Lernout & Hauspie Awarded Important U.S. Patents in Dictation and Information Retrieval

Business Wire, August 12, 1998

IEPER, Belgium & BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Aug. 12, 1998--

Unique Speech Recognition System Allows Dictation and Editing in a Natural Way;

Morphological Data Analysis Method Improves Information Retrieval

Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products (NASDAQ:LHSPF)(EASDAQ:LHSP.ED) (L&H), a worldwide leader in speech and linguistic technologies, products and services, announced today that it has been granted two patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for processes used in its speech recognition technologies. One patent covers its unique solution for a speech recognition system that simplifies dictation software by automatically distinguishing text from commands; the other covers a process that improves the precision of information retrieval and of language processing. Both processes are currently employed in L&H speech and language technology products available to the general consumer market.

L&H was awarded U.S. Patent #5,794,196 for the process that supports "modeless" operation of the command and control function for dictation software. "Modeless" operation, which is used in L&H's state-of-the-art dictation software family known as L&H Voice Xpress(tm), distinguishes textual dictation from commands. (Dictation software not only uses speech recognition systems for entering text, but also allows users to edit and format documents by just saying commands. For example, users can center text by saying, "center the last sentence".)

Previously, for a speech recognizer to distinguish between a command and some dictated text the user had to manually put the system into either "command mode" or "dictation mode". L&H's patented process allows the user to utter either isolated word commands or continuous speech dictation to the speech recognizer while the recognizer decides whether each utterance is a command or text to be inserted in the document. The current patent covers a system in which the dictation is discrete (word-by-word), but L&H has also developed patent-pending technology that supports modeless operation for continuous commands and dictation.

"For speech to become the preferred interface for all man-machine operation, speech recognition technology must be simple and natural," said Gaston Bastiaens, President and CEO of L&H. "L&H has taken another step in that direction by eliminating the need for a mouse or keyboard to use the command and control functions in dictation software. The fact that we have been granted a patent for this process speaks loudly to our technological superiority and leadership."

L&H Granted New Patents

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office also granted today to L&H patent #5,794,177, for the process contained in L&H's Intelliscope(R) Search Enhancer product, which can be used to conduct searches among databases or via Web browsers. L&H's patented process allows search tools to provide more precise results because it is based on a data-driven design, rather than algorithmic `guessing', and it utilizes natural-language databases. Specifically, the patent covers an apparatus and method for organizing, utilizing, analyzing and generating morphological data, in order to improve information retrieval and the precision of language processing.

L&H currently has 44 patents granted and another 40 patents applications for speech and language technology.

About L&H

Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products (L&H) is a global leader in advanced speech and language solutions for computers, automobiles, telecommunications, embedded products, consumer goods and the Internet. The company is making the speech user interface (SUI) the keystone of simple, convenient interaction between humans and technology, and it is blending the best of human and machine translation technology, tools and services to instantly break down language barriers around the world. L&H's products and services originate in four basic areas: automatic speech recognition (ASR), text-to-speech (TTS), digital speech and music compression (SMC) and text-to-text (translation). For more information, please visit Lernout & Hauspie on the World Wide Web at www.lhs.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, such as, but not limited to statements that the patented methods are unique and will offer an appropriate or meaningful solution to the market. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are subject to material and adverse change and involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks associated with rapid technological change, product development and introduction and competition. The statements contained herein speak only as of the date of this release.

L&H expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in L&H's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Lernout & Hauspie can be found on the World Wide Web at www.lhs.com. All product names and trademarks mentioned herein are trademarks of L&H and their respective owners.