a standard browser of the client can use a standard protocol to communicate with the speech-enabled application executing on the speech for Web 2.0 system. The speech for Web 2.0 system can access a data store within which user specific speech parameters are included, wherein a user of the client is able to configure the specific speech parameters of the data store. Suitable ones of these speech parameters are utilized whenever the user interacts with the Web 2.0 system. The speech processing system can include one or more speech processing engines. The speech processing system can interact with the speech for Web 2.0 system to handle speech processing tasks associated with the speech-enabled application.

1 . A speech processing system comprising:
 a client configured to access a speech-enabled application using at least one Web 2.0 communication protocol;   a speech for Web 2.0 system within which the speech-enabled application executes, said speech for Web 2.0 system accessing a data store within which user specific speech parameters are included, wherein a user of the client is able to configure the specific speech parameters of the data store associated with the user, and wherein the speech-enabled application executes in accordance with the specific speech parameters corresponding to the user of the client; and   a speech processing system comprising a plurality of speech processing engines, wherein the speech processing system interacts with the speech for Web 2.0 system to handle speech processing tasks associated with the speech-enabled application.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the specific speech parameters specify at least one of speech resource availability, speech resource characteristics, and speech delivery characteristics. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the Web 2.0 communication protocol is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) based protocol, and wherein the speech processing system interfaces with the speech for Web 2.0 system using an Atom Publication Protocol (APP) based protocol. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein interactions between the speech processing system and the speech for Web 2.0 system occur through one of four RESTful commands, said RESTful commands comprising a GET command, a POST command, a PUT command, and a DELETE command. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said speech-enabled application comprises at least one introspection document, which is used to enable the client to configure the specific speech parameters. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the speech enabled application comprises two collections, one of these collections comprising at least one entry, each entry defining content that is presented to the client, the other one of the collections comprising a collection of resources that include speech processing resources, wherein a one-to-one relationship exists between the speech processing resources of the collection of resources and a type of speech comprising engine of the speech processing system to which the speech processing resource corresponds, said types of speech processing engines including at least two of a recognition engine, a text-to-speech engine, a speech identification and verification (SIV) engine, and a VoiceXML interpreter. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the speech-enabled application is at least one of a WIKI, a BLOG, a MASHUP, a social networking application, and a FOLKSONOMY. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the client comprises a standard Web browser through which the client interfaces with the speech for Web 2.0 system, wherein the Web 2.0 communication protocol is directly supported by the standard Web browser. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a middleware server comprising a standard voice browser, wherein said client interacts with the middleware server over a real-time voice communication channel, wherein the standard voice browser interfaces with the speech for Web 2.0 system, wherein the Web 2.0 communication protocol is directly supported by the standard voice browser.   
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an enterprise server comprising enterprise content, wherein the enterprise server interacts with the speech for Web 2.0 system to permit the client to access the enterprise content by interacting with the speech-enabled application.   
   
   
       11 . A system for using Web 2.0 as an interface to speech engines comprising:
 a Web 2.0 server configured to serve at least one speech-enabled application to at least one remotely located client; and   a server-side speech processing system configured to handle speech processing operations for the at least one speech-enabled application, wherein communications with the server-side speech processing system occur via a set of RESTful commands.   
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein Web 2.0 server utilizes at least one introspection document associated with the speech-enabled application for introspection and discovery of speech resources and to configure the speech resources. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the introspection document and the RESTful commands conform to an Atom Publication Protocol (APP) based specification. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the set of RESTful commands comprise an HTTP GET command, an HTTP POST command, an HTTP PUT command, and an HTTP DELETE command. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein said GET command selectively returns modifiable speech processing capabilities and elements, said GET command also selectively returning speech query results, wherein said POST command selectively provides input to a speech engine and returning output from the speech engine, said output being a processed result of the input, wherein said PUT command selectively updates speech resources for a configuration, said PUT command also selectively installing a speech resource for a configuration, and wherein said DELETE command selectively removes a speech resource from a configuration. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the set of RESTful commands consist of an HTTP GET command, an HTTP POST command, an HTTP PUT command, and an HTTP DELETE command. 
   
   
       17 . A speech for Web 2.0 system comprising:
 a Web 2.0 server configured to serve at least one speech-enabled application to remotely located clients, said speech-enabled application comprising an introspection document, a collection of entries, and a collection of resources, wherein at least one of the resources is a speech resource associated with a speech engine, which adds a speech processing capability to the speech-enabled application.   
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the speech-enabled application conforms to an Atom Publication Protocol (APP) based specification. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the speech engine is a turn-based speech processing engine executing within a JAVA 2 ENTERPRISE EDITION (J2EE) middleware environment. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the Web 2.0 server is configured so that end-users are able to introspect, customize, replace, add, re-order, and remove entries and resources in the collections.