Environmental condition detector with voice recognition

• US 20030229500A1
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gary J. Morris Phd
• Inventors: Morris, Gary J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

An ambient condition detector incorporates voice recognition circuitry for the receipt of verbal commands in a selected language. The commands can be used to initiate functions, such as tests of various components of the detector, or over-all detector operation. Test results can be reported audible, for example by tones, verbally or optically. Recognizable commands and messages can be pre-recorded and not user alterable. Other types of functions can be verbially initiated. Alternately, the user can expand upon the pre-recorded set of commands, or, can record a user specific set of commands.

Claims

1. A detector comprising:

a sensor;

control circuitry coupled to the sensor;

voice recognition circuitry coupled to the control circuitry in response to at least one verbal command recognized by the recognition circuitry, the control circuitry initiates one of a selected non-test function or a test;

an output device, coupled to the control circuitry which indicates a test result; and

a housing which contains the sensor, the circuitry and the output device.

2. A detector as in claim 1 which includes a power source, the test comprising a condition test of at least part of the source.

3. A detector as in claim 2, the output device comprises at least one of a visual output device or a verbal output device.

4. A detector as in claim 1 with the output device comprising at least one of a visual output device or a verbal output device.

5. A detector as in claim 4, the control circuit initiating one of a battery test or a detector component test.

6. A detector as in claim 5 wherein a response to a recognized verbal command, the control circuit initiates the respective test and output a verbal test report.

7. A detector as in claim 1 where the control circuitry, in response to another recognized verbal command temporarily terminates an audible alarm indicating output.

8. A detector as in claim 1 where the control circuitry includes a programmed processor.

9. A detector as in claim 8 which includes instructions for recognizing received audible commands.

38. A detector as in claim 1 where the voice recognition circuitry recognizes first and second, spaced apart, verbal commands prior to initiating a respective one of a function or a test.

10. A verbally responsive detector comprising:

a housing;

at least one ambient condition sensor carried in the housing;

speech recognition circuitry, carried in the housing and responsive to voice input from a displaced source;

control circuitry, coupled to the sensor, responsive to outputs therefrom to establish the presence of a predetermined alarm condition, the control circuitry is also coupled to the speech recognition circuitry and is responsive to recognized voiced input to implement a function corresponding to the voiced input.

11. A detector as in claim 10 which includes a second, different ambient condition sensor carried in the housing.

12. A detector as in claim 11 where the control circuitry includes circuitry, responsive to two different received verbal inputs, to implement a test of each of the first and second sensors.

13. A detector as in claim 10 where the control circuitry comprises a programmed processor.

14. A detector as in claim 13 which includes executable instructions for implementing at least two different voice specified detector functions.

15. A detector as in claim 11 where the speech recognition circuitry recognizes first and second, different verbal commands, one associated with conducting a test of the sensor, the other associated with initiating a non-test function.

16. A detector as in claim 14 where one of the functions is a detector silence function and, another function is a predetermined test.

17. A detector as in claim 16 which includes an input audio transducer coupled to the control circuitry, and executable instructions for storing indicia of a plurality of user verbalized commands.

18. A detector as in claim 17 which includes a single audible output transducer for audible alarm signals and any audible voice outputs.

19. A detector as in claim 17 which includes executable instructions for responding to selection of an input language for the voiced inputs.

39. A detector as in claim 10 where the speech recognition circuitry recognizes first and second, spaced apart, voice inputs prior to initiating a respective function.

20. An environmental condition detector receiving at least one verbal command to test the functionality of the detector comprising:

at least one sensor for detecting the presence of an environmental condition,

a first electronic circuit for activation of an alarm having an audible tonal pattern for the duration of the detection of the environmental condition;

speech recognition circuits for receiving and electronically recognizing at least one verbal command and thereby initiating at least one diagnostic test of at least one electronic component of the environmental condition detector; and

a power source selected from a group including a battery, a non-battery power supply, and a non-battery power supply with battery backup.

