Voice activated, handsfree telephone answering device
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A telephone answering device comprising:
- record and playback means for recording and playing back an incoming message from a caller;
a proximity sensor which senses a presence of a user in a vicinity of the telephone answering device and which produces a proximity sensor output signal responsive to sensing the presence of the user in the vicinity of the telephone answering device;
speech synthesis means for producing an audible sound for at least advising the user of presence of a recorded incoming message;
voice recognition means responsive to at least one verbal utterance from the user; and
control means, responsive to both an incoming message having been recorded and the proximity sensor output signal output from the proximity sensor which indicates the presence of the user in the vicinity of the telephone answering device, for controlling the speech synthesis means to produce said audible sound at least advising the user of the presence of the recorded incoming message and for playing back the recorded incoming message in response to an output of said voice recognition means which denotes that the verbal utterance from the user has been recognized.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A telephone answering device that is activated by a proximity sensor when a user crosses its field of detection and whose operation is controlled by simple voice commands. The device incorporates speaker-independent voice recognition circuitry to respond to spoken commands of the user that are elicited by a system generated voice request menu. The telephone answering device performs all the basic functions of a telephone answering machine in response to these simple commands and there is no need for the user to manually operate the telephone answering device.
102 Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A telephone answering device comprising:
-
record and playback means for recording and playing back an incoming message from a caller; a proximity sensor which senses a presence of a user in a vicinity of the telephone answering device and which produces a proximity sensor output signal responsive to sensing the presence of the user in the vicinity of the telephone answering device; speech synthesis means for producing an audible sound for at least advising the user of presence of a recorded incoming message; voice recognition means responsive to at least one verbal utterance from the user; and control means, responsive to both an incoming message having been recorded and the proximity sensor output signal output from the proximity sensor which indicates the presence of the user in the vicinity of the telephone answering device, for controlling the speech synthesis means to produce said audible sound at least advising the user of the presence of the recorded incoming message and for playing back the recorded incoming message in response to an output of said voice recognition means which denotes that the verbal utterance from the user has been recognized. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A method of operating a telephone answering device, said telephone answering device including (a) a record and playback means for recording and playing back an incoming message from a caller;
- (b) a proximity sensor which senses a presence of a user in a vicinity of the telephone answering device and which produces a proximity sensor output signal responsive to sensing the presence of the user in the vicinity of the telephone answering device;
(c) speech synthesis means, responsive to both the recorded incoming message and the proximity sensor output signal, for advising the user of presence of the recorded incoming message;
(d) voice recognition means responsive to at least one audible verbal utterance from the user; and
(e) control means, responsive to an output of the voice recognition means, for controlling the telephone answering device to play back the recorded incoming message in response to the audible verbal utterance from the user,said method of operating the telephone answering device comprising the steps of; (1) recording the incoming message in said record and playback means; (2) said proximity sensor sensing the presence of the user in the vicinity of the telephone answering device; (3) said voice synthesis means audibly indicating that the incoming message is recorded in said record and playback means; (4) said voice recognition means recognizing the audible verbal utterance from the user; and (5) said control means controlling the telephone answering device to play back the recorded incoming message responsive to the audible verbal utterance of the user being recognized. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
- (b) a proximity sensor which senses a presence of a user in a vicinity of the telephone answering device and which produces a proximity sensor output signal responsive to sensing the presence of the user in the vicinity of the telephone answering device;
Specification