Methods, Systems, and Products for Voice Control

• US 20120134507A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Schroeter, Horst J., DIMITRIADIS, DIMITRIOS B.
• Application Number:
  US12/956,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20120134507A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/92
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02166 Microphone arrays; Beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/326 for microphones H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products provide voice control of electronic devices. Speech and a beacon signal are received. A directional microphone is aligned to a source of the beacon signal. A voice command in the speech is received and executed.

Claims

1. A method for voice control of an electronic device, comprising:

receiving speech;

receiving a beacon signal;

aligning a directional microphone to a source of the beacon signal;

receiving a voice command in the speech; and

executing the voice command.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the beacon signal comprises receiving an ultrasonic beacon signal at a separate microphone.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising converting the speech into a speech signal.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising analyzing a semantic content of the speech signal.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing a beamforming process.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising querying a speech recognition unit.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising receiving the voice command from the speech recognition unit.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor executing code stored in memory, the code causing the processor to;

receive a beacon signal;

receive multi-channel audio;

beamform the multi-channel audio to produce single channel audio;

steer an array of microphones to a source of the beacon signal; and

query a speech recognition unit.

9. The system according to claim 8, further comprising code that causes the processor to receive a voice command discerned from at least one of the single channel audio and the multi-channel audio.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising code that causes the processor to execute the voice command.

11. The system according to claim 8, further comprising code that causes the processor to suppress a portion of the multi-channel audio.

12. The system according to claim 8, further comprising code that causes the processor to emphasize a portion of the multi-channel audio in a direction of the source.

13. The system according to claim 8, further comprising code that causes the processor to analyze a semantic content.

14. A computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving a beacon signal;

generating multi-channel audio;

beamforming the multi-channel audio to produce single channel audio;

steering an array of microphones toward a source of the beacon signal; and

querying a speech recognition unit.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for receiving a voice command from the speech recognition unit.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for executing the voice command.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for suppressing a portion of the multi-channel audio.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for emphasizing a portion of the multi-channel audio in a direction of the source.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for suppressing a portion of the multi-channel audio.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for analyzing a semantic content.