Cursor positioning via voice recognition

• US 8,139,025 B1
• Filed: 04/01/2006
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Krenz, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sadio, Insa
• Application Number:
  US11/394,806
• Time in Patent Office: 2,180 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345160-163, 704/275, 715/856
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/12 Avionics applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits

Abstract

A cursor positioning system for a computer display system includes a coarse positioning subsystem and a fine positioning subsystem. The coarse positioning subsystem provides a coarse positioning signal to a cursor control and rendering subsystem of a computer display system. The coarse positioning subsystem includes a voice recognition system. The coarse positioning signal provides coarse positioning of a cursor to a region of interest (ROI) on a computer display of the computer display system. The fine positioning subsystem is operatively associated with the coarse positioning subsystem for providing a fine positioning signal to the cursor control and rendering subsystem. The fine positioning signal provides fine positioning of the cursor within the ROI on the computer display. The fine positioning subsystem is operatively associatable with a cursor control device.

Claims

1. A cursor positioning system operatively connected to a cursor control rendering subsystem for controlling the cursor position on an aircraft cockpit computer display system, comprising:

a) a coarse positioning subsystem for providing a coarse positioning signal to a cursor control and rendering subsystem of a computer display system, said computer display system comprising a plurality of displays of an aircraft cockpit, said coarse positioning subsystem comprising a voice recognition system, said coarse positioning signal for providing coarse positioning of a cursor in a discontinuous manner to a named region of interest (ROI) on a computer display of the computer display system only in response to an operator'"'"'s voice, said ROI defining a plurality of items; and

,

b) a fine positioning subsystem operatively associated with said coarse positioning subsystem for providing a fine positioning signal to the cursor control and rendering subsystem, said fine positioning signal for providing fine positioning of the cursor after said coarse positioning, for selecting said items within said ROI on the computer display, said fine positioning subsystem being operatively associatable with a non-voice actuated cursor control device.

2. The cursor positioning system of claim 1, wherein said cursor is positionable on selected displays of said plurality of displays.

3. The cursor positioning system of claim 1, wherein said computer display system, comprises primary flight displays and multi-function displays of an aircraft cockpit.

4. The cursor positioning system of claim 1, wherein said voice recognition system comprises a Push-To-Recognize (P-T-R) voice recognition system.

5. The cursor positioning system of claim 1, wherein said voice recognition system comprises a keyword actuated voice recognition system.

6. The cursor positioning system of claim 1, wherein said coarse positioning subsystem includes a command module for sending a command to the cursor control and rendering subsystem.

7. The cursor positioning system of claim 1, wherein said coarse positioning subsystem includes a command module for sending a command to the cursor control and rendering subsystem, said command module utilizing information on the current location of items of interest to generate an appropriate position command to said cursor control and rendering subsystem.

8. A computer display system, comprising:

a) a plurality of computer displays of an aircraft cockpit;

b) a cursor control and rendering subsystem operatively connected to said plurality of computer displays; and

,

c) a cursor positioning system operatively connected to said cursor control and rendering subsystem, comprising;

a) a coarse positioning subsystem for providing a coarse positioning signal to said cursor control and rendering subsystem, said coarse positioning subsystem comprising a voice recognition system, said coarse positioning signal for providing coarse positioning of a cursor in a discontinuous manner to a named region of interest (ROI) on one of said computer displays of the computer display system only in response to an operator'"'"'s voice, said ROI defining a plurality of items; and

,

b) a fine positioning subsystem operatively associated with said coarse positioning subsystem for providing a fine positioning signal to said cursor control and rendering subsystem, said fine positioning signal for providing fine positioning of the cursor after said coarse positioning, for selecting said items within said ROI on the computer display, said fine positioning subsystem being operatively associatable with a non-voice actuated cursor control device.

9. The cursor positioning system of claim 8, wherein said cursor is positionable on selected displays of said plurality of displays.

10. The computer display system of claim 8, wherein said computer display system, comprises primary flight displays and multi-function displays of an aircraft cockpit.

11. The computer display system of claim 8, wherein said voice recognition system comprises a Push-To-Recognize (P-T-R) voice recognition system.

12. The computer display system of claim 8, wherein said voice recognition system comprises a keyword actuated voice recognition system.

13. The computer display system of claim 8, wherein said coarse positioning subsystem includes a command module for sending a command to the cursor control and rendering subsystem.

14. The computer display system of claim 8, wherein said coarse positioning subsystem includes a command module for sending a command to the cursor control and rendering subsystem, said command module utilizing information on the current location of items of interest to generate an appropriate position command to said cursor control and rendering subsystem.