Speech recognition system for electronic switches in a non-wireline communications network

• US 6,501,966 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Schalk, Thomas B., Bareis, Bernard F., Foster, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US09/722,810
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 455/418, 455/563, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.03, 379/88.04
• US Class Current: 455/563
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18567 Arrangements for providing additional services to the basic mobile satellite telephony service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/10 with dictation recording and playback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/405 involving speaker-dependent recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices

Abstract

An advanced telecommunications system is provided for the recognizing of spoken commands over a cellular telephone, satellite telephone, or personal communications network. In the cellular application, for example, a Speech Recognition System interconnects either internally with or as an external peripheral to a cellular telecommunications switch. The Speech Recognition System includes an administrative subsystem, a call processing subsystem, a speaker-dependent recognition subsystem, a speaker-independent recognition subsystem, and a data storage subsystem. The Speech Recognition System also allows for increased efficiency in the cellular telephone network by integrating with the switch or switches as a shared resource. The administrative subsystem of the Speech Recognition System is used to keep statistical logs of pertinent call information. Pre-recorded instructional messages are stored in the memory of the call processing subsystem for instructing a user on his or her progress in using the system. The speaker-independent recognition subsystem allows the user to interact with the system employing non-user specific functions. User specific functions are controlled with the speaker-dependent recognition subsystem. User specific attributes collected by the recognition subsystems are stored in the data storage subsystem.

Claims

1. A speech recognition method for a mobile telecommunication system which includes a voice recognizer capable of recognizing commands and characters received from a mobile telecommunication user, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a command from the mobile telecommunication user;

determining whether the command is a first or second command type;

if the command is the first command type, collecting digits representing a telephone number to be dialed received from the mobile telecommunication user; and

if the command is the second command type, determining whether a previously stored telephone number is associated with a keyword received from the mobile telecommunication user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the keyword is a name.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the keyword is a location or relationship modifier.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the location modifier is home, work or office.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of verifying the command and initiating a telecommunication call with the mobile telecommunication system.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of prompting the mobile telecommunication user to enter information needed for the first or the second command type.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of verifying the mobile telecommunication user'"'"'s identity.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the speech recognition apparatus is connected to the mobile telecommunication switch as an external peripheral.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the memory is connected to the controller through a data network.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the speech recognition apparatus is a shared resource that can be accessed by more than one mobile telecommunication switch.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the speech recognition apparatus is connected to a non-mobile telecommunication switch and the interface communicates with the mobile telecommunication switch through the non-mobile telecommunication switch.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the voice recognizer is also capable of recognizing commands and characters received through the interface from a non-mobile telecommunication user.

13. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the mobile telecommunication system interfaces with a communication network.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the communication network is a circuit switched network.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the communication network is a packet switched network.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein the keyword is associated with a type of data requested by the mobile telecommunication user.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the keyword includes time and information.

18. The method according to claim 16 further comprising the step of having the mobile telecommunication user subscribe to a service that includes a predetermined list of keywords.

19. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of having the mobile telecommunication system establish a path connection between the mobile telecommunication user and the voice recognizer.

20. A speech recognition apparatus for a mobile telecommunication system, the apparatus comprising:

a memory;

an interface with a mobile telecommunication switch;

a voice recognizer capable of recognizing commands and characters received through the interface from a mobile telecommunication user; and

a controller, coupled to the memory and the voice recognizer, arranged to determine whether a speech input from the user is a call command, if the command is a first call command type, collect digits representing a telephone number to be dialed spoken by the user, if the command is a second call command type, determine whether a previously stored telephone number is associated with a reference code received from the mobile telecommunication user.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the reference code is a name.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the reference code is a location or relationship modifier.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20 further comprising means for verifying the mobile telecommunication user'"'"'s identity.

24. The apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the interface communicates with the mobile telecommunication switch using at least one trunk.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the at least one trunk is a digital trunk.

26. A voice activated dialing system for a wireless communication user, the system comprising:

at least one wireless telecommunication switch;

an interface with the at least one wireless telecommunication switch;

a voice recognizer capable of recognizing commands and characters received through the interface from the wireless communication user; and

a controller, coupled to the voice recognizer, arranged to determine whether a speech input from the wireless communication user is a call command, if the command is a first call command type, collect digits representing a telephone number to be dialed spoken by the user, if the command is a second call command type, determine whether a previously stored telephone number is associated with a reference code received from the wireless communication user.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the reference code is a name.

28. The system according to claim 26 wherein the interface communicates with the at least one wireless telecommunication switch using at least one trunk.

29. The system according to claim 26 wherein the voice recognizer and the controller form a speech recognition node that is communicatively coupleable to the at least one wireless telecommunication switch as an external peripheral.

30. The system according to claim 26 wherein the voice recognizer and the controller form a speech recognition node that acts like a shared resource that can be accessed by more than one telecommunication switch.