Device control device, speech recognition device, agent device, on-vehicle device control device, navigation device, audio device, device control method, speech recognition method, agent processing method, on-vehicle device control method, navigation method, and audio device control method, and program

• US 8,103,510 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2004
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Kenwood
• Inventors: Sato, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Godbold, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US10/584,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20080048908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,587 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/275, 704/231
• 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 recognition unit (2) performs speech recognition on a speech of an utterer input by a speech input unit (1), specifies possible words which are represented by the speech, and the scores thereof, and a natural language analyzer (3) specifies parts of speech of the words and supplies word data representing the words to an agent processing unit (7). The agent processing unit (7) stores process item data which defines a data acquisition process to acquire word data or the like, a discrimination process, and an input/output process, and wires or data defining transition from one process to another and giving a weighting factor to the transition, and executes a flow represented generally by the process item data and the wires to thereby control devices belonging to an input/output target device group (6) in such a way as to adequately grasp a demand of the utterer and meet the demand.

Claims

1. A device control device comprising:

speech recognition means which acquires speech data representing a speech and specifies words candidates included in the speech by performing speech recognition on the speech data and calculates a likelihood of each of the specified words candidates;

specifying means which specifies words included in the speech based on the likelihoods calculated by the speech recognition means and specifies a content of the speech uttered by an utterer based on the words specified;

a database which stores preceding controls, subsequent controls, and weighting factors, each of which is associated with one another; and

process execution means which specifies content of a subsequent control to be performed on an external device to be a control target based on a currently executed control, a weighting factor stored in association with the currently executed control and the content of the uttered speech specified by the specifying means, and performs the subsequent control,

wherein the process execution means obtains the weighting factor by calculating a product of transition constants defined on routes from the currently executed control to the subsequent control associated with the currently executed control, writes the obtained weighting factor into the database, and, among the subsequent controls stored in the database associated with the currently executed control, identifies a control in which a product is a largest product of the weighting factor and the calculated likelihood.

2. The device control device according to claim 1, wherein the speech recognition means includes speech part specifying means which specifies a part of speech of the specified words, and

the specifying means specifies a content of the speech uttered by the utterer based only on those of the words specified by the speech recognition means which are specified as a predetermined part of speech.

3. The device control device according to claim 2, wherein the specifying means discriminates whether or not a combination of a plurality of words in the words specified by the speech recognition means which are specified as a predetermined part of speech meets a predetermined condition, and specifies a content of the speech uttered by the utterer based on a discrimination result.

4. The device control device according to claim 1, wherein the specifying means holds information which associates words with one or more categories, and specifies a content of the speech uttered by the utterer based on a category in which the words specified by the speech recognition means are classified.

5. The device control device according to claim 1, wherein the specifying means holds correlation information which associates words of different meanings or different categories with each process of the process execution means, and specifies a content of the speech uttered by the utterer based on a combination of those words or categories which are specified by the speech recognition means, and the correlation information.

6. The device control device according to claim 1, wherein the specifying means holds information which associates words with one or more categories, and specifies a content of the speech uttered by the utterer based on a category in which a plurality of words specified by the speech recognition means are commonly classified.

7. The device control device according to claim 1, wherein the specifying means holds a plurality of words assigned to respective processes of the process execution means, and performs a corresponding process when at least one of the words specified by the speech recognition means is a word assigned to the process.

8. The device control device according to claim 1, wherein when a meaning of an input speech is not discriminatable, the specifying means prompts an input in a more discriminatable expression.

9. The device control device according to claim 1, further comprising information acquisition means which acquires information from an external device,

wherein the specifying means selects an output content to be output based on the information acquired by the information acquisition means.

10. A device control device according to claim 1 further comprising:

information acquisition means which acquires information via predetermined communication means; and

speech output means which outputs a speech based on the information acquired by the information acquisition means,

whereby when the control specified by the process execution means is to output the information acquired by the information acquisition means, the speech output means outputs a speech based on the information.

