Control system

• US 20080091433A1
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Dusterhoff, Kurt
• Granted Patent: US 7,881,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/222 Barge in, i.e. overridable guidance for interrupting prompts

Abstract

A system has a speech control interface operable to provide a speech sequence to which a user response is required before system functionality is operational. A user response can be provided via a spoken command. The system is operable, in response to interruption of the speech sequence to permit a non-verbal user response using an alternative interface.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a speech control interface being operable to provide a speech sequence and to receive a corresponding user response, the user response being required before system functionality is operational; and

an alternative interface being operable to permit the user response to be a non-verbal user response to the speech sequence, wherein

the user response can be provided either via a spoken command or, in response to interruption of the speech sequence, via the alternative interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the alternative interface comprises a display operable to provide a visual representation of the speech sequence.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the display is a touch screen display that is operable to display at least one button operable by a user to provide the non-verbal user response.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the alternative interface comprises at least one switch operable by a user to provide the non-verbal user response.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the speech control interface is operable to voice an acknowledgement of the user response.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory in communication with the speech control interface and operable to store a command representative of an operation to be performed following receipt of the user response; and

a processor in communication with the memory and being operable to retrieve the command in response to the user response.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the speech sequence comprises a disclaimer.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a memory in communication with the speech control interface and being operable to receive the command input before the user response to the disclaimer, and to execute the command after input of the user response to the disclaimer.

9. A system comprising:

a speech control interface being operable to provide a disclaimer in the form of a speech sequence for which a user acknowledgement is required before system functionality is operational;

a memory for storing a command input before the user acknowledgement; and

a processor being operable to receive the user acknowledgement and to execute the command after receiving the user acknowledgement.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the system comprises a navigation system for a vehicle.

11. A method of operating a system that includes a speech control interface, the method comprising:

providing a speech sequence for which a user response is required before system functionality is operational, wherein the user response can be provided via a spoken command; and

in response to interruption of the speech sequence, permitting a user response using an alternative interface.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying a visual representation of the speech sequence.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the permitting a user response using an alternative interface comprises:

displaying on a touch screen display at least one button operable by a user to provide the user response; and

accepting a user response via touching of the at least one button.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the permitting a user response using an alternative interface comprises accepting the user response via at least one switch.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the speech control interface is operable for voicing an acknowledgement of the user response.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing a command representative of an operation to be performed following receipt of the user response, and retrieving the command following the receipt of the user response.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the speech sequence comprises a disclaimer.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising executing after a response to the disclaimer a command input stored before the input of the response to the disclaimer.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the system is a navigation system for a vehicle.

19. A method of operating a system that includes a speech control interface, the method comprising:

storing a command input before an acknowledgement of a disclaimer; and

executing the command after the acknowledgement of the disclaimer.