Method and System for Automatic Speech Recognition with Multiple Contexts

• US 20110060588A1
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Weinberg, Garrett L.
• Application Number:
  US12/557,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20110060588A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/243
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

A method and a system for activating functions including a first function and a second function, wherein the system is embedded in an apparatus, are disclosed. The system includes a control configured to be activated by a plurality of activation styles, wherein the control generates a signal indicative of a particular activation style from multiple activation styles; and controller configured to activate either the first function or the second function based on the particular activation style, wherein the first function is configured to be executed based only on the activation style, and wherein the second function is further configured to be executed based on a speech input.

Claims

1. A system for activating a plurality of functions based on a speech input, wherein the system is embedded in an apparatus, comprising:

a memory storing a plurality of states, wherein each state is associated with at least one function from the plurality of functions;

an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine operatively connected to a set of data models, wherein there is one data model for each state, wherein the ASR engine is configured to interpret the speech input into a functional input using a data model associated with a state while the system is in the state, such that the function is activated according to the functional input;

a plurality of controls, wherein there is one control for each state, and wherein each control is configured to generate a signal associated with the state; and

a state transition module configured to transition the system to the state based on the signal, wherein the function is configured to be activated only when the system is in the state associated with the function.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each state is associated with a context, wherein there is one context for each state.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the context is selected from a music context, a contact context, and a navigation context.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a control associated with a state conveys an identifier of the context associated with the state.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the identifier is selected from a caption rendered on the control, a color of the control, a shape of the control, a location of the control, and a combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the speech input includes an identifier of the function and a parameter of the function, such that the function is selected based on the identifier and executed based on the parameter.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the state is associated with only one function, the speech input includes a parameter of the function, such that the function is executed based on the parameter.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control is a push-to-talk button.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to be transitioned to the state based only on tangible activation.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of controls includes a multi-purpose control.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a control panel including the plurality of controls.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is an instrumental panel of a vehicle.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is selected from a telephone, a musical player, a navigation device, and combination thereof.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of controls includes a multi-purpose control, the multi-purpose control is configured to be activated with at least two activations styles such that the multi-purpose control generates a signal indicative of a particular activation style, further comprising:

a controller configured to activate either a first function or a second function based on the particular activation style, wherein the first function is configured to be executed based only on the activation style, and wherein the second function is further configured to be executed based on the speech input.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the pluralities of controls includes only the multi-purpose controls.

16. A method for activating a plurality of functions, wherein each function is configured to be activated based on a speech input, comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory a plurality of states, wherein each state is associated with at least one function from the plurality of functions;

providing a plurality of controls, wherein there is one control for each state, and wherein each control is configured to generate a signal associated with the state; and

transitioning the system, in response to receiving the signal, to the state associated with the signal to activate the function according to the speech input, wherein the function is configured to be activated only when the system is transitioned to the state associated with the function.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the function is configured to be executed based on an input, further comprising:

providing an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine operatively connected to a set of data models, wherein there is one data model for each state, wherein the ASR engine is configured to interpret the speech input into the input using a data model associated with a state while the system is transitioned to the state.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one control of the plurality of controls is a multi-purpose control.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

associating a control with a context; and

providing an identification of the context on the control.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

positioning the plurality of controls inside a vehicle.