Auto-mute command stream by voice-activated remote control

• US 20070014420A1
• Filed: 07/13/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innotech Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Innotech Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,706,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/110
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/31 Voice input
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 1/02 Remote control of amplification, tone or bandwidth combined with remote tuning or selection of resonant circuits H03J
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/342 Muting when some special characteristic of the signal is sensed which distinguishes it from noise, e.g. using speech detector H03G3/344, H03G3/345 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

A voice-activated, or voice-operated, remote control is adapted to reduce or eliminate the sound output of one or more entertainment appliances in order quiet the environment and thereby improve the effectiveness and accuracy its voice recognition functions. In one aspect of the present invention, the remote control sends a mute command to an appliance under control and listens for a voice command during an ensuing predetermined time period. In a further aspect of the present invention, the remote control determines which one of a plurality of unmute sequences is to be transmitted.

Claims

1. A method of operating a voice-activated remote control, comprising:

a) receiving a first audio input;

b) determining whether the first audio input represents an auto-mute keyword;

c) transmitting, if the determination of (b) is affirmative, at least one mute command;

d) determining whether a valid voice command is received within a predetermined period of time;

e) executing, if the determination of (d) is affirmative, the voice command received subsequent to (c); and

f) transmitting at least one unmute sequence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the unmute sequence consists of a mute command.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unmute sequence consists of a volume up command.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining whether an immediately previous transmitted unmute sequence was the volume up command, and transmitting, if the determination is affirmative, a volume down command.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the unmute sequence consists of a volume up command and a volume down command.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) is performed prior to step (f).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (f) is performed prior to step (e).

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting one of a plurality of unmute sequences, based, at least in part, on the make and model of an entertainment appliance to be controlled by the voice-activated remote control.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, prior to transmitting a mute command, whether an auto-mute mode is enabled.

10. A voice-operated remote control, comprising:

a computational resource coupled to a microphone, a transmitter, a memory having trained voice command patterns stored therein, and further coupled to a keypad, indicators, and a speaker;

wherein the computational resource is adapted to;

a) receive a first audio input;

b) determine whether the first audio input represents an auto-mute keyword;

c) transmit, if the determination of (b) is affirmative, at least one mute command;

d) determine whether a valid voice command is received within a predetermined period of time;

e) execute, if the determination of (d) is affirmative, the voice command received subsequent to (c); and

f) transmit at least one unmute sequence.

11. The voice-operated remote control of claim 10, wherein the computational resource is a microcontroller.

12. The voice-operated remote control of claim 10, wherein the computational resource is further adapted to determine, prior to transmitting a mute command, whether an auto-mute mode is enabled.

13. The voice-operated remote control of claim 12, wherein the computational resource is further adapted to select one of a plurality of unmute sequences, based, at least in part, on the make and model of an entertainment appliance to be controlled by the voice-activated remote control.

14. The voice-operated remote control of claim 12, wherein the unmute sequence consists of a mute command.

15. The voice-operated remote control of claim 12, wherein the unmute sequence consists of a volume up command.

16. The voice-operated remote control of claim 12, wherein the unmute sequence consists of a volume up command and a volume down command.

17. The voice -operated remote control of claim 12, wherein the unmute sequence consists of a mute command, a volume up command, and a volume down command.

18. The voice-operated remote control of claim 12, wherein the mute command includes signals necessary to command an entertainment appliance to completely turn off its sound output.

19. The voice-operated remote control of claim 12, wherein the mute command includes signals necessary to command an entertainment appliance to lower its sound output.

20. The voice-operated remote control of claim 12, wherein the mute command includes signals necessary to command an entertainment appliance to turn on a closed captioning display.

21. The voice-operated remote control of claim 12, further comprising means for receiving a user input, and responsive thereto, selecting one of a plurality of stored unmute sequences to be used by the auto-mute process.

22. The voice-operated remote control of claim 12, further comprising means for receiving a user input, and responsive thereto, storing additional unmute sequences.

23. The voice-operated remote control of claim 12, further comprising means for receiving a user input, and responsive thereto, storing user-defined arbitrary key sequences for muting and/or unmuting.