A new learning algorithm for minimizing spotting errors

A new learning algorithm, called minimum spotting error formalization (MSPE), is proposed for designing a high performance word spotting system. An overall spotting system, comprising word models and decision thresholds, primarily needs to be optimized to minimize all spotting errors; the word models and the thresholds should no longer be separately and heuristically designed. MSPE features a rigorous framework for reducing a spotting error objective in a practical, gradient search-based design scheme. Experimental results in a Japanese consonant spotting task clearly demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed method