Support for IBM ViaVoice
98 for
Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT
Technical support: frequently
asked questions (Questions apply to all ViaVoice 98 Editions
unless otherwise noted)
Click on the question number to see the answer
Section 1
- Installation and configuration |
1.1 |
|
What
releases of Microsoft** Word does ViaVoice* 98 support
and how much memory does my system require to
run both ViaVoice 98 and a supported version of MS Word? |
1.2 |
|
Does
ViaVoice 98 support Windows NT**? |
1.3 |
|
What is
Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA)? |
1.4 |
|
I just
bought a new computer to run ViaVoice 98. I have all my
user data from a previous speech product on my old
computer. Can I take my user data from an earlier speech
product on my old computer and restore it on my new
computer to use with ViaVoice 98? |
1.5 |
|
What user
data is migrated and available to me on ViaVoice 98 using
Migrate Users? |
1.6 |
|
Can I
install ViaVoice 98 over any of the previous versions of
VoiceType* or ViaVoice on the same computer? |
1.7 |
|
When I
upgrade from a previous version of VoiceType or ViaVoice
to ViaVoice 98 on the same machine, is my personal data
(enrollment, added words, navigation and dictation macros
and statistics) migrated as well? |
1.8 |
|
I have
partitioned my hard drive Can I install ViaVoice 98 on
one partition and any other version of VoiceType or
ViaVoice on my other partition? |
1.9 |
|
I want to
uninstall my previous version of VoiceType before I put
ViaVoice 98 on my system. How do I delete the previous
version? |
1.10 |
|
How do I
reinstall a previous VoiceType or Via Voice version after
I have installed ViaVoice 98, VoiceType Simply Speaking,
VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold, ViaVoice and ViaVoice
Gold? |
1.11 |
|
How can I
uninstall and reinstall ViaVoice 98 without losing my
user data (e.g. enrollments)? |
1.12 |
|
I deleted
the files and program folders through the Windows 95
Explorer, but the product is still on my system. |
1.13 |
|
Will
additional vocabularies available with VoiceType
Dictation 3.0.x and VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold work
with ViaVoice 98? |
1.14 |
|
When
available, can more than one language of ViaVoice 98 be
installed in the same system? |
1.15 |
|
I have a
sound card that is not advertised as a 100% Sound Blaster
compatible. Can I still use it for ViaVoice 98? |
1.16 |
|
I have
Windows 98 and I'm getting a message stating that the
"operating system does not support Voice
Commands" when starting VoiceCenter.
|
1.17 |
|
Is ViaVoice 98
Year 2000 (Y2K) ready?
|
1.18 |
|
I have Windows NT and when I
install ViaVoice 98 on my IBM ThinkPad, I'm getting a message stating that
"the system failed to play a sound."
|
2.1 |
|
What is the
User Wizard? |
2.2 |
|
What is the
difference between Microphone (Mic Jack) and Line In
Device? |
2.3 |
|
I have
purchased a device which uses the Line In Jack. How do I
switch devices from the headset that came in the box to
my new device which now uses the line in jack?
|
Section 3
- Audio Setup Wizard |
3.1 |
|
What is the
Audio Setup Wizard? |
3.2 |
|
When should
I run the Audio Setup Wizard? |
3.3 |
|
Can any
other microphones be used? |
3.4 |
|
I didn't get
a power adapter (black) with my microphone. |
3.5 |
|
Do I need to
use microphone adapters for my microphone? |
3.6 |
|
Can I use
the microphone that shipped with my computer (or the
built-in microphone, if there is one)? |
3.7 |
|
How often
should I change the batteries in the microphone battery
adapter? |
3.8 |
|
I have a
Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 sound card and I am having
a problem with microphone setup.
|
4.1 |
|
What is
enrollment and is it required? |
4.2 |
|
In the US
English version, which script should I read for
enrollment and when do I use the other scripts? |
4.3 |
|
How many
sentences should I read for Enrollment? |
4.4 |
|
Does
ViaVoice 98 continue to learn after I've completed the
enrollment process? |
4.5 |
|
What if I
just retype the misrecognized words? |
4.6 |
|
What if I do
not speak with a native accent for the language version I
have installed? |
4.7 |
|
What shall I
do if my screen turns dark while enrolling? |
4.8 |
|
How do I add
new users? |
4.9 |
|
How do I
create new enrollments?
|
Section 5
- General dictation and SpeakPad |
5.1 |
|
How do I
start and stop dictation in SpeakPad? |
5.2 |
|
I want to
stop dictation and perform other command and control type
functions (e.g. File, Save, etc..) and then start
dictating intothe same document again. How do I do this
and how does ViaVoice 98 know when I'm dictating and when
I'm issuing commands? |
5.3 |
|
How do I
correct errors in SpeakPad? |
5.4 |
|
Can I just
select misrecognized text and redictate or retype it? |
5.5 |
|
I used to be
able to double click on a word that I wanted to correct
and hear it playback? How come this does not work? |
5.6 |
|
Can I use
commands to format my document as I speak? |
5.7 |
|
What is the
difference between isolated-word speech and continuous
speech? |
5.8 |
|
How does the
system learn as I correct mistakes in SpeakPad? |
5.9 |
|
Once I've
dictated a document in SpeakPad, how do I transfer it to
another application? |
5.10 |
|
Is it
possible to add an alternate pronunciation for an
existing word in the vocabulary? |
5.11 |
|
My
recognition was good, but it now has deteriorated. Why? |
5.12 |
|
How do I
dictate numbers? |
5.13 |
|
How can I
improve my recognition performance with ViaVoice 98? |
5.14 |
|
Can I save a
voice session to a diskette or other removable cartridge
like device such as an IOMega Zip or Jazz Drive? |
5.15 |
|
I want to
open a saved speech session but it takes a long time to
load.
|
Section 6
- Dictating into MS-Office 97 |
6.1 |
|
How do I
dictate into MS-Office 97? |
6.2 |
|
How do I
dictate into a earlier version of MS Word. |
6.3 |
|
What are
natural commands in MS Office 97? |
6.4 |
|
How do I
correct errors in MS-Office 97? |
6.5 |
|
Occasionally,
I do not want dictate support to automatically load in
MS-Word. How can I stop this without having to actually
uninstall dictation support?
|
Section 7
- ViaVoice Outloud - Text to Speech |
7.1 |
|
Can I have
text in files read to me? |
7.2 |
|
When reading
the dictated text in SpeakPad, the volume is extremely
low compared to the volume of correcting dictation
errors. How can I increase the volume?
|
Section 8
- ViaVoice Options |
8.1 |
|
How do I
change users if more than one user has enrolled? |
8.2 |
|
What is the
Recognition Sensitivity used for under the ViaVoice
Options, Voice page? |
8.3 |
|
What is the
Recognition Performance used for under the ViaVoice
Options Voice page? |
8.4 |
|
What is the
Topics field under ViaVoice Options, User tab? |
8.5 |
|
Are the
topics available every time I start the VoiceCenter? |
8.6 |
|
What are the
Formatting and Formatting-2 tabs used for in ViaVoice
Options?
|
Section 9
- ViaVoice 98 Macros |
9.1 |
|
I am a
previous speech product user and I used the "Where
Can I Go" command macro frequently. Why is it not
being recognized? (Executive and Office Editions only) |
9.2 |
|
How can I
view a list of programs that I want to navigate to by
Voice? (Executive and Office Editions only) |
9.3 |
|
There are
red x's next to some of my program names. What does that
mean? (Executive and Office Editions only) |
9.4 |
|
How can I
train or add program names that I want to go to by voice?
