Windows Speech Recognition: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:17, 13 May 2020

Revision as of 22:12, 13 May 2020

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| caption = The tutorial for Windows Speech Recognition in [[Windows Vista]] depicting the selection of text in [[WordPad]] for deletion.

| developer = [[Microsoft]]

| released = {{Start date and age|2007|01|0330}}

| operating system = [[Windows Vista]] and later

| genre = [[Speech recognition]]

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==Overview and features==

WSR allows a user to control the Windows [[desktop metaphor|desktop]] [[user interface]] through voice commands. Applications—including most of those bundled with Windows—can be controlled through voice commands.<ref name="Guide"/> Users can dictate text within documents, email, and forms; control the operating system user interface; perform [[keyboard shortcut]]s; and move the [[cursor (computing)|mouse cursor]].<ref name="CommonCommands">{{cite web |url=http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/common-speech-recognition-commands#1TC=windows-vista |title=Common commands in Speech Recognition |author=[[Microsoft]] |work=Windows How-to |accessdate=June 30, 2015}}</ref> WSR relies on the Speech API developed by Microsoft,<ref name="TalkingWindowsVista"/> and third-party applications must support the Text Services Framework for dictation; the majority of integrated applications in Windows Vista can be controlled through speech.<ref name="Guide">{{cite web |url=https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb530325.aspx |title=Windows Vista Speech Recognition Step-by-Step Guide |last=Phillips |first=Todd |date=2007 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=[[MSDN]] |accessdate=June 30, 2015}}</ref> The following languages are supported: [[traditional Chinese characters|Chinese (Traditional)]], [[simplified Chinese characters|Chinese (Simplified)]], [[American English|English (U.S.)]], [[British English|English (U.K.)]], [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]], and [[Spanish language|Spanish]].<ref name="SpeechRecognition"/>

When WSR is started for the first time, it presents an optional interactive step-by-step tutorial that users can commence to learn basic commands while adapting the recognizer to their specific voice characteristics;<ref name="Guide"/> Accuracythe oftutorial is estimated to require approximately 10 minutes to complete.<ref name="MSR8">{{cite web |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/3124761/windows/the-windows-weakness-no-one-mentions-speech-recognition.html |title=The Windows weakness no one mentions: Speech recognition |last=Hachman |first=Mark |date=May 10, 2017 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] |work=[[PC World]] |accessdate=March 28, 2018}}</ref> The accuracy of the recognizer increases regular through use, which adapts the recognizerit to contexts, grammars, patterns, and vocabularies.<ref name="SpeechRecognition">{{cite web |url=https://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windowsvista/speech.aspx |title=Windows Speech Recognition |author=[[Microsoft]] |work=Microsoft Accessibility |accessdate=June 26, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Privacy"/> Custom language models that adapt the recognizer to the specific contexts, phonetics, and terminologies of users in particular occupational fields such as legal or medical are also supported.<ref name="CustomizedVocabularies">{{cite web |url=https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/robch/2005/09/20/customized-speech-vocabularies-in-windows-vista/ |title=Customized speech vocabularies in Windows Vista |last=Chambers |first=Rob |date=September 20, 2005 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=[[Microsoft Developer Network|MSDN]] |accessdate=March 29, 2018}}</ref> With [[Windows Search]],<ref name="ThurrottAllchin">{{cite web |url=http://www.itprotoday.com/jim-allchin-talks-windows-vista |title=Jim Allchin Talks Windows Vista |last=Thurrott |first=Paul |authorlink=Paul Thurrott |date=October 6, 2010 |publisher=[[Penton (company)|Penton]] |work=[[Windows IT Pro]] |accessdate=March 29, 2018}}</ref> the recognizer also can optionally analyze and collectharvest text in documents, email, as well as handwritten [[tablet PC]] input to contextualize and disambiguate terms to improve accuracy; no information is sent to Microsoft.<ref name="Privacy">{{cite web |url=http://download.microsoft.com/download/7/9/4/7945a146-fc32-48c2-8c14-83b1b36696e5/Windows%20Vista%20Privacy%20Statement.rtf |title=Windows Vista Privacy Statement |author=[[Microsoft]] |date=2006 |format=RTF |accessdate=July 1, 2015}}</ref>

WSR is a locally processed speech recognition platform; it does not rely on cloud computing for accuracy, dictation, or recognition.<ref name="MicrosoftPrivacyStatement">{{cite web |url=https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement |title=Microsoft Privacy Statement |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |accessdate=May 12, 2020}}</ref> Speech profiles that store information about users are retained locally.<ref name="Privacy"/> Backups and transfers of profiles can be performed via [[Windows Easy Transfer]].<ref name="Transfer">{{cite web |url=http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robch/archive/2007/02/15/transferring-windows-speech-recognition-profiles-from-one-machine-to-another.aspx |title=Transferring Windows Speech Recognition profiles from one machine to another |last=Chambers |first=Rob |date=February 15, 2007 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=[[Microsoft Developer Network|MSDN]] |accessdate=June 28, 2015}}</ref>

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[[File:WSR-AlternatesPanel.png|thumb|200px|right|The alternates panel displaying suggestions for a phrase.]]

