Apparatus and method for providing hands-free operation of a device

• US 7,542,787 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Lan, Kreiner, Barrett M., Page, Jr., Joseph E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Matthew D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dao, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US11/354,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20060135214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569.1, 455/557, 455/575.2, 455/569, 455/413, 455/41.2, 455/418, 455/18, 379/88.01, 379/93.34, 379/100.08, 704/208, 704/275, 704/270
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for providing hands-free operation of a device. A hands-free adapter is provided that communicates with a device and a headset. The hands-free adapter allows a user to use voice commands so that the user does not have to handle the device. The hands-free adapter receives voice commands from the headset and translates the voice commands to commands recognized by the device. The hands-free adapter also monitors the device to detect device events and provides notice of the events to the user via the headset.

Claims

1. A method for providing hands-free operation of a communication device, comprising:

monitoring a headset interface for a command prefix and a subsequent voicemail command, the command prefix being at least one spoken word that is used to identify subsequently spoken voice commands that control the device, the voicemail command only being effective when preceded by the spoken command prefix;

detecting the command prefix in spoken speech;

treating the next spoken word as the subsequent voicemail command;

in response to detecting the voicemail command and command prefix, generating a device command that emulates a user'"'"'s interaction with the communication device to answer an incoming call;

providing the device command to the communication device via a feature connector interface;

playing an outgoing announcement to a caller; and

recording a message from the caller in response to the spoken voicemail command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the feature connector interface for an event;

in response to detecting the event, generating an event indicator; and

providing the event indicator to the user via the headset interface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the event indicator is a recorded message.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the event indicator is overlaid onto incoming audio from the communication device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the event indicator is a tone.

6. A hands-free adapter for a communications device, comprising:

means for monitoring a headset interface;

means for detecting a command prefix in spoken speech that is used to identify a subsequently spoken voicemail command that controls the communications device, the voicemail command only being effective when preceded by the spoken command prefix;

means for treating the next spoken word after the command prefix as the subsequent voicemail command;

if audio signals are being passed from the headset interface to the communications device, then means for muting an audio to the communications device to not provide the voicemail command to the communications device;

means for translating the voicemail command into a device command recognized by the communications device;

means for generating the device command that emulates a user'"'"'s interaction with the communications device to answer an incoming call;

means for providing the device command to the communications device via a feature connector interface;

means for playing an outgoing announcement to a caller; and

means for recording a message from the caller in response to the spoken voicemail command.

7. The hands-free adapter of claim 6, further comprising:

means for monitoring the feature connector interface for an event;

in response to detecting the event, means for generating an event indicator; and

means for providing the event indicator to the user via the headset interface.

8. The hands-free adapter of claim 6, wherein the headset interface is a wireless interface.

9. The hand-free adapter of claim 6, further comprising means for storing an identifier and corresponding contact information.

10. The hands-free adapter of claim 9, wherein the contact information is a telephone number.

11. The hands-free adapter of claim 9, wherein the contact information is an electronic address.

12. The hands-free adapter of claim 6, further comprising means for interfacing to a computer.

13. The hands-free adapter of claim 6, wherein the communication device is a messaging system.

14. The hands-free adapter of claim 13, wherein the communication device is one of a wired device, a messaging device, a portable device, a wireless device, and a wireline telephone.

15. The hands-free adapter of claim 14, wherein the wireless device is one of a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a cell phone.

16. A method for providing hands-free operation of a communication device, comprising:

integrating a hands-free adapter with voice recognition and command prefix functionality with the communication device and a headset associated therewith;

monitoring a device interface for an event;

when the event is detected, then providing an event indicator to the hands-free headset;

detecting a command prefix in spoken speech that is used to identify a subsequently spoken voicemail command that controls the communication device, the voicemail command only being effective when preceded by the spoken command prefix;

treating the next spoken word after the command prefix as the subsequent voicemail command;

translating the subsequent voicemail command into a device command that is recognized by the communication device;

in response to the command prefix and the voicemail command, generating the device command that emulates a user'"'"'s interaction with the device to answer an incoming call;

providing the device command to the device;

playing an outgoing announcement to a caller;

recording a message from the caller in response to the spoken voicemail command; and

detecting the command prefix and a voicemail access command to access the recorded message.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving non-command audio from the hands-free headset; and

providing the non-command audio to the communication device via the device interface.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving incoming audio from the communication device; and

providing the incoming audio to the hands-free headset.

19. An integrated device, comprising:

a communication device;

a headset associated with the communication device;

an adapter interfacing with the communication device and with the headset, the adapter having voice recognition and command prefix functionality to provide hands-free operation of the integrated device;

means for detecting a command prefix in spoken speech that is used to identify a subsequently spoken voicemail command that controls the communication device, the voicemail command only being effective when preceded by the spoken command prefix;

means for treating the next spoken word after the command prefix as the subsequent voicemail command;

means for translating the subsequent voicemail command into a device command that is recognized by the communication device;

in response to the command prefix and the voicemail command, means for generating the device command that emulates a user'"'"'s interaction with the communication device to answer an incoming call;

means for providing the device command to the communication device;

means for playing an outgoing announcement to a caller;

means for recording a message from the caller in response to the spoken voicemail command; and

means for detecting the command prefix and a voicemail access command to access the recorded message.

20. The integrated device of claim 19, wherein the adapter is configured to convert text to speech or speech to text in response to commands preceded by the command prefix.

21. The integrated device of claim 20, wherein the spoken command prefix and the subsequently spoken voicemail command provides a voicemail regardless of an availability of a network-based voicemail service.

22. The integrated device of claim 20, wherein the communication device is a messaging system.

23. The integrated device of claim 20, wherein the communication device is at least one of a wired device, a messaging device, a portable device, a wireless device, and a wireline telephone.

24. The integrated device of claim 19, further configured at least partially as a wearable item.

25. The integrated device of claim 24, wherein the wearable item comprises at least the headset.

26. The integrated device of claim 25, wherein the adapter is integrated into the headset.

27. The integrated device of claim 24, wherein the wearable item is a hat.

28. The integrated device of claim 24, wherein the wearable item is a pair of glasses.

29. The integrated device of claim 19, further configured at least partially as a vehicle.

30. A Non-Volatile memory encoded with instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

detecting a command prefix in spoken speech that is used to identify a subsequently spoken voicemail command that controls the communication device, the voicemail command only being effective when preceded by the spoken command prefix;

treating the next spoken word after the command prefix as the subsequent voicemail command;

translating the subsequent voicemail command into a device command that is recognized by a communication device;

in response to the command prefix and the voicemail command, generating the device command that emulates a user'"'"'s interaction with the communication device to answer an incoming call;

providing the device command to the communication device;

playing an outgoing announcement to a caller;

recording a message from the caller in response to the spoken voicemail command; and

detecting the command prefix and a voicemail access command to access the recorded message.

31. The Non-Volatile memory of claim 30, further comprising instructions for converting text to speech or speech to text.

32. The Non-Volatile memory of claim 31, further comprising instructions for interfacing to a messaging system.

33. The Non-Volatile memory of claim 32, further comprising instructions for interfacing to at least one of a wired device, a messaging device, a portable device, a wireless device, and a wireline telephone.

34. The Non-Volatile memory of claim 33, wherein the wireless device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

35. The Non-Volatile memory of claim 33, wherein the wireless device is a cell phone.

36. The Non-Volatile memory of claim 33, wherein the voicemail command provides a voicemail regardless of an availability of a network-based voicemail service.