General remote translator

• US 20020143555A1
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Luchaup, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,039,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/277
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/31 Voice input
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications

Abstract

A voice-translating remote control includes a microphone operable to receive voice command, thereby outputting a voice signal; an audio transmitter operably connected to the microphone to transmit an audio input signal to a host system based on the voice signal; a signal receiver to receive a command signal transmitted by the host transmitter; and a signal transmitter operably connected to the signal receiver to transmit a control signal to an appliance based on the command signal.

Claims

1. A voice-translating remote control comprising:

a microphone operable to receive a voice command and output a voice signal;

an audio transmitter operably connected to the microphone to transmit an audio input signal to a host system based on the voice signal;

a signal receiver arranged to receive a command signal transmitted by the host system; and

a signal transmitter operably connected to the signal receiver to transmit a control signal to an appliance based on the command signal.

2. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter is one selected from the group consisting of an infrared transmitter and a radio frequency transmitter.

3. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the audio transmitter transmits the audio input signal to the host system via wireless communication, and the host system transmits the command signal to the signal receiver via wireless communication.

4. The remote control of claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing appliance identity information.

5. The remote control of claim 4, further comprising a voice-recognition processor for extracting appliance identification information from the voice signal.

6. The remote control of claim 1, further comprising a user interface.

7. The remote control of claim 5, further comprising a user interface.

8. A voice-translating remote control system comprising:

a host system comprising a host receiver, a voice-recognition processor, and a host transmitter, wherein the host receiver is operably connected to the voice-recognition processor, which is in turn operably connected to the host transmitter; and

a remote control comprising

a microphone operable to receive a voice command and output a voice signal,

an audio transmitter operably connected to the microphone to transmit an audio input signal to the host system based on the voice signal,

a signal receiver arranged to receive a command signal transmitted by the host system, and

a signal transmitter operably connected to the signal receiver to transmit a control signal to an appliance based on the command signal.

9. The voice-translating remote control system of claim 8, wherein the remote control further comprising a user interface.

10. The voice-translating remote control system of claim 8, wherein the audio transmitter transmits the audio input signal to the host system via wireless communication, and the host system transmits the command signal to the signal receiver via wireless communication.

11. The voice-translating remote control system of claim 8, wherein the signal transmitter is one selected from the group consisting of an infrared transmitter and a radio frequency transmitter.

13. The voice-translating remote control system of claim 12, wherein the audio transmitter transmits the audio input signal to the host system via wireless communication, and the host system transmits the control signal to the appliance via wireless communication.

14. The voice-translating remote control system of claim 12, wherein the host transmitter is one selected from the group consisting of an infrared transmitter and a radio frequency transmitter.

16. The voice-translating remote control of claim 15, further comprising a user interface means for validating the command signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein transmitting the audio input signal to the host system is via wireless communication and transmitting the command signal to the remote control is via wireless communication.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising validating the command signal received by the remote control.

12. A voice-translating remote control system comprising:

a host system comprising a host receiver, a voice-recognition processor, and a host transmitter, wherein the host receiver is operably connected to the voice-recognition processor, which is in turn operably connected to the host transmitter, the host transmitter being capable of transmitting a control signal to an appliance; and

a remote control comprising

a microphone operable to receive a voice command and output a voice signal, and

an audio transmitter operably connected to the microphone to transmit an audio input signal to the host system based on the voice signal.

15. A voice-translating remote control comprising:

a microphone to receive a voice command and output a voice signal;

a first transmitter means operably connected to the microphone for transmitting an audio input signal to a host system based on the voice signal;

a receiver means for receiving a command signal transmitted by the host system; and

a second transmitter means operably connected to the receiver means for transmitting a control signal to an appliance based on the command signal.

17. A method for controlling an appliance using voice commands comprising:

receiving a voice command by a microphone in a remote control and outputting a voice signal;

transmitting an audio input signal based on the voice signal to a host system comprising a host receiver, a speech-recognition processor, and a host transmitter;

processing the audio input signal by the speech-recognition processor to generate a command signal;

transmitting the command signal to the remote control;

receiving the command signal by the remote control; and

wirelessly transmitting a control signal to the appliance based on the command signal.

20. A method for remotely controlling an appliance using voice commands comprising:

receiving a voice command by a microphone in a remote control and outputting a voice signal;

transmitting an audio input signal based on the voice signal to a host system comprising a host receiver, a speech-recognition processor, and a host transmitter;

processing the audio input signal by the speech-recognition processor to generate a command signal; and

wirelessly transmitting the command signal from the host system to the appliance.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein transmitting the audio input signal to the host system is via wireless communication.