Voice-activated tuning of broadcast channels

• US 6,876,970 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2001
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Silver, Edward Michael, Roberts, Linda Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Azad, Abul K.
• Application Number:
  US09/879,219
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/273, 704/275, 725/38, 725/39, 382/115
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

A method for voice-activated tuning of broadcast programs. A system architecture of an embodiment of the present invention comprises a microphone, a signal converter, a digital signal processor (DSP), a memory, a tuner, and an output device. A method for implementing an embodiment of the present invention comprises the following steps. First, the relationships between voice commands and channels are created. The relationships are preferably stored in the memory. Second, when a speech segment (comprising one or more words) is spoken by a user, the speech segment is captured by the microphone. Third, the microphone transforms the speech segment into an analog signal. Fourth, the signal converter converts the analog signal to a digital signal. Fifth, the DSP receives the digital signal and determines whether the speech segments matches one of the voice commands. Sixth, if the speech segment is determined to comprise a voice command, the DSP instructs the tuner to tune in to the channel or channels that have been previously associated with the voice command.

Claims

1. A broadcast programming receiver comprising:

a microphone for capturing a speech segment from a user of the receiver and generating an analog signal representative of the speech segment;

a converter for converting the analog signal into a digital signal representative of the speech segment;

a processor for interpreting the digital signal and determining whether the speech segment comprises a voice command associated with a genre comprising a plurality of channels;

a tuner for tuning in to at least one channel associated with the voice command wherein the tuner tunes in to a first channel of the genre for a duration before tuning in to a second channel of the genre; and

an output device for reproducing programming broadcast on the channel.

2. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising a memory in communication with the processor, wherein the memory comprises an association of the voice command and the channel.

3. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the voice command is exclusively associated with the plurality of channels.

4. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the channel is associated with the voice command and at least one other voice command.

5. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the voice command comprises one or more words.

6. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the voice command comprises a voice of the user.

7. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the duration is between about one second and about 30 seconds.

8. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the receiver is one of a radio, a television, and a video cassette player.

9. A method for operating a broadcast programming receiver comprising the steps of:

associating a plurality of voice commands with a plurality of channels wherein a voice command of the plurality of voice commands is associated with a genre comprising one or more channels of the plurality of channels;

storing a result of the associating step in a memory of the receiver;

capturing a speech segment from a user using a microphone of the receiver;

determining whether the speech segment matches one of the plurality of voice commands using a processor of the receiver;

tuning in to one or more of the plurality of channels that are associated with the speech segment using a tuner of the receiver; and

tuning in to each of the one or more channels associated with the genre for a duration.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a second voice command of the plurality of voice commands is exclusively associated with one channel of the plurality of channels.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a channel of the plurality of channels is associated with two or more voice commands of the plurality of voice commands.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein a voice command of the plurality of voice command comprises one or more words.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the duration is between about one second and about 30 seconds.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of capturing a second speech segment from the user.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of tuning in to a specific channel associated with the genre if the second speech segment is recognized by the processor as a voice command of the plurality of voice commands.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiver is one of a radio, a television, and a video cassette player.

17. A method for operating a broadcast programming receiver comprising the steps of:

associating a plurality of voice commands with a plurality of channels, wherein the plurality of the voice commands are created using a voice of a user and wherein a voice command of the plurality of voice commands is associated with a genre comprising one or more channels of the plurality of channels;

storing a result of the associating step in a memory of the receiver;

capturing a speech segment using a microphone of the receiver;

determining whether the speech segment matches one of the plurality of voice commands;

tuning in to one or more of the plurality of channels that are associated with the speech segment using a tuner of the receiver if the speech segment matches one of the plurality of voice commands; and

tuning in to each of the one or more channels associated with the genre for a duration.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a second voice command of the plurality of voice commands is exclusively associated with one channel of the plurality of channels.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of capturing a second speech segment using the microphone and the step of turning in to a different channel of the plurality of channels if the second speech segment is determined by the processor to be a voice command of the plurality of voice commands.

20. A broadcast programming receiver comprising:

a microphone for capturing a speech segment from a user of the receiver and generating an analog signal representative of the speech segment;

a converter for converting the analog signal into a digital signal representative of the speech segment;

a processor for interpreting the digital signal and determining whether the speech segment comprises a voice command associated with a genre comprising a plurality of channels;

a tuner for tuning in to at least one channel associated with the voice command wherein the tuner tunes in to a first channel of the genre for a duration between about one second and about 30 seconds before tuning in to a second channel of the genre; and

an output device for reproducing programming broadcast on the channel.

21. A method for operating a broadcast programming receiver comprising the steps of:

Associating a plurality of voice commands with a plurality of channels wherein a voice command of the plurality of voice commands is associated with a genre comprising one or more channels of the plurality of channels;

storing a result of the associating step in a memory of the receiver,

capturing a speech segment from a user using a microphone of the receiver;

determining whether the speech segment matches one of the plurality of voice commands using a processor of the receiver; and

tuning in to one or more of the plurality of channels that are associated with the speech segment using a tuner of the receiver; and

tuning in to each of the one or more channels associated with the genre for a duration between about one second and about 30 seconds.