Voice-recognition camera

• US 5,027,149 A
• Filed: 03/21/1990
• Issued: 06/25/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Makoto, Kakita, Tsuyoshi, Hoshino, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell E.
• Application Number:
  US07/496,646
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 354/412, 354/467
• US Class Current: 396/56
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/38 Releasing-devices separate from shutter integral with shutter G03B9/08

Abstract

A camera for taking photographs by voice recognition operations. The camera comprises a microphone through which voiced command words of an operator are registered in a computer as a form of digital data. The computer identifies the same voiced command words in accordance with the registered data and operates the intended functions of the camera. The camera indicates the functioning of the computer for the registration and the recognition of the voiced command words with a display device so that the operator can confirm his operations on the camera.

Claims

1. In a photographic camera including functions responsive to voice commands of a user, the camera having a registration mode and an recognition mode, means in the registration mode for registering a particular voice command with a selected function, a memory for storing each registered voice command, means in the recognition mode for recognizing a voice command as registered, and means in the recognition mode responsive to the recognition means for activating the function corresponding to the recognized voice command, the improvement comprising:

first means in the registration mode for visually displaying a symbol representative of each function selected for voice command registration;

second means in the registration mode for visually displaying a symbol representative of each function for which a voice command has been successfully registered; and

third means in the recognition mode responsive to a registered voice command for visually displaying a symbol representative of the function for which the voice command is recognized.

2. The camera of claim 1 also including a checking mode, means for selectively engaging the checking mode, and means responsive to engaging the checking mode for enabling the third means and disabling the activating means to permit determining whether a voice command is registered for a particular function without activating the function.

4. In the camera of claim 1 wherein the functions responsive to voice commands are also manually actuable through separate switches, the improvement further comprising:

means for selectively engaging the registration mode; and

means in the registration mode responsive to manual actuation of the separate switch associated with a function for identifying that function as the selected function for which a voice command is to be registered.

5. The camera of claim 1 wherein the functions responsive to voice commands include camera operation functions also manually actuable through separate switches and special photographic functions also manually controllable, the improvement further comprising:

means for selectively engaging the registration mode;

means in the registration mode responsive to manual actuation of the separate switch associated with a camera operation function for identifying that camera operation function as the selected function for which a voice command is to be registered; and

a manually operable registration switch for each special photographic function actuation of which identifies the associated special photographic function as the selected function for which a voice command is to be registered.

6. The camera of claim 5 wherein the engaging means is a separate manually operable control.

7. The camera of claim 5 wherein operation of a registration switch engages the registration mode for voice command registration of special photographic functions and wherein the engaging means is a separate manually operable control for engaging the registration mode for voice command registration of camera operation functions.

3. In a photographic camera including functions responsive to voice commands of a user, the camera having a registration mode and an recognition mode, means in the registration mode for registering a particular voice command with a selected function, a memory for storing each registered voice command, means in the recognition mode for recognizing a voice command as registered, and means in the recognition mode responsive to the recognition means for activating the function corresponding to the recognized voice command, the improvement comprising:

a display including a visual symbol representative of each function responsive to a voice command;

first means in the registration mode for activating to a first state the symbol in the display representative of the function selected for voice command registration;

second means in the registration mode for activating to a second state the symbol in the display representative of each function for which a voice command has been successfully registered; and

third means in the recognition mode responsive to a registered voice command for activating to the second state the symbol in the display representative of the function for which the voice command is registered.

8. In a photographic camera including functions responsive to voice commands of a user and also manually operable by separate switches, the camera having a registration mode and a recognition mode, means in the registration mode for registering a particular voice command with a selected function, a memory for storing each registered voice command, means in the recognition mode for recognizing a voice command as registered, and means in the recognition mode responsive to the recognition means for activating the function corresponding to the recognized voice command, the improvement comprising:

means for selectively engaging the registration mode; and

means in the registration mode responsive to manual actuation of the separate switch associated with a function for identifying that function as the selected function for which a voice command is to be registered.

9. A photographic camera responsive to voice commands, the camera having camera operation functions manually operable through separate switches and manually controllable special photographic functions, the camera comprising:

a microphone for receiving a voice command of a user;

means connected to the microphone for converting voice commands to representative digital data;

a memory for storing digital data;

a registration mode including means connected to the converting means and memory for digitally registering in the memory a particular voice command with a selected function;

a recognition mode including means connected to the converting means and the memory for recognizing a voice command corresponding to a voice command digitally registered in the memory and means connected to the recognizing means for actuating the function associated with a recognized voice command;

means for manually selecting between the registration and recognition modes;

means in the registration mode responsive to manual actuation of the separate switch associated with a camera operation function for identifying that camera operation function as the selected function for which a voice command is to be registered;

a manually operable registration switch for each special photographic function;

means responsive to actuation of a registration switch for identifying the special photographic function associated with the registration switch as the selected function for which a voice command is to be registered;

a display including a visual symbol representative of each function responsive to a voice command;

first means in the registration mode for activating to a first state the symbol in the display representative of the function selected for voice command registration;

second means in the registration mode for activating to a second state the symbol in the display representative of each function for which a voice command has been successfully registered; and

third means in the recognition mode responsive to a registered voice command for activating to the second state the symbol in the display representative of the function for which the voice command is registered.