VOICE ENABLED MEDIA PRESENTATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20100333163A1
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Daly, Curtis N.
• Granted Patent: US 11,012,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/133
• 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: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details

Abstract

Various embodiments facilitate voice control of a receiving device, such as a set-top box. In one embodiment, a voice enabled media presentation system (“VEMPS”) includes a receiving device and a remote-control device having an audio input device. The VEMPS is configured to obtain audio data via the audio input device, the audio data received from a user and representing a spoken command to control the receiving device. The VEMPS is further configured to determine the spoken command by performing speech recognition on the obtained audio data, and to control the receiving device based on the determined command. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A media presentation system, comprising:

a remote-control device including multiple keys and an audio input device; and

a set-top box wirelessly communicatively coupled to the remote-control device,

wherein the media presentation system is configured to;

obtain audio data via the audio input device, the audio data received from a user and representing a spoken command to control the set-top box;

determine the spoken command by performing speech recognition upon the obtained audio data;

control the set-top box in response to the determination of the spoken command; and

control the set-top box in response to a user selection of one of the multiple keys of the remote-control device.

2. The media presentation system of claim 1 wherein the remote-control device is configured to transmit the obtained audio data to the set-top box, and wherein the set-top box is configured to perform the speech recognition upon the obtained audio data.

3. The media presentation system of claim 1 wherein the remote-control device is configured to perform at least some of the speech recognition upon the obtained audio data.

4. The media presentation system of claim 1 wherein the spoken command identifies programming, and wherein the set-top box is configured to present the identified programming in response to the determination of the spoken command.

5. A method of controlling a set-top box, comprising:

wirelessly receiving audio data from a remote-control device, the audio data representing a spoken command uttered by a user into an audio input device of the remote-control device;

determining the spoken command by performing speech recognition upon the received audio data; and

controlling the set-top box device based on the determined command.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein controlling the set-top box includes selecting programming identified by the spoken command and presenting the selected programming on a presentation device coupled to the set-top box.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the spoken command includes at least one of:

an identification of programming to be selected by the set-top box, a command to modify volume of audio output provided by the set-top box, a command to power up/down the set-top box, a request for help, a request to view an electronic program guide, a request to modify a view of an electronic program guide, and a request to view programming identified by an electronic program guide.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the user is speaking a voice command; and

in response to the received indication, reducing audio output volume provided by the set-top box.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the received indication is an initial portion of the received audio data.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the received indication is a signal transmitted by the remote-control device, the signal generated in response a key of the remote-control device being pressed by the user.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the set-top box includes a digital video recorder, and wherein controlling the set-top box includes controlling operation of the digital video recorder.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

disambiguating a plurality of set-top box commands that correspond to the spoken command, by;

determining, based on the spoken command, the plurality of set-top box commands;

presenting the plurality of set-top box commands to the user;

receiving from the user an indication of one of the plurality of set-top box commands; and

controlling the set-top box using the one set-top box command.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein receiving the indication of the one set-top box command includes receiving an additional spoken command from the user.

14. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining audio data that represents a voice prompt directing the user to provide a spoken command; and

transmitting the determined audio data to an audio output device configured to play the voice prompt.

15. A method in a remote-control device that includes an audio input device and multiple keys, the method comprising:

under control of the remote-control device;

controlling the set-top box based on a command spoken by a user by;

receiving audio data via the audio input device, the audio data representing the spoken command; and

initiating speech recognition upon the received audio data to determine the spoken command; and

controlling the set-top box in response to a user selection of one of the multiple keys of the remote-control device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein controlling the set-top box based on the command spoken by the user includes at least one of selecting programming identified by the spoken command, adjusting audio output volume provided by the set-top box, controlling operation of a digital video recorder coupled with the set-top box, obtaining help regarding operation of the set-top box, and powering on/off the set-top box.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein initiating speech recognition includes:

transmitting the received audio data to the set-top box; and

causing the set-top box to begin speech recognition upon the transmitted audio data.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein initiating speech recognition includes performing the speech recognition upon the received audio data, and wherein controlling the set-top box based on the command spoken by the user includes transmitting a command to control the set-top box, the transmitted command based on the spoken command.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting an indication to the set-top box to reduce audio output volume.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the transmitted indication is a signal generated by the remote-control device in response to a key pressed by the user.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the transmitted indication is a first portion of the received audio data.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving from the set-top box audio data that represents a voice prompt directing the user to provide a spoken command; and

playing the voice prompt.