System and method of voice recognition near a wireline node of a network supporting cable television and/or video delivery

• US 20010056350A1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Published: 12/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Promptu Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Promptu Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Foster, Mark J., Calderone, Theodore, Cook, Paul M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,047,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/163 the local oscillations of at least two of the frequency changers being derived from a single oscillator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/06 Deflection routing, e.g. hot-potato routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/02 Speed or phase control by the received code signals, the signals containing no special synchronisation information H04L7/0075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/385 using speech signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23805 Controlling the feeding rate to the network, e.g. by controlling the video pump
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 : involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A method and system of speech recognition presented by a back channel from multiple user sites within a network supporting cable television and/or video delivery is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of using a back channel containing a multiplicity of identified speech channels from a multiplicity of user sites presented to a speech processing system at a wireline node in a network supporting at least one of cable television delivery and video delivery, comprising the steps of:

receiving said back channel to create a received back channel;

partitioning said received back channel into a multiplicity of received identified speech channels;

processing said multiplicity of said received identified speech channels to create a multiplicity of identified speech content; and

responding to said identified speech content to create an identified speech content response that is unique, for each of said multiplicity of identified speech contents.

2. The method of

claim 1

,

wherein at least one of said identified speech channels has an associated user site;

and

wherein the step partitioning said received back channel is further comprised of the step of;

partitioning said received back channel into a multiplicity of said received identified speech channels from said associated user site;

wherein the step processing said multiplicity of said received identified speech channels is further comprised the step of;

processing said multiplicity of said received identified speech channels from said associated user site to create a multiplicity of said identified speech contents; and

wherein the step responding to said identified speech content is further comprised the step of;

responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site to create said identified speech content response for said associated user site.

3. The method of

claim 2

,

further comprising at least one member of the collection containing the steps of:

determining said associated user site from said received identified speech channel;

determining said associated user site from said identified speech content;

determining said associated user site from said identified speech content and a speaker identification library;

determining said associated user site from said identified speech content and a speech recognition library; and

determining said associated user site from an identification within said speech channel.

4. The method of

claim 2

,

wherein the step responding to said identified speech contents from said associated user site is comprised of the steps of:

processing said identified speech content response to create said identified user site response; and

sending said identified user site response to said identified user site.

5. The method of

claim 2

,

wherein the step responding to said identified speech contents from said associated user site is comprised of the steps of:

assessing said speech content response identified as to said user site to create a financial consequence identified as to said user site; and

billing said user site based upon said financial consequence.

6. The method of

claim 2

,

wherein the step responding to said identified speech contents from said associated user site is comprised of the steps of:

assessing said speech response to create a financial consequence identified with said user site;

displaying said financial consequence to create a displayed financial consequence at said user site;

confirming said displayed financial consequence from said user site to create a financial commitment; and

billing said user site based upon said financial commitment.

7. The method of

claim 6

,

wherein the step responding to said identified speech contents from said associated user site is comprised of the steps of:

identifying a user based upon said speech content identified as to said user site to create an identified user.

8. The method of

claim 7

,

wherein the step identifying said user is comprised of the steps of:

fetching a user profile list based upon said user site, said user profile list containing at least one user profile;

identifying said user based upon said speech content and based upon said user profile list to create an identified user.

9. The method of

claim 8

,

wherein the step assessing said speech response is further comprised of the step of:

assessing said speech response based upon said identified user to create a financial consequence for said identified user.

10. The method of

claim 2

,

wherein said speech content response is comprised of a current response menu and a cumulative user site response is identified as to said user site for at least one of said user sites.

11. The method of

claim 10

,

wherein the step responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site further comprising at least one member of the collection comprising the steps of:

responding to said speech content based upon said current response menu and based upon said cumulative user site response to create a new cumulative user site response; and

assessing said speech content based upon said current response menu and based upon said cumulative user site response to create a new current response menu.

12. The method of

claim 2

,

wherein the step responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site is further comprised of the step of:

responding to said speech content identified as to said user site based upon natural language to create a speech content response of said speech content identified with said user site.

13. The method of

claim 2

,

wherein the step processing said multiplicity of said received speech channels is further comprised for at least one of said user sites is further comprised of the step of:

processing said received speech channels from said user site based upon natural language for said user site to create said speech content identified as to said user site.

