METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC SPEECH RECOGNITION IN TELEPHONY

Disclosed is a method and system for utilizing supplemental data to enable a voice-driven telecommunication services system to build a speech recognition template data base. Such supplemental data includes textual name data associated with many or all of a telecommunication subscriber's incoming and outgoing calls. The textual name data, which typically represents the calling or called party's name, is used to generate a speech recognition template using text-to-speech methods. The number and the speech recognition template may then be recorded in a data base to facilitate voice-driven services in connection with that party. A method according to the present invention includes obtaining a first input, where the first input identifies an aspect of a telecommunication network user. The first input may, for example, be the telephone number of the telecommunication network user. Then, supplemental information that is related to the first input in a supplemental data base is identified and retrieved from the supplemental data base. The supplemental information may, for example, be the textual name data associated with the telecommunication network user. This supplemental information is then utilized to create a speech recognition template. The speech recognition template may thereafter be used to recognize a second input, said second input comprising a spoken utterance and containing information representative of the supplemental information.