Device and method for performing voice recognition using trigger voice

• US 10,304,443 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2014
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwon, Nam-yeong, Ryu, Hee-seob, Park, Kyung-mi, Bok, Chan-sik, Choi, Chan-hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Ky, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/508,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20150206529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/088 Word spotting
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

An electronic device and a voice recognition method thereof are provided. A voice recognition method of an electronic device includes receiving trigger voice, storing a characteristic of the trigger voice for voice verification by analyzing the trigger voice. When a user issues a voice command, determining whether the user voice command comprises the characteristic belonging to the trigger voice, and performing function of the electronic device corresponding to the user voice command based on the determination. Accordingly, users may easily use the voice recognition function of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A voice recognition method of an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a first voice through a microphone of the electronic device;

based on the first voice being a trigger voice for changing a mode of the electronic device to a voice recognition mode, changing the mode of the electronic device to the voice recognition mode; and

receiving a second voice through the microphone in the voice recognition mode; and

performing a function corresponding to the received second voice,

wherein the method further comprises;

based on the trigger voice being received through the microphone of the electronic device, displaying a graphic user interface (GUI) indicating that the electronic device is prepared to receive a voice command and a voice command indicator providing a user with the voice command for performing the function, and

based on a user voice received through a microphone of an external device after a button of the external device is pressed, changing the mode of the electronic device to the voice recognition mode and displaying, to the GUI, an indicator indicating that the user voice is being received in the voice recognition mode and not displaying the voice command indicator.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising displaying an indicator indicating the voice recognition mode.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

if a voice command for controlling the electronic device is not input within a predetermined period of time after a voice received through the microphone of the external device is received, ending the voice recognition mode.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

based on the voice command being input through the microphone of the external device after the external device receives the user input, comparing at least one characteristic of the voice command and at least one characteristic of the first voice,

based on a result of the comparison, analyzing the voice command, and

performing a function corresponding to the analyzed voice command.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one characteristic of the first voice comprises at least one of energy of the first voice, a frequency bandwidth of the first voice, a reverberation time (RT) of the first voice, and a voice signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the first voice.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the performing comprises, if analysis data of at least one of energy of the voice command, a frequency bandwidth of the voice command, a reverberation time (RT) of the voice command, and a voice signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the voice command are within a predetermined range of analysis data of corresponding at least one of the energy of the first voice, the frequency bandwidth of the first voice, the RT of the first voice, and the voice SNR of the first voice, performing the function corresponding to the voice command.

7. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the comparing comprises, if a plurality of voices are received, analyzing the plurality of voices, and from among the analyzed plurality of voices, determining at least one of the analyzed voices having at least one characteristic matching at least one characteristic of the first voice as the voice command, and

wherein the performing comprises performing a function corresponding to the determined voice command.

8. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

if the at least one characteristic of the voice command is different from the at least one characteristic of the first voice, bypassing the voice command.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

a communicator;

a microphone; and

a controller configured to,

receive a first voice through the microphone,

based on the first voice being a trigger voice for changing a mode of the electronic device to a voice recognition mode, change the mode of the electronic device to the voice recognition mode,

receive a second voice through the microphone in the voice recognition mode, and

perform a function corresponding to the received second voice,

wherein the controller is further configured to,

based on the trigger voice being received through the microphone, control the display to display a graphic user interface (GUI) indicating that the electronic device is prepared to receive a voice command and a voice command indicator providing a user with the voice command for performing the function, and

based on a user voice received through a microphone of an external device after a button of the external device is pressed, change the mode of the electronic device to the voice recognition mode and control the display to display, to the GUI, an indicator indicating that the user voice is being received in the voice recognition mode and not to display the voice command indicator.

10. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the controller controls the display to display an indicator indicating the voice recognition mode.

11. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

wherein when a voice is received through the external device, the controller controls the communicator to receive the voice received through the external device.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein if a voice command for controlling the electronic device is not input within a predetermined period of time after a voice received from the external device is received, the controller ends the voice recognition mode.

13. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9,

wherein the controller is further configured to,

based on the voice command being through the microphone of the external device after the external device receives the user input, compare at least one characteristic of the voice command and at least one characteristic of the first voice,

based on a result of the comparison, analyze the voice command, and

perform a function corresponding to the analyzed voice command.

14. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to store in a storage at least one of energy of the first voice, a frequency bandwidth of the first voice, a reverberation time (RT) of the first voice, and a voice signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the first voice as the at least one characteristic of the first voice.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein if analysis data of at least one of energy of the voice command, a frequency bandwidth of the voice command, a reverberation time (RT) of the voice command, and a voice signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the voice command are within a predetermined range of analysis data of corresponding at least one of the energy of the first voice, the frequency bandwidth of the first voice, the RT of the first voice, and the voice SNR of the first voice, the controller performs the function corresponding to the voice command.

16. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein when a plurality of voices are received through the microphone, the controller controls a voice signal analyzer to analyze the plurality of voices, determines at least one of the plurality of voices, having the at least one analyzed characteristic matching at least one characteristic of the first voice as the voice command, and performs a function corresponding to the determined voice command.

17. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein when the at least one characteristic of the voice command is different from the at least one characteristic of the first voice, the controller bypasses the voice command.