(Executive and Office Editions only) |
9.5 |
|
I just
installed a new software package and it is not listed in
my "What Can I Say", "View",
"Desktop" under Program Names. How do I add it?
(Executive and Office Editions only) |
9.6 |
|
What is the
difference between the View and Action items on the Menu
bar? |
9.7 |
|
What's the
difference between dictation macros and
navigation/control macros? (Executive and Office Editions
only) |
9.8 |
|
Where are my
navigation and control macros shown? (Executive and
Office Editions only) |
9.9 |
|
What are
Select Lists used for in What Can I Say macros?
(Executive and Office Editions only) |
9.10 |
|
What are
Actions used for in What Can I Say macros? (Executive and
Office Editions only) |
9.11 |
|
What is the
difference between an application macro and an always
active macro? (Executive and Office Editions only) |
9.12 |
|
Sometimes my
commands are written as dictated text and my dictated
text is executed like a command. Why?
|
Section
10 - ViaVoice Direct (Executive Edition Only) |
10.1 |
|
I issued the
command "Dictate Directly" and received a
message to place the cursor inside an application that
accepts text. When I place the cursor in the application,
nothing happens. |
10.2 |
|
I am having
problems using ViaVoice Direct dictating into some
applications. The information displayed in the
application which I am using with ViaVoice Direct is not
correct. What can be the problem? |
10.3 |
|
When I
dictate directly into an application using ViaVoice
Direct, the system does not perform as well as when I
dictateinto SpeakPad.
|
Section
11 - Vocabulary Expander |
11.1 |
|
How can I
quickly add words to my vocabulary and improve
recognition? |
11.2 |
|
When I
analyze text the system hangs.
|
Section
12 - Vocabulary Manager |
12.1 |
|
How do I see
my added words, and when would I want to delete a word?
|
Section
13 - Hardware and software requirements |
13.1 |
|
What are the
minimum hardware and software requirements?
|
Section
14 - Known limitations |
14.1 |
|
Are there
any known limitations?
|
Answers
section 1 - Installation and configuration |
1.1
|
What
releases of Microsoft's Word does ViaVoice 98 support and
how much memory does my system require to run both
ViaVoice 98 and a supported version of MS Word?
MS Word release 8 (MS-Office97) is supported on Windows
95, Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0 The minimum
specification for running ViaVoice 98 with Microsoft Word
8 is 48MB under Windows 95 and Windows 98 (or 64MB under
Windows NT 4.0). However, like with any software,
increasing the processor and/or the memory will improve
the speed of decoding, but will not improve the
recognition performance. |
1.2 |
Does
ViaVoice 98 support Windows NT?
Yes. It supports Windows NT 4.0 You must have
administrator privileges during the installation of
ViaVoice 98 under Windows NT. |
1.3 |
What is
Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA)?
Microsoft Active Accessibility is a program interface
that supports special needs applications such as screen
reading or speech applications. It allows these
applications to be more easily enabled for disabled
individuals. |
1.4 |
I just
bought a new computer to run ViaVoice 98. I have all my
user data from a previous speech product on my old
computer. Can I take my user data from an earlier speech
product on my old computer and restore it on my new
computer to use with ViaVoice 98?
Yes, on most of the previous versions of the speech
products, you will be able to migrate your user data from
one machine to another. After you have installed ViaVoice
98, click Start> Programs>IBM ViaVoice>Tools,
then click on Migrate Users and follow the directions in
the window. |
1.5 |
What user
data is migrated and available to me on ViaVoice 98 using
Migrate Users?
- VoiceType Simply Speaking 3.0.x, VoiceType Simply
Speaking Gold 3.5. ViaVoice 98 will migrate your
added words and dictation macros. Navigation macros
cannot be migrated. You will need to enroll again. The
reason for re-enrolling is because isolated speech is
different from continuous speech and there are
differences in the speech engine on both of the products.
- ViaVoice 4.1 and 4.1.1, ViaVoice Gold 4.3 and
4.3.0.1 will migrate your enrollment, added words and
dictation macros. Navigation macros cannot be migrated.
- User data for VoiceType 3.0x and prior versions
will not be migrated from another machine.
|
1.6 |
Can I
install ViaVoice 98 over any of the previous versions of
VoiceType or ViaVoice on the same computer?
Yes. It is possible to install ViaVoice 98 over
-VoiceType Simply Speaking 3.01, 3.02
-VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold 3.5
-ViaVoice 4.1 and 4.1.1
-ViaVoice Gold 4.3 and 4.3.1For any other product, you have to uninstall
the product first.
|
1.7 |
When I
upgrade from a previous version of VoiceType or ViaVoice
to ViaVoice 98 on the same machine, is my personal data
(enrollment, added words, navigation and dictation macros
and statistics) migrated as well?
-If you install ViaVoice 98 over ViaVoice or ViaVoice
Gold, all user data (enrollment, added words,
navigation and dictation macros, and statistics will be
migrated during installation.
-If you install ViaVoice 98 over VoiceType Dictation
3.0.x, VoiceType Simply Speaking or VoiceType
Simply Speaking Gold, your added words and dictation
macros will be migrated. Your enrollments will be saved,
but cannot be used in ViaVoice 98. You will need to
enroll again. The reason for re-enrolling is because
isolated speech is different from continuous speech and
there are differences in the speech recognizer on both of
the products.
-User data prior to VoiceType Dictation 3.0x will
not be migrated from another machine. |
1.8 |
I have
partitioned my hard drive Can I install ViaVoice 98 on
one partition and any other version of VoiceType or
ViaVoice on my other partition?
ViaVoice 98 cannot coexist with other versions of
VoiceType or ViaVoice on the same system because it uses
common registry entries, the same speech engine,
directory structure and program files. Unless you have
two separate copies of the operating system (for example,
two copies of Windows 95 each running in its own primary
partition), you will not be able to run ViaVoice 98 and
VoiceType or ViaVoice on the same computer. |
1.9 |
I want to
uninstall my previous version of VoiceType before I put
ViaVoice 98 on my system. How do I delete the previous
version?
IBM VoiceType Diction version 3.0.x, VoiceType Simply
Speaking versions 3.0.x, Voice Type Simply Speaking Gold,
ViaVoice, and ViaVoice Gold are equipped with an
uninstall Program you can find in the tools folder of
each of these products. You must run this uninstall
program to successfully delete any entries that were made
to the Windows 95 Registry. VoiceType Dictation version
1.32, and earlier versions, will have to be removed using
the Add/Remove Programs icon in the control Panel of
Windows 95. Be sure to select "YES" to delete
all shared filed when prompted. Be sure to always reboot
your system after installing and prior to reinstalling
any speech software. |
1.10 |
How do I
reinstall a previous VoiceType or Via Voice version after
I have installed ViaVoice 98, VoiceType Simply Speaking,
VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold, ViaVoice and ViaVoice
Gold?
