Wireless voice-activated device for control of a processor-based host system

• US 6,188,985 B1
• Filed: 10/03/1997
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Hemphill, Charles T., Thrift, Philip R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZINTEL, HAROLD ALBERT
• Application Number:
  US08/943,795
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275, 704/270, 348/734, 348/738
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML

Abstract

A hand-held wireless voice-activated device (10) for controlling a host system (11), such as a computer connected to the World Wide Web. The device (10) has a display (10a), a microphone (10b), and a wireless transmitter (10g) and receiver (10h). It may also have a processor (10e) and memory (10f) for performing voice recognition. A device (20) can be specifically designed for Web browsing, by having a processor (20e) and memory (20f) that perform both voice recognition and interpretation of results of the voice recognition.

Claims

1. A wireless voice-activated control system comprising:

a remote processor-based host system;

a voice recognition processor operable to perform a voice recognition process and a memory that stores said voice recognition process and grammar files; and

a voice activated control unit for remotely controlling said remote processor-based host system comprising;

a microphone operable to receive voice command input from a user, thereby providing an audio input signal;

said microphone operably coupled to said voice recognition processor, said memory and said grammar files for voice recognition of said voice commands;

an audio transmitter operable to wirelessly transmit data derived from said audio input signal to said host system to control said host system;

a data receiver operable to wirelessly receive image data from said host system representing voice commanded display images; and

a display operable to generate and display said voice commanded images represented by said image data.

2. The control unit of claim 1, wherein said microphone is switchable to an on or off state separately from said display.

3. The control unit of claim 1, wherein said microphone is a multi-element microphone array.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said voice recognition process comprises linear predictive coding analysis, and wherein said transmitter is operable to transmit the results of said analysis.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said grammar files are dynamically created, wherein said processor is further operable to perform a dynamic grammar generation process.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said voice recognition processor comprises speech and pointing analysis and wherein said transmitter is operable to transmit the result of said analysis.

7. A wireless voice-activated control system for voice-control of a remote processor-based host system in data communication with a hypermedia resource to permit a user to browse a hypermedia network, comprising:

said remote processor-based host system including a web browser and in data communication with a hypermedia resource;

a voice recognition processor operable to perform a voice recognition process and a memory that stores said voice recognition process and grammar files; and

a voice-activated control unit for remotely controlling said remote processor-based host system comprising;

a microphone operable to receive voice browser commands input from a user, thereby generating an audio input signal;

said microphone operably coupled to said voice recognition processor, said memory and said grammar files for voice recognition of said voice commands;

an audio transmitter operable to wirelessly transmit data representing browser commands derived from said audio input signal to said remote processor-based host system to cause said host system to browse said hypermedia network and retrieve selected web page;

a data receiver operable to wirelessly receive image data representing a selected web page from said remote host system; and

a display operable to generate and display web page images represented by said image data and retrieved from said hypermedia resource by said host system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said voice recognition processor, said memory, and said grammar files are in said control unit.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said voice recognition processor comprises linear predictive coding analysis, and wherein said transmitter is operable to transmit the results of said analysis.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said voice recognition processor comprises speech end pointing analysis, and wherein said transmitter is operable to transmit the results of said analysis.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said grammar files are dynamically created, wherein said processor is further operable to perform a dynamic grammar generation process.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising a processor operable to perform voice control processes and a memory that stores said voice control processes.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said voice control processor comprise a speakable commands process such that said user may vocally direct the operations of said host system.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said voice control processor comprise a speakable hotlist process such that said user may vocally request a particular one of said resources to be retrieved by said host system.

15. The of claim 12, wherein said voice control processes comprise a speakable links process such that said user may vocally request that a link on a current page being displayed on said display be retrieved by said host system.

16. The system of claim 7, further comprising a processor operable to perform dynamic grammar creation processes, and memory that stores said processes.

17. The system of claim 7, wherein said host system performs voice control processes.

18. The system of claim 7, wherein audio data from the microphone is sent to the host system which performs all processing.