11. The device control device according to claim 10, wherein the process execution means specifies a process to be performed based on the specified content of the uttered speech.

12. The device control device according to claim 11, wherein the process execution means includes means which, when the process specified as a process to be performed is a process of presenting information externally received to the utterer, performs the presentation by generating a speech which reads out the information.

13. The device control device according to claim 1 so constructed as to be mountable on a vehicle having an on-vehicle device mounted thereon, wherein the process extension means specifies a content of control to be performed on the on-vehicle device based on the specified content of the uttered speech, and performs the specified control.

14. The device control device according to claim 13, further comprising:

information acquisition means which acquires information via predetermined communication means; and

speech output means which outputs a speech based on the information acquired by the information acquisition means, whereby when the control specified by the process execution means is to output the information acquired by the information acquisition means, the speech output means outputs a speech based on the information.

15. The device control device of claim 1 incorporated in a navigation device so constructed as to be mountable on a vehicle,

wherein the process execution means specifies a content of a navigation process to be performed based on the specified content of the uttered speech, and performs the specified navigation process.

16. The device control device according to claim 15, further comprising:

information acquisition means which acquires information via predetermined communication means; and

speech output means which outputs a speech based on the information acquired by the information acquisition means,

whereby when the navigation process specified by the process execution means is to output the information acquired by the information acquisition means, the speech output means outputs a speech based on the information.

17. The device control device according to claim 1 incorporated in an audio device,

wherein the process execution means specifies a content of a speech process to be performed based on the specified content of the uttered speech, and performs the specified speech process, or controls an external device in such a way as to cause the external device to perform the specified speech process.

18. The device control device according to claim 17, further comprising:

information acquisition means which acquires information via predetermined communication means; and

speech output means which outputs a speech based on the information acquired by the information acquisition means,

whereby when the speech process specified by the process execution means is to output the information acquired by the information acquisition means, the speech output means outputs a speech based on the information.

19. A device control method, comprising:

performing, in a computer;

a speech recognition step of acquiring speech data representing a speech and specifying words candidates included in the speech by performing speech recognition on the speech data and calculating a likelihood of each of the specified words candidates;

a specifying step of specifying words included in the speech based on likelihoods specified in the speech recognition step and specifying a content of the speech uttered by an utterer based on the specified words; and

a process execution step of specifying content of a subsequent control to be performed on an external device to be a control target based on a currently executed control, a predetermined subsequent control, a weighting factor associated with the currently executed control, and the specified content of the uttered speech, and performing the subsequent control, wherein the process execution step obtains the weighting factor by calculating a product of transition constants defined on routes from the currently executed control to the subsequent control associated with the currently executed control, and, among the subsequent controls associated with the currently executed control, identifies a control in which a product is a largest product of the weighting factor and the calculated likelihood.

20. The device control method according to claim 19, further comprising:

an information acquisition step of acquiring information via a predetermined communication device; and

a speech output step of outputting a speech based on the information acquired in the information acquisition step,

whereby when the control specified in the process execution step is to output the information acquired in the information acquisition step, a speech is output based on the information in the speech output step.

21. The device control method according to claim 19, wherein the process execution step specifies a process to be performed based on the specified content of the uttered speech.

22. The device control method according to claim 19 for controlling an on-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle,

wherein the process execution step specifies a content of control to be performed on the on-vehicle device based on the specified content of the uttered speech, and performs the specified control.

23. The device control method according to claim 22, further comprising:

an information acquisition step of acquiring information via a predetermined communication device; and

a speech output step of outputting a speech based on the information acquired in the information acquisition step,

whereby when the control specified in the process execution step is to output information acquired in the information acquisition step, a speech is output based on the information in the speech output step.

24. The device control method of claim 19 for controlling a navigation device mounted on a vehicle,

wherein the process execution step specifies a content of a navigation process to be performed based on the specified content of the uttered speech, and performs the specified navigation process.