To reinstall Simply Speaking, Simply Speaking Gold,
ViaVoice or ViaVoice Gold, uninstall ViaVoice 98, shut
down and restart your computer, and then reinstall Simply
Speaking, Simply Speaking Gold, ViaVoice or ViaVoice Gold
in the same directory. Your enrollments and other
personal data will be restored.
To reinstall VoiceType Dictation 3.0.x, uninstall
ViaVoice 98, shutdown and restart you computer, then
install VoiceType Dictation in its original directory
(x:\ibmvtype). |
1.11 |
How can I
uninstall and reinstall ViaVoice 98 without losing my
user data (e.g. enrollments)?
When you reinstall ViaVoice 98, be sure to specify the
same drive and directory where ViaVoice 98 was installed
previously. That way, you will not lose any user data or
enrollments from the previous installation. |
1.12 |
I deleted
the files and program folders through the Windows 95
Explorer, but the product is still on my system.
You should not delete the files and program folders
through the Explorer. Instead, you should use the
uninstall program provided in the product. IBM VoiceType
Dictation, VoiceType Simply Speaking, VoiceType Simply
Speaking Gold, ViaVoice, and ViaVoice 98 versions are
equipped with an uninstall program. You must run this
uninstall program to successfully delete any entries that
were made to the Windows 95 Registry.
VoiceType Dictation version 1.32, and earlier versions,
will have to be removed using the Add/Remove Programs
icon in the Control Panel of Windows 95. After
uninstalling a version of VoiceType or ViaVoice, make
sure you shut down and restart your system before
installing any version of VoiceType or ViaVoice. |
1.13 |
Will
additional vocabularies available with VoiceType
Dictation 3.0.x and VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold work
with ViaVoice 98?
No. ViaVoice 98 does not support vocabularies which have
been created for VoiceType Dictation 3.0.x and VoiceType
Simply Speaking Gold. Isolated vocabularies will only
work with discrete applications which are based on our
isolated technology. Vocabularies that will work with
ViaVoice 98 are planned to be available shortly (please
refer to http://www.ibm.com/viavoice for availability information). |
1.14 |
When
available, can more than one language of ViaVoice 98 be
installed in the same system?
Yes, multiple languages can be installed. A user ID may
have multiple languages under the same user ID by
creating different language enrollments. However, only
one language may be active at a time. To install an
additional language, use the normal installation
procedure. The order of installation makes no difference.
The following are restrictions for installing multiple
languages on the same system: |
|
- One of the languages
installed should be the same as the Operating
System language in order for both navigation and
dictation to work properly. Navigation will be
restricted in languages other than the installed
operating system.
- Additional language
installations must be installed with the same
edition ie. a Home Edition of one language must
be installed with the Home Edition of another.
Mixing of editions is not supported.
|
1.15 |
I have a
sound card that is not advertised as a 100% Sound Blaster
compatible. Can I still use it for ViaVoice 98?
ViaVoice 98 uses a powerful technology. If your sound
card and PC do not meet the minimum requirements,
ViaVoice 98 will not work adequately on your PC. |
1.16 |
I have
Windows 98 and I'm getting a message stating that the
"operating system does not support Voice
Commands" when starting VoiceCenter.
Make sure that you have all of the Accessibility Options
installed. To install, click start>settings>control
program and then click on add/remove programs. Click on
the Windows Setup tab.
|
1.17 |
Is ViaVoice 98
Year 2000 (Y2K) ready?
The ViaVoice 98 editions do not have date dependencies and are therefore year 2000 ready. When used in
accordance with its associated documentation, each edition is capable of correctly processing, providing,
and/or receiving date data within and between the 20th and 21st centuries, provided all other
products (for example, software, hardware, and firmware) used with the product properly exchange
accurate date data within it.
|
1.18 |
I have Windows NT and when I
install ViaVoice 98 on my IBM ThinkPad, I'm getting a message stating that
"the system failed to play a sound."
This is most likely due to a problem with your ThinkPad's mwave audio driver. A fix is available
from the IBM ThinkPad Support Website. Before you leave this site, obtain your laptop's ThinkPad family
name (ie. 760XD) and the model number (ie. F9E). Once you get to the ThinkPad site and select your family
and model, click on downloadable files, and then Mwave. The Update should be found as "Mwave patch for ViaVoice 98
for Windows NT". Follow the instructions to download and install the fix. Click
here to go to the
IBM ThinkPad Support website.
|
Answers
section 2 - User Wizard |
2.1 |
What is
the User Wizard?
The User Wizard is a tool that is designed to improve the
out of the box experience. It will be started
automatically
for you any time a new user is added to the system. The
User Wizard basically collects information about new
users, runs the Quick Tours to show you how to use the
system, runs through the Audio Setup Wizard to help set
audio levels and runs the mini-enrollment to improve
initial accuracy and performance. |
2.2 |
What is
the difference between Microphone (Mic Jack) and Line In
Device?
Microphones should not be plugged into a Line-in jack.
Most microphones are designed to plug into the
"Microphone Input" jack of your computer. Some
devices use an external amplifier to increase the signal
level of the microphone which should then be plugged into
the "Line-in" jack of the computer. The Line In
Device is only to be used with 3rd party software
products. |
2.3 |
I have
purchased a device which uses the Line In Jack. How do I
switch devices from the headset that came in the box to
my new device which now uses the line in jack?
The base ViaVoice 98 product does not support line-in
devices. If you purchased additional software which uses
the line-in jack, please refer to the additional software
documentation.
|
Answers
section 3- Audio Setup Wizard |
3.1 |
What is
the Audio Setup Wizard? The Audio Setup Wizard is a
tool located in ViaVoice 98 Tools folder that helps you
connect the IBM ViaVoice 98 microphone headset to your
computer and helps you configure your audio settings. The
Audio Setup Wizard does the following: |
- Shows you have to
connect the IBM ViaVoice 98 microphone headset to
your computer.
- Tests your existing
audio setup.
- Adjusts the
microphone volume.
- If you've changed
your microphone.
- Setting up your
microphone correctly is the single most important
thing you can do to enhance the use of ViaVoice
98. Proper microphone set up, and correct audio
settings are required to achieve the highest
recognition accuracy.
|
3.2 |
When
should I run the Audio Setup Wizard?
You should run the Audio Setup Wizard: |
- BEFORE you begin your
first ViaVoice 98 session.
- If your recognition
accuracy has deteriorated.
- If you've changed
your sound card.
- If you've changed
your microphone.
- If you've switched
users, and optionally, every time you put the
headset on to ensure good mic placement.
|
3.3 |
Can any
other microphones be used?
You can use many microphones for speech recognition;
however, not all microphones will produce satisfactory
results. Several microphones have been tested and found
to produce dictation accuracy consistent with the
microphone included with the product. Please click an up
to date list of tested microphones.here to be linked to
|
3.4 |
I didn't
get a power adapter (black) with my microphone.
Not all IBM ViaVoice 98 microphones require the power
adapter (black). The NC-50u and NC-80u (also called
NC-80) have the power adapter built-in to their tips.
Therefore they are not supplied with a separate power
adapter.
|
3.5 |
Do I need
to use microphone adapters for my microphone?
The Audio Setup Wizard gives you instructions on what
microphone adapters to use, depending on the sound card
it detects.
