Hands-free audio memo system and method

• US 6,185,537 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1997
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Popik, Stephen Ira, Oh, Stephen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Application Number:
  US08/984,221
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275, 704/270, 704/272, 704/200, 704/257, 704/250, 704/246, 704/256
• US Class Current: 704/275
• 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: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

This invention (10, 50) uses an interface (12, 52) to receive a voice input from a user, and a speech recognition unit (18, 54) coupled to the interface (12, 52) to monitor the voice input and recognize a predetermined set of voice commands from the voice input. The speech recognition unit (18, 54) generates a command signal that corresponds to the recognized voice command, which is received by a controller unit (20, 58). The controller unit (20, 58) activates a speech acquisition unit (16, 56) coupled to the controller unit (20, 58) to collect and stop collecting the voice input in response to a control signal generated by the controller unit (20, 58). a memory (24, 56) is provided to store the collected voice input.

Claims

1. A method for hands-free audio memo, comprising the steps of:

receiving a voice input from a user;

recognizing a memo start voice command in the voice input indicative of the user'"'"'s desire to record an audio memo;

collecting subsequent voice input;

storing the subsequent voice input;

recognizing a memo management voice command in the voice input indicative of the user'"'"'s desire to manage stored voice input; and

performing management functions in response to further voice input.

2. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said memo management voice command includes a delete memo voice command; and

said method further comprises deleting a current memo in response to a delete memo voice command.

3. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said memo management voice command includes a save memo voice command; and

said method further comprises saving a current memo in response to a save memo voice command.

4. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said memo management voice command includes a protect memo voice command; and

said method further comprises protecting a current memo in response to a protect memo voice command.

5. A method for hands-free audio memo, comprising the steps of:

receiving a voice input from a user;

recognizing a memo start voice command in the voice input indicative of the user'"'"'s desire to record an audio memo;

collecting subsequent voice input;

storing the subsequent voice input;

storing a speech model of digital voice signal inputs corresponding to each of a plurality of voice commands;

recognizing a voice command in the voice input indicative of a specific function by determining if said voice input matches any speech model corresponding to one of said specific functions; and

following recognition of a voice command indicative of a specific function recognizing subsequent voice commands by attempting to match subsequent voice input to a subset of speech models of digital voice signals corresponding to valid commands following said specific function.

6. The method, as set forth in claim 5, wherein:

said step of recognizing a voice command in the voice input indicative of a specific function includes attempting to match voice input to a first subset of said speech models.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein:

said first subset of said speech models includes a speech model for each of the voice commands “

CALL X”

, “

MEMO PLAYBACK”

, “

MEMO START”

, “

GET MAIL”

AND “

MEMO MANAGEMENT”

;

said subset of speech models corresponding to “

CALL X”

includes the voice commands “

HANG UP”

, “

REDIAL”

, “

YES” and

“

NO”

;

said subset of speech models corresponding to “

MEMO PLAYBACK”

includes the voice commands “

PLAY MEMO”

, “

SKIP MEMO”

, “

YES” and

“

NO”

;

said subset of speech models corresponding to “

MEMO START”

includes the voice commands “

MEMO PAUSE”

, “

MEMO TERMINATE”

, “

YES” and

“

NO”

;

said subset of speech models corresponding to “

GET MAIL”

includes the voice commands “

EXIT MAIL”

, “

NEXT MAIL”

, “

YES” and

“

NO”

; and

said subset of speech models corresponding to “

MEMO MANAGEMENT”

includes the voice commands “

DELETE MEMO”

, “

SAVE MEMO”

, “

YES” and

“

NO”

.