Speech command input recognition system for interactive computer display with means for concurrent and modeless distinguishing between speech commands and speech queries for locating commands

• US 7,206,747 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1998
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Morgan, Scott Anthony, Swearingen, Craig Ardner, Tannenbaum, Alan Richard, Roberts, David John
• Primary Examiner(s): ARMSTRONG, ANGELA A
• Application Number:
  US09/213,858
• Time in Patent Office: 3,044 Days
• Field of Search: 704/235, 704/251, 704/270, 704/275
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• 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: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

A speech recognition system which does not switch modes of operation when interpreting speech queries, such as help queries, or receiving actual spoken commands. The system handles both concurrently and seamlessly in the same operation mode. The present invention is directed to an interactive computer controlled display system with speech recognition comprising an implementation for predetermining a plurality of speech commands each associated with a corresponding plurality of system actions in combination with an implementation for concurrently detecting speech commands and speech queries for locating commands. There is also provided an implementation responsive to a detected speech command for carrying out the system action corresponding to the command, and an implementation responsive to a detected speech query for attempting to locate commands applicable to said query. The system also includes an implementation for displaying the detected speech query together with an implementation for displaying located commands applicable to said query.

Claims

1. An interactive computer controlled display system with speech command input recognition comprising:

means for predetermining a plurality of speech commands each associated with a corresponding plurality of system actions,

means for concurrently detecting said predetermined speech commands and non-predetermined speech queries for locating commands,

means responsive to a predetermined detected speech command for carrying out the system action corresponding to the command, and

means responsive to a detected non-predetermined speech query for attempting to locate predetermined commands applicable to said query.

2. The system of claim 1 further including means for displaying said detected speech query.

3. The system of claim 2 further including means for displaying located commands applicable to said query.

4. The system of claim 3 further including means responsive to a detected speech query for modifying a displayed prior speech query whereby a user may speak a displayed located command to activate said means for carrying out a system action or speak a query to modify said prior query to locate commands other than said displayed commands without switching between command and query modes of speech detection.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said means for modifying said prior speech query replaces said prior query with a new speech query.

6. A method for providing speech command input to an interactive computer controlled display system with speech command input recognition comprising:

predetermining a plurality of speech commands each associated with a corresponding plurality of system actions,

concurrently detecting said predetermined speech commands and non-predetermined speech queries for locating commands,

responsive to a detected predetermined speech command, carrying out the system action corresponding to the command, and

responsive to a detected non-predetermined speech query, attempting to locate predetermined commands applicable to said query.

7. The method of claim 6 further including the step of displaying said detected speech query.

8. The method of claim 7 further including the step of displaying located commands applicable to said query.

9. The method of claim 8 further including the step responsive to a detected speech query of modifying a displayed prior speech query whereby a user may speak a displayed located command to activate said carrying out of a system action or speak a query to modify said prior query to locate commands other than said displayed commands without switching between command and query modes of speech detection.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of modifying said prior speech query replaces said prior query with a new speech query.

11. A computer program having program code included on a computer readable medium for speech command input recognition in an interactive computer controlled display system comprising:

means for predetermining a plurality of speech commands each associated with a corresponding plurality of system actions,

means for concurrently detecting said predetermined speech commands and non-predetermined speech queries for locating commands,

means responsive to a detected predetermined speech command for carrying out the system action corresponding to the command, and

means responsive to a detected non-predetermined speech query for attempting to locate predetermined commands applicable to said query.

12. The computer program of claim 11 further including means for displaying said detected speech query.

13. The computer program of claim 12 further including means for displaying located commands applicable to said query.

14. The computer program of claim 13 further including means responsive to a detected speech query for modifying a displayed prior speech query whereby a user may speak a displayed located command to activate said means for carrying out a system action or speak a query to modify said prior query to locate commands other than said displayed commands without switching between command and query modes of speech detection.

15. The computer program of claim 14 wherein said means for modifying said prior speech query replaces said prior query with a new speech query.