-Signal adapter (light gray); this adapter reduces the
microphone signal. It is used with sound cards that
require a weak microphone signal. The Audio Setup Wizard
will give you instructions if this adapter is required.
-Power adapter (black); if you have one of the ViaVoice
98 microphones Andrea NC-50 and ANC-500, you may require
power. Most sound cards provide power to the microphone,
but not all sound cards provide this power in the same
way. This is why the power adapter (black) is necessary
for some sound cards. For instance, the Sound Blaster **
cards usually require the power adapter (black). However,
the other ViaVoice 98 microphones (Andrea NC-50u and
NC-80u) have the power adapter built in to their tips and
is therefore not shipped as a separate item in your
microphone package.
-ThinkPad adapter - Most IBM ThinkPad models do not
provide microphone power using the mic jack. An adapter
is required to acquire the power from the small silver
ring surrounding the mic jack. All Models of the 380,
385, 560, 760, 765 and 770 families of ThinkPads need a
ThinkPad Adapter (blue) for use with the Speech
Microphone. The only presently shipping model which needs
no power adapter (blue) is ThinkPad 310. This adapter
(blue) will only work on the IBM ThinkPad brand laptops
and is included in the microphone package in the box.
-Battery adapter: A few sound cards and other laptop
computers do not provide microphone power. For those, you
must use the battery adapter. If you require a battery
adapter, please contact Andrea Electronics (information
included with the headset). Try the microphone both with
and without the black power adapter (if supplied with
your microphone), following the instructions in the Audio
Setup Wizard, before deciding to use the battery adapter.
Don't forget to install two fresh AAA batteries in the
correct orientation into the battery adapter before using
it. Even if it seems that your sound card needs the
battery adapter, you may not, in fact, need it. Some
sound cards have the ability to provide microphone power,
but this feature is disabled. To enable the feature,
carefully read the documentation for your sound card; you
might need to set a jumper or run a setup utility. If you
do not have documentation for your card, contact your
computer or sound card manufacturer and ask if and how
your particular sound card can provide power to
microphones so that you can avoid using the battery
adapter and having to buy batteries. Note: to increase
the life of the batteries, unplug the microphone from the
battery adapter when you are not using it.
|
3.6 |
Can I use
the microphone that shipped with my computer (or the
built-in microphone, if there is one)?
We recommend using the microphone supplied with your
ViaVoice 98 product. This microphone has noise canceling
capabilities and was specifically designed for speech
recognition. However, if you have another microphone for
your computer, you can use it
to make sure that the computer's sound system works
before you plug in the microphone for ViaVoice 98. For
this pretest, make a test recording of your voice in the
Windows Sound Recorder found at
Start>Programs>Accessories>Multimedia. Again,
use this microphone only for testing the sound system --
not for ViaVoice 98 speech recognition. Some computers
allow you to plug the microphone into your monitor. Do
not use the microphone-in jack on the side of the
monitor. Instead, make sure that you plug the microphone
directly into your system unit or sound card's
microphone-in jack. This will help avoid getting any
interference from your monitor through the microphone.
|
3.7 |
How often
should I change the batteries in the microphone battery
adapter?
The microphone draws power from the battery adapter even
when the microphone is off. To increase the life of the
batteries, unplug the microphone from the battery adapter
when you are not using it. If you leave the microphone
plugged into the battery box or if you are using ViaVoice
98 on a daily basis, you should change the batteries
every month or so.
|
3.8 |
I have a
Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 sound card and I am having
a problem with microphone setup.
If you Sound Blaster 16 has Auto Gain Control (AGC), you
should make sure the box is checked. Please refer to the
ViaVoice 98 README for complete instructions on how to do
this. Note: Removing or disabling components in this
manner may affect the functionality or performance
of your sound card and other software.
|
Answers
section 4 - Enrollment |
4.1 |
What is
enrollment and is it required?
Enrollment is the process of teaching ViaVoice 98 your
voice so your speech can be recognized with greater
accuracy and efficiency. Although ViaVoice 98 interprets
speech accurately most of the time, enrollment is
strongly recommended prior to using the product in order
to improve your recognition accuracy and speed. The
enrollment should not be confused with the short speech
recognition task in the User Wizard where each user must
speak only 2 sentences. The wizard is using a small
sample of your speech to adapt to your voice. The
enrollment process consists of reading a minimum number
of sentences, depending on the script you choose to read.
|
4.2 |
In the US
English version, which script should I read for
enrollment and when do I use the other scripts?
You may choose any of the four scripts depending on
personal preference. Each script will give you a brief
description about what you are going to read and the
level of reading difficulty. Depending on which script
you choose, you will be given a minimum number of
sentences to read before you can start training your
enrollment. Reading all scripts does not improve
your recognition accuracy. It is only necessary to read
one script.
|
4.3 |
How many
sentences should I read for Enrollment?
Although you can start using IBM ViaVoice 98 out of the
box, we STRONGLY recommend that you do the short
enrollment to improve recognition accuracy. The short
enrollment requires that you read a minimum number of
sentences, which varies depending on the script you
choose to read. After reading the sentences, you will be
prompted to select Train. Unless you have a heavy accent,
the short enrollment should suffice. If you decide not to
train and continue reading beyond the minimum number of
sentences, you should then complete the full enrollment
of the remaining sentences. The remaining number of
sentences left to read will vary depending on the script
you are using. For this reason, we suggest that you
choose to train after reading the minimum number of
sentences required by the script. You still have the
option to do the full enrollment by going back and
reading the remaining sentences later.
|
4.4 |
Does
ViaVoice 98 continue to learn after I've completed the
enrollment process?
Yes, but in a different way. After you have processed
your enrollment, IBM ViaVoice 98 updates your personal voice
model helping to improve your recognition
performance. Whenever you use the error correction
function ("Correct This") to correct
recognition mistakes, IBM ViaVoice 98 will learn by
updating your personal language model with the
context of the corrected word. Essentially, doing word
correction allows ViaVoice 98 to learn from its mistakes
and recognize the corrected word next time you speak it.
|
4.5 |
What if I
just retype the misrecognized words?
ViaVoice 98 will not learn its mistakes if you just
retype the word. You should use the error correction
function ("Correct This") to fix
misrecognitions.
|
4.6 |
What if I
do not speak with a native accent for the language
version I have installed?
If you do not have a native accent for that language, or
if you have a strong regional accent, and are frequently
getting
"red" words while reading the enrollment
sentences, decrease the recognition sensitivity as
follows:- Click
"Options" in the Enrollment panel.
- Move the slider to the left in the "Match word to
sound" section by clicking the
"Approximate" arrow 3 to 5 times.
- Click "OK", then click "YES".
However, do not forget that most times problems with
"red" words occur because of incorrect
positioning of the Microphone. Make sure that your
microphone is positioned and adjusted properly by running
Microphone Setup before you start the Enrollment.
|
4.7 |
What
shall I do if my screen turns dark while enrolling?
As the enrollment process does not require you to touch
your mouse or keyboard, your screen saver might become
active. Please disable it while enrolling.
|
4.8 |
How do I
add new users?
