Apparatus and method for providing speech input to a speech recognition system

• US 6,505,159 B1
• Filed: 03/03/1998
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Theodore, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Chawan, Vijay B.
• Application Number:
  US09/033,812
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/275, 704/224, 704/225, 704/272, 704/276, 704/201, 455/550, 455/557, 455/575, 345/179, 345/173
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for providing input speech into a computer having a speech recognition system and an input device remote from the computer. The input device includes a microphone, an indicator and a user operated switch. To provide input speech, the user operates the user operated switch wherein an activation signal is transmitted from the input device to the computer. A speech recognition ready signal is then transmitted from the computer to the input device when the speech recognition system is operable to receive input speech. The indicator is actuated upon receipt of the speech recognition ready signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing speech input into a computer having a speech recognition system, the apparatus comprising:

a portable input device movable to positions remote from the computer, the input device including;

a microphone;

an indicator;

a user operated switch;

a transceiver operably coupled to the microphone, the indicator and the user operated switch, the transceiver transmitting an activation signal from the input device to the computer upon operation of the user operated switch, and receiving a speech recognition ready signal from the speech recognition system to the input device when the speech recognition system is operable to receive input speech, wherein the indicator is actuated upon receipt of the speech recognition ready signal, and wherein the transceiver receives a recognized signal from the computer too the input device if input speech is recognized, and receives a not recognized signal from the computer to the input device if the input speech is not recognized, the indicator being actuated as a function of receipt of the recognized signal or the not recognized signal; and

battery for powering the transceiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the input device checks the operational status of the speech recognition system and actuates the indicator if the speech recognition system is not operational.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a telephone having a keyboard for initiating a call to a second telephone through a telephone network.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the keyboard includes the user operated switch.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the keyboard is remote from the user operated switch.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the telephone comprises a cellular phone.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the telephone comprises a base station connectable to the computer and a handset operable with the base station within a limited distance of the base station, the handset including the microphone and the indicator.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the indicator comprises a speaker and wherein audible tones are generated by the speaker as a function of receipt of the speech recognition ready signal, recognized signal and the not recognized signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the indicator comprises a speaker and wherein audible tones are generated by the speaker as a function of receipt of the speech recognition ready signal, recognized signal and the not recognized signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the indicator comprises a speaker.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the indicator comprises a light.

13. The method of claim 11 and further comprising the step of preparing the speech recognition system for input prior to the step of transmitting the speech recognition ready signal.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of preparing includes providing a set of valid input speech to the speech recognition system.

15. The method of claim 11 and further comprising the steps of:

checking the operational status of the speech recognition system; and

transmitting an error signal to a user via the input device if the speech recognition system is not operational.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of operating the indicator comprises operating the indicator as a function of receipt of the speech recognition ready signal or the error signal.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the input device comprises a telephone having input means for inputting a sequence of symbols to initiate connection of the telephone to a second telephone through a telephone network.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the input means includes the user operated switch.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the input means is remote from the user operated switch.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the telephone is remote from the speech recognition system, and the method includes connecting the telephone to the speech recognition system through a telephone network.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the telephone comprises a cellular phone.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the telephone comprises a base station connected to the speech recognition system and a handset operable with the base station within a limited distance of the base station, the handset including the microphone and the indicator.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the indicator comprises a speaker and the step of operating includes generating an audible tone as a function of receipt of the speech recognition ready signal, the recognized signal or the not recognized signal.

12. A method for providing input into a speech recognition system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a portable input device movable to positions remote from the speech recognition system, the input device including a microphone, an indicator and a user operated switch operably coupled to a transceiver, and a battery for powering the transceiver;

transmitting an activation signal from the input device to the speech recognition system upon operation of the user operated switch;

transmitting a speech recognition ready signal from the speech recognition system to the input device when the speech recognition system is operable to receive input speech;

operating the indicator upon receipt of the speech recognition ready signal to indicate to a user that the speech recognition system is operable to receive input speech;

transmitting input speech from the input device to the speech recognition system after activation of the indicator;

analyzing the input speech;

transmitting a recognized signal from the speech recognition system to the input device if the input speech was recognized, or transmitting a not recognized signal from the speech recognition system to the input device if the input speech was not recognized; and

operating the indicator as a function of receipt of the recognized signal or the not recognized signal.

24. An apparatus for providing speech input into a computer having a speech recognition system, the apparatus comprising:

a portable input device movable to positions remote from the computer, the input device including a microphone, an indicator and a user operated switch;

means for transmitting an activation signal from the input device to the computer upon operation of the user operated switch, and transmitting a speech recognition ready signal from the, speech recognition system to the input device when the speech recognition system is operable to receive input speech, wherein the indicator is actuated upon receipt of the speech recognition ready signal, and wherein the means for transmitting transmits a recognized signal from the computer to the input device if input speech is recognized, and transmits a not recognized signal from the computer to the input device if the input speech is not recognized, the indicator being actuated as a function of receipt of the recognized signal or the not recognized signal; and

a battery for powering the means for transmitting.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 and wherein the computer provides a set of valid input speech to the speech recognition system.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the input device checks the operational status of the speech recognition system and transmits an error signal to a user if the speech recognition system is not operational.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein transmission of the error signal comprises operating the indicator as a function of receipt of the speech recognition ready signal and the error signal.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the indicator comprises a speaker and wherein audible tones are generated by the speaker as a function of receipt of the speech recognition ready signal, the error signal, the recognized signal and the not recognized signal.

29. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the input device comprises a telephone having a keyboard for initiating a call to a second telephone through a telephone network.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the keyboard includes the user operated switch.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the keyboard is remote from the user operated switch.

32. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the telephone comprises a cellular phone.

33. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the telephone comprises a base station connected to the computer and a handset operable with the base station within a limited distance of the base station, the handset including the microphone and the indicator.

34. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the indicator comprises a speaker.

35. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the indicator comprises a light.