Global speech user interface

• US 8,005,679 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Promptu Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Promptu Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Stanbach, Victoria, Williams, Jody, Jordan, Adam, Plowman, Tim, Maddux, Scott Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Han; Qi
• Application Number:
  US11/933,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20080120112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270.1, 704/270, 704/231, 704/251, 704/275
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/221 Announcement of recognition results
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/06 Transformation of speech into a non-audible representation, e.g. speech visualisation or speech processing for tactile aids G10L15/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 : using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 : for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 : End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game

Abstract

A global speech user interface (GSUI) comprises an input system to receive a user'"'"'s spoken command, a feedback system along with a set of feedback overlays to give the user information on the progress of his spoken requests, a set of visual cues on the television screen to help the user understand what he can say, a help system, and a model for navigation among applications. The interface is extensible to make it easy to add new applications.

Claims

1. A method for operating a global speech user interface (GSUI), comprising:

providing a speech input device having a switch, where the GSUI is activated by user activation of the switch;

performing speech recognition to transcribe spoken commands into commands acceptable by a communications system;

using the transcribed spoken commands to navigate among applications hosted on said communications system;

displaying a set of immediate speech feedback overlays including visual cues to guide a user in issuing proper spoken commands where each immediate speech feedback overlay provides non-textual feedback information about a state of said communications system, comprising;

(a) checking if a current screen is speech-enabled when said switch is activated;

(b) if the current screen is speech-enabled, displaying a first tab signaling that a speech input system is activated;

(c) if the current screen is not speech-enabled, displaying a second tab signaling a non speech-enabled alert, said second tab staying on screen for a first interval;

(d) if said switch is re-activated, repeating Step(a);

(e) if said switch is not deactivated within a second interval, interrupting recognition;

(f) if said switch is deactivated after a third interval lapsed but before said second interval in Step (e) lapsed, displaying a third tab signaling that speech recognition is in processing; and

(g) if said switch was deactivated before said third interval in Step (f) lapsed, removing any tab on the screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first tab includes a solid image of a predetermined logo.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said second tab comprises a prohibiting sign overlaid on a logo.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said second tab further comprises a text box for textual message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first interval in Step (c) is approximately ten seconds.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said second interval in Step (e) is approximately ten seconds and said third interval in Step (f) is approximately 0.1 second.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said third tab is a flashing predetermined logo which is approximately 40% transparent.

8. The method of claim 1, where said GSUI is implemented in a communications including a set top box and a head-end, and wherein said Step (f) further comprises the steps of:

(h) if said set top box takes longer than a fourth interval measured from the time that the user releases said switch to the time that the last speech data is sent to said head-end, interrupting speech recognition processing and displaying a fourth tab signaling an application alert, said fourth tab staying on the screen for a fifth interval; and

(i) if a remote control button other than said switch is pressed while a spoken command is being processed, interrupting speech recognition processing and removing any tab on the screen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said fourth interval is approximately five seconds and said fifth interval is approximately ten seconds.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said fourth tab comprises an exclamation point overlaid on said logo.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said fourth tab further comprises a text box for textual messages.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said Step (h) further comprises the steps of:

(j) if said switch is re-activated while said fourth tab on the screen, removing the fourth tab and repeating Step (a); and

(k) when said fifth interval lapses or if a remote control button other than said switch is activated while said fourth tab is on the screen, removing said fourth tab.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said Step (f), upon a complete recognition, further comprises the steps of:

(l) checking whether the speech recognition is successful;

(m) if the speech recognition is successful, displaying a fifth tab signaling a positive speech recognition, said fifth tab staying on the screen for a predetermined period; and

(n) if said switch is re-activated before said fifth tab disappears, repeating Step (a).

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said fifth tab comprises a check mark overlaid on said logo.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically counting unsuccessful recognitions, including resetting a count to zero after each successful recognition or when any button of a remote control device is pressed;

wherein said Step (I) further comprises the steps of;

(o) if the speech recognition is unsuccessful, checking the count of unsuccessful recognitions;

(p) if the complete recognition is the first unsuccessful recognition, displaying a sixth tab signaling a misrecognition speech, said sixth tab staying on the screen for about one second; and

(q) if said switch is repressed before said sixth tab disappears, repeating Step (a).

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said sixth tab in Step (p) is a question mark overlaid on said logo.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said Step (o) further comprises the steps of:

(r) if the complete recognition is the second unsuccessful recognition, displaying a first variant of said sixth tab signaling a misrecognition speech and displaying a short textual message, said first variant of said sixth tab staying on the screen for about ten seconds; and

(s) if said switch is repressed before said first variant of said sixth tab disappears, repeating Step (a).

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said first variant of said sixth tab comprises:

a question mark overlaid on said logo; and

a short text box displaying a short textual message.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said Step (o) further comprises the steps of:

(t) if the complete recognition is the third unsuccessful recognition, displaying a second variant of said sixth tab signaling a misrecognition speech and displaying a long textual message, said second variant of said sixth tab staying on the screen for about ten seconds; and

(u) if said switch is re-activated before said second variant of said sixth tab disappears, repeating Step (a).

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said Step (e) further comprises the steps of:

(v) displaying a first variant of said fourth tab, said first variant staying on the screen for a sixth interval;

(w) removing said first variant of said fourth tab from the screen if said switch is deactivated after said sixth interval lapsed; and

(x) displaying a second variant of said fourth tab, said second variant staying on the screen until said switch is deactivated.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said first variant comprises an exclamation point and a first textual message.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said sixth interval is approximately ten seconds.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said second variant comprises an exclamation point and a second textual message.