Mobile device having voice user interface, and a method for testing the compatibility of an application with the mobile device

• US 7,809,578 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2002
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vitikainen, Timo, Boda, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): ABEBE, DANIEL DEMELASH
• Application Number:
  US10/521,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20060052080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,002 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275, 704/270, 379/88.01
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/227 of the speaker; Human-factor methodology
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A mobile device or MS having voice user interface (UI) as part of its multimodal input/output capabilities is provided with a storage area for storing a profile indicating the voice UI capabilities. The profile indicates the automatic speech recognition, text-to-speech, vocabulary and grammar capabilities, amongst others. An application, such as a diary program or one allowing entry into a lotto, is initialized on the MS with reference to the profile. When the application is run, the profile is referred to such that parts of the application which are appropriate to the profile are run whilst those which are inappropriate to the profile are not run. Alternatively, the application may be run on a voice UI application server forming part of a base station. An emulator for testing an application using a profile of a target device is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method performed by an apparatus, the method comprising:

maintaining a profile of voice user interface capabilities associated with the apparatus, wherein the profile includes at least one setting related to voice interaction dialogue with a user, said at least one voice interaction dialogue setting including at least a speech recognition verification-related setting;

storing an application having voice user interface features on the apparatus or downloading an application having voice user interface features from a server in communication with the apparatus;

examining at least part of the profile; and

using voice user interface features of the application which are appropriate to the profile and refraining from using inappropriate features;

in which the stored application when executed responds to at least one user voice input with a query or a statement in dependence on the speech recognition verification-related setting.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising prior to the using step:

initializing the application using information included in the profile.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the maintaining step includes maintaining information relating to any combination of vocabulary, dialogue, automatic speech recognition and text-to-speech synthesis capabilities.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the maintaining step includes maintaining information relating to grammar capabilities, wherein the grammar capabilities comprise at least one of statistical and context free grammar capabilities associated with the device.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the using step includes referring to definitions forming part of the application, and using those definitions with at least part of the profile to determine which parts of the application are appropriate to the profile.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code and storing a profile of voice user interface capabilities; and

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

run an application using voice user interface features of the application which are appropriate to the profile and to refrain from using inappropriate features wherein the profile includes at least one setting related to voice interaction dialogue with a user, said at least one voice interaction dialogue setting including at least- a speech recognition verification related setting; and

respond to at least one user voice input with a query or a statement in dependence on the speech recognition verification-related setting.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least further to use information included in the profile to initialize the application.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which the profile includes information relating to any combination of vocabulary, dialogue, automatic speech recognition and text-to-speech synthesis capabilities.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which the profile includes information relating to grammar capabilities, wherein the grammar capabilities comprises at least one of statistical and context-free grammar capabilities associated with the device.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least further to refer to definitions forming part of the application, and to compare these definitions with at least part of the profile to determine which parts of the application are appropriate to the profile.

11. A system comprising:

an apparatus having voice user interface capabilities; and

a server, capable of communicating with the apparatus, the server being arranged to examine at least part of a profile voice user interface capabilities associated with the apparatus, and to run an application using voice user interface features of the application which are appropriate to the profile and to refrain from using inappropriate features, wherein the profile includes at least one setting related to voice interaction dialogue with a user, said at least one voice interaction dialogue setting including at least a speech recognition verification-related setting, and in which the stored application when run responds to at least one user voice input with a query or a statement in dependence on the speech recognition verification-related setting.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11, in which the server comprises an initializer, arranged to use information included in the profile to initialize the application.

13. A system as claimed in claim 11, in which the profile includes information relating to any combination of vocabulary, dialogue, automatic speech recognition and text-to-speech synthesis capabilities.

14. A system as claimed in claim 11, in which the profile includes information relating to grammar capabilities, wherein the grammar capabilities comprise at least one of statistical and context free grammar capabilities that are associated with the device.

15. A system as claimed in claim 11, in which the server is arranged to refer to definitions forming part of the application, and to use these definitions with at least part of the profile to determine which parts of the application are appropriate to the profile.

16. A method comprising:

at a first apparatus operative in a wireless communications network,

storing at the first apparatus an application the output of which is to be used by a second apparatus;

reading a voice user interface profile for the second apparatus, the voice user interface profile comprising at least a speech recognition verification-related setting, and in which the stored application when executed responds to at least one user voice input with a query or a statement in dependence on the speech recognition verification-related setting;

initializing the application;

detecting that execution of the application is required;

executing the application while reading relevant parts of the voice user interface profile on-the-fly, and

using appropriate parts of the voice user interface profile and refraining from using inappropriate parts of the voice user interface profile.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the first apparatus is a base station operative in the wireless communications network.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining that the voice user interface profile for the second apparatus is stored at the first apparatus.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining that the voice user interface profile for the second apparatus is not stored at the first apparatus; and

uploading the voice user interface profile for the second apparatus to the first apparatus.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the voice user interface profile includes at least one setting related to voice interaction dialogue with a user, said at least one voice interaction dialogue setting including at least the speech recognition verification-related setting.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a memory storing a program configured to operate the apparatus when executed and an application the output of which is to be used by another apparatus; and

a processor configured to execute the program, wherein when the processor executes the program operations are performed, the operations comprising;

read a voice user interface profile for the other apparatus, the voice user interface profile comprising at least a speech recognition verification-related setting, in which the program when executed responds to at least one user voice input with a query or a statement in dependence on the speech recognition verification-related setting;

initialize the application;

detect that execution of the application is required;

execute the application while reading relevant parts of the voice user interface profile on-the-fly, and

use appropriate parts of the voice user interface profile and refrain from using inappropriate parts of the voice user interface profile.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the apparatus is a base station operative in the wireless communications network.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the operations further comprise:

determine that the voice user interface profile for the other apparatus is stored at the apparatus.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the operations further comprise:

determine that the voice user interface profile for the other apparatus is not stored at the apparatus; and

update the voice user interface profile for the other apparatus to the apparatus.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the voice user interface profile includes at least one setting related to voice interaction dialogue with a user, said at least one voice interaction dialogue setting including at least the speech recognition verification-related setting.