Communication apparatus, communication method and program storage medium

• US 6,879,958 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2000
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kojima, Kiyonobu, Fujisawa, Naoki, Sasai, Takashi, Ooi, Junji, Kato, Yasuhiko, Fujimura, Satoshi, Yonekura, Syuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Opsasnick, Michael N.
• Application Number:
  US09/648,863
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/275, 704/276, 704/270.1
• 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: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition

Abstract

The invention provides a communication apparatus, a communication method and a program storage medium. The communication apparatus includes a word-generating means for recognizing a voice and generating a first word and a second word, which correspond to the voice, a word-collating means for collating the first word generated by the word-generating means with pieces of information on a communication destination-stored in advance and outputting a specific piece of information on a communication destination corresponding to the first word, a program-activating means for confirming the fact that the second word generated by the word-generating means is a predetermined word and activating a communication program corresponding to the predetermined word, and a communication-destination-setting means for adopting the specific piece of information on a communication destination output by the word-collating means as information on a communication destination of the communication program activated by the program-activating means. In the communication apparatus, data for identifying a communication partner can be set with ease.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a word-generating means for recognizing a voice and generating a first word and a second word, which correspond to said voice;

a word-collating means for collating said first word generated by said word-generating means with pieces of information on a communication destination stored in advance and outputting a specific piece of information on a communication destination corresponding to said first word;

a program-activating means for confirming that said second word generated by said word-generating means is a predetermined word, and activating a communication program corresponding to said predetermined word said program-activating means including status detecting means for determining whether a predetermined program is activated already and judging whether to issue a local command that is specific to controlling the predetermined program based on whether the predetermined program is already activated; and

a communication-destination-setting means for adopting said specific piece of information on a communication destination output by said word-collating means as information on a communication destination of said communication program activated by said program activating means.

2. A communication apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said communication program is an electronic mail transmission program.

3. A communication apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said pieces of information on communication destinations are each a destination of an electronic mail transmitted by said electronic mail transmission program.

4. A communication method comprising:

a word-generating step of recognizing a voice and generating a first word and a second word, which correspond to said voice;

a word-collating step of collating said first word generated at said word-generating step with pieces of information on communication destinations stored in advance and outputting a specific piece of information on a communication destination corresponding to said first word;

a program-activating step of confirming that said second word generated at said word-generating step is a predetermined word and activating a communication program corresponding to said predetermined word, said program-activating step including determining whether a predetermined program is activated and judging whether to issue a local command that is specific to controlling the predetermined program based on whether the predetermined program is already activated; and

a communication-destination-setting step of adopting said specific piece of information on a communication destination output at said word-collating step as information on a communication destination of said communication program activated at said program-activating step.

5. A communication method according to claim 4 wherein said communication program is an electronic mail transmission program.

6. A communication method according to claim 5 wherein said pieces of information on communication destinations are each a destination of an electronic mail transmitted by said electronic mail transmission program.

7. A program storage medium for storing a program to be executed by a communication apparatus wherein said program comprises:

a word-generating step of recognizing a voice and generating a first word and a second word, which correspond to said voice;

a word-collating step of collating said first word generated at said word-generating step with pieces of information on communication destinations stored in advance and outputting a specific piece of information on a communication destination corresponding to said first word;

a program-activating step of confirming that said second word generated at said word-generating step is a predetermined word and activating a communication program corresponding to said predetermined word, said program-activating step including determining whether a predetermined program is activated and judging whether to issue a local command that is specific to controlling the predetermined program based on whether the predetermined program is already activated; and

a communication-destination-setting step of adopting said specific piece of information on a communication destination output at said word-collating step as information on a communication destination of said communication program activated at said program-activating step.

8. A program storage medium according to claim 7 wherein said communication program is an electronic mail transmission program.

9. A program storage medium according to claim 8 wherein said pieces of information on communication destinations are each a destination of an electronic mail transmitted by said electronic mail transmission program.