Image display apparatus and method of controlling the same

• US 9,401,149 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Bae, Dae Gyu, Cha, Tae Hwan, You, Ho Jeong
• Primary Examiner(s): SAINT CYR, LEONARD
• Application Number:
  US13/737,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 704/246, 704/247, 704/251, 704/252
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• 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 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/02 Manually-operated control H03G3/001 and H03G3/002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3005 in amplifiers suitable for low-frequencies, e.g. audio amplifiers H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• 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 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal

Abstract

Provided are an image display apparatus and a method of controlling the same. The image display apparatus enabling voice recognition includes: a first voice inputter which receives a user-side audio signal; an audio outputter which outputs an audio signal processed by the image display apparatus; a first voice recognizer which recognizes the user-side audio signal received through the first voice inputter; and a controller which decreases a volume of the audio signal output through the audio outputter to a predetermined level if a voice recognition start command is received.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus enabling voice recognition, the image display apparatus comprising:

a display to display a content;

a communication unit to communicate with an external device;

an audio output unit to output an audio signal; and

a controller, in response to receiving a control signal from the external device, to activate the voice recognition and decrease an output volume of the audio signal output through the audio output unit,

wherein the controller outputs a message requesting an audio input for a voice command when an audio input as the voice command is not received from the external device during a first predetermined time after activating the voice recognition,

wherein the controller deactivates the voice recognition when the audio input as the voice command is not received from the external device during a second predetermined time after activating the voice recognition, and restores the output volume to an output volume before the voice recognition activates.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external device comprises a remote controller,

wherein the image display apparatus receives, from the remote controller, the control signal and/or the audio input as the voice command.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the message output by the controller comprises a message image displayed on the display.

4. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the message output by the controller comprises an audio message output by the audio output unit.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein in response to receiving the control signal from the external device, the controller controls the display to display at least one icon on the content being displayed, wherein, each of the at least one icon is capable of corresponding to one or more voice commands.

6. The image display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

in response to receiving the audio input as the voice command from the external device, the controller controls the display to change the icon corresponding to the received voice command from among the at least one icon based on the received voice command.

7. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

in response to receiving the control signal from the external device again or receiving another control signal from the external device after the voice recognition activates, the controller deactivates the voice recognition.

8. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in response to a voice having a predetermined volume or more being received by the external device, the controller determines that the control signal is received.

9. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in response to receiving a candidate voice command word from the external device, the controller tests whether the candidate voice command word is suitable as a voice command word to be subjected to voice recognition, and

wherein, the controller registers the candidate voice command word as the voice command if the candidate voice command word is suitable as the voice control word as the test result.

10. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second predetermined time is greater than the first predetermined time.

11. An image display apparatus

enabling voice recognition, the image display apparatus comprising:

a display to display a content;

an audio input unit to receive an audio input;

an audio output unit to output an audio signal; and

a controller, in response to receiving the audio input through the audio input unit, to activate the voice recognition and decrease an output volume of the audio signal output through the audio output unit,

wherein the controller outputs a message requesting the audio input for the voice recognition when the audio input as a voice command is not received through the audio input unit during a first predetermined time after activating the voice recognition,

wherein the controller deactivates the voice recognition when the audio input as the voice command is not received through the audio input unit during a second predetermined time after activating the voice recognition, and restores the output volume to an output volume before the voice recognition activates.

12. The image display apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a communication unit to communicate with an external device to receive a control signal;

wherein the image display apparatus receives, from the external device, the control signal.

13. The image display system according to claim 12, wherein in response to receiving the control signal from the external device again or receiving another control signal from the external device after the voice recognition activates, the controller deactivates the voice recognition.

14. The image display apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the message output by the controller comprises a message image displayed on the display.

15. The image display apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the message output by the controller comprises an audio message output by the audio output unit.

16. The image display apparatus according to claim 11, wherein in response to receiving the audio input through the audio input unit, the controller controls the display to display at least one icon on the content being displayed,

wherein, each of the at least one icon is capable of corresponding to one or more voice commands.

17. The image display system according to claim 16, wherein

in response to receiving the audio input as the voice command through the audio input unit, the controller controls the display to change the icon corresponding to the received voice command from among the at least one icon based on the received voice command.

18. The image display system according to claim 11, wherein in response to a voice having a predetermined volume or more being received through the audio input unit, the controller determines that the audio input is received.

19. The image display apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

in response to receiving a candidate voice command word through audio input unit, the controller tests whether the candidate voice command word is suitable as a voice command word to be subjected to voice recognition, and

wherein, the controller registers the candidate voice command word as the voice command if the candidate voice command word is suitable as the voice control word as the test result.

20. A method of controlling an image display apparatus enabling voice recognition, the method comprising:

activating the voice recognition and decreasing an output volume of an audio signal output through an audio output unit in response to receiving a control signal from an external device;

outputting a message requesting an audio input for the voice recognition when an audio input as a voice command is not received from the external device during a first predetermined time after activating the voice recognition; and

deactivating the voice recognition and restoring the output volume to an output volume before the voice recognition activates when the audio input as the voice command is not received from the external device during a second predetermined time after activating the voice recognition.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the message output by the controller comprises a message image displayed on the display.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the message output by the controller comprises an audio message output by the audio output unit.

23. The method according to claim 20, further comprising, in response to receiving the control signal from the external device, displaying at least one icon on a content being displayed on a display,

wherein, each of the at least one icon is capable of corresponding to one or more voice commands.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising, in response to receiving the audio input as the voice command from the external device, changing the icon corresponding to the received voice command from among the at least one icon based on the received voice command.

25. The method according to claim 20, further comprising, in response to receiving the control signal from the external device again or receiving another control signal from the external device after the voice recognition activates, deactivating the voice recognition.

26. The method according to claim 20, further comprising, in response to receiving a candidate voice command word from the external device, testing whether the candidate voice command word is suitable as a voice command word to be subjected to voice recognition;

and

registering the candidate voice command word as the voice command if the candidate voice command word is suitable as the voice control word as the test result.

27. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program executable by a computer for performing the method of claim 20.

28. A method of controlling an image display apparatus enabling voice recognition, the method comprising:

activating the voice recognition and decreasing an output volume of an audio signal output through an audio output unit in response to receiving an audio input through an audio input unit;

outputting a message requesting an audio input for the voice recognition when an audio input as a voice command is not received through the audio input unit during a first predetermined time after activating the voice recognition; and

deactivating the voice recognition and restoring the output volume to an output volume before the voice recognition activates when the audio input as the voice command is not received from the external device during a second predetermined time after activating the voice recognition.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising, in response to receiving the audio input through audio input unit, displaying at least one icon on a content being displayed on a display,

wherein, each of the at least one icon is capable of corresponding to one or more voice commands.

30. The method according to claim 28, further comprising, in response to receiving the audio input as the voice command through the audio input unit, changing the icon corresponding to the received voice command from among the at least one icon based on the received voice command.

31. The method according to claim 28, further comprising, in response to receiving another control signal through the audio input unit after the voice recognition activates, deactivating the voice recognition.

32. The method according to claim 28, further comprising, in response to receiving a candidate voice command word through audio input unit, testing whether the candidate voice command word is suitable as a voice command word to be subjected to voice recognition;

and

registering the candidate voice command word as the voice command if the candidate voice command word is suitable as the voice control word as the test result.

33. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program executable by a computer for performing the method of claim 28.