Information system having a speech interface

• US 5,774,859 A
• Filed: 01/03/1995
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schutte, Mark E., Majid, Gloria J., Houser, Peter B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wieland, Susan
• Application Number:
  US08/367,997
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 395/2.79, 395/2.84, 704/275, 704/270
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A system for controlling a device such as a television and for controlling access to broadcast information such as video, audio, and/or text information is disclosed. The system includes a first receiver for receiving utterances of a speaker, a second receiver for receiving vocabulary data defining a vocabulary of utterances, and a processor for executing a speech recognition algorithm using the received vocabulary data to recognize the utterances of the speaker and for controlling the device and the access to the broadcast information in accordance with the recognized utterances of the speaker.

Claims

1. A subscription television system, comprising:

a head-end installation for transmitting vocabulary data comprising phoneme data for defining a vocabulary of spoken commands;

subscriber terminal apparatus coupled to a television, said subscriber terminal apparatus including;

a microphone for detecting spoken command data;

a receiver for receiving the vocabulary data transmitted from said head-end installation; and

a processor for executing a speech recognition algorithm using the vocabulary data received by said receiver to recognize spoken commands detected by said microphone and for controlling said television in accordance with the recognized spoken commands.

2. The subscription television system according to claim 1, wherein the vocabulary data comprises template data.

3. The subscription television system according to claim 1, wherein the vocabulary data defines a vocabulary of spoken commands which includes at least one command selected from the group of commands consisting of:

powering on said television;

powering off said television;

tuning said television to a channel;

increasing volume; and

decreasing volume.

4. The subscription television system according to claim 1, wherein said head-end installation further transmits electronic programming guide information and said receiver further receives the transmitted electronic programming guide data.

5. The subscription television system according to claim 4, wherein the vocabulary data defines a vocabulary of recognized commands for accessing the electronic programming guide data.

6. The subscription television system according to claim 4, wherein the electronic programming guide information is displayed on said television in a grid having rows and columns and the vocabulary data defines a vocabulary of recognized commands which includes moving commands for moving in said grid.

7. The subscription television system according to claim 6, wherein the vocabulary data defines a vocabulary of recognized commands which further includes a record command for recording a program identified in said grid.

8. The subscription television system according to claim 6, wherein the vocabulary data defines a vocabulary of recognized commands which further includes a tune command for tuning to a program identified in said grid.

9. The subscription television system according to claim 6, wherein the vocabulary data defines a vocabulary of recognized commands which further includes an information command for displaying information regarding a program identified in said grid.

10. The subscription television system according to claim 6, wherein the vocabulary data defines a vocabulary of recognized commands which further includes program titles, whereby a program in said grid is selectable by title.