ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR EXECUTING FUNCTION USING SPEECH RECOGNITION THEREOF

• US 20170116987A1
• Filed: 10/24/2016
• Published: 04/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2015
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KANG, Sangki, LEE, Jimin, KIM, Kyungtae, JEON, Yongjoon, KANG, Doosuk, BAEK, Sunghwan
• Application Number:
  US15/332,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20170116987A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• 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: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device

Abstract

An electronic device and a method for using speech recognition are provided. The electronic device includes an input device, a touch screen display, a processor, and a memory. The memory stores a first software program that can be triggered in response to a first user input, and instructions which when executed by the processor, configures the processor to control for receiving a second user input that is different from the first user input through the input device and a selected region on the display, switching the electronic device to a state where the electronic device can receive a speech through the microphone in response to the second user input, receiving the speech from an external source through the microphone in the state, and executing the first software program using at least a part of the received speech without receiving the first user input.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing having a first surface and a second surface that is directed toward an opposite direction to the first surface;

a microphone arranged to receive sound from an external source;

at least one input device arranged on the housing;

a touch screen display arranged on the first surface of the housing;

a processor electrically connected to the microphone, the at least one input device, and the display; and

a memory electrically connected to the processor,

wherein the memory stores a first software program that can be triggered in response to a first user input, and

wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, configures the processor to control for;

receiving a second user input that is different from the first user input through at least one of the at least one input device and a selected region on the display,

switching the electronic device to a state in which the electronic device can receive a speech through the microphone in response to the second user input,

receiving the speech from the external source through the microphone, and

executing the first software program using at least a part of the received speech without receiving the first user input.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first software program comprises at least one of an application program and software programs for performing selected speech commands.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the memory stores a second software program that can be triggered in response to a third user input, and the instructions, when executed by the processor, further configures the processor to control for:

receiving a fourth user input that is different from the first input, the second input, or the third user input through at least one of the at least one input device and the selected region on the display,

switching the electronic device to a state in which the electronic device can receive the speech through the microphone in response to the fourth user input,

receiving the speech from the external source through the microphone in the state, and

executing the second software program using at least a part of the received speech without receiving the third user input.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further configures the processor to control for:

converting the received speech into a text,

extracting at least one of data and a command related to the first software program using the converted text, and

executing a selected function on the basis of at least one of the extracted data and command

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further configures the processor to control for not using the converted text for other software programs excluding the first software program after executing the selected function.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further configures the processor to control for:

switching the electronic device to a state in which the electronic device can receive the speech through the microphone in response to the second user input, and

displaying indication that indicates the first software program on the display.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further configures the processor to control for:

receiving the speech through the microphone only in a state where the second user input is continuously maintained, and

interrupting reception of the speech through the microphone if the second user input is ended.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the input device includes a button arranged on the housing, and the second user input includes an operation of pressing the button.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further configures the processor to control for:

converting the received speech into a text, and

displaying the text on the display after the reception of the speech is ended.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further configures the processor to control for:

converting the received speech into a text,

displaying a user interface of the first software program on the display while the speech is received or after the reception of the speech is ended, and displaying at least a part of the converted text on a part of the user interface.

11. The electronic device of claim 1,

wherein the first software program includes a phone application program,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further configures the processor to control for displaying an icon that indicates the phone application on the display, and

wherein the first user input includes a touch input of the icon.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the input device includes a physical button or a touch key, and the second user input includes an operation of pressing or touching the physical button or the touch key.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further configures the processor to control for:

displaying a lock screen on the display after the display is switched from a turn-off state to a turn-on state, and

switching the microphone to a state where the microphone can receive the speech in response to the second user input in a state where the lock screen is displayed.

14. The electronic device of claim 13,

wherein the lock screen includes an icon that indicates the phone application,

wherein the first user input includes an operation of touching the icon for at least a first time, and

wherein the second user input includes an operation of touching or pressing the icon for a second time that is longer than the first time.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control for processing the received speech through execution of a selected function based on at least one of an operation state of the electronic device and a type of the second user input.

16. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, if the processor can process a speech command for a plurality of functions with respect to the received speech, the processor is further configured to control for:

displaying notification information for the plurality of functions on the display, and

processing the speech command through limitation to a function selected by a user from the notification information.

17. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control for:

determining whether the electronic device is in a locking state corresponding to the second user input,

executing only an access allowed function if the electronic device is in the locking state, and

returning to the locking state if the access allowed function is ended.

18. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second user input comprises at least one of a hard key or soft key input, a gesture input, and an input received from an external device.

19. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a microphone arranged to receive sound from an external source;

at least one user interface arranged on an outer surface of the housing;

a processor electrically connected to the microphone and the user interface; and

a memory electrically connected to the processor, and configured to store a first software program that can be triggered in response to a first user input,

wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, configures the processor to control for;

receiving a second user input that is different from the first user input through the at least one user interface,

switching the electronic device to a state in which the electronic device can receive a speech through the microphone in response to the second user input,

receiving the speech from the external source through the microphone, and

executing the first software program using at least a part of the received speech without receiving the first user input.

20. The electronic device of claim 19,

wherein a part of the execution of the first software program is transferred to an external electronic device, and

wherein, after the external electronic device executes the part of the first software program, a result of the part of the execution is transmitted to the electronic device.

21. The electronic device of claim 20,

wherein the electronic device comprises a smart watch or a first mobile terminal, and

wherein the external electronic device comprises a server or a second mobile terminal

22. A method for executing a function using speech recognition of an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a user input;

switching the electronic device to a state in which the electronic device can receive a speech through a microphone if the received user input satisfies a speech recognition activation condition;

receiving speech information from an external source through the microphone;

confirming a specific function execution domain based on the user input; and

processing a speech command using the received speech information through limitation to the confirmed function execution domain.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

executing a general function that corresponds to the user input if the user input does not satisfy the speech recognition activation condition.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the confirming of the specific function execution domain comprises:

confirming trigger information that indicates the speech recognition activation condition of the user input, and confirming an execution command of a specific application program that is set to correspond to the trigger information.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the user input is at least one of a physical hard key selection input, a soft icon selection input, a motion gesture input of the electronic device, and an input received from an external device.

26. The method of claim 25,

wherein the processing of the speech command further comprises determining at least one of an operation state of the electronic device and a type of the user input, and

wherein a specific function is selected based on the result of the determination, and the speech command is processed through execution of the selected specific function with respect to the received speech.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the receiving of the speech information from the external source through the microphone comprises:

receiving the speech while the user input is maintained, and performing speech recognition with respect to the received speech information when the user input is released.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the processing of the speech command comprises:

determining whether the electronic device is in a locking state;

executing only an access allowed specific application function if the electronic device is in the locking state; and

returning to the locking state if the specific application function is ended.

29. A method for executing a function using speech recognition of an electronic device including a housing having a first surface and a second surface that is directed toward an opposite direction to the first surface, a microphone arranged to receive sound from an external source, at least one input device arranged on the housing, a touch screen display arranged on the first surface of the housing, a processor electrically connected to the microphone, the input device, and the display, and a memory electrically connected to the processor to store a first software program that can be triggered in response to a first user input, the method comprising:

receiving, by the electronic device, a second user input that is different from the first user input through at least one of the at least one input device and a selected region of the display;

switching the electronic device to a state in which the electronic device can receive a speech through the microphone in response to the second user input;

receiving, by the electronic device, the speech from the external source through the microphone in the state; and

executing, by the electronic device, the first software program using at least a part of the received speech without receiving the first user input.