Television apparatus having speech recognition function, and method of controlling the same

• US 20030115067A1
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukumoto, Tsuyoshi, Konishi, Masato, Suda, Hiroyuki, Ibaraki, Toshio
• Granted Patent: US 7,254,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A television apparatus equipped with speech recognition function which allows the television apparatus to operate in accordance with a unit of language having an operable superordinate concept or makes the television apparatus operate after changing the operation mode, when a unit of language uttered by a user is unacceptable, is provided.

The television apparatus according to the present invention judges whether it is possible for said television apparatus to operate in accordance with a speech code which is accepted under the current operation mode, and operates under this operation mode when it is possible to operate. When it is not possible to operate, if there is a speech code having an operable superordinate concept, the television apparatus operates in accordance with the speech code having the operable superordinate concept. If there is not a speech code having an operable superordinate concept, the television apparatus further judges whether it is possible to operate when it changes the operation mode. When it is possible to operate after the operation mode is changed, the television apparatus operates under the post-change operation mode.

Claims

1. A television apparatus equipped with speech recognition function, characterized in comprising:

a speech recognition unit which receives speech and recognizes a unit of language included in said speech; and

a judging unit which judges whether said television apparatus can operate under the current operation mode in accordance with said unit of language, wherein

said television apparatus operates in accordance with said unit of language when it is possible for said television apparatus to operate under the current operation mode in accordance with said unit of language, but said television apparatus does not operate in accordance with said unit of language when it is not possible for said television apparatus to operate under the current operation mode in accordance with said unit of language.

2. The television apparatus equipped with speech recognition function of claim 1, characterized in that said television apparatus comprises a first input mode and a second input mode which can be switched with each other, the operation according to claim 1 is performed under said first input mode, while under said second input mode, when it is not possible for said television apparatus to operate under the current operation mode in accordance with said unit of language, said television apparatus operates in accordance with said unit of language after the operation mode is changed.

4. The television apparatus equipped with speech recognition function of claim 1, characterized in further comprising an on-screen display unit and/or a speech outputting unit, wherein when it is not possible for said television apparatus to operate under the current operation mode in accordance with said unit of language, said on-screen display unit and/or said speech outputting unit provides a user with a notice which denotes that it is not possible for said television apparatus to operate in accordance with said unit of language.

5. The television apparatus equipped with speech recognition function of claim 2, characterized in further comprising an on-screen display unit and/or a speech outputting unit, wherein when said television apparatus operates in accordance with said unit of language after changing the operation mode, said on-screen display unit and/or said speech outputting unit provides a user with a notice which denotes that said television apparatus will operate in accordance with said unit of language after changing the operation mode.

7. The television apparatus equipped with speech recognition function of claim 2, characterized in further comprising an on-screen display unit and/or a speech outputting unit, wherein

when it is not possible for said television apparatus to operate under the current operation mode in accordance with said unit of language, said on-screen display unit and/or said speech outputting unit displays a selection menu containing said first input mode and said second input mode, and

said television apparatus operates under the input mode which is selected by the user.

3. A television apparatus equipped with speech recognition function, characterized in comprising:

a speech recognition unit which receives speech and recognizes a unit of language included in said speech;

a judging unit which judges whether said television apparatus can operate in accordance with said unit of language;

a dictionary containing classifications by category, a dictionary containing classifications by category and having a hierarchical structure, or a dictionary in which units of language are correlated with each other using key words; and

a search unit which retrieves, from within said dictionary, other unit of language which belongs to the same category as said unit of language and which can make the television apparatus operate, other unit of language which has a superordinate concept beyond said unit of language and which can make the television apparatus operate, or other unit of language which is correlated with said unit of language by a key word and which can make the television apparatus operate, when it is not possible for said television apparatus to operate in accordance with said unit of language, wherein

when said search unit retrieves said other unit of language, said television apparatus operates in accordance with said other unit of language.

6. The television apparatus equipped with speech recognition function of claim 3, characterized in further comprising an on-screen display unit and/or a speech outputting unit, wherein when said television apparatus operates in accordance with said other unit of language, said on-screen display unit and/or said speech outputting unit provides a user with a notice which denotes that said television apparatus will operate in accordance with said other unit of language.

8. A television apparatus equipped with speech recognition function, characterized in comprising:

an on-screen display unit which demands or permits a user to input an instruction, or displays a screen for guiding the user about an inputting method for a predetermined display time;

a speech recognition unit which receives speech; and

recognizes a unit of language included in said speech; and

a operation inputting unit which accepts an instruction by detecting that the user has pressed a switch, moved a cursor displayed on the screen or touched on a touch panel, wherein

said display time for inputting of a unit of language via said speech recognition unit is longer than said display time for inputting of an instruction via said operation inputting unit.

9. A method of controlling a television apparatus equipped with speech recognition function which comprises a dictionary containing classifications by category, a dictionary containing classifications by category and having a hierarchical structure, or a dictionary in which units of language are correlated with each other using key words, said method being characterized in comprising:

a speech recognition step of receiving speech and recognizing a unit of language included in said speech;

a judging step of judging whether said television apparatus can operate under the current operation mode in accordance with said unit of language;

a search step of retrieving, from within said dictionary, other unit of language which belongs to the same category as said unit of language and which can make the television apparatus operate, other unit of language which has a superordinate concept beyond said unit of language and which can make the television apparatus operate, or other unit of language which is correlated with said unit of language by a key word and which can make the television apparatus operate, when it is not possible for said television apparatus to operate in accordance with said unit of language; and

an operation step of operating in accordance with said other unit of language, when said search unit retrieves said other unit of language.

10. A method of controlling a television apparatus equipped with speech recognition function, characterized in comprising:

an on-screen displaying step of demanding or permitting a user to input an instruction, or displaying a screen for guiding the user about an inputting method for a predetermined display time;

a speech recognition step of receiving speech and recognizing a unit of language included in said speech; and

a operation inputting step of detecting that the user has pressed a switch, moved a cursor displayed on the screen or touched on a touch panel, and thereby accepting an instruction, wherein

said display time for inputting of a unit of language at said speech recognition step is longer than said display time for inputting of an instruction at said operation inputting step.