1. A user interface system comprising:
a plurality of nodes organized into a graph of information wherein at least one node is a source node having focus, and one or more nodes forming a sub-hierarchy of the source node and represented in a view in relation to the source node by inclusion, and where one or more nodes connecting to the focus are represented in relation to the focus in a manner adjacent to the focus,
a means for rendering nodes that operates according to a set of parameters that define the representation and position of nodes in the view, such that the nodes connected to the focus are represented in a view in an adjacent relation to the focus, and where the one or more nodes forming a sub-hierarchy of the source node is represented in a view in relation to the source node by inclusion.
2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the means for rendering nodes also defines the representation of links that connect one node to another node, and where one of the parameters in the set defining the representation and position of nodes in the view, relates to the angular range and effects the positions of individual branches, links and positions of relational nodes.
3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the means for rendering nodes also defines the representation of links that connect one node to another node, and where one of the parameters in the set defining the representation and position of nodes in the view, relates to the angular center and effects the positions of individual branches, links and positions of relational nodes.
4. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the means for rendering nodes is capable of producing a visual cue to the user to indicate that a node in the view is connected to other nodes that are not displayed in the view.
5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the means for rendering nodes is capable of producing a scaled representation of adjacent nodes in the system whereby according to a context-to-focus parameter, the scale adjustment of adjacent nodes in relation to the scale of the focus node is produced.
6. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the means for rendering nodes is capable of producing a fractal or radial relational view.
7. The user interface of claim 6, wherein the radial view produces nodes arranged in concentric circles.
8. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the means for rendering nodes is capable of producing a view selected from the group consisting of hierarchical, relational and mixed.
9. The user interface of claim 1, wherein a mixed view is selected and the means for rendering nodes produces nodes that appear to float above other nodes.
10. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the means for rendering nodes produces a representation of nodes according to a minimum node size.
11. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the means for rendering nodes in the view with a node to indicate that the node contains sub-hierarchy that is completely hidden.
12. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the means for rendering nodes in the view produces a representation of nodes using visual cues to facilitate user navigation in the system.
13. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user adjustment of one or more parameters results in the display of few or many nodes to simplify exploration or facilitate an individual’s understanding of the entire hierarchy of information, respectively.
14. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the graph of information relates to a member of the set consisting of query result set from database engine, query result set from internet search engine and file store.
15. The user interface of claim 1, wherein a parameter in the set used to render the representation of nodes in the view is selected from the group consisting of relational angular range, relational angular center, adjacency border ratio, context-to-focus ratio, maximum relational path length, relational layout, link-to-node ratio, view mode, multiple instance hiding flag, and maximum arrowhead path distance.
16. The user interface of claim 1, wherein a user may select a node in the view to designate the selected node as the new focus node.
17. The user interface of claim 16, wherein upon selection of a node in the view, the means for rendering nodes in the view produces an animation showing the transition from the original focus to the new focus node.
18. A user interface system comprising:
a plurality of nodes organized into a graph of information wherein at least one node is a source node having focus, and one or more nodes forming a sub-hierarchy of the source node and represented in a view in relation to the source node by inclusion, and where one or more nodes connecting to the focus are represented in relation to the focus in a manner adjacent to the focus,
a means for rendering nodes that operates according to a set of parameters that define the representation and position of nodes in the view, such that the nodes connected to the focus are represented by a visual cue in a view in an adjacent relation to the focus and according to the parameters, and where the one or more nodes forming a sub-hierarchy of the source node is represented by a visual cue in a view in relation to the source node by inclusion according to the parameters, and
wherein a user may select a node in the view to designate the selected node as the new focus node.
19. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the means for rendering nodes also defines the representation of links that connect one node to another node, and where one of the parameters in the set defining the representation and position of nodes in the view, relates to the angular range and effects the positions of individual branches, links and positions of relational nodes.
20. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the means for rendering nodes also defines the representation of links that connect one node to another node, and where one of the parameters in the set defining the representation and position of nodes in the view, relates to the angular center and effects the positions of individual branches, links and positions of relational nodes.
21. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the means for rendering nodes is capable of producing a visual cue to the user to indicate that a node in the view is connected to other nodes that are not displayed in the view.
22. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the means for rendering nodes is capable of producing a scaled representation of adjacent nodes in the system whereby according to a context-to-focus parameter, the scale adjustment of adjacent nodes in relation to the scale of the focus node is produced.
23. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the means for rendering nodes is capable of producing a fractal or radial relational view.
24. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the radial view produces nodes arranged in concentric circles.
25. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the means for rendering nodes is capable of producing a view selected from the group consisting of hierarchical, relational and mixed.
26. The user interface of claim 18, wherein a mixed view is selected and the means for rendering nodes produces nodes that appear to float above other nodes.
27. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the means for rendering nodes produces a representation of nodes according to a minimum node size.
28. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the means for rendering nodes in the view with a node to indicate that the node contains sub-hierarchy that is completely hidden.
29. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the means for rendering nodes in the view produces a representation of nodes using visual cues to facilitate user navigation in the system.
30. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the user adjustment of one or more parameters results in the display of few or many nodes to simplify exploration or facilitate an individual’s understanding of the entire hierarchy of information, respectively.
31. The user interface of claim 18 wherein the graph of information relates to a member of the set consisting of query result set from database engine, query result set from internet search engine and file store.
32. The user interface of claim 18, wherein a parameter in the set used to render the representation of nodes in the view is selected from the group consisting of relational angular range, relational angular center, adjacency border ratio, context-to-focus ratio, maximum relational path length, relational layout, link-to-node ratio, view mode, multiple instance hiding flag, and maximum arrowhead path distance.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A speech recognition system, comprising:
a voice command interpreter having a speech recognition engine and one or more pieces of grammar associated with the speech recognition engine wherein the one or more pieces of grammar contains a word and information about one or more homonyms for the word that are inserted into the one or more pieces of grammar of the speech recognition engine for the word to create an ambiguity between the word and the one or more homonyms; and
the voice command interpreter identifies a correct interpretation for a received word that has the one or more homonyms based on the received word and the one or more pieces of grammar for the word that includes the inserted information about the one or more homonyms.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice command interpreter further comprises a disambiguation unit that is triggered by the ambiguity between the received word and the one or more homonyms wherein the disambiguation unit generates a voice prompt to a user with information about each of the one or more homonyms to identify the correct interpretation for the received word.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the received word is a name.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more pieces of grammar associated with the speech recognition engine further comprises a first word and a second word that cannot be distinguished and wherein the first word and the second word each have a piece of information that allows the voice command interpreter to identify a correct interpretation for a received word that can be the first word or the second word based in the piece of information for the first word and the second word.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the voice command interpreter further comprises a disambiguation unit that is triggered by the ambiguity between the first word and the second word wherein the disambiguation unit generates a voice prompt to a user with each of the first word and the second word and the piece of information associated with the first word and the second word to identify the correct interpretation for the received word.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the piece of information associated with the first and second words further comprises a phrase that disambiguates the first word from the second word.
7. The system of claim 5, wherein the piece of information associated with the first and second words further comprises a spelling that disambiguates the first word from the second word.
8. The system of claim 5, wherein the word is a name.
9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a wireless communication system that incorporates the voice command interpreter wherein a voice command from a user in the wireless communication system is interpreted by the voice command interpreter.
10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a grammar database that stores the one or more pieces of grammar.
11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a homonym detection unit that detects if a word in the one or more pieces of grammar associated with the speech recognition engine has one or more homonyms.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the homonym detection unit further comprises a plurality of line of computer code executed by a processing unit associated with the speech recognition system.