14. A program system controlling at least part of a speech recognition system coupled to a wireline node in a network, said program system comprising the program steps of:

processing a multiplicity of received identified speech channels to create a multiplicity of identified speech content; and

responding to said identified speech content to create an identified speech content response that is unique to each of said multiplicity of identified speech contents;

wherein said speech recognition system is provided said multiplicity of received identified speech channels based upon a received back channel at said wireline node from a multiplicity of user sites coupled to said network;

wherein each of said program steps reside in memory accessibly coupled to at least one computer included in said speech recognition system;

wherein said at least one computer communicatively couples through said wireline node to said multiplicity of user sites; and

wherein said network supports at least one of the collection comprising;

cable television delivery to said multiplicity of user sites; and

video delivery to said multiplicity of user sites.

15. The program system of

claim 14

,

wherein at least one of said identified speech channels has an associated user site;

and

wherein the program step processing said multiplicity of said received identified speech channels is further comprised of the program step of;

processing said multiplicity of said received identified speech channels from said associated user site to create a multiplicity of said identified speech content; and

wherein the program step responding to said identified speech content is further comprised of the program step of;

responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site to create said identified speech content response for said associated user site.

16. The program system of

claim 15

,

further comprising at least one member of the collection containing the program steps of:

determining said associated user site from said received identified speech channel;

determining said associated user site from said identified speech content;

determining said associated user site from said identified speech content and a speaker identification library;

determining said associated user site from said identified speech content and a speech recognition library; and

determining said associated user site from an identification within said speech channel.

17. The program system of

claim 15

,

wherein the program step responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site is comprised of the program steps of:

processing said identified speech content response to create said identified user site response; and

sending said identified user site response to said identified user site.

18. The program system of

claim 15

,

wherein the program step responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site is comprised of the program steps of:

assessing said speech content response identified as to said user site to create a financial consequence identified as to said user site; and

billing said user site based upon said financial consequence.

19. The program system of

claim 15

,

wherein the program step responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site is comprised of the program steps of:

assessing said speech response to create a financial consequence identified as to said user site;

displaying said financial consequence to create a displayed financial consequence at said user site;

confirming said displayed financial consequence from said user site to create a financial commitment; and

billing said user site based upon said financial commitment.

20. The program system of

claim 19

,

wherein the program step responding to said identified speech contents from said associated user site is comprised of the program steps of:

identifying a user based upon said speech content identified as to said user site to create an identified user.

21. The program system of

claim 20

,

wherein the program step identifying said user is comprised of the program steps of:

fetching a user profile list based upon said user site, said user profile list containing at least one user profile;

identifying said user based upon said speech content and based upon said user profile list to create an identified user.

22. The program system of

claim 21

,

wherein the program step assessing said speech response is further comprised of the program step of:

assessing said speech response based upon said identified user to create a financial consequence for said identified user.

23. The program system of

claim 15

,

wherein said speech content response is comprised of a current response menu and a cumulative user site response identified as to said user site for at least one of said user sites.

24. The program system of

claim 23

,

wherein the program step responding to said identified speech contents from said associated user site is further comprised of at least one member of the collection comprising the program steps of:

responding to said speech contents based upon said current response menu and based upon said cumulative user site response to create a new cumulative user site response; and

assessing said speech contents based upon said current response menu and based upon said cumulative user site response to create a new current response menu.

25. The program system of

claim 15

,

wherein the program step responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site is comprised, for at least one of said user sites, of the program step of:

responding to said speech content identified as to said user site based upon natural language to create a speech content response of said speech contents identified as to said user site.

26. The program system of

claim 15

,

wherein the program step processing said multiplicity of said received speech channels is further comprised, for at least one of said user sites, of the program step of:

processing said received speech channels from said user site based upon natural language for said user site to create said speech content identified as to said user site.

27. A system supporting speech recognition in a network, said system comprising:

a speech recognition system coupled to a wireline node in said network for receiving a back channel from a multiplicity of user sites coupled to said network, further comprising

a back channel receiver, for receiving said back channel to create a received back channel;

a speech channel partitioner, for partitioning said received back channel into a multiplicity of received identified speech channels; and

a processor network executing a program system comprised of program steps residing in memory accessibly coupled to at least one computer in said processor network;

wherein said program system is comprised of the program steps of;

processing said multiplicity of said received identified speech channels to create a multiplicity of identified speech content;

responding to said identified speech content to create an identified speech content response, for each of said multiplicity of said identified speech contents; and

wherein said network supports at least one of the collection comprising;

cable television delivery to said multiplicity of user sites; and

video delivery to said multiplicity of user sites.

