Device controller prompting for complete or one-by-one speech input based on user's skill level

• US 7,933,776 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2006
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Satomura, Masashi, Nagashima, Hisayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Smits; Talivaldis I
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBERTS, SHAUN A
• Application Number:
  US11/544,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/272, 704/275, 704/251, 340/576, 434/169, 434/335, 434/353
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/227 of the speaker; Human-factor methodology

Abstract

A speech recognition device controller is provided, which is capable of properly determining a user'"'"'s leaning level in speech so as to provide an efficient interaction. It includes a voice input unit 2 for receiving speech input from a user, a speech recognition unit 3 for recognizing the input speech, a response output unit 10 for outputting a response to the user, and a device control unit 11 for controlling a device based on a recognition result of the speech recognition unit 3. It further includes an input item count detection unit 4 for detecting the number of items identified from the recognized speech among a given number of items necessary to control the device, a reference input item count setting unit 6 for setting a reference value for the number of items identified from the speech, an input item count comparison unit 7 for comparing the number of items detected by the input item count detection unit 4 with the reference value set by the reference input item count setting unit 6, a skill level determination unit 8 for determining the user'"'"'s skill level in speech based on a comparison result, and a response control unit 9 for controlling the response output according to the determined skill level, wherein the user is prompted to enter a complete one-time speech input or a one-by-one series of discrete speech inputs, based upon the determined skill level.

Claims

1. A voice recognition device controller comprising:

a voice input unit configured to receive a one-time speech input from a user containing a plurality of items necessary to control a device, wherein the items in the input user'"'"'s speech necessary to control the device include at least (1) an application of the device, (2) an operational object of the application, (3) an operational content of the operational object, and (4) at least one operational parameter of the operational content;

a voice recognition unit configured to recognize the plurality of items necessary to control the device from the one-time speech input to the voice input;

an input item count detection unit configured to count the total number of items necessary to control the device recognized in the current input one-time speech of the user by the voice recognition unit

a reference input item count setting unit configured to set a reference value for the number of items identified from the current input one-time speech of the user based on a driving load on the user, wherein the reference value for the number of items is higher or lower than the actual number of items identified by the input item count detection unit;

an input item count comparison unit configured to compare the total number of items detected by the input item count detection unit from the current input one-time speech with the reference value for the number of items set by the reference input item count setting unit;

a learning level determination unit configured to determine a learning level in speech of the user based on a comparison result of the input item count comparison unit;

a response control unit configured to control the response output from a response output unit according to the learning level determined by the learning level determination unit, wherein, if the determined learning level in speech of the user is high, the response output prompts the user to input at one-time a plurality of items necessary to control the device, and if the determined learning level in speech is low, the response output prompts the user to input items necessary to control the device one by one; and

a device control unit configured to control the device based on the user input.

2. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 1, further comprising a learning level storage unit configured to updatably store the user'"'"'s temporary learning level in speech, wherein the reference input item count setting unit sets the reference value for the number of items identified from the speech based on the user'"'"'s temporary learning level in speech stored by the learning level storage unit.

3. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 2, wherein:

the device includes a plurality of types of device;

the learning level storage unit stores the user'"'"'s temporary learning level in speech for each type of device;

the reference input item count setting unit sets the reference value for the number of items identified from the speech for each type of device;

the input item count comparison unit compares the number of items detected by the input item count detection unit with the reference value for the number of items set for each type of device; and

the learning level determination unit determines the user'"'"'s learning level in speech for each type of device based on the comparison result of the input item count comparison unit.

4. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 3, wherein:

a plurality of the types of devices are each provided with a plurality of types of operational objects that can be operated by the user;

the given number of items necessary to control the device include items necessary to operate the operational objects;

the learning level storage unit stores the user'"'"'s temporary learning level in speech for each type of device and for each type of operational object;

the reference input item count setting unit sets the reference value for the number of items identified from the speech for each type of device and for each type of operational object;

5. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 4, wherein the learning level storage unit updates the user'"'"'s temporary learning level in speech stored in the learning level storage unit, based on the determination result of the learning level determination unit.

6. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 5, mounted on a movable body and further comprising a driving load detection unit configured to detect a driving load on the user who is the driver of the movable body, wherein the reference input item count setting unit sets the reference value for the number of items identified from the speech based on the user'"'"'s temporary learning level in speech stored by the learning level storage unit and the driving load detected by the driving load detection unit.

7. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 1, wherein the response control-unit includes a unit configured to control a response in such a way as to prompt the user for a given number of items, with the given number set according to the learning level determined by the learning level determination unit, among items not identified from the speech recognized by the voice recognition unit, if any, among the given number of items necessary to control the device.

8. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 1, mounted on a movable body and further comprising a driving load detection unit configured to detect the driving load on the user who is the driver of the movable body, wherein the reference input item count setting unit sets the reference value for the number of items identified from the speech based on the content of the input speech and the driving load detected by the driving load detection unit.

9. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 8, wherein the response control unit includes a unit configured to control a response in such a way as to prompt the user for a given number of items, with the given number set according to the learning level determined by the learning level determination unit and the driving load detected by the driving load detection unit, among items not identified from the speech recognized by the voice recognition unit, if any, among the given number of items necessary to control the device.

10. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 2, wherein the learning level storage unit updates the user'"'"'s temporary learning level in speech stored in the learning level storage unit, based on a determination result of the learning level determination unit.

11. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 10, mounted on a movable body and further comprising a driving load detection unit configured to detect a driving load on the user who is the driver of the movable body, wherein the reference input item count setting unit sets the reference value for the number of items identified from the speech based on the user'"'"'s temporary learning level in speech stored by the learning level storage unit and the driving load detected by the driving load detection unit.

12. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 2, wherein the response control unit includes a unit configured to control a response in such a way as to prompt the user for a given number of items, with the given number set according to the learning level determined by the learning level determination unit, among items not identified from the speech recognized by the voice recognition unit, if any, among the given number of items necessary to control the device.

13. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 2, mounted on a movable body and further comprising a driving load detection unit configured to detect the driving load on the user who is the driver of the movable body, wherein the reference input item count setting unit sets the reference value for the number of items identified from the speech based on the user'"'"'s temporary learning level in speech stored by the learning level storage unit and the driving load detected by the driving load detection unit.

14. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 13, wherein the response control unit includes a unit configured to control a response in such a way as to prompt the user for a given number of items, with the given number set according to the learning level determined by the learning level determination unit and the driving load detected by the driving load detection unit, among items not identified from the speech recognized by the voice recognition unit, if any, among the given number of items necessary to control the device.

15. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 3, wherein the learning level storage unit updates the user'"'"'s temporary learning level in speech stored in the learning level storage unit, based on the determination result of the learning level determination unit.

16. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 15, mounted on a movable body and further comprising a driving load detection unit configured to detect a driving load on the user who is the driver of the movable body, wherein the reference input item count setting unit sets the reference value for the number of items identified from the speech based on the user'"'"'s temporary learning level in speech stored by the learning level storage unit and the driving load detected by the driving load detection unit.

17. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 3, mounted on a movable body and further comprising a driving load detection unit configured to detect a driving load on the user who is the driver of the movable body, wherein the reference input item count setting unit sets the reference value for the number of items identified from the speech based on the user'"'"'s temporary learning level in speech stored by the learning level storage unit and the driving load detected by the driving load detection unit.

18. A voice recognition device controller according to claim 4, mounted on a movable body and further comprising a driving load detection unit configured to detect a driving load on the user who is the driver of the movable body, wherein the reference input item count setting unit sets the reference value for the number of items identified from the speech based on the user'"'"'s temporary learning level in speech stored by the learning level storage unit and the driving load detected by the driving load detection unit.

19. A method of controlling a voice recognition device, comprising:

receiving one-time speech input from a user containing a plurality of items necessary to control a device, wherein the items in the input user'"'"'s speech necessary to control the device include at least (1) an application of the device, (2) an operational object of the application, (3) an operational content of the operational object, and (4) at least one operational parameter of the operational content;

recognizing the plurality of items necessary to control the device from the one-time speech

counting the total number of items necessary to control the device recognized in the current input one-time speech of the user

setting a reference value for the number of items identified from the current input one-time speech of the user based on a driving load on the user, wherein the reference value for the number of items is higher or lower than the actual number of items identified by the input item count detection unit;

comparing the total number of recognized items in the current input one-time speech with the reference value;

determining a learning level in speech of the user based on a comparison result; and

controlling a response output according to the determined learning level wherein, if the determined learning level in speech of the user is high, the response output prompts the user to input at one-time a plurality of items necessary to control the device, and if the determined learning level in speech is low, the response output prompts the user to input items necessary to control the device one by one; and

controlling the device based on the user input.

20. A voice recognition device controller comprising:

a voice input means for receiving a one-time speech input from a user containing a plurality of items necessary to control a device, wherein the items in the input user'"'"'s speech necessary to control the device include at least (1) an application of the device, (2) an operational object of the application, (3) an operational content of the operational object, and (4) at least one operational parameter of the operational content;

a voice recognition means for recognizing the plurality of items necessary to control the device from the one-time speech input to the voice input means;

an input item count detection means for counting the total number of items necessary to control the device recognized in the current input one-time speech of the user by the voice recognition means

a reference input item count setting means for setting a reference value for the number of items identified from the current input one-time speech of the user based on a driving load on the user, wherein the reference value for the number of items is higher or lower than the actual number of items identified by the input item count detection means;

an input item count comparison means for comparing the total number of items detected by the input item count detection unit from the current input one-time speech with the reference value for the number of items set by the reference input item count setting unit;

a learning level determination means for determining a learning level in speech of the user based on a comparison result of the input item count comparison unit;

a response control means for controlling the response output from a response output means according to the learning level determined by the learning level determination means, wherein, if the determined learning level in speech of the user is high, the response output prompts the user to input at one-time a plurality of items necessary to control the device, and if the determined learning level in speech is low, the response output prompts the user to input items necessary to control the device one by one; and

a device control means for controlling the device based on the user input.