To add new users to your ViaVoice 98 System, please use
the Add User... button in IBM ViaVoice Options. This can
be found under: Start -> Programs -> IBM ViaVoice
-> Tools -> ViaVoice Options. The Add User...
button is under the User tab.
|
4.9 |
How do I
create new Enrollments?
Having separate enrollments allow you to use the system
in different environments or use different microphones,
with the advantage of having one set of macros, added
words and personal language model information. You can
add new enrollments using ViaVoice Options under the user
tab.
|
Answers
section 5 - General dictation and SpeakPad |
5.1 |
How do I
start and stop dictation in SpeakPad?
If you are a previous speech product user, you will
notice that in ViaVoice 98, it is no longer necessary to
say "Begin Dictation" or "Stop
Dictation". As a matter of fact, you will notice
that those audio prompts that used to let you know when
you could start and stop dictation, no longer exist.
Instead, when you click the microphone to turn it on,
just say the command "Dictate to SpeakPad". As
soon as SpeakPad comes up, you may start dictating
immediately. When you want to stop dictating, simply
issue the command "Go to Sleep". This puts the
microphone to sleep so that it does not process any
commands or dictation. ViaVoice 98 is still listening for
"Wake Up", so if you are not going to use the
speech product for a long period of time (longer than 15
minutes), we recommend that you turn the microphone off
by issuing the command "Microphone Off".
|
5.2 |
I want to
stop dictation and perform other command and control type
functions (e.g. File, Save, etc..) and then start
dictating into the same document again. How do I do this
and how does ViaVoice 98 know when I'm dictating and when
I'm issuing commands?
You can issue commands and dictation without any special
commands to change modes. This is otherwise known as
modeless dictation. When you get to a place in your
document that you want to stop dictating and use some
command and control functions, (i.e. File, Save, etc..),
pause slightly just before and after you issue your
commands. This is how ViaVoice 98 determines the
difference between dictation and commands. When you are
ready to begin dictating again, issue the command
"Go to SpeakPad" or click on the SpeakPad
Window to make sure that it has focus, then begin
speaking again.
|
5.3 |
How do I
correct errors in SpeakPad?
With the microphone turned on, say "Select
<text>", where <text> is the word or
words that you see on the screen that need correcting.
Say "Correct This". The correction window
appears and the selection appears in the Correction
window with a numbered list of alternative choices. If
you see the correct word in the list, Say Pick <n>
where <n> is the number of a word or phrase in the
list, or if the word does not appear in the numbered
list, do one of the following:
- Spell the word or words using letters or the phonetic
alphabet, and then say Correct. - Type the correct word,
and then say Correct.
|
5.4 |
Can I
just select misrecognized text and redictate or retype
it?
Selecting misrecognized text and redictating or retyping
it is quicker than using the Correction window, but it
does not update your personal language model and ViaVoice
won't learn by using this method. Use this method if you
don't want ViaVoice to add this word to your personal
vocabulary or if you changed your mind about a particular
word while proofreading. An example of this is, "I
want to buy the green car". If you are proofing and
decide you want to replace "green" with
"blue", then you should redictate the word
"green" or retype it.
|
5.5 |
I used to
be able to double click on a word that I wanted to
correct and hear it playback. How come this does not
work? |
|
In ViaVoice
98, you can enable this feature by going into ViaVoice
Options, Correction Tab and put a check mark in the box
next to Playback on double click. This feature is
disabled by default since playback requires the mic to be
switched off for a few seconds.
|
5.6 |
Can I use
commands to format my document as I speak?
Yes, you can now use inline commands to format your
document as you are dictating. For example, you can say
commands like "Bold This" to make the next word
that you dictate appear in bold letters. You can also use
commands like "Bold On" to make the words you
dictate appear in bold until you say "Bold
Off". You need to pause slightly before and after
the command.
|
5.7 |
What is
the difference between isolated-word speech and
continuous speech?
Isolated-word speech is speaking with small pauses
between your words. Continuous speech allows you to speak
without pauses between your words, however you should
speak at a moderate pace and pronounce each word clearly.
It is important not to slur your words together. You
should take the Quick Tour to learn how to speak when
dictating with IBM ViaVoice 98.
|
5.8 |
How does
the system learn as I correct mistakes in SpeakPad?
As soon as you correct a word, the correction is saved in
memory and is available during your dictation session.
Once you close your SpeakPad dictation session, the
correction is saved to disk and your speech data is
updated with the correct pronunciation of a new word and
the context usage of the misrecognized word.
|
5.9 |
Once I've
dictated a document in SpeakPad, how do I transfer it to
another application?
First make sure the other application is active. Say
"Dictate to SpeakPad". After you have completed
a dictation session in SpeakPad and corrected any errors,
you can transfer the text to the application which
accepts text input (e.g. a word processor) by saying
"Transfer", or with the left mouse button,
click the Transfer icon in the icon toolbar (this will
transfer the text automatically to the last application
that you used) or click and drag the icon with your mouse
pointer to the opened application window where you want
to transfer the dictated text. The formatting of the
document in SpeakPad WILL NOT be preserved in the other
application.
|
5.10 |
Is it
possible to add an alternate pronunciation for an
existing word in the vocabulary?
No. Not directly, but ViaVoice 98 will recognize that you
are having misrecognition problems after correcting the
same word a few times and will prompt you for a new
pronunciation for that word. There are exceptions to this
rule for words such as 'a', 'an', 'the' and other very
common words. You can also create a macro for this word
and train it with an alternate pronunciation.
|
5.11 |
My
recognition was good, but it now has deteriorated. Why?
Several factors could account for this problem:
- Although ViaVoice 98 automatically restores your audio
settings, these settings might have been manually changed
or you may have positioned your mic differently than the
first time you ran through the Audio Wizard. - Please re-run the Audio Setup
Wizard. This will readjust your audio settings so that
ViaVoice 98 will work correctly.
- You might not be using
your own speaker model. Make sure you use the correct
user name that contains your own personal voice model and
language model. VoiceCenter displays the current user in
the right side of the display. Hold your cursor over this
name to get additional information about this user.
- You can use the IBM
ViaVoice Options to check and change users. Never let
anyone else dictate with your user name.
- You might be positioning
your microphone incorrectly. The microphone boom should
be angled toward the corner of your mouth (not up or
down) so that the flat part on the microphone element
under the foam faces the corner of your mouth. The Audio
Setup Wizard illustrates the correct positioning of the
microphone.
- Make sure that you are
not breathing directly into the microphone mouthpiece or
speaking too loudly when dictating. Also, make sure the
foam microphone wind screen is attached and in place.
- The batteries in your
battery adapter may be running low. If you are using the
battery adapter, try using fresh batteries.
|
5.12 |
How do I
dictate numbers?
In ViaVoice 98, you now have several options that you can
choose from which allows you to select how you want your
numbers to be displayed. In addition, it allows you to
speak your numbers more naturally as you would in a
normal conversation. See the ViaVoice 98 User Guide for
instructions and examples of number dictation.
|
5.13 |
How can I
improve my recognition performance with ViaVoice 98?
Here are some tips on how to improve your recognition
performance:- Use
the Audio Setup Wizard everytime you put on your headset.
- Use speech correction to
correct a word that ViaVoice 98 misrecognizes and teach
it how to display the word. Speech correction adjusts
your personal speech files so that ViaVoice 98 remembers
the correction each time you say the word.
