Voice activated switch method and apparatus

• US 6,188,986 B1
• Filed: 08/13/1998
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vos Systems, Inc. (SpendSmart Networks, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vos Systems, Inc. (SpendSmart Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ligi, Allan, Matulich, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Knepper, David D.
• Application Number:
  US09/133,724
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 704/233, 704/225, 704/270-275, 381/107-110, 375/260
• US Class Current: 704/275
• 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: H05B 47/12 by detecting audible sound
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A voice activated device for producing control signals in response to speech is self-contained and requires no additional software or hardware. The device may be incorporated into a housing that replaces a wall switch that is connected to an AC circuit. An alternate housing is portable and includes a jack that plugs into and lies flush against a standard AC utility outlet, and at least one plug for accepting an AC jack of any electronic product or appliance. The device acts as a control interface between utility power and connected electrical devices by connecting or disconnecting power to the electrical devices based on speech commands.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a wall switch in response to a sequence of speech commands from a user, said wall switch having an input of standard utility AC and an AC output switch connected to an AC circuit, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) accepting environmental sounds and speech sounds from the user;

(b) converting said environmental sounds and speech sounds into a plurality of electrical signals;

(c) filtering said plurality of electrical signals that are outside a range of speech to produce at least one filtered electrical signal;

(d) comparing said at least one filtered electrical signal with a set of user dependent and user independent speech sounds to determine whether a first valid command has been uttered;

(e) prompting the user to utter a second valid command upon determining that said first valid command has been uttered;

(f) repeating steps (a) through (c) and comparing said at least one filtered electrical signal with said set of user dependent and user independent speech sounds to determine whether said second valid command has been uttered;

(g) producing at least one output signal upon determining that said second valid command has been uttered;

wherein said at least one output signal controls said AC output switch.

2. The method for controlling a wall switch as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

toggling said AC output switch utilizing a manual control means.

3. The method for controlling a wall switch as in claim 2, wherein said step of toggling said AC output switch comprises the step of:

pressing a touch pad.

4. The method for controlling a wall switch as in claim 1, wherein the step of prompting the user comprises the step of:

illuminating at least one indicator to indicate a ready state for accepting said sequence of speech sounds.

5. A wall switch device for placement in a standard wall switch receptacle area, the wall switch device for switching standard utility AC to an AC circuit said wall switch device comprising:

a power circuit having means for producing a plurality of operating voltages for said wall switch device from the standard utility AC;

a microphone circuit having means for producing electrical signals in response to a plurality of sounds comprising background sounds and a plurality of valid speech commands;

a filter circuit having means for filtering said electrical signals, said filter circuit producing filtered electrical signals having frequencies within a frequency range of the plurality of valid speech commands;

a controller circuit comprising;

a detection means for detecting a sequence of valid speech commands from the plurality of valid speech commands, said microcontroller having a plurality of inputs comprising the filtered electrical signals and a plurality of outputs comprising at least one control signal for controlling a switching means; and

at least one indicator connected to said detection means for prompting said user to utter a next valid speech command in the sequence of valid speech commands;

said switching means for connecting said standard utility AC to said AC circuit upon detection of said sequence of valid speech commands; and

a manual control input circuit for manually controlling said switching means.

6. The wall switch device of claim 5, further comprising a dimmer circuit having means for producing a reduced-voltage AC signal, wherein the switching means connects the reduced-voltage AC signal to the AC circuit in response to the sequence of valid speech commands.

7. The wall switch device of claim 5, further comprising:

a means for producing speech instructions; and

at least one speaker means for outputting said speech instructions for prompting the user to utter the sequence of valid speech commands.

8. The wall switch device of claim 5, wherein the sequence of valid speech commands is speaker independent.

9. The wall switch device of claim 5, wherein the controller circuit further comprises a mode means for choosing a mode of operation from a plurality of modes of operation.

10. A device for switching standard utility AC to an electrical appliance, the device comprising:

a switching circuit comprising;

a microphone circuit for receiving sounds and converting said sounds into electrical signals, said microphone circuit having an input amplifier for amplifying said electrical signals, and a band pass filter for filtering sounds outside a frequency range of speech, said band pass filter outputting a filtered signal;

means for producing at least one ambient level signal from said filtered signal;

a processor circuit having an input of said at least one ambient level signal, said processor circuit comprising;

means for producing at least one AC control output signal upon recognition of said valid speech command of a set of valid speech commands;

at least one indicator controlled by the processor circuit for prompting the user to utter said valid speech command;

a power circuit for supplying digital and analog power to an AC switch, said power circuit having an AC input of said standard utility AC; and

said AC switch controlled by the AC control output signal for connecting the standard utility AC to the electrical device; and

a portable frame for holding said switching circuit.

