APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING RELEVANCE OF INPUT SPEECH

• US 20120259638A1
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: KALINLI, OZLEM
• Application Number:
  US13/083,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20120259638A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/25 using position of the lips, movement of the lips or face analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/78 Detection of presence or absence of voice signals switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10

Abstract

Audio or visual orientation cues can be used to determine the relevance of input speech. The presence of a user'"'"'s face may be identified during speech during an interval of time. One or more facial orientation characteristics associated with the user'"'"'s face during the interval of time may be determined. In some cases, orientation characteristics for input sound can be determined. A relevance of the user'"'"'s speech during the interval of time may be characterized based on the one or more orientation characteristics.

Claims

1. A method for determining relevance of input speech, comprising:

a) identifying the presence of the user'"'"'s face during speech in an interval of time;

b) obtaining one or more facial orientation characteristics associated with the user'"'"'s face during the interval of time; and

c) characterizing a relevance of the speech during the interval of time based on the one or more orientation characteristics obtained in b).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the one or more facial orientation characteristics in b) involves tracking the user'"'"'s facial orientation characteristics using a camera.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining the one or more facial orientation characteristics in b) further involves tracking the user'"'"'s facial orientation characteristics using infrared lights.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the one or more orientation characteristics in b) involves tracking the user'"'"'s facial orientation characteristics using a microphone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more facial orientation characteristics in b) includes a head tilt angle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more facial orientation characteristics in b) includes an eye gaze direction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein c) involves characterizing the user'"'"'s speech as irrelevant where one or more of the facial orientation characteristics fall outside an allowed range.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein c) involves weighing the relevance of the user'"'"'s speech based on one or more of the facial orientation characteristics'"'"' divergence from an allowed range.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering a profile of the user'"'"'s face prior to obtaining one or more facial orientation characteristics associated with the user'"'"'s face during speech.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a direction of a source of the speech and wherein c) includes taking the direction of the source of speech in characterizing the relevance of the speech.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein c) includes discriminating among a plurality of sources of speech within an image captured by an image capture device.

12. An apparatus for determining relevance of speech, comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

computer coded instructions embodied in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the computer coded instructions are configured to implement a method for determining relevance of speech of a user, comprising;

a) identifying the presence of the user'"'"'s face during speech in an interval of time;

b) obtaining one or more facial orientation characteristics associated with the user'"'"'s face during speech during the interval of time;

c) characterizing the relevance of the user'"'"'s speech during the interval of time based on the one or more orientation characteristics obtained in b).

13. The apparatus in claim 12, further comprising a camera configured to obtain the one or more orientation characteristics in b).

14. The apparatus in claim 12, further comprising one or more infrared lights configured to obtain the one or more orientation characteristics in b).

15. The apparatus in claim 12, further comprising a microphone configured to obtain the one or more orientation characteristics in b).

16. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium for determining relevance speech, said computer program having;

a) computer readable program code means for identifying the presence of the user'"'"'s face during speech in an interval of time;

b) computer readable program code means for obtaining one or more facial orientation characteristics associated with the user'"'"'s face during the interval of time;

c) computer readable program code means for characterizing the relevance of the user'"'"'s speech based on the one or more orientation characteristics obtained in b).