Control system

• US 7,881,940 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Dusterhoff, Kurt E.
• Primary Examiner(s): ABEBE, DANIEL DEMELASH
• Application Number:
  US11/798,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20080091433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275, 704/260, 705/23, 705/25
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/222 Barge in, i.e. overridable guidance for interrupting prompts

Abstract

A system has a speech control interface operable to provide a speech sequence to which a user response is required before system functionality is operational. A user response can be provided via a spoken command. The system is operable, in response to interruption of the speech sequence to permit a non-verbal user response using an alternative interface.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a speech control interface being operable to provide a speech sequence and to receive a corresponding user response, the user response being required before system functionality is operational; and

an alternative interface being operable to permit the user response to be a non-verbal user response to the speech sequence, wherein

the user response can be provided either via a spoken command or, in response to interruption of the speech sequence, via the alternative interface,

further wherein, in the following order;

the system recognizes a navigation command,

the system completes a status check for a disclaimer,

the system stores a command action corresponding to the navigation command when the status check is not accepted,

the system provides a disclaimer message to the user,

the system executes the navigation command when the user accepts the disclaimer message, and

the system cancels the navigation command when the user does not accept the disclaimer message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the alternative interface comprises a display operable to provide a visual representation of the speech sequence.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the display is a touch screen display that is operable to display at least one button operable by a user to provide the non-verbal user response.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the alternative interface comprises at least one switch operable by a user to provide the non-verbal user response.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the speech control interface is operable to voice an acknowledgement of the user response.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a memory in communication with the speech control interface and operable to store a command representative of an operation to be performed following receipt of the user response; and

a processor in communication with the memory and being operable to retrieve the command in response to the user response.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the speech sequence comprises a disclaimer.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a memory in communication with the speech control interface and being operable to receive the command input before the user response to the disclaimer, and to execute the command after input of the user response to the disclaimer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein

the system recognizes a command from an user,

the system checks a status whether the command is operable,

the system stores the command when the command is not operable,

the system provides a message to the user in order to make the command operable,

the system executes the command when the system makes the command operable, and

the system cancels the navigation command when the system does not make the command operable.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein

the system is operable in response to interruption of the speech sequence by an external device or a status check for a disclaimer,

the system stores a command action when a status of the disclaimer is not accepted, and

the command action is continued after an end of the interruption caused by an external device or the disclaimer.

11. A system comprising:

a speech control interface being operable to provide a disclaimer in the form of a speech sequence for which a user acknowledgement is required before system functionality is operational;

a memory for storing a command input before the user acknowledgement; and

a processor being operable to receive the user acknowledgement and to execute the command after receiving the user acknowledgement,

further wherein, in the following order;

the system recognizes a navigation command,

the system completes a status check for a disclaimer,

the system stores a command action corresponding to the navigation command when the status is not accepted,

the system provides a disclaimer message to the user,

the system executes the navignation command when the user accepts the disclaimer message, and

the system cancels the navigation command when the user does not accept the disclaimer message.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the system comprises a navigation system for a vehicle.

13. A method of operating a system that includes a speech control interface, the method comprising:

providing a speech sequence for which a user response is required before system functionality is operational, wherein the user response can be provided via a spoken command; and

in response to interruption of the speech sequence, permitting a user response using an alternative interface,

the method further comprising, in this order;

recognizing a navigation command;

completing a status check for a disclaimer;

storing a command action corresponding to the navigation command when the status check is not accepted;

providing a disclaimer message to the user;

executing the navigation command when the user accepts the disclaimer message; and

canceling the navigation command when the user does not accept the disclaimer message.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying a visual representation of the speech sequence.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the permitting a user response using an alternative interface comprises:

displaying on a touch screen display at least one button operable by a user to provide the user response; and

accepting a user response via touching of the at least one button.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the permitting a user response using an alternative interface comprises accepting the user response via at least one switch.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the speech control interface is operable for voicing an acknowledgement of the user response.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing a command representative of an operation to be performed following receipt of the user response, and retrieving the command following the receipt of the user response.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the speech sequence comprises a disclaimer.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising executing after a response to the disclaimer a command input stored before the input of the response to the disclaimer.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the system is a navigation system for a vehicle.

22. The method of claim 13, the method further comprising:

recognizing a command from an user;

checking a status whether the command is operable;

storing the command when the command is not operable;

providing a message to the user in order to make the command operable;

executing the command when the system makes the command operable; and

canceling the navigation command when the system does not make the command operable.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the system is operable in response to interruption of the speech sequence by an external device or a status check for a disclaimer, the method further comprising:

storing a command action when a status of the disclaimer is not accepted; and

continuing the command action after an end of the interruption caused by an external device or the disclaimer.

24. A method of operating a system that includes a speech control interface, the method comprising:

storing a command input before an acknowledgement of a disclaimer; and

executing the command after the acknowledgement of the disclaimer,

the method further comprising, in the following order;

recognizing a navigation command;

completing a status check for a disclaimer;

storing a command action corresponding to the navigation command when the status is not accepted;

providing a disclaimer message to the user;

executing the navigation command when the user accepts the disclaimer message; and

canceling the navigation command when the user does not accept the disclaimer message.