Method of renewing reference pattern stored in dictionary

摘要

A reference pattern renewing method includes inputting an input pattern of an utterance of a word, comparing the input pattern with reference patterns stored in a dictionary memory to thereby generate at least a first candidate having the highest degree of similarity and a second candidate having the second highest degree of similarity, and calculating a ratio of the highest degree of similarity to the second highest degree of similarity. The method further includes determining whether or not the ratio is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, calculating, from the input pattern, a renewed reference pattern to be substituted for a corresponding one of the reference patterns when it is determined that the ratio of the highest degree of similarity to the second highest degree of similarity is neither equal to nor less than the predetermined threshold value, and registering the renewed reference pattern in the dictionary memory instead of the corresponding one of the reference patterns.