21. The environmental condition detector of claim 20 wherein the sensor comprises a type selected from a group including a smoke sensor, a heat sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a gas sensor, a motion sensor, a vibration sensor, a light sensor, a sound sensor, and any multiple combination of these environmental condition sensor types.

22. The environmental condition detector of claim 21 which includes voice responsive circuits to terminate an output audible tonal pattern for a prescribed time period upon reception of at least one verbal command.

23. The environmental condition detector of claim 21 including circuitry to select one of a plurality of languages for the verbal command to be recognized.

24. An environmental condition detector receiving at least one verbal command to test the condition of a battery in the detector comprising:

at least one sensor means for detecting the presence of an environmental condition,

an electronic means for activation of an alarm having an audible tonal pattern for the duration of the detection of said environmental condition;

an electronic means for receiving and electronically recognizing at least one verbal command and thereby initiating at least one diagnostic test to provide a report of the condition of a selected element of the detector; and

a power source selected from a group including a battery and a non-battery power supply with a battery back-up.

25. The environmental condition detector of claim 24 wherein the sensor means comprises a type selected from a group that includes a smoke sensor, a heat sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a gas sensor, a motion sensor, a vibration sensor, a light sensor, a sound sensor, and any multiple combination of sensor types.

26. The environmental condition detector of claim 24 wherein the report comprises an electronically pre-recorded verbal message.

27. The environmental detector of claim 24 wherein the report comprises a visual display.

28. The environmental condition detector of claim 24 which includes circuits to select from more than one language in which the at least one command to be verbalized.

29. An environmental condition detector receiving at least one verbal command and electronic voice recognition to test the functionality of the detector comprising:

at least one sensor means for detecting the presence of an environmental condition;

an electronic means for activation of an alarm having an audible tonal pattern for the duration of the detection of said environmental condition;

an electronic means for receiving and electronically recognizing said at least one verbal command and thereby initiating at least one diagnostic test of at least one electronic component of said environmental condition detector;

an electronic means for the user to record at least one verbal command into electronic memory for user dependent voice recognition; and

a power source selected from the group including a battery, a non-battery power supply, and a non-battery power supply with a back-up power supply.

30. The environmental condition detector of claim 29 wherein said sensor means comprises a type selected from the group including a smoke detector, a heat detector, a carbon monoxide detector, a gas detector, a motion detector, a vibration detector, a light detector;

a sound detector, and any multiple combination of these environmental condition detector types.

31. The environmental condition detector of claim 29 wherein means are further provided for the termination of said audible tonal pattern for a prescribed time period upon reception, during a prescribed period of audible tonal pattern silence, of at least one verbal command.

32. The environmental condition detector of claim 29 wherein said electronic means are provided to select from more than one language type of said at least one verbal command to be recognized.

33. An environmental condition detector receiving at least one verbal command and electronic voice recognition to remotely test the condition of the battery power supply of the detector comprising:

at least one sensor means for detecting the presence of an environmental condition;

an electronic means for activation of an alarm having an audible tonal patter for the duration of the detection of said environmental condition;

an electronic means for receiving and electronically recognizing said at least one verbal command and thereby initiating at least one diagnostic test to provide a report of the condition of said battery power supply;

an electronic means for the user to record at least one verbal command into electronic memory for user dependent voice recognition; and

a power source selected from the group including a battery and a non-battery source with a battery back-up.

34. The environmental condition detector of claim 33 wherein said sensor means comprises a type selected from the group including a smoke detector, a heat detector, a carbon monoxide detector, a gas detector, a motion detector, a vibration detector, a light detector, a sound detector, and any multiple combination of these environmental condition detector types.

35. The environmental condition detector of claim 33 wherein said report of the condition of said battery power supply is an electronically prerecorded verbal message.

36. The environmental condition detector of claim 33 wherein said report of the condition of said battery power supply is an electronically prerecorded verbal message.

37. The environmental condition detector of claim 33 wherein said electronic means are provided to select from more than one language type of the verbal command to be recognized.