- There are several
methods for error correction using ViaVoice 98. Please
refer to your "How Do You Dictate and Correct
Errors" in the on-line help.
- ViaVoice 98 is a
continuous speech program. However, you will still need
to ensure that you dictate at a moderate rate of speed
and pronounce your words clearly. Do not slur your words
together.
- It is important to speak
in a normal tone of voice. If the audio level is low (not
reaching the green in the microphone input level), move
the microphone closer to the side of your mouth, or rerun
the Audio Setup program to readjust your microphone
settings.
- The microphone position
is very important for good recognition accuracy. Be sure
that the microphone boom bends toward your mouth. The
microphone should be about 20 mm (3/4 inch) away from
your face. It should be a little to the side of your
mouth so that you do not breathe into it.
- If you have enrolled,
use the same microphone and sound card that you used for
enrollment when you dictate. Although you can move your
speech data to another computer, your accuracy might not
be as good as on the system you used to enroll. So if you
switch computers, sound card, or microphone, and you want
the highest possible dictation accuracy, rerun Audio
Setup and re-enroll on the new system!
- If you want to interrupt
your dictation, for example in order to answer the phone
or talk to someone, first stop your dictation by saying
"Microphone Off" or "Go to Sleep" or
by clicking on the microphone to turn the mic off.
|
5.14 |
Can I
save a voice session to a diskette or other removable
cartridge like device such as an IOMega Zip or Jazz
Drive?
One minute of dictation equals approximately 1MB of disk
space, because ViaVoice 98 saves your original dictation
audio. A two page document could be as large as 30-40MB
of disk space. Therefore, you will be limited not only on
the size of the document you want to save but also how
many documents you could save as a result of the size.
Since these files are so large, they can take a long time
to save, especially if you are using a parallel port
attached drive. We recommend that you save the file to
your hard drive and then use a file copy command to copy
them to your removable drive. |
5.15 |
I want to
open a saved speech session but it takes a long time to
load.
A speech session contains a lot of information. Therefore
it might take some time to open it. If you have to save
very long sessions we would recommend to use SpeakPad
rather than Word. |
Answers
section 6 - Dictating into MS-Office 97 |
6.1 |
How do I
dictate into MS-Office 97?
From the VoiceCenter with the microphone turned on, issue
the command "Dictate to Word". |
6.2 |
How do I
dictate into an earlier version of MS Word.
You can open MS Word, and then say "Dictate
Directly". |
6.3 |
What are
natural commands in MS Office 97?
Natural commands are voice commands that enable you to
use flexible style and everyday language to perform
common word-processing tasks. An example of issuing a
natural command would be:SELECT LAST PARAGRAPH
CHANGE THE FONT TO ARIAL 10 POINT BOLD
Some people have
difficulty making the system recognize their natural
commands as commands to MS Word as opposed to dictate
text. You can optionally use the attention word COMPUTER
to let ViaVoice 98 know that what follows is a command
and not dictated text. For example, COMPUTER SELECT LAST
PARAGRAPH.
|
6.4 |
How do I
correct errors in MS-Office 97?
Say "Select <text>", where <text>
is the word or words that you see on the screen that need
correcting. Say "Correct This". The correction
window appears and the selection appears in the
correction window with a numbered list of alternative
choices. If you see the correct word in the list Say Pick
<n>, where <n> is the number of a word or
phrase in the list.or
If the word does not
appear in the numbered list, do one of the following:
Spell the word or words using letter or the phonetic
alphabet, and then say CORRECT.
Type the correct word, and then say CORRECT.
|
6.5 |
Occasionally,
I do not want dictate support to automatically load in
MS-Word. How can I stop this without having to actually
uninstall dictation support?
While MS-Word is loading, hold the shift key. This will
prevent dictation from automatically loading. Dictation
will still be a menu item on the action bar, however, the
support will not load. If you want to re-enable dictation
support, close down MS-Word and then re-open MS-Word
again.
|
Answers
section 7 - ViaVoice Outloud - Text to Speech |
7.1 |
Can I
have text in files read to me?
Yes, ViaVoice 98 has a text to speech option, ViaVoice
Outloud. Dictate some text or open a file using SpeakPad,
say "Begin Reading". All of the text in the
file will be read back. To have portions of text read
instead of the complete file, highlight the portion you
want read and then select "Begin Reading". The
first time you do this, the IBM Text to Speech icon will
appear on the right on the Taskbar. Right mouse click on
the IBM ViaVoice Outloud icon and select Help to find out
how you can use IBM ViaVoice Outloud.
|
7.2 |
When
reading the dictated text in SpeakPad, the volume is
extremely low compared to the volume of correcting
dictation errors. How can I increase the volume?
You can use the Audio Mixer (by running the Volume
Control applet in the Accessories/Multimedia folder) to
increase the playback volume.
|
Answers
section 8 - ViaVoice Options |
8.1 |
How do I
change users if more than one user has enrolled?
Start IBM ViaVoice Options located in the Tools folder
within the IBM ViaVoice 98 program folder. You must click
the User tab and select a new user from the drop down
menu. If you have multiple enrollments for the same user
(for example, one for a noisy environment and one for a
quieter environment), or multiple languages installed,
you can switch enrollments and languages from this menu
as well. You can make these changes by clicking on
"OK".Note:
If any speech applications are active, you will be
prompted to close them before the changes take effect.
|
8.2 |
What is
the Recognition Sensitivity used for under the ViaVoice
Options, Voice page?
The recognition sensitivity slider does not affect the
recognition for dictation. However, it is used to relax
or tighten the acceptance of the pronunciation of words
read during enrollment, and when you control your PC by
voice with command words. If the pronunciation doesn't
match the expected pronunciation of the word read during
enrollment, ViaVoice will reject the sentence by
highlighting this sentence in red. ViaVoice will be more
likely to reject sentences when this slider is moved
closer towards "Exact Match". If during
enrollment you get a lot of red sentences, you can move
the slider closer to "Best Guess". This will
help reduce the number of red words. This is particularly
important for people with heavy accents. This setting is
the same as the Match Word to Sound setting under Options
in Enrollment.
|
8.3 |
What is
the Recognition Performance used for under the ViaVoice
Options Voice page?
The Recognition Performance setting is used to increase
performance or accuracy depending upon your system
configuration. In general, if your system has a lower
speed Pentium processor (166MHz, for example), ViaVoice
98 will AUTOMATICALLY adjust the recognition performance
to "fast" or "balanced". This will
speed up recognition processing at the slight expense of
accuracy. If your system has a higher speed Pentium
processor (200MHz, for example), ViaVoice 98 will again
AUTOMATICALLY adjust recognition performance to
"accurate". This will improve recognition
accuracy with a small degradation of speed. In few cases,
it may be necessary to make these adjustments manually,
however, it is highly recommended that this option remain
automatic.
|
8.4 |
What is
the Topics field under ViaVoice Options, User tab?
A Topic is like a new type of
"mini-vocabulary". Each topic will consist of
words and pronunciations covering a specific subject.
