Method and apparatus for selecting a communication mode in a mobile communication device having voice recognition capability

• US 6,157,844 A
• Filed: 08/02/1999
• Issued: 12/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ross, Douglas E., Doran, Patrick J., Shah, Sheetal
• Primary Examiner(s): MAUNG, NAY AUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/366,100
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/426, 455/518, 455/525, 455/550, 455/552, 455/553, 455/556, 455/557, 455/563, 455/564, 455/569, 455/575, 704/200, 704/221, 704/246, 704/251, 704/252, 704/275, 370/342, 370/345
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A mobile communication device containing voice recognition capability is first enabled to perform voice recognition (102). The user then speaks the name of the party the user wishes to call (104), the name corresponding to a record the user has programmed into a memory of the mobile communication device. The mobile communication device then uses the output (106) of the voice recognition process to search the memory for a corresponding record (108). The record contains at least two calling numbers, each associated with a different mode of communication, such as dispatch and telephone communication. For a brief period of time after locating the record, the mobile communication device waits (118) for the user to initiate a call in the first communication mode (120) by, for example, pressing a dispatch call button (124). If, after a preselected duration of time has passed and no input is received from the user, the mobile communication device defaults to a second communication mode and makes a call (122).

Claims

1. A method of selecting a communication mode in a mobile communication device having voice recognition capability, the method comprising the steps of:

enabling a voice recognition mode;

receiving an audio voice input;

correlating the audio voice input with a locally stored record, the record having a first calling number for a first communication mode and a second calling number for a second communication mode;

initiating the first communication mode upon receiving an input from a user of the mobile communication device; and

if no input is received from the user after a preselected period of time, initiating the second communication mode.

2. A method of selecting a communication mode as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of initiating a first communication mode is initiating a dispatch communication mode.

3. A method of selecting a communication mode as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of initiating a second communication mode is initiating a telephone communication mode.

4. A method of selecting a communication mode as defined in claim 3, wherein the second calling number is a telephone number, the method further comprising the step of automatically dialing telephone number.

5. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a microphone for evaluating an audio voice input;

a voice recognition means for correlating the audio voice input with a locally stored record, the locally stored record stored in a local memory means;

an input means for receiving an input from a user of the mobile communication device; and

a monitoring means for monitoring the input means and initiating a first communication mode if the input is received within a preselected period of time, and initiating a second communication mode if no input is received within the preselected period of time.

6. A method of initializing a communication mode of a mobile communication device having voice recognition capability, the mobile communication device comprising a memory containing at least one record, the at least one record having an alias, a first calling number, and a second calling number, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a mobile communication device capable of a first and a second mode of communication;

enabling a voice recognition mode in the mobile communication device;

receiving an audio voice input from a user at the mobile communication device;

correlating the audio voice input with a locally stored record, performed by the mobile communication device, the record having a first calling number for a first communication mode and a second calling number for a second communication mode;

initializing the first communication mode upon receiving an input from a user of the mobile communication device; and

if no input is received from the user after a preselected period of time, initiating the second communication mode.

7. A method of initializing a communication mode of a mobile communication device as defined in claim 6, wherein the step of initiating a first communication mode is initiating a dispatch communication mode.

8. A method of initializing a communication mode of a mobile communication device as defined in claim 6, wherein the step of initiating a second communication mode is initiating a telephone communication mode.

9. A method of initializing a communication mode of a mobile communication device as defined in claim 8, wherein the second calling number is a telephone number, the method further comprising the step of automatically dialing telephone number.