| US 7,580,835 B2 | ||
| Question-answering method, system, and program for answering question input by speech | ||
| Yumi Ichimura, Abiko (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Sep. 22, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/946,514. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2003-428503 (JP), filed on Dec. 25, 2003. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0143999 A1, Jun. 30, 2005 | ||
| Int. Cl. G10L 15/26 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 704—235 | 18 Claims |
| 1. A question answering method for answering a question by using a text database storing text data in conjunction with a speech
database storing speech data, comprising:
receiving a speech signal of the question;
performing a speech recognition for the speech signal to obtain a speech recognition result including a recognition accuracy
evaluation value;
selecting one of the text database and the speech database by comparing the recognition accuracy evaluation value with a threshold
value;
searching the selected database for a search result;
and generating an answer to the question based on the search result;
wherein the speech recognition result includes text data, and wherein: if the recognition accuracy evaluation value is not
less than the threshold value, then the text database is selected and searched by using the text data as a query term; and
if the recognition accuracy evaluation value is less than the threshold value, then the speech database is selected and searched
based on information received from the speech signal.
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