chrome-based-voice-recognition-api

>An API used to hijack chrome webkitSpeechRecognition for non-web applications.

Description

This API intends to create a binding to Chrome SpeechRecognition API for native node processes outside web environments. The use of Chrome's voice recognition as opposed to a paid cloud service offers an inexpensive, easy to install, fast alternative for small projects that don't justify the hassle of setting up a cloud service.

Caveats

The original concept involved a headless chrome instance, however due to a number of issues - it does not seem reasonable to accomplish headless as it will require hacking around the chromium source code. In the meantime, the API simply opens a small chrome window.

In order for the API to operate one of the follow must be a valid environment variable pointing to the chrome executable:

- chrome
- chromium-browser
- Google\ Chrome
- google-chrome

Usage

``javascript
const recog = require('chrome-based-voice-recognition-api');

recog.launchSpeechRecognition(12000)
.then((data)=>{
let client = data.client;
recog.initSpeechRecognition({
lang : 'en-us',
interimResults : false,
maxAlternatives : 1,
infiniteListen : true
},client);
recog.addFilter("^lights on$",client);
client.on('recognition',(data)=>{
//todo
});
client.on('startedListen',()=>{
//todo
});
client.on('stopedListen',()=>{
//todo
})
client.on('recognitionError',(err)=>{
//todo
})
recog.startListen(client);
});
``

API

####launchSpeechRecogition(port)

#####Description
     Spins up the websocket server and chrome instance.

#####Params
    port (number) : The desired port of page server

    Note : port + 1 will be used for websocket server

#####Returns
    An object with two properties -

- client : an instace of simple-websocket handling IPC
- serv : an instance of simple-websocket/server

####initSpeechRecognition(options,client)

#####Description
     Instantiates webkit speech recog in chrome.

#####Params
    options : An object with settings to be applied to speech object.

    All are optional.

- lang (string): The language to be recognized
- interimResults (boolean) : Indication that you wish to recieve low confidence results.
- maxAlternatives (number) : The max number of alternatives sent from recog.
- infiniteListen (boolean) : If true, will continue listening after a hit.

    client : The instance of simple-websocket from launchSpeechRecogntion

#####Returns
    An object with two properties

- client : an instace of simple-websocket handling the IPC
- serv : an instance of simple-websocket/server

####addGrammar(grammar,weight,client)

#####Description
     Adds a grammar to an active recognition instance.

#####Params
    grammar & weight : see link

    client : The instance of simple-websocket from launchSpeechRecogntion

#####Returns
    none

####addFilter(expression,client)

#####Description
     Adds a filter specifying what phrases will trigger a recognition event.

#####Params
    expression (string): JS regex in the form of string specifyng a filter

    client : The instance of simple-websocket from launchSpeechRecogntion

#####Returns
    none

####startListen(client)

#####Description
     Request recog object to begin listening

#####Params

    client : The instance of simple-websocket from launchSpeechRecogntion

####Returns
    none

####endListen(client)

#####Description
     Request recog object to stop listening

#####Params

    client : The instance of simple-websocket from launchSpeechRecogntion

#####Returns
    none