25. The device control method according to claim 24, further comprising:

an information acquisition step of acquiring information via a predetermined communication device; and

a speech output step of outputting a speech based on the information acquired in the information acquisition step,

whereby when the navigation process specified in the process execution step is to output the information acquired in the information acquisition step, a speech is output based on the information in the speech output step.

26. The device control method of claim 19 for controlling an audio device,

wherein the process execution step specifies a content of a speech process to be performed based on the specified content of the uttered speech, and performs the speech process, or controls an audio device in such a way as to cause the audio device to perform the specified speech process.

27. The device control method of claim 26, further comprising:

an information acquisition step of acquiring information via a predetermined communication device; and

a speech output step of outputting a speech based on the information acquired in the information acquisition step,

whereby when the speech process specified in the process executing step is to output information acquired in the information acquisition step, a speech is output based on the information in the speech output step.

28. A non-transitory recording medium storing a program which allows a computer to function as:

speech recognition means which acquires speech data representing a speech and specifies words candidates included in the speech by performing speech recognition on the speech data and calculates a likelihood of each of the specified words candidates;

specifying means which specifies words included in the speech based on likelihoods calculated by the speech recognition means and specifies a content of the speech uttered by an utterer based on the specified words

a database which stores preceding controls, subsequent controls, and weighting factors, each of which is associated with one another therein; and

process execution means which specifies content of a subsequent control to be performed on an external device to be a control target based on a currently executed control, a weighting factor stored in association with the currently executed control, and the content of the uttered speech specified by the specifying means, and performs the subsequent control, wherein the process execution means obtains the weighting factor by calculating a product of transition constants defined on routes from the currently executed control to the subsequent control associated with the currently executed control, writes the obtained weighting factor into the database, and, among the subsequent controls stored in the database associated with the currently executed control, identifies a control in which a product is a largest product of the weighting factor and the calculated likelihood.

29. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 28, further storing a program causing the computer to function as:

information acquisition means which acquires information via predetermined communication means; and

speech output means which outputs a speech based on the information acquired by the information acquisition means,

whereby when the control specified by the process execution means is to output the information acquired by the information acquisition means, the speech output means outputs a speech based on the information.

30. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 28,

wherein the process execution means specifies a process to be performed based on the specified content of the uttered speech.

31. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 28, wherein the computer is incorporated in an on-vehicle device control device so constructed as to be mountable on a vehicle,

wherein the process execution means which specifies a content of control to be performed on the on-vehicle device based on the specified content of the uttered speech, and performs the control.

32. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 31, further storing a program causing the computer to function as:

information acquisition means which acquires information via predeteimined communication means; and

speech output means which outputs a speech based on the information acquired by the information acquisition means,

whereby when the control specified by the process execution means is to output information acquired by the information acquisition means, the speech output means outputs a speech based on the information.

33. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 28, wherein the computer is incorporated in a navigation device so constructed as to be mountable on a vehicle,

wherein the process execution means specifies a content of a navigation process to be performed based on the specified content of the uttered speech, and performs the specified navigation process.

34. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 33, further storing a program causing the computer to function as:

information acquisition means which acquires information via predetermined communication means; and

speech output means which outputs a speech based on the information acquired by the information acquisition means,

whereby when the navigation process specified by the process execution means is to output information acquired by the information acquisition means, the speech output means outputs a speech based on the information.

35. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 28,

wherein the process execution means specifies a content of a speech process to be performed based on the specified content of the uttered speech, and performs the specified speech process, or controls an external device in such a way as to cause the external device to perform the specified speech process.

36. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 35, further storing a program causing the computer to function as:

information acquisition means which acquires information via predetermined communication means; and

speech output means which outputs a speech based on the information acquired by the information acquisition means,

whereby when the speech process specified by the process execution means is to output information acquired by the information acquisition means, the speech output means outputs a speech based on the information.