Autonomous integrated headset and sound processing system for tactical applications

• US 20070100637A1
• Filed: 10/13/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Wave Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Integrated Wave Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: McCune, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 7,707,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/277
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A sound processing system including a user headset for use in tactical military operations provides integrated sound and speech analysis including sound filtering and amplification, sound analysis and speech recognition for analyzing speech and non-speech sounds and taking programmed actions based on the analysis, recognizing language of speech for purposes of one-way and two-way voice translation, word spotting to detect and identify elements of conversation, and non-speech recognition and identification. The headset includes housings with form factors for insulating a user'"'"'s ear from direct exposure to ambient sounds with at least one microphone for receiving sound around the user, and a microphone for receiving user speech. The user headset can further include interconnections for connecting the headset with out systems outside of the headset, including target designation systems, communication networks, and radio transmitters.

Claims

1. A sound processing system for tactical military operations comprising:

a) a headset including housings with form factors for insulating user ears from direct exposure to ambient sound,

b) at least one microphone for receiving sounds around a user,

c) a microphone for receiving user speech,

d) a processing unit for processing sound from said microphones, the processing unit providing sound filtering and amplification, sound analysis and speech recognition for analyzing speech and non-speech sounds and taking programmed actions based on the analysis, recognizing language of speech for purposes of one-way and two-way voice translation, word spotting to detect and identify elements of communication, and non-speech recognition and identification, and

e) speakers in the housings to play for a user sound produced by the processing unit.

2. The sound processing system of claim 1 and further including:

f) at least one speaker on the outside of the headset to play sound for other persons including translated phrases as part of one-way and two-way voice-to-voice communication.

3. The sound processing system of claim 2 and further including:

g) a light sensor for providing to the processing unit frequency and intensity of any impinging light.

4. The sound processing system of claim 3 and further including:

h) a variably positionable headset mounted camera, the processing unit providing instructions to the camera in response to voice commands from the user.

5. The sound processing system of claim 4 and further including:

i) interconnections for connecting the user headset with other systems outside of the headset.

6. The sound processing system of claim 5 wherein the other functions include target designation systems, communication networks, and radio transmitters.

7. The sound processing system of claim 6 wherein the processing unit further provides non-speech sound recognition including vehicle noise recognition.

8. The sound processing system of claim 1 and further including:

f) interconnections for connecting the user headset with other systems outside of the headset.

9. The sound processing system of claim 1 wherein the processing unit further provides non-speech sound recognition including vehicle noise recognition.

10. The sound processing system as defined by claim 1 and further including:

f) a light sensor for providing to the processing unit frequency and intensity of any impinging light.

11. The sound processing system as defined by claim 1 and further including:

f) a variably positionable headset mounted camera, the processing unit providing instructions to the camera in response to voice commands from the user.