Speech recognition apparatus and vehicle incorporating speech recognition apparatus

• US 20060100870A1
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Shikano, Toshiya, Kyomitsu, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,684,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/254
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/20 Speech recognition techniques specially adapted for robustness in adverse environments, e.g. in noise, of stress induced speech G10L21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/00 Systems employing more than two channels, e.g. quadraphonic H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence

Abstract

When a voice input is detected as being applied to a directional microphone, sounds output from selected loudspeakers from among a plurality of loudspeakers, which otherwise would obstruct the speech recognition process, are attenuated, and sound signals supplied to the selected loudspeakers are combined with sound signals supplied to the other loudspeakers, and the combined sound signals are supplied to the other loudspeakers.

Claims

1. A speech recognition apparatus comprising:

a directional voice input unit for inputting voice from a speaker;

a voice input state detector for detecting a voice input state in which the voice from the speaker is input to said directional voice input unit;

a speech recognizer for recognizing the voice input from said directional voice input unit and outputting a command corresponding to a recognized voice;

a sound output unit for outputting sound signals in a plurality of channels to corresponding loudspeakers;

a sound output attenuator for attenuating sounds output from selected loudspeakers which otherwise would obstruct a speech recognition process performed by said speech recognizer when said voice input state detector detects the voice input state; and

a combined sound generator for combining the sound signals output to said selected loudspeakers whose output sounds are attenuated, with the sound signals output to other loudspeakers whose output sounds are not attenuated, thereby producing a combined sound signal to generate a combined sound.

2. A speech recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sound output unit comprises a surround system having at least front, rear, left, and right independent channels.

3. A speech recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sound output attenuator attenuates only sounds in a frequency range that is used in said speech recognition process performed by said speech recognizer.

4. A speech recognition apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said sound output attenuator comprises a high-pass filter for attenuating a higher level of sound signals at frequencies in the vicinity of a lower end of the voice frequency band, and a lower level of sound signals at frequencies in the vicinity of a higher end of the voice frequency band.

5. A vehicle incorporating therein the speech recognition apparatus according to claim 1.

6. A speech recognition apparatus comprising:

a microphone array for inputting voice from a speaker and outputting a delay sum output signal from a speaker on the driver'"'"'s seat in a vehicle and a delay sum output signal from a speaker on a passenger seat in the vehicle;

a voice input state detector for detecting a voice input state in which the voice from the speaker on the driver'"'"'s seat is input to said microphone array when the delay sum output signal from the speaker on the driver'"'"'s seat reaches a predetermined level, and for detecting a voice input state in which the voice from the speaker on the passenger seat is input to said microphone array when the delay sum output signal from the speaker on the passenger seat reaches a predetermined level;

a speech recognizer for recognizing the voice input from said microphone array and outputting a command corresponding to a recognized voice;

a sound output unit for outputting sound signals in a plurality of channels to corresponding loudspeakers;

a sound output attenuator for attenuating sounds output from selected loudspeakers which otherwise would obstruct a speech recognition process performed by said speech recognizer when said voice input state detector detects the voice input state; and

a combined sound generator for combining the sound signals output to said selected loudspeakers whose output sounds are attenuated, with the sound signals output to other loudspeakers whose output sounds are not attenuated, thereby producing a combined sound signal to generate a combined sound.

7. A speech recognition apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said sound output unit comprises a surround system having at least front, rear, left, and right independent channels.

8. A speech recognition apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said sound output attenuator attenuates only sounds in a frequency range that is used in said speech recognition process performed by said speech recognizer.

9. A speech recognition apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said sound output attenuator comprises a high-pass filter for attenuating a higher level of sound signals at frequencies in the vicinity of a lower end of the voice frequency band, and a lower level of sound signals at frequencies in the vicinity of a higher end of the voice frequency band.

10. A vehicle incorporating therein the speech recognition apparatus according to claim 6.