DISTRIBUTED VOICE USER INTERFACE

• US 20120072221A1
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ben Franklin Patent Holding LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Buteau, James J., Shires, Glen E., Surace, Kevin J., Markman, Steven, WHITE, George M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,396,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/251
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications

Abstract

A distributed voice user interface system includes a local device which receives speech input issued from a user. Such speech input may specify a command or a request by the user. The local device performs preliminary processing of the speech input and determines whether it is able to respond to the command or request by itself. If not, the local device initiates communication with a remote system for further processing of the speech input.

Claims

1-38. -38. (canceled)

39. A method comprising:

scanning speech input for a keyword;

initiating a connection with a remote system when the keyword is detected;

storing a portion of the speech input into a local memory;

transmitting the stored portion of the speech input to the remote system; and

updating or modifying a set of recognizable keywords based on updates or modifications received from the remote system, responsive to analysis of the stored portion of the speech input by the remote system.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

scanning the transmitted portion at the remote system for one or more keywords.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

receiving a control signal from the remote system, the control signal configured to trigger speech generation; and

outputting generated speech from the triggered speech generation.

42. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

receiving generated speech from the remote system; and

outputting the generated speech.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein scanning the speech input comprises scanning speech input issued by a user at a local device.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein transmitting the stored portion of the speech input to the remote system comprises transmitting the stored portion of the speech input from the local device to the remote system.

45. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

storing a record comprising one or more resources utilized in responding to the speech input.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the record comprises charges incurred in responding to the speech input.

47. The method of claim 39, wherein analysis of the stored portion of the speech input by the remote system comprises analysis of language usage or acoustic properties of a voice.

48. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

updating or modifying the set of recognizable key words in response to a user request.

49. A computer-readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon, execution of which, by a computing device, causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:

scanning speech input for a keyword;

initiating a connection with a remote system when the keyword is detected;

storing a portion of the speech input into a local memory;

transmitting the stored portion of the speech input to the remote system; and

updating or modifying a set of recognizable keywords based on updates or modifications received from the remote system, responsive to analysis of the stored portion of the speech input by the remote system.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, the operations further comprising:

scanning the transmitted portion at the remote system for one or more keywords.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, the operations further comprising:

receiving a control signal from the remote system, the control signal configured to trigger speech generation; and

outputting generated speech from the triggered speech generation.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, the operations further comprising:

receiving generated speech from the remote system; and

outputting the generated speech.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, wherein scanning the speech input comprises scanning speech input issued by a user at a local device.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 53, wherein transmitting the stored portion of the speech input to the remote system comprises transmitting the stored portion of the speech input from the local device to the remote system.

55. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, the operations further comprising:

storing a record comprising one or more resources utilized in responding to the speech input.

56. The computer-readable medium of claim 55, wherein the record comprises charges incurred in responding to the speech input.

57. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, wherein analysis of the stored portion of the speech input by the remote system comprises analysis of language usage or acoustic properties of a voice.

58. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, the operations further comprising:

updating or modifying the set of recognizable keywords in response to a user request.

59. A system comprising:

a processing module configured to scan speech input for a keyword;

a memory configured to store a portion of the speech input; and

a transceiver configured to initiate a connection with a remote system when the keyword is detected and to transmit the stored portion of the speech input to the remote system,

wherein the processing module is further configured to update or modify a set of recognizable keywords based on updates or modifications received from the remote system, responsive to analysis of the stored portion of the speech input by the remote system.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the remote system is configured to scan the transmitted portion for one or more keywords.

61. The system of claim 59, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive a control signal from the remote system, the control signal configured to trigger speech generation, further comprising:

an audio module configured to output generated speech from the triggered speech generation.

62. The system of claim 59, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive generated speech from the remote system, further comprising:

an audio module configured to output the generated speech.

63. The system of claim 59, wherein scanning the speech input comprises scanning speech input issued by a user at a local device.

64. The system of claim 63, wherein transmitting the stored portion of the speech input to the remote system comprises transmitting the stored portion of the speech input from the local device to the remote system.

65. The system of claim 59, wherein the memory is further configured to store a record comprising one or more resources utilized in responding to the speech input.

66. The system of claim 65, wherein the record comprises charges incurred in responding to the speech input.

67. The system of claim 59, wherein analysis of the stored portion of the speech input by the remote system comprises analysis of language usage or acoustic properties of a voice.

68. The system of claim 59, wherein the processing module is configured to update or modify the set of recognizable keywords in response to a user request.