Method and apparatus for controlling lock/unlock state of terminal through voice recognition

• US 10,216,916 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ahn, Yumi, Kim, Seonhwa, Kim, Heewoon, Jeon, Hayoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Baker, Charlotte M
• Application Number:
  US15/431,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20170153868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 340 32, 340 11, 340 31, 340506, 3405391, 34053912, 340 551, 600118, 600126, 600300, 601150, 6048901, 604 9505, 606 26, 606 38, 606 42, 607 17, 607 3, 607 59, 607 7, 704275, 4555691
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724634 With partially locked states, e.g. when some telephonic functional locked states or applications remain accessible in the locked states
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/66 user interface aspects for indicating selection options for a communication line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for controlling a terminal through a voice input is provided. The method includes receiving a voice input when the terminal is in a state in which the terminal is locked and performing an operation corresponding to the voice input if the voice input corresponds to a preset command.

Claims

1. A portable electronic communication device comprising:

a display;

a sound input unit; and

a processor operatively coupled with the sound input unit, the processor configured to;

receive, using the sound input unit, a sound input while the portable electronic communication device is in a lock screen state, in which the portable electronic communication device is locked, and the display is in an on state,

determine that the sound input corresponds to a voice input previously stored as a voice of a user corresponding to the portable electronic communication device,

present information corresponding to at least one portion of the sound input via the display, and

perform a specified function corresponding to the sound input based at least in part on the determining that the sound input corresponds to the voice input, the specified function including activating at least two applications identified based on the sound input.

2. The portable electronic communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

turn off at least one portion of the display while the portable electronic communication device is in the lock screen state.

3. The portable electronic communication device of claim 2, wherein, after performing the specified function, the portable electronic communication device returns to the lock screen state.

4. The portable electronic communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

as at least part of the determining, check whether the sound input corresponds to a voice input registered by a user corresponding to the portable electronic communication device.

5. The portable electronic communication device of claim 1,

wherein the processor is further configured to:

as at least part of the performing of the specified function, transition the portable electronic communication device from the lock screen state to an unlocked state.

6. The portable electronic communication device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

set the portable electronic communication device in the lock screen state before the receiving of the sound input based at least in part on a determination that the portable electronic communication device is locked.

7. The portable electronic communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

as at least part of the performing of the specified function, reproduce multimedia received from an electronic device external to the portable electronic communication device.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a display;

a sound input unit; and

a processor configured to;

receive, using the sound input unit, a sound input while the display is turned off or the apparatus is in a lock screen state, in which the apparatus is locked, and the display is in an on state,

determine that the sound input corresponds to a voice input previously stored as a voice of a user corresponding to the apparatus,

present information corresponding to at least one portion of the sound input via the display, and

perform a specified function corresponding to the sound input while the apparatus is locked based at least in part on the determining that the sound input corresponds to the voice input, the specified function including activating at least two applications identified based on the sound input.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising communication circuitry, wherein the processor is further configured to:

as at least part of the determining, check that the specified function corresponds to a function to use a specified network; and

as at least part of the performing of the specified command, establish a connection via the specified network using the communication circuitry.

10. The apparatus of claim 8,

wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the sound input corresponds to a specified command prior to the performing of the specified function, and

wherein the apparatus is maintained being locked after performing the specified function.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising memory, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a voice input corresponding to the specified command a plurality of times, and

register characteristics of the voice input in the memory prior to the receiving of the sound input.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

as at least part of the determining, compare at least one characteristic of the sound input with a corresponding characteristic of the registered characteristics of the voice input.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

as at least part of the performing of the specified function, present a user interface corresponding to an application capable of voice recognition via the display.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

as at least part of the performing of the specified function, perform a first specified function based at least in part on a determination that at least one portion of the specified command corresponds to a first specified command, and a second specified function based at least in part on a determination that at least another portion of the specified command corresponds to a second specified command.

15. The apparatus of claim 14,

wherein the at least two applications includes a first application and a second application, and

wherein the processor is further configured to execute the first application to perform the first specified function, and the second application to perform the second specified function, respectively.

16. A portable electronic communication device comprising:

a display;

a sound input unit; and

a processor configured to;

receive, using the sound input unit, a sound input while at least one portion of the display is deactivated and the portable electronic communication device is in a lock screen state,

determine that the sound input corresponds to a voice input previously stored as a voice of a user corresponding to the portable electronic communication device,

present information corresponding to at least one portion of the sound input via the display,

based at least in part on the determining that the sound input corresponds to the voice input, determine that a first portion of the sound input corresponds to a first specified command, and that a second portion of the sound input corresponds to a second specified command, and

perform a first specified function corresponding to the first specified command, and a second specified function corresponding to the second specified command while the portable electronic communication device is locked, based at least in part on the determining that the first portion corresponds to the first specified command, and the second portion corresponds to the second specified command, the first specified function and the second specified function including activating at least two applications identified based on the sound input.

17. The portable electronic communication device of claim 16,

wherein the first portion of the sound input is received while the display is turned off, and

wherein the processor is further configured to:

turn on the display before the second portion of the sound input is received based at least in part on the determining that the first portion of the sound input corresponds to the first specified command.

18. The portable electronic communication device of claim 16,

wherein the at least two applications includes a first application and a second application, and

wherein the processor is further configured to execute the first application corresponding to the first specified function and the second application corresponding to the second specified function, respectively.

19. The portable electronic communication device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to:

perform the first and second specified functions sequentially, the first specified function including a voice recognition application, and the second function including executing, a schedule application, a multimedia application, a camera application, or a message application.