ViaVoice 98 contains two Topics - Computer and Business
Finance. It is different from a Vocabulary in that it can
be active along with the General Dictation Vocabulary
installed in the system. In addition, you can have a
number of topics active at the same time whereas before
you could only have one specialized Vocabulary available
at a time.
|
8.5 |
Are the
topics available every time I start the VoiceCenter?
The Topics that you have activated are remembered from
session to session. You do not have to activate the
Topics every time you start the VoiceCenter. You can
activate or deactivate Topics by going into ViaVoice
Options, User tab, select (highlight) any of the
available Topics to activate them or select any of the
highlighted ones to deactivate them, then click OK. At
this point, the Continuous General Dictation vocabulary
and your selected Topics are active and available for
use.
|
8.6 |
What are
the Formatting and Formatting-2 tabs used for in ViaVoice
Options?
The Formatting tab is used for selecting the way you want
dictated numbers to be displayed. For example, if you
dictate the number three, you can choose to have it
displayed as the number 3 as opposed to the word three.
Formatting-2 tab is used for selecting the way you want
dates and times displayed. For example, if you dictate
the date "May 1st", you can choose to have it
displayed as May 1st or May first or 5/1. If you dictate
10:00 o'clock, you can choose to have it displayed as
10:00, 10:00 o'clock or ten o'clock.
|
Answers
section 9 - ViaVoice 98 macros |
9.1 |
I am a
previous speech product user and I used the "Where
Can I Go" command macro frequently. Why is it not
being recognized?
The "Where Can I Go" command macro no longer
exists in ViaVoice 98 because this new version of speech
technology allows you to say what you see. For example,
if you want to go to your inbox from the Desktop, you
would just issue the command "Go To program
Inbox" or "Go to program Recycle Bin".
Another example would be if you wanted to go to one of
your programs that is not on your Desktop (i.e. one of
the applications listed under Start, Programs). For
example, if you wanted to go to the Windows Explorer, you
can issue the command "Go To program Windows
Explorer".
|
9.2 |
How can I
view a list of programs that I want to navigate to by
Voice?
To view a list of programs that you can go to by using
voice commands, say "What Can I Say",
"View", "Desktop". There is a section
called Program Names which gives you a list of programs
that you can go to by issuing voice commands.
|
9.3 |
There are
red x's next to some of my program names. What does that
mean?
The red X indicates that you must train ViaVoice 98 to
recognize the name of the program before it will be
recognized by voice commands.
|
9.4 |
How can I
train or add program names that I want to go to by voice?
In the "What Can I Say" window,
"View", "Desktop", under Program
Names, highlight the name of the application that has the
red X next to it, then click on Action, Train.
|
9.5 |
I just
installed a new software package and it is not listed in
my "What Can I Say", "View",
"Desktop" under Program Names.
How do I add it?
Close down the VoiceCenter and then restart it.
|
9.6 |
What is
the difference between the View and Action items on the
Menu bar?
The View menu shows a list of categories that the user
can access. Each category contains a list of different
command names. For example, if you select ViaVoice, this
window gives you a list of commands that are available
for the SpeechBar, such as Microphone Off and Go To
Sleep. If you select to view Text Editing, this will show
a list of commands available for text editing, such as
Next Character, Previous Character, Next Word, etc... The
Action Menu allows you to Train words, application names,
etc.
|
9.7 |
What's
the difference between dictation macros and
navigation/control macros?
Dictation macros are used to substitute frequently used
text for a short expression during dictation, e.g.
"business address" could print off the details
of your office address. Navigation/control macros are
voice-command shortcuts for actions within applications
and objects on your Windows desktop, e.g. "show
calendar" to open the Lotus Organizer diary.Note: The Users Guide and the
on-line help gives further information and tips on
dictation macros as well as navigation/control macros.
The Dictation Macro Editor allows you to create dictation
macros and voice templates. Note that although dictation
macros are active in all methods of dictation, voice
templates are only active in SpeakPad.
|
9.8 |
Where are
my navigation and control macros shown?
ViaVoice displays macros commands in What can I Say
whenever the commands are active. You can find your
application macros in the Active Program view and the
always active macros in the VoiceCenter view. When your
macros are active, you can simply say the name of the
commands, and the Navigation Macro Center automatically
carries out the macro.
|
9.9 |
What are
Select Lists used for in What Can I Say macros?
Macro select lists add useful function to command and
control macros. For example, you can use macro lists in
the "What Can I Say?" window to create a macro
for creating a list of your colleagues' names
(variables). Then create an application macro using the
list to type a colleague's name into the name field of an
email message, tab to the body field of the message,
paste from the clipboard, and send the message. Name the
macro appropriately (Send to <person>, where
<person> is a name from the list). Please reference
your User's Guide or On-line Help for detailed
instructions on creating navigation macros. |
9.10 |
What are
Actions used for in What Can I Say macros?
You can insert pre-defined commands (actions) into macros
which enable you to automate such tasks as starting an
application after a series of keystrokes or mouse clicks,
Variables may be added in the form of lists. For example,
you could create an always active macro (named Copy for
email) that selects the text in a word processing file
and copies the text to the clipboard. Complete the macro
by inserting an action to start your email application. |
9.11 |
What is
the difference between an application macro and an always
active macro?
Application macros are commands that carry out a series
of actions in a specific program. They are active only
where the program for which they were created is the
active program. Always active macros are commands that
send a series of keystrokes to the active program or
highlighted object. They are active whenever VoiceCenter
is running. |
9.12 |
Sometimes
my commands are written as dictated text and my dictated
text is executed like a command. Why?
With modeless navigation and dictation, you need to be
aware of how you are issuing commands and how you are
dictating text. When dictating text, remember that you
are using continuous speech (i.e. you do not need to
pause between words). When issuing commands, pause
briefly just before and after issuing the commands. Some
commands are not available for use at all times with all
applications. For example, if you are in SpeakPad and you
have not dictated any text yet and you issue the command
"Show Correction Window", the command is
recognized in the VoiceCenter; however, no action will
take place as there is no text to correct.
|
Answers
section 10 - ViaVoice Direct |
10.1 |
I issued
the command "Dictate Directly" and received a
message to place the cursor inside an application that
accepts text. When I place the cursor in the application,
nothing happens.
Open the program that you are going to dictate directly
into prior to issuing the Dictate Directly command. If
you accidentally issue the command prior to opening the
application, just open the application, make sure the
cursor is in the application at the position where you
want to start dictating, and then re-issue the Dictate
Directly command. |
10.2 |
I am
having problems using ViaVoice Direct dictating into some
applications. The information displayed in the
application which I am using with ViaVoice Direct is not
correct. What can be the problem?
If ViaVoice Direct is working correctly with other
applications, but is doing strange things in one specific
applications, try disabling infirm word display by
removing the check mark from "Show Infirm
Words" in ViaVoice Options, under the Dictation tab.
During dictation, infirm words are tentatively recognized
by ViaVoice as possibly fitting the context of the
dictation. If "Show Infirm Words" is enabled,
the infirm word is displayed in reverse video
(highlighted), and may change as the dictation
progresses, depending on the context of the words
following the infirm word. With some applications the
process of highlighting and modifying the infirm words
may cause problems to that application. |
10.3 |
When I
dictate directly into an application using ViaVoice
Direct, the system does not perform as well as when I
dictate into SpeakPad.
