Speech controls for use with a speech system

• US 7,742,925 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, David M, Yip, Clement, Falcon, Stephen R, Banay, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Armstrong; Angela A
• Application Number:
  US11/275,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20060106617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/275, 704/231
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/193 Formal grammars, e.g. finite state automata, context free grammars or word networks

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for a speech system that includes one or more speech controls incorporated into one or more speech-enabled applications that run on the speech system. The controls allow applications to be developed with minimal programming effort to incorporate common speech-enabled application functions. A question control provides a customizable template for requesting information from a user. An announcer control allows a speech-enabled application to provide a user with information without having to re-create an entire announcer process each time it is used. A command control provides a simple way to attach command and control functions to speech-enabled applications. A word trainer control provides a way to associate user-selected voice tags with certain information. Providing the controls for use with speech-enabled applications ensures standardized user interfaces across multiple speech-enabled applications.

Claims

1. A speech-enabled system, comprising one or more of the following:

a question control configured to provide a question function in the speech-enabled system;

an announcer control configured to provide an announcer function in the speech-enabled system;

a command control configured to provide an command and control function in the speech-enabled system, wherein the command control is operable to associate a grammar with a speech-enabled application;

a word trainer control configured to provide a word trainer function in the speech-enabled system;

wherein each of the one or more controls includes a code module which are utilized to code multiple speech-enabled applications;

wherein the command control is capable of simultaneously utilizing multiple grammars associated with multiple speech-enabled applications;

wherein the command control is used by the one or more speech-enabled applications to specify which of the multiple grammars an associated speech-enabled application is interested in listening to;

wherein the command control is used by the one or more speech-enabled applications to alert the associated speech-enabled application when a recognition has occurred from the associated grammar;

wherein in response to the command control receiving a command included in a grammar associated with an the unloaded speech-enabled application, the speech-enabled system automatically loads the unloaded speech-enabled application; and

wherein one or more of the controls are computer executable and stored by a computer-storage medium.

2. The speech-enabled system as recited in claim 1, wherein the question control is further configured to receive a custom prompt and to play the prompt in a question from the speech-enabled system to a user.

3. The speech-enabled system as recited in claim 2, wherein the question control comprises an earcon property that, when utilized by a speech-enabled application, causes a sound file to be played before the custom prompt is played.

4. The speech-enabled system as recited in claim 1, wherein the question control comprises an interrupting property that, when utilized by a speech-enabled application, causes an interaction created by the question control to be processed immediately upon being submitted to the speech-enabled system.

5. The speech-enabled system as recited in claim 1, wherein the question control is further configured to provide a list of possible answers to the question after the custom prompt is played.

6. The speech-enabled system as recited in claim 5, wherein:

the list of possible answers is programmed into the question control, and

at least one of the possible answers is specified to play a pre-recorded string.

7. The speech-enabled system as recited in claim 5, wherein the list of possible answers is programmed into the question control.

8. The speech-enabled system as recited in claim 5, wherein the list of possible answers is provided by the speech-enabled application that incorporates the question control.

9. The speech-enabled system as recited in claim 1, wherein the announcer control is further configured to translate an electronic mail message to speech.

10. The speech-enabled system as recited in claim 1, wherein the announcer control is further configured to play an announcement regarding an occurrence of an event upon occurrence of the event.

11. The speech-enabled system as recited in claim 1, wherein the announcer control is further configured to interrupt a currently processing interaction when an interaction created by the announcer control is submitted to the speech-enabled system.

12. The speech-enabled system as recited in claim 1, wherein the command control is further configured to provide a method for supporting a dynamic grammar.

13. The speech-enabled system as recited in claim 1, wherein the word trainer control is further configured to cause the speech-enabled system to:

play a custom prompt to a user;

wait for a response from the user; and

record the response from the user.

14. The speech-enabled system as recited in claim 13, wherein the word trainer control is further configured to cause the speech-enabled system to provide user feedback after recording the response from the user.

15. A computer-storage medium containing at least one computer-executable speech control code module, comprising:

a grammar that is associated with and used by a speech-enabled application containing the speech control code module to communicate with a speech system on which the speech-enabled application executes;

wherein the speech control code module is portable between speech-enabled applications;

wherein the speech control code module provides standardized user interface behavior to each speech-enabled application in which it is included;

wherein the speech control code module is capable of simultaneously associating multiple grammars with multiple speech-enabled applications; and

wherein in response to the speech control receiving a command included in a grammar associated with an unloaded speech-enabled application, the speech system automatically loads the unloaded speech-enabled application.

16. The computer-storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the speech control code module further comprises a question control code module that provides a standardized way of interacting with the user through standard question formats.

17. The computer-storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the speech control code module further comprises an announcer control code module that provides a standardized way of interacting with the user through standard announcement formats.

18. The computer-storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the speech control code module further comprises a word trainer control code module that provides a standardized way of interacting with the user through standard word training formats.

19. The computer-storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the speech control code module further comprises a command control code module that provides a standardized way of interacting with the user through standard command and control formats.

20. A speech system comprising;

one or more computer-executable speech controls stored on a computer-storage medium;

one or more speech-enabled applications;

wherein each of the one or more speech controls contains one or more code modules;

wherein each of the speech-enabled applications includes one or more of the speech controls;

wherein each of the speech-enabled applications has one or more grammars associated with it;

wherein each of the speech-enabled applications may be associated with different grammars;

wherein each grammar comprises a set of user commands which the speech-enabled application is interested in detecting;

wherein each of the speech enabled applications registers the associated grammars with the speech system;

wherein the grammars may be either static or dynamic;

wherein the speech system is configured to manage interactions between the one or more speech-enabled applications and a use of the one or more grammars;

wherein the speech system is configured to prevent more than one speech-enabled application from addressing a user at a given time;

wherein the speech system is configured to recognize a user command;

wherein the speech system determines which grammar includes the recognized user command;

wherein the speech system determines which speech-enabled application the determined grammar is associated with;

wherein the speech system determines if the associated speech-enabled application is running;

wherein the speech system launches an associated speech-enabled application that is not running; and

wherein the speech system passes the recognized command to the associated speech-enabled application.