System And Method For Hazard Mitigation In Voice-Driven Control Applications

• US 20090030695A1
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Storz Endoskop Produktions GmbH (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Original Assignee: Storz Endoskop Produktions GmbH (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Inventors: Wang, Gang, Contolini, Matteo, Zheng, Chengyi, Stiller, Heinz-Werner
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/51 for comparison or discrimination

Abstract

A speech recognition and control system including a sound card for receiving speech and converting the speech into digital data, the sound card removably connected to an input of a computer, recognizer software executing on the computer for interpreting at least a portion of the digital data, event detection software executing on the computer for detecting connectivity of the sound card, and command control software executing on the computer for generating a command based on at least one of the digital data and the connectivity of the sound card.

Claims

1. A speech recognition and control system, comprising:

a sound card for receiving speech and converting the speech into digital data, said sound card removably connected to an input of a computer;

recognizer software executing on the computer for interpreting at least a portion of the digital data;

event detection software executing on the computer for detecting connectivity of said sound card; and

command control software executing on the computer for generating a command based on at least one of the digital data and the connectivity of said sound card.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the input is a universal serial bus input.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the command is indicative of an alert if a disconnection of said sound card is detected.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the alert is at least one of an audible alert and a visual alert.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said event detection software further detects a malfunction of said sound card.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of medical devices controllable by the system.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the command directs at least one of medical devices to stop an action if a disconnection of said sound card is detected.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the command directs at least one of medical devices to commence an action if a disconnection of said sound card is detected.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a database including a plurality of rules; and

wherein the command is further based on at least one rule.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone removably connected to said sound card.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said event detection software further detects connectivity of said microphone.

12. A method of mitigating hazards in a voice-driven control system, comprising the steps of:

removably connecting a sound card external to a computer via an input;

receiving speech via the sound card;

converting the speech into digital data;

determining connectivity of the sound card;

determining whether a hazard mitigation action is necessary based on at least one of the digital data and the connectivity; and

generating a command based on at least one of the digital data and the connectivity.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the input is a universal serial bus input.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the command is indicative of an alert if a disconnection of the sound card is detected.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the alert is at least one of an audible alert and a visual alert.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

sending the command to a medical device operable by the voice-driven control system.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the command directs the medical device to stop an action if a disconnection of the sound card is detected.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the command directs the medical device to commence an action if a disconnection of the sound card is detected.

19. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

determining connectivity of a microphone removeably connected to the sound card.