Command prefix for voice commands

• US 9,148,500 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moore, Darryl Cynthia
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee, Md S
• Application Number:
  US14/250,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20140222427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 704/246, 379/40, 379/67.1, 379/76, 379/85, 379 8801- 8804, 379/88.18, 379 8821- 8825, 379/167.08, 379/234, 379/263, 379/373.02, 455/419, 455/557, 455/569.1, 455/575.2, 455/412.1, 455/413
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• 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: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 : including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/58 : including a multilanguage function
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 : with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 : Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products describe hands-free operation of a communications device. A user defines a command prefix that is recognized as preceding one of several voice commands. When the user speaks the command prefix, a processor identifies the spoken command prefix and treats a next spoken word as one of the voice commands. The voice command may then be executed for control. The command prefix thus helps avoid control confusion when the voice command is inadvertently spoken.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a processor in a vehicle, an audio signal generated by a microphone from speech spoken by a user;

recognizing, by the processor, a command prefix in the audio signal, the command prefix representing a spoken word that is recognized as preceding any voice command;

identifying, by the processor, a next spoken word after the command prefix in the audio signal;

querying a memory operatively coupled to the processor for data representing the next spoken word, the memory storing electronic database associations between different words and different device commands;

retrieving, by the processor, a device command of the different device commands that is associated with the data representing the next spoken word after the command prefix; and

executing, by the processor, the device command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising answering a call in response to the device command.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a user interface that displays the device command.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an event indicator.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing a voice recognition algorithm to recognize the command prefix.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing associations of different device commands with different next spoken words.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a stored voice greeting associated with the next spoken word.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving an audio signal generated by a microphone from speech spoken by a user;

recognizing, by the processor, a command prefix in the audio signal, the command prefix representing a spoken word in the speech that is recognized by the processor as preceding any voice command;

identifying a next spoken word after the command prefix as the voice command;

storing associations between different next spoken words and different vehicular commands;

retrieving a vehicular command of the different vehicular commands that is associated with the next spoken word; and

executing the vehicular command in response to the next spoken word after the command prefix.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise answering a call in response to the next spoken word.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise generating a user interface that displays the vehicular command.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise displaying an event indicator.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise executing a voice recognition algorithm to recognize the command prefix.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a stored voice greeting associated with the next spoken word.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a communication.

15. A memory storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving an audio signal generated by a microphone from speech spoken by a user to control a feature in a vehicle;

recognizing a command prefix in the audio signal, the command prefix representing a spoken word in the spoken speech that is recognized as preceding any voice command;

identifying a next spoken word after the command prefix as the voice command;

storing associations between different next spoken words and different vehicular commands;

retrieving a vehicular command of the different vehicular commands that is associated with the next spoken word; and

executing the vehicular command in response to the next spoken word after the command prefix.

16. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise answering a call in response to the next spoken word after the command prefix.

17. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise generating a user interface that displays the vehicular command.

18. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise displaying an event indicator.

19. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a stored voice greeting associated with the next spoken word.

20. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a communication.