Voice recognition updates via remote broadcast signal

• US 7,831,431 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kirsch, David Michael, Huang, Ritchie Winson
• Primary Examiner(s): Chawan; Vijay B
• Application Number:
  US11/554,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20080103779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275, 704/270.1, 704/270, 704/246, 704/243, 704/251, 704/231, 704/228, 455/563, 455/412.1, 455/556.1, 455/564, 455/569, 455/550.1, 455/569.2, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.03, 701/36, 701/1, 701/213, 342/357.1, 342/357.06, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/28 Constructional details of speech recognition systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications

Abstract

A method and a system are provided for dynamically updating voice recognition commands available for controlling a device in a vehicle. A receiver unit of a voice recognition system, located in the vehicle, receives a remotely transmitted broadcast signal. A processor of the voice recognition system extracts voice recognition data from a remaining portion of the broadcast signal and updates voice recognition commands stored in a memory unit, coupled to the processor, with the extracted voice recognition data. A voice input device of the voice recognition system receives a spoken command from a user. A voice recognition engine, coupled to the voice input device and the memory unit, determines whether the spoken command matches one of the stored voice recognition commands in the memory unit. If a match occurs, a recognized voice command is generated. The recognized voice command is sent to an affected device in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for remotely and dynamically updating voice recognition commands available for controlling a device in a vehicle, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, locally, a broadcast signal from a remote source, the broadcast signal comprising voice recognition data;

(b) filtering, locally, the received broadcast signal by separating the voice recognition data from a remainder of the broadcast signal;

(c) updating a local database containing previously stored voice recognition data with the received voice recognition data;

(d) receiving, locally, a spoken command from a local input device;

(e) determining whether the received spoken command matches the voice recognition data stored in the updated local database; and

(f) generating, locally, a recognized voice command based at least in part on matching the received spoken command with the voice recognition data stored in the updated local database.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein updating the local database containing previously stored voice recognition data with the received voice recognition data further comprises determining a portion of the voice recognition data that is new and adding the new voice recognition data to the local database.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein updating the local database containing previously stored voice recognition data with the received voice recognition data further comprises determining a portion of the voice recognition data that is changed and modifying the voice recognition data in the local database with the changed voice recognition data.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving, locally, a broadcast signal further comprises receiving, locally, a satellite signal.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving, locally, a broadcast signal further comprises receiving, locally, a modified broadcast signal.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein receiving, locally, a broadcast signal comprising voice recognition data further comprises receiving, locally, the voice recognition data in a subcarrier of the modified broadcast signal.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving, locally, a broadcast signal further comprises receiving, locally, a dedicated broadcast signal.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving, locally, a broadcast signal containing voice recognition data comprises receiving, locally, voice recognition data further comprising phonetic data for station name identification.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising sending the recognized voice command to an affected device in the vehicle after the generating step.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein sending the recognized voice command to the affected device comprises sending the recognized voice command to a device selected from a group consisting of a radio, an air conditioning unit, power windows, door locks, and a navigation unit.

11. A system for dynamically updating voice recognition commands available for controlling a device in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a broadcast system, to be located remotely from the vehicle, for sending a broadcast signal comprising voice recognition data; and

an in-vehicle voice recognition system to be located within the vehicle, the in-vehicle voice recognition system comprising;

a receiver unit adapted to receive the broadcast signal;

a memory unit containing a database of stored voice recognition commands;

a processor coupled to the receiver unit and the memory unit, the processor being adapted to extract the voice recognition data from a remaining portion of the broadcast signal and further adapted to update the stored voice recognition commands stored in the memory unit with the extracted voice recognition data;

a voice input device adapted to receive a spoken command from a user; and

a voice recognition engine coupled to the voice input device and the memory unit, the voice recognition engine being adapted to determine whether the spoken command matches one of the stored voice recognition commands in the memory unit.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the voice input device comprises a microphone.

13. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the voice recognition data comprises station name identification.

14. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the broadcast system comprises a satellite radio broadcast system.

15. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the broadcast signal comprises a modified broadcast signal.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the voice recognition data is contained in a subcarrier of the modified broadcast signal.

17. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the broadcast signal comprises a dedicated broadcast signal.

18. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the voice recognition engine is further adapted to send the recognized voice command to an affected device in the vehicle.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the affected device is selected from a group consisting of a radio, an air conditioning unit, power windows, door locks, and a navigation unit.

20. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the processor is further adapted to determine a portion of the voice recognition data that is new and add the new voice recognition data to the database.

21. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the processor is further adapted to determine a portion of the voice recognition data that is changed and modify the voice recognition data in the database with the changed voice recognition data.