28. The system of

claim 27

,

wherein at least one of said identified speech channels has an associated user site;

and

wherein partitioning said received back channel is further comprised of;

partitioning said received back channel into a multiplicity of said received identified speech channels from said associated user site;

wherein the program step processing said multiplicity of said received identified speech channels is further comprised of the program step of;

processing said multiplicity of said received identified speech channels from said associated user site to create a multiplicity of said identified speech content; and

wherein the program step responding to said identified speech content is further comprised of the program step of;

responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site to create said identified speech content response for said associated user site.

29. The system of

claim 28

,

wherein said program system is further comprised of at least one of the collection comprising the program steps of:

determining said associated user site from said received identified speech channel;

determining said associated user site from said identified speech content;

determining said associated user site from said identified speech content and a speaker identification library;

determining said associated user site from said identified speech content and a speech recognition library; and

determining said associated user site from an identification within said speech channel.

30. The system of

claim 28

,

wherein the program step responding to said identified speech contents from said associated user site is comprised of the program steps of:

processing said identified speech content response to create said identified user site response; and

sending said identified user site response to said identified user site.

31. The system of

claim 28

,

wherein the program step responding to said identified speech contents from said associated user site is comprised of the program steps of:

assessing said speech content response identified as to said user site to create a financial consequence identified as to said user site; and

billing said user site based upon said financial consequence.

32. The system of

claim 28

,

wherein the program step responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site is comprised of the program steps of:

assessing said speech response to create a financial consequence identified as to said user site;

displaying said financial consequence to create a displayed financial consequence at said user site;

confirming said displayed financial consequence from said user site to create a financial commitment; and

billing said user site based upon said financial commitment.

33. The system of

claim 32

,

wherein the program step responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site is comprised of the program steps of:

identifying a user based upon said speech content identified as to said user site to create an identified user.

34. The system of

claim 33

,

wherein the program step identifying said user is comprised of the program steps of:

fetching a user profile list based upon said user site, said user profile list containing at least one user profile;

identifying said user based upon said speech content and based upon said user profile list to create an identified user.

35. The system of

claim 34

,

wherein the program step assessing said speech response is further comprised of the program step of:

assessing said speech response based upon said identified user to create a financial consequence for said identified user.

36. The system of

claim 28

,

wherein said speech content response is comprised of a current response menu and a cumulative user site response identified as to said user site for at least one of said user sites.

37. The system of

claim 36

,

wherein the program step responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site is further comprised of at least one member of the collection comprising the program steps of:

responding to said speech content based upon said current response menu and based upon said cumulative user site response to create a new cumulative user site response; and

assessing said speech contents based upon said current response menu and based upon said cumulative user site response to create a new current response menu.

38. The system of

claim 28

,

wherein the program step responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site is comprised, for at least one of said user sites, of the program step of:

responding to said speech content identified as to said user site based upon natural language to create a speech content response of said speech contents identified as to said user site.

39. The system of

claim 28

,

wherein the program step processing said multiplicity of said received speech channels is further comprised, for at least one of said user sites, of the program step of:

processing said received speech channels from said user site based upon natural language for said user site to create said speech content identified as to said user site.

40. The system of

claim 28

,

wherein said network includes a wired residential broadband network servicing at least part of said multiplicity of user sites.

41. The system of

claim 40

,

wherein said wired residential broadband network is a fiber-to-the-curb residential broadband network.

42. The system of

claim 40

,

wherein said wired residential broadband network is a fiber-to-the-home residential broadband network.

43. The system of

claim 40

,

wherein said wired residential broadband network is a switched-digital-video residential broadband network.

44. The system of

claim 40

,

wherein said wireline node is located proximate to a node in said wired residential broadband network.

45. The system of

claim 40

,

wherein said wireline node is located proximate to a Headend in said wired residential broadband network.

46. The system of

claim 40

,

wherein said wireline node is located proximate to a central office in said wired residential broadband network.

47. The system of

claim 27

,

wherein said speech recognition system further comprises a two-dimensional plex communication network communicatively coupled with a two-dimensional array of plex-nodes.