Because SpeakPad is controlled by the speech engine in
ViaVoice 98, you may notice that the words appear in
SpeakPad faster than when dictating using ViaVoice
Direct. However, the accuracy of the dictated text is the
same in both methods of dictation.
|
Answers
section 11 - Vocabulary Expander |
11.1 |
How can I
quickly add words to my vocabulary to improve
recognition?
By using Vocabulary Expander, you can analyze text and
add words to your current Added Words List. Vocabulary
Expander also helps ViaVoice 98 learn your dictation
patterns, and updates your personal language model via
the "Words in Context" dialog. This helps
improve dictation accuracy. To analyze text you can open
a file which has previously been created (in text or MS
Word Office 97 format), copy text from the clipboard, or
create text in the Vocabulary Expander by using your
keyboard. Vocabulary Expander will be able to analyze the
text, allow you to select words you wish to add, and
train the words you added. Most of the words you will add
will be in the ViaVoice 260,000 word
pronunciation/spelling dictionary and therefore, you will
not be prompted to provide a pronunciation for them. |
11.2 |
When I
analyze text the system hangs.
Your system probably does not hang. Analyzing text is a
very intense procedure. Please be patient until the
system has finished the process.
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Answers
section 12 - Vocabulary Manager |
12.1 |
How do I
see my added words, and when would I want to delete a
word?
The Vocabulary Manager utility is used to display words
that were added to your personal added word list. On
occasion, a word will be added to your personal added
word list that will take the place of an already existing
word. For example, if the word "comma" was
inadvertently added during word correction, the word
"comma" might appear instead of the punctuation
mark ",". In your added word list, you can
delete the word "comma" and the punctuation
mark should appear during dictation. You might also want
to delete misspelled words and words such as proper names
that you know you will not use again.
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Answers
section 13 - Hardware and software requirements |
13.1 |
What are
the minimum hardware and software requirements?
To run IBM ViaVoice 98, you must be running Windows 95,
Windows 98 or Windows NT 4.0 and have at least the
following hardware: |
- Pentium 166MHz with
MMX and 256K L2 cache, or equivalent IBM 6X86MX
PR166, AMD-K6 200 MHz, AMD K6 3D and AMD K6 166
MHz MMX Enhanced Processor
- 32MB of memory of
Windows 95 and Windows 98 (48MB if dictating into
MS-Office 97). 48MB of memory for Windows NT 4.0
(64MB if dictating into MS-Office 97). These are
the recommended minimum memory requirements.
However, like with any software, increasing the
processor and/or the memory will improve the
speed of decoding, but will not improve the
recognition performance.
- 180+MB of available
(non-compressed) hard file space.
- Creative Labs** Sound
Blaster 16 (or 100% compatible) or Mwave* sound
card.
- CD-ROM Drive.
Refer to our list of systems
tested with ViaVoice 98 for additional information.
|
Answers section 14 -
Known limitations |
14.1 |
Are there
any known limitations?
Following are known limitations: |
13.1 |
What are
the minimum hardware and software requirements?
To run IBM ViaVoice 98, you must be running Windows 95,
Windows 98 or Windows NT 4.0 and have at least the
following hardware: |
- Pentium 166MHz with
MMX and 256K L2 cache, or equivalent IBM 6X86MX
PR166, AMD-K6 200 MHz, AMD K6 3D and AMD K6 166
MHz MMX Enhanced Processor
- 32MB of memory of
Windows 95 and Windows 98 (48MB if dictating into
MS-Office 97). 48MB of memory for Windows NT 4.0
(64MB if dictating into MS-Office 97). These are
the recommended minimum memory requirements.
However, like with any software, increasing the
processor and/or the memory will improve the
speed of decoding, but will not improve the
recognition performance.
- 180+MB of available
(non-compressed) hard file space.
- Creative Labs** Sound
Blaster 16 (or 100% compatible) or Mwave* sound
card.
- CD-ROM Drive.
Refer to our list of systems
tested with ViaVoice 98 for additional information.
|
Answers section 14 -
Known limitations |
14.1 |
Are there
any known limitations?
Following are known limitations: |
- A user must use the
same application for retrieving deferred or
delegated dictation as was used for saving it.
For example, if SpeakPad was used to save a
dictation, then you must use SpeakPad to retrieve
and make corrections to that dictation.
- In the "Text to
Speech" function, the volume is lower
compared to the volume when correcting dictation
errors. Please note that ViaVoice Outloud (the
text to speech function) is found under SpeakPad
as "Begin Reading" as specified in the
outline help. If you have VoiceCenter up, you can
also say "Begin Reading" to read any
text from any active window.
- If "Check
Grammar as You Type" option in Word 97 is
selected, dictated word correction does not work.
You can temporarily remove the grammar checking
by right-clicking the underlined words and
clicking Ignore Sentence.
- On Windows NT, do not
use an Audio Description on saved dictation
sessions. You must answer "No" to the
question "Would you like to record an audio
description for this session?" when saving a
dictation session.
- If Word support is
not working, please update your printer drivers.
Uninstall Word support and reinstall it
afterwards.
- If you get square
brackets around words when dictating in Word,
please disable the view of bookmarks in the menu.
To do this open the tools menu click Options
select the View tab and uncheck the checkbox
"Bookmarks".
- Do not use
VoiceCenter to navigate the User Wizard. As the
User Wizard and the Audio Setup tool try to
determine and set the audio parameters for your
system, using VoiceCenter to navigate either of
these program may cause problems. Therefore,
close the VoiceCenter before starting User Wizard
or Audio Setup.
- When using an IBM
ThinkPad, you must Turn Off the Microphone before
you enter suspend mode.
- I have an MWAVE
adapter and have just upgraded my software from
28.8 to 33.6 ViaVoice no longer works since I
have upgraded my modern software. The 33.6 modem
software uses a lot of resources and may keep the
modem on all of the time. This will prevent
ViaVoice from being able to use audio and
therefore, ViaVoice will not be able to run. You
should use the 28.8 modem software to MWAVE with
VoiceType.
- Recently there has
been a trend towards lower end, inexpensive
consumer like PCs. One of these cost cutting
methods is the elimination of L2 cache. L2 cache
is used to buffer data into the main CPU
(processor) to insure optimum system performance.
This is also referred to as Pipeline Burst Cache
or Processor Cache.
- Systems without L2
cache will run slower with CPU/floating point
calculation intensive applications such as speech
recognition and other multimedia programs which
may result in performance problems. Some systems
have sockets where customers can add L2 cache by
purchasing this feature separately.
- Customers who
experience performance problems should contact
their place of purchase or system manufacturers
for information on adding cache to optimize their
systems to run these applications.
|
NOTE: If
these Frequently Asked Questions did not help solve your
problem, please refer to the on-line help, Readme file,
the User Guide and other documentation in ViaVoice 98. |
THE
INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS TECHNICAL SUPPORT WEB SITE
IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY
KIND. You assume the entire risk as to the accuracy and
the use of the information contained herein. |
(*) IBM ®, Mwave ®,
Aptiva ®, ThinkPad ®, ViaVoice ®
and VoiceType ® are IBM registered trademarks.
(**) Microsoft ®,
Windows ®, and Windows NT ®, are
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
(**) All other products are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
companies.
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