Introduction

Using natural voice commands with a computer was not possible in the past due to insufficient computing power. The computer's computing power has been enormously increased, making it possible to adopt Intelligent Human-Computer Interface Technology extensively, especially in voice recognition-related applications in various information technology products.

By using Intelligent Voice Commands and Text-to-Speech-Technology, users can easily control their PC, all sorts of handheld equipments, and even information appliances (IA). All these technological products are no longer just cold machines. They can understand users' natural conversations and communicate with human beings in a more natural way. For instance, users can dial mobile phone number by voice, use voice to control PDAs or perform real-time information searches, and issue voice commands to control IA products or toys. Market potential of voice recognition-related applications is estimated to be very promising.

One application of voice recognition is to help corporations reduce the cost of manpower and increase the service quality, bringing tangible benefits. For example, voice recognition and text-to-speech-technology can make it possible for investors to purchase stocks by speaking to their mobile phones and hear the real-time stock quotes and current financial information from the phones as well.