48. The system of

claim 47

,

wherein at least one of said plex-nodes is comprised of at least one computer communicatively coupled through said two-dimensional plex communication network to at least one of said multiplicity of user sites;

wherein said computer executes at least one of said program steps residing in memory accessibly coupled to said computer.

49. The system of

claim 47

,

wherein said back channel receiver is implemented in a first of said plex-nodes.

50. The system of

claim 47

,

wherein said speech channel partitioner is implemented in a second of said plex-nodes.

51. The system of

claim 47

,

wherein said two-dimensional communicatively coupled plex-node array and plex communications network contains said processor network.

52. The system of

claim 47

,

wherein said processor network contains said two-dimensional communicatively coupled plex-node array and plex communications network.

53. A method of operating at least part of a speech recognition system coupled to a wireline node in a network, comprising the steps of:

processing a multiplicity of received identified speech channels to create a multiplicity of identified speech content; and

responding to said identified speech content to create an identified speech content response that is unique to each of said multiplicity of identified speech contents;

wherein said speech recognition system is provided said multiplicity of received identified speech channels based upon a received back channel at said wireline node from a multiplicity of user sites coupled to said network;

wherein said network supports at least one of the collection comprising;

cable television delivery to said multiplicity of user sites; and

video delivery to said multiplicity of user sites.

54. The method of

claim 53

,

wherein at least one of said identified speech channels has an associated user site;

and

wherein the step processing said multiplicity of said received identified speech channels is further comprised of the step of;

processing said multiplicity of said received identified speech channels from said associated user site to create a multiplicity of said identified speech content; and

wherein the step responding to said identified speech content is further comprised of the step of;

responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site to create said identified speech content response for said associated user site.

55. The method of

claim 54

,

wherein the step responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site is comprised of the steps of:

assessing said speech response to create a financial consequence identified as to said user site;

displaying said financial consequence to create a displayed financial consequence at said user site;

confirming said displayed financial consequence from said user site to create a financial commitment; and

billing said user site based upon said financial commitment.

56. The method of

claim 55

,

wherein the step responding to said identified speech contents from said associated user site is comprised of the steps of:

identifying a user based upon said speech content identified as to said user site to create an identified user.

57. The method of

claim 56

,

wherein the step identifying said user is comprised of the steps of:

fetching a user profile list based upon said user site, said user profile list containing at least one user profile;

identifying said user based upon said speech content and based upon said user profile list to create an identified user.

58. The method of

claim 57

,

wherein the step assessing said speech response is further comprised of the step of:

assessing said speech response based upon said identified user to create a financial consequence for said identified user.

59. The method of

claim 54

,

wherein said speech content response is comprised of a current response menu and a cumulative user site response identified as to said user site for at least one of said user sites.

60. The method of

claim 59

,

wherein the step responding to said identified speech contents from said associated user site is further comprised of at least one member of the collection comprising the steps of:

responding to said speech contents based upon said current response menu and based upon said cumulative user site response to create a new cumulative user site response; and

assessing said speech contents based upon said current response menu and based upon said cumulative user site response to create a new current response menu.

61. The method of

claim 54

,

wherein the step responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site is comprised, for at least one of said user sites, of the step of:

responding to said speech content identified as to said user site based upon natural language to create a speech content response of said speech contents identified as to said user site.

62. The method of

claim 54

,

wherein the step processing said multiplicity of said received speech channels is further comprised, for at least one of said user sites, of the step of:

processing said received speech channel from said user site based upon natural language for said user site to create said speech content identified as to said user site.

63. The method of

claim 54

,

further comprising at least one member of the collection containing the steps of:

determining said associated user site from said received identified speech channel;

determining said associated user site from said identified speech content;

determining said associated user site from said identified speech content and a speaker identification library;

determining said associated user site from said identified speech content and a speech recognition library; and

determining said associated user site from an identification within said speech channel.

64. The method of

claim 54

,

wherein the step responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site is comprised of the steps of:

processing said identified speech content response to create said identified user site response; and

sending said identified user site response to said identified user site.

65. The method of

claim 54

,

wherein the step responding to said identified speech content from said associated user site is comprised of the steps of:

assessing said speech content response identified as to said user site to create a financial consequence identified as to said user site; and

billing said user site based upon said financial consequence.

66. The method of

claim 54

,

wherein each of said identified speech channels has an associated user site.