====Alternates panel====

An alternates panel disambiguation interface displays a list oflists items interpreted as being relevant to a user's spoken word(s); if the word or phrase that a user desired to insert into an application is listed among results, a user can speak the corresponding number of the word or phrase in the results and confirm this choice by speaking "OK" to insert it within the application.<ref name="Modes">{{cite web |url=http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robch/archive/2007/11/19/speech-macros-typing-mode-and-spelling-mode-in-windows-speech-recognition.aspx |title=Speech Macros, Typing Mode and Spelling Mode in Windows Speech Recognition |last=Chambers |first=Rob |date=November 19, 2007 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=[[Microsoft Developer Network|MSDN]] |accessdate=August 25, 2015}}</ref> The alternates panel will also appear when launching applications or speaking commands that refer to more than one item (e.g., speaking "Start Internet Explorer" may list both the web browser and a separate version of it with browser add-ons disabled). However, anAn ''ExactMatchOverPartialMatch'' entry in the [[Windows Registry]] entry can limit commands to items with exact names if there is more than one instance included in results.<ref name="Clarification">{{cite web |url=http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robch/archive/2007/05/07/windows-speech-recognition-exactmatchoverpartialmatch.aspx |title=Windows Speech Recognition - ExactMatchOverPartialMatch |last=Chambers |first=Rob |date=May 7, 2007 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=[[Microsoft Developer Network|MSDN]] |accessdate=August 24, 2015}}</ref>

===Common commands===

Listed below are common WSR commands. Words in ''italics'' indicate a word that can be substituted for athe desired item (e.g., the word "direction" in the "scroll ''direction''" command can be substituted with the word "''down''").<ref name="CommonCommands"/> A "start typing" command enables WSR to interpret all dictation commands as keyboard shortcuts.<ref name="Modes"/>

: '''Dictation commands:''' "New line"; "New paragraph"; "Tab"; "Literal ''word''"; "Numeral ''number''"; "Go to ''word''"; "Go after ''word''"; "No space"; "Go to start of sentence"; "Go to end of sentence"; "Go to start of paragraph"; "Go to end of paragraph"; "Go to start of document" "Go to end of document"; "Go to ''field name''" (e.g., go to ''address'', ''cc'', or ''subject''). Special characters, such as a comma, can beare dictated by speaking the name of the special character.<ref name="CommonCommands"/>

: '''Navigation commands:'''

:: '''Keyboard shortcuts:''' "Press ''keyboard key''"; "Press ''{{Keypress|SHIFT}}'' plus ''{{Keypress|a}}''"; "Press capital ''{{Keypress|b}}''."

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:: '''Mouse commands:''' "Click"; "Click ''that''"; "Double-click"; "Double-click ''that''"; "Mark"; "Mark ''that''"; "Right-click"; "Right-click ''that''"; [[Windows Speech Recognition#Mousegrid|Mousegrid]].<ref name="CommonCommands"/>

:: '''Window management commands:''' "Close (alternatively maximize, minimize, or restore) window"; "Close ''that''"; "Close ''name of open application''"; "Switch applications"; "Switch to ''name of open application''"; "Scroll ''direction''"; "Scroll ''direction'' in ''number of pages''"; "Show desktop"; "[[Windows Speech Recognition#Show numbers|Show numbers]]."<ref name="CommonCommands"/>

: '''Speech recognition commands:''' "Start listening"; "Stop listening"; "Show speech options"; "Open speech dictionary"; "Move speech recognition"; "Minimize speech recognition."; "Restore speech recognition".<ref name="CommonCommands"/> In the English language, applicable commands can be shown by speaking "What can I say?"<ref name="SpeechRecognition"/> Users can also query the recognizer about tasks in Windows by speaking "How cando I ''task name''" (e.g., "How do I install a printer?") which opens related help documentation.<ref name="General Commands">{{cite web |url=https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/robch/2007/03/12/windows-speech-recognition-general-commands/ |title=Windows Speech Recognition: General commands |last=Chambers |first=Rob |date=March 12, 2007 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=[[Microsoft Developer Network|MSDN]] |accessdate=May 1, 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Mousegrid.png|thumb|160px|right|The MouseGrid command displaying a grid of numbers on the Windows Vista desktop.]]

====''MouseGrid''====

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==Performance==

{{As of|2017}} WSR uses Microsoft Speech Recognizer 8.0, the version introduced in Windows Vista. For dictation it was found to be 93.6% accurate without training by Mark Hachman, a Senior Editor of ''[[PC World]]''—a rate that is not as accurate as competing software. According to Microsoft, the rate of accuracy when trained is 99%. Hachman opined that Microsoft does not publicly discuss the feature because of the 2006 incident during development of Windows Vista, with the result being that few users knew that documents could be dictated within Windows before the introduction of [[Cortana]].<ref name="MSR8">{{cite web |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/3124761/windows/the-windows-weakness-no-one-mentions-speech-recognition.html |title=The Windows weakness no one mentions: Speech recognition |last=Hachman |first=Mark |date=May 10, 2017 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] |work=[[PC World]] |accessdate=March 28, 2018}}</ref>

==See also==