Windows Speech Recognition: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:20, 15 May 2020

Revision as of 19:28, 15 May 2020

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==History==

Microsoft was involved in speech recognition and [[speech synthesis]] research for many years before WSR. In 1993, Microsoft hired [[Xuedong Huang]] from [[Carnegie Mellon University]] to lead its speech development efforts; the company's research led to the development of the [[Speech Application Programming Interface|Speech API]] (SAPI) introduced in 1994.<ref name="TalkingWindowsVista">{{cite web |url=http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc163663.aspx |title=Exploring New Speech Recognition And Synthesis APIs In Windows Vista |last=Brown |first=Robert |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=MSDN Magazine |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307054756/http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc163663.aspx |archivedate=March 7, 2008 |accessdate=June 26, 2015}}</ref> Speech recognition had also been used in previous Microsoft products. [[Office XP]] and [[Microsoft Office 2003|Office 2003]] provided speech recognition capabilities among [[Internet Explorer]] and [[Microsoft Office]] applications;<ref name="SpeechXP">{{cite web |url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/306901 |title=How To Use Speech Recognition in Windows XP |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=Windows Support |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314222444/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/306901 |archivedate=March 14, 2015 |accessdate=May 15, 2020}}</ref> it also enabled limited speech functionality in [[Windows 98]], [[Windows ME]], [[Windows NT 4.0]], and [[Windows 2000]].<ref name="Description">{{cite web |url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/278927 |title=Description of the speech recognition and handwriting recognition methods in Word 2002 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=Windows Support |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703125056/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/278927 |archivedate=July 3, 2015 |accessdate=March 26, 2018}}</ref> [[Windows XP]] [[Windows XP editions#Tablet PC Edition|Tablet PC Edition]] 2002 included speech recognition capabilities with the Tablet PC Input Panel,<ref name="WindowsXPTabletPCEdition">{{cite web |url=http://winsupersite.com/article/windows-xp2/windows-xp-tablet-pc-edition-reviewed-127413 |title=Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Review |last=Thurrott |first=Paul |authorlink=Paul Thurrott |date=June 25, 2002 |publisher=[[Penton (company)|Penton]] |work=[[Windows IT Pro]] |accessdate=June 26, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Natural">{{cite web |url=http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/8/f/98f3fe47-dfc3-4e74-92a3-088782200fe7/TWDT05006_WinHEC05.ppt |title=Natural Input On Mobile PC Systems |last=Dresevic |first=Bodin |date=2005 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |format=PPT |accessdate=June 26, 2015}}</ref> and [[Microsoft Plus!#Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP|Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP]] enabled voice commands for Windows Media Player.<ref name="VoiceCommand">{{cite web |url=http://winsupersite.com/article/product-review/plus-for-windows-xp-review |title=Plus! for Windows XP Review |last=Thurrott |first=Paul |authorlink=Paul Thurrott |date=October 6, 2010 |publisher=[[Penton (company)|Penton]] |work=[[Windows IT Pro]] |accessdate=June 30, 2015}}</ref> However, these all required installation of speech recognition as a separate component; before Windows Vista, Windows did not include integrated or extensive speech recognition.<ref name="Natural"/> [[Microsoft Office 2007|Office 2007]] and later versions rely on WSR for speech recognition services.<ref name="Office2007SR">{{cite web |url=https://support.office.com/en-us/article/What-happened-to-speech-recognition-c6541b32-82df-4c18-bfa5-c411f45337d3 |title=What happened to speech recognition? |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=Office Support |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110044211/https://support.office.com/en-us/article/What-happened-to-speech-recognition-c6541b32-82df-4c18-bfa5-c411f45337d3 |archivedate=November 10, 2016 |accessdate=May 15, 2020}}</ref>

===Windows Vista===

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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 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=Windows Support |accessdate=June 30, 2015}}</ref> WSR relies on the Speech API developed by MicrosoftSAPI,<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> [[American English|English (U.S.)]], [[British English|English (U.K.)]], [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]], [[Mandarin Chinese]], and [[Spanish language|Spanish]] are supported languages.<ref name="SpeechRecognition">{{cite web |url=https://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windowsvista/speech.aspx |title=Windows Speech Recognition |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=Microsoft Accessibility |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204044614/https://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windowsvista/speech.aspx |archivedate=February 4, 2007 |accessdate=May 15, 2020}}</ref>

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"/> the tutorial 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 through regular use, which adapts it 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 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=Microsoft Accessibility |accessdate=June 26, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Privacy"/> Custom language models for 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 harvest 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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:: '''Keyboard shortcuts:''' "Press ''keyboard key''"; "Press ''{{Keypress|SHIFT}}'' plus ''{{Keypress|a}}''"; "Press capital ''{{Keypress|b}}''."

:: Keys that can be pressed without first giving the press command include: {{Keypress|Backspace}}, {{Keypress|Delete}}, {{Keypress|End}}, {{Keypress|Enter}}, {{Keypress|Home}}, {{Keypress|Page Down}}, {{Keypress|Page Up}}, and {{Keypress|Tab}}.<ref name="CommonCommands"/>

:: '''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 do 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>