13. A method for speech recognition, comprising:
inserting information about one or more homonyms for the word into the grammar of a speech recognition engine for the word to create an ambiguity between the word and the one or more homonyms;
receiving a voice command containing at least one word; and
identifying a correct interpretation for the at least one word based on the at least one word in the voice command and the grammar for the word that includes the inserted information about the one or more homonyms.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein identifying a correct interpretation further comprises triggering a disambiguation unit due to the ambiguity between the one or more homonyms and generating a voice prompt to a user with information about each of the one or more homonyms to identify the correct interpretation for the received word.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the received word is a name.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more pieces of grammar associated with the speech recognition engine further comprises a first word and a second word that cannot be distinguished and wherein the first word and the second word each have a piece of information that allows the voice command interpreter to identify a correct interpretation for a received word that can be the first word or second word based in the piece of information for the first word and the second word.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein identifying a correct interpretation further comprises triggering a disambiguation unit that is triggered by the ambiguity between the first word and the second word and generating a voice prompt to a user with each of the first word and the second word and the piece of information associated with the first word and the second word to identify the correct interpretation for the received word.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the piece of information associated with the first word and the second word further comprises a phrase that disambiguates the first word from the second word.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the piece of information associated with the first word and the second word further comprises a spelling that disambiguates the first word from the second word.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein the word is a name.
21. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing a grammar database that stores the one or more pieces of grammar.
22. The method of claim 13 further comprising detecting if a word in the one or more pieces of grammar associated with the speech recognition engine has one or more homonyms.
23. A voice controlled wireless communications system, comprising:
a central computing device unit;
one or more concentrators coupled to the central computing device unit over a link wherein each network concentrator communicates with the central computing device unit, each network concentrator having a coverage range;
a plurality of wireless devices that wirelessly communicate with a network concentrator when the wireless device is in the coverage range of the network concentrator; and
the central computing device unit further comprising a voice command interpreter having a speech recognition engine and one or more pieces of grammar associated with the speech recognition engine wherein the one or more pieces of grammar contains a word and information about one or more homonyms for the word that are inserted into the one or more pieces of grammar of the speech recognition engine for the word to create an ambiguity between the word and the one or more homonyms; and
the voice command interpreter identifies a correct interpretation for a received word that has the one or more homonyms based on the received word and the one or more pieces of grammar for the word that includes the inserted information about the one or more homonyms.
24. The system of claim 23, wherein the voice command interpreter further comprises a disambiguation unit that is triggered by the ambiguity between the one or more homonyms wherein the disambiguation unit generates a voice prompt to a user with information about each of the one or more homonyms to identify the correct interpretation for the received word.
25. The system of claim 24, wherein the received word is a name.
26. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more pieces of grammar associated with the speech recognition engine further comprises a first word and a second word that cannot be distinguished and wherein the first word and the second word each have a piece of information that allows the voice command interpreter to identify a correct interpretation for a received word that can be the first word and the second word based in the piece of information for the first word and the second word.
27. The system of claim 26, wherein the voice command interpreter further comprises a disambiguation unit that is triggered by the ambiguity between the first word and the second word wherein the disambiguation unit generates a voice prompt to a user with each of the first word and the second word and the piece of information associated with the first word and the second word to identify the correct interpretation for the received word.
28. The system of claim 27, wherein the piece of information associated with the first word and the second word further comprises a phrase that disambiguates the first word from the second word.
29. The system of claim 27, wherein the piece of information associated with the first word and the second word further comprises a spelling that disambiguates the first word from the second word.
30. The system of claim 27, wherein the word is a name.
31. The system of claim 23 further comprising a grammar database that stores the one or more pieces of grammar.
32. The system of claim 23 further comprising a homonym detection unit that detects if a word in the one or more pieces of grammar associated with the speech recognition engine has one or more homonyms.
33. The system of claim 32, wherein the homonym detection unit further comprises a plurality of line of computer code executed by a processing unit associated with the speech recognition system.