INTEGRATED VOICE SEARCH COMMANDS FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• US 20080154611A1
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Voice Signal Technologies Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Voice Signal Technologies Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: ROTH, Daniel L., GILLICK, Laurence S., Evermann, Gunnar, COUGHLIN, James
• Application Number:
  US11/673,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154611A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service

Abstract

A method implemented on a mobile device that includes speech recognition functionality involves presenting to a user of the mobile device a voice-control interface that supports two types of commands at a common level of the interface, the two types of commands including a first type and a second type, the first type being command and control commands and the second type being search request commands. The method further involves: receiving an utterance from the user that corresponds to a command of either of the first type or the second type; recognizing the utterance; if the received utterance is a command of the first type, performing a corresponding command and control function; and if the received utterance is a command of the second type, generating a representation of a corresponding search request and then using the representation to request a search that is responsive to the search request.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a mobile device that includes speech recognition functionality, said method comprising:

presenting to a user of the mobile device a voice-control interface that supports two types of commands at a common level of the interface, the two types of commands including a first type and a second type, the first type being command and control commands and the second type being search request commands;

receiving an utterance from the user, wherein the utterance corresponds to a command of either of the first type or the second type;

using the speech recognition functionality to recognize the utterance;

if the received utterance is a command of the first type, performing a corresponding command and control function; and

if the received utterance is a command of the second type, generating a representation of a corresponding search request and then using said representation to request a search that is responsive to the search request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein using said representation to request a search comprises sending said representation to a remote server over a wireless data connection.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving from the remote server, a response to the corresponding search request, said response being results of a search performed for said search request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a representation of a corresponding search request comprises generating prompts which solicit from the user details about the search that is being requested.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein generating a representation further comprises, in response to the prompts, receiving user input and using the received user input to construct said representation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second type of command is an utterance that begins with a preselected word.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the preselected word is search.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation comprises spectral features of the utterance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein if the received utterance is a command of the second type, automatically opening up a data connection over which communications with the server will take place.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein if the received utterance is a command of the second type, establishing a connection over the data connection with an entity identified by a predetermined address.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a cell phone and the command and control commands include commands for operating the cell phone.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the commands for operating the cell phone include a command for making a call over the cell phone.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the commands for operating the cell phone include a command for sending email.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the commands for operating the cell phone include a command for sending a text message.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the search request commands include a command for searching ringtones.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the search request commands include a command for searching directory assistance.

17. A mobile device that includes a processor system and memory storing code which when executed by the processor system causes the mobile device to perform the functions of:

presenting to a user of the mobile device a voice-control interface that supports two types of commands at a common level of the interface, the two types of commands including a first type and a second type, the first type being command and control commands and the second type being search request commands;

receiving an utterance;

using speech recognition functionality to recognize a received utterance from a user, said received utterance corresponding to a command of either of the first type or the second type;

if the received utterance is a command of the first type, performing a corresponding command and control function; and

if the received utterance is a command of the second type, generating a representation of a corresponding search request and then using said representation to request a search that is responsive to the search request.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the code when executed on the processor system further causes the mobile device to perform the function of using said representation to request a search by sending said representation to a remote server over a wireless data connection.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the code when executed on the processor system further causes the mobile device to perform the function of receiving from the remote server, a response to the corresponding search request, said response being results of a search performed for said search request.

20. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the code when executed on the processor system further causes the mobile device to perform the function of generating a representation of a corresponding search request by generating prompts which solicit from the user details about the search that is being requested.

21. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the code when executed on the processor system further causes the mobile device to perform the function of generating a representation by receiving user input in response to the prompts and using the received user input to construct said representation.

22. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the second type of command is an utterance that begins with a preselected word.

23. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the preselected word is search.

24. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the representation comprises spectral features of the utterance.

25. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the code when executed on the processor system further causes the mobile device to perform the function of automatically opening up a data connection over which communications with the server will take place if the received utterance is a command of the second type.

26. The mobile device of claim 25 wherein the code when executed on the processor system further causes the mobile device to perform the function of establishing a connection over the data connection with an entity identified by a predetermined address, if the received utterance is a command of the second type.