Portable device for enhanced security and accessibility

• US 7,249,025 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2003
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Junqua, Jean-Claude, Seagriff, Eugene J.
• Primary Examiner(s): McFadden; Susan
• Application Number:
  US10/435,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 704/271, 704/275
• US Class Current: 704/271
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques

Abstract

A portable device increases user access to equipment utilizing a communications interface providing communication with the equipment in accordance with various, combinable embodiments. In one embodiment, a speech generator generates speech based on commands relating to equipment operation, which may be received from the equipment via the communications interface. A selection mechanism allows the user to select commands and thereby operate the equipment. In another embodiment, a command navigator navigates commands based on user input by shifting focus between commands, communicates a command having the focus to the speech generator, and allows the user to select a command. In a further embodiment, a phoneticizer converts the commands and/or predetermined navigation and selection options into a dynamic speech lexicon, and a speech recognizer uses the lexicon to recognize a user navigation input and/or user selection of a command. Speaker verification can also be used to enhance security using a speech biometric.

Claims

1. A portable device adapted to increase accessibility of equipment, comprising:

a communications interface adapted to communicate with the equipment and to receive from the equipment commands relating to operation of the equipment;

a speech generator adapted to generate speech based on the commands;

an auditory output adapted to communicate the speech to the user; and

a selection mechanism adapted to allow the user to select a command and thereby operate the equipment.

2. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the device has a command navigator adapted to accept a user navigation input, to navigate the commands by shifting focus between commands based on the user navigation input, and to communicate a command having the focus to said speech generator.

3. The portable device of claim 2, comprising a user interface providing a switching mechanism adapted to provide the user navigation input, thereby navigating a linear list of commands, and to provide the selection capability relating to an element of the list having the focus.

4. The portable device of claim 3, wherein the user interface includes a switching mechanism interface adapted to connect with a user'"'"'s preferred assistive switching mechanism, and to accept user navigation input from the user'"'"'s preferred assistive switching mechanism in accordance with user preferences.

5. The portable device of claim 2, comprising a speech recognizer operable to recognize user speech input as user navigation input according to user preferences.

6. The portable device of claim 1, comprising a memory adapted to store user preferences, wherein said communications interface is adapted to connect to a communications system and inform said memory.

7. The portable device of claim 6, wherein the user preferences include a user speech biometric, the portable device comprising a speaker verification module adapted to authorize the user based on the speech biometric.

8. The portable device of claim 6, wherein the user preferences include a procedure of operation adapting the device to operate in accordance with a user profile relating to a user disability.

9. The portable device of claim 1, wherein said communications interface is adapted to receive an equipment operation state, and said speech generator is adapted to generate speech based on the equipment operation state.

10. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the commands are pre-structured in a menu form to provide a hierarchical command structure of linear lists of commands relating to hierarchically related functions of the equipment.

11. The portable device of claim 1, wherein said communications interface corresponds to a wired cable connection port.

12. The portable device of claim 1, wherein said communications interface corresponds to a wireless transmitter and receiver.

13. An equipment accessibility enhancement method, comprising:

establishing a connection between the equipment and a portable device adapted to enhance accessibility of the equipment;

communicating commands relating to operation of the equipment from the equipment to the portable device;

accepting a user navigation input;

shifting focus between commands based on the user navigation input;

generating speech based on a command having the focus;

accepting user selection of a command; and

communicating the user selection of the command from the portable device to the equipment.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

accepting a user selection of a command having the focus based on predetermined criteria.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

constructing a dynamic lexicon based on commands relating to equipment operation;

receiving a user speech input; and

accepting a user selection of a command by recognizing the user speech input based on the dynamic lexicon.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said accepting a user selection of a command having the focus includes recognizing a user speech input based on the dynamic lexicon, wherein the dynamic lexicon is adapted for use by a speech recognizer in recognizing selection of a command having the focus.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said accepting the user navigation input includes recognizing a user speech input based on the dynamic lexicon, wherein the dynamic lexicon is adapted for use by a speech recognizer in recognizing selection of a pre-determined command navigation option.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said accepting the user navigation input includes detecting user manipulation of a switching mechanism configured to indicate selection of a pre-determined command navigation option.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein said accepting a user selection of a command having the focus includes detecting user manipulation of a switching mechanism configured to indicate selection of the command having the focus.

20. The method of claim 13, comprising generating speech based on a current state of operation relating to the equipment.