Web site or directory search using speech recognition of letters

Abstract

A mobile telephone is used to search the web site (or computer database) of an entity to find information such as in an FAQ. The user speaks the first few letters of a word (or the first few letters of each of a string of words) into the telephone. The spoken letters are converted into text, search words are formed and the search is sent to the web site. A match results in the answer to the question being returned to the user. Once the first letters are spelled out, the latter letters are essentially redundant, and software can figure out what the intended word is. Error correction is used if the user or speech engine makes a mistake. Confidence values are output by the speech engine when recognizing a spoken letter. The location of each letter and the number of letters spoken is taken into account when attempting a match. The search technique not only matches recognized letters, but also matches their determined location within a search word. The user is provided with a choice if there is more than one match. The user provides their preferred delivery means (voice, SMS, e-mail, facsimile, etc.) on input. Also, a Web server implements a telephone directory that may be citywide, statewide, countrywide or even global. A user speaks a few letters in order find a telephone number of a person or business.