Speech dialog control module

• US 8,005,681 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2007
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wolf, Stefan, Hovestadt, Guido
• Primary Examiner(s): SKED, MATTHEW J
• Application Number:
  US11/858,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A speech dialog control module enhances user operation of a speech dialog system by translating an input signal unrecognizable by a speech dialog system into a recognizable language. A speech dialog control module includes an input device that receives a speech signal in a first language. A controller receives the input signal and generates a control instruction that corresponds to the received input signal. The control instruction has a language that is different from the input signal. A speech-synthesis unit converts the control instruction into an output speech signal. An output device outputs the output speech signal.

Claims

1. A speech dialog control module, comprising:

an input device that receives an input signal in a first language;

a controller that receives the input signal and generates a control instruction that correlates to the input signal and that has a language that is different from the input signal;

a speech-synthesis unit that converts the control instruction into an output speech signal; and

an output device that outputs the output speech signal, the output device comprising a mechanical actuating unit that is configured to actuate a push button of a speech dialog system.

2. The speech dialog control module of claim 1, where the input signal is a speech signal.

3. The speech dialog control module of claim 2, where the input device comprises a speech detecting unit.

4. The speech dialog control module of claim 1, where the speech synthesis unit comprises a text-to-speech unit.

5. The speech dialog control module of claim 1, where the speech synthesis unit comprises a playback unit that generates the output speech signal from pre-recorded speech signals.

6. The speech dialog control module of claim 1, where the input device further comprises a haptic device.

7. The speech dialog control module of claim 1, further comprising a memory that stores language profile data.

8. The speech dialog control module of claim 1, further comprising a memory that stores vehicle profile data.

9. The speech dialog control module of claim 1, further comprising a positioning system that automatically generates the input signal in response to a detected position.

10. The speech dialog control module of claim 1, where the output device further comprises a vehicle audio system.

11. A method of controlling a speech dialog system, comprising:

receiving, with at least one processor, an input signal in a first language;

converting, with the at least one processor, the input signal into a control instruction that corresponds to the input signal and that has a language that is different from the input signal;

outputting, with the at least one processor, an output acoustic signal; and

actuating mechanically a push-to-talk button of the speech dialog system before outputting output acoustic signal.

12. The method of claim 11, where the output acoustic signal is generated by a text-to-speech conversion.

13. The method of claim 11, where the output acoustic signal is generated by playing back pre-recorded speech.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing language profile data in a memory.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing vehicle profile data in a memory.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising outputting the output acoustic signal through a vehicle audio system.

17. The method of claim 11, where the input signal is a speech signal.

18. The method of claim 11, where the input signal is a machine language signal.