11. The device as in claim 10, wherein said portable frame is a palm-sized casing, said palm-sized casing comprising:

a first surface comprising the at least one indicator;

a second surface comprising an AC receptacle for accepting a standard AC jack of the electrical device; and

a third surface comprising an AC utility jack for plugging into an AC wall plug.

12. The device as in claim 10, wherein said frame is a replacement casing designed to replace an AC wall plug.

13. The device as in claim 10, wherein said valid speech command comprises a prompting command and an action command, said processor circuit illuminating said at least one indicator after receipt of said prompting command to prompt the user to utter said action command.

14. The device as in claim 10, wherein said microphone circuit further comprises a microphone jack for attaching an external microphone.

15. The device as in claim 10, wherein said band pass filter filters out said received sounds outside a frequency range of 580 Hz-4.2 kHz.

16. The device as in claim 10, further comprising a speaker circuit for communicating speech instructions from said processor circuit.

17. The device as in claim 10, wherein said AC switch further comprises a dimmer circuit for reducing a voltage level of the standard utility AC.

18. A method for controlling an AC switch using speech recognition, said AC switch having an input of standard utility AC, and an AC receptacle for accepting a standard AC plug of an electrical device, said method comprising the steps of:

accepting environmental sounds and speech sounds;

converting said environmental sounds and speech sounds into a plurality of electrical signals;

filtering said plurality of electrical signals that are outside a range of speech to produce at least one filtered electrical signal having a decibel level;

setting a threshold level;

waiting for a pre-set time period during which said threshold level is above said decibel level of said at least one filtered electrical signal;

accepting said at least one filtered electrical signal having said decibel level above said threshold level;

comparing said at least one filtered electrical signal with a predetermined set of speech sounds;

if the at least one filtered electrical signal matches a valid speech sound of the predetermined set of speech sounds, then prompting a user to utter a second speech sound from the predetermined set of speech sounds; and

producing at least one output signal when said second speech sound matches said predetermined set of speech sounds;

wherein said at least one output signal controls a switching circuit for switching the standard utility AC to the plug of the electrical device.

19. The method for controlling an AC switch as in claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

waiting for a second pre-set time period;

comparing a second filtered electrical signal with a second set of speech sounds; and

producing a second output signal when said second filtered electrical signal matches said second set of speech sounds.

20. The method for controlling an AC switch as in claim 18, wherein the step of prompting the user further includes the step of:

illuminating an indicator.

21. A portable switch device for switching standard utility AC to an electrical device in response to a plurality of valid speech commands, the portable switch device having a standard AC plug for connection to a standard AC wall receptacle, and a standard AC receptacle for accepting a plug of the electrical device, said portable switch device comprising:

a power circuit having means for producing a plurality of operating voltages for said portable switch device from the standard utility AC;

a microphone circuit for receiving a plurality of sounds comprising background sounds and the plurality of valid speech commands;

a filter circuit having means for filtering said plurality of sounds having frequencies within a frequency range of the plurality of valid speech commands;

a controller circuit comprising;

a detection means for detecting a valid speech command of the plurality of valid speech commands, said controller circuit having a plurality of inputs comprising the filtered electrical signals and a plurality of outputs comprising at least one control signal for controlling a switching means;

a mode determination means for operating said controller circuit in a mode of operation of a plurality of modes of operation in response to a mode command of the plurality of valid speech commands;

the switching means for connecting said standard utility AC to said electrical device; and

at least one indicator connected to and controlled by said controller circuit, said at least one indicator for prompting said user to utter said valid speech command.

22. The portable switch device of claim 21, further comprising a dimmer circuit having means for producing a reduced-voltage AC signal in response to one of said first or second valid speech commands, wherein the switching means connects the reduced-voltage AC signal to the AC circuit in response to the valid speech command.

23. The portable switch device of claim 21, further comprising:

a means for producing speech instructions; and

at least one speaker means for outputting said speech instructions for prompting the user to utter a valid speech command of the plurality of valid speech commands.

24. The wall switch device of claim 21, wherein the plurality of modes of operation comprises a speaker independent mode requiring a pre-programmed valid command.

25. The wall switch device of claim 21, wherein the plurality of modes of operation comprises a gated mode of operation requiring a sequence of valid speech command of said plurality of valid speech commands.