System and method for voice actuated configuration of a controlling device

• US 9,847,083 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Lim, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Godbold, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US13/298,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20130132094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,224 Days
• Field of Search: 704231, 704270, 704275, 340 1222, 340 1223, 340 1228, 348734
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/31 Voice input
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/025 Phonemes, fenemes or fenones being the recognition units
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• 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 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8186 specially adapted to be executed by a peripheral of the client device, e.g. by a reprogrammable remote control

Abstract

A speech recognition engine is provided voice data indicative of at least a brand of a target appliance. The speech recognition engine uses the voice data indicative of at least a brand of the target appliance to identify within a library of codesets at least one codeset that is cross-referenced to the brand of the target appliance. The at least one codeset so identified is then caused to be provisioned to the controlling device for use in commanding functional operations of the target appliance.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a controlling device to command functional operations of a target appliance, the method comprising:

causing a codeset record to be provisioned to the controlling device for use in commanding functional operations of the target appliance, the provisioned codeset record comprising protocol and formatting information and a plurality of individual command function entries wherein each of the plurality of individual function entries within the codeset record comprises command data, a standard function identifier, data which comprises a phonetic representation of a function name corresponding the standard function identifier, and a plurality of data each of which comprises a phonetic representation of a unique one of a plurality of synonyms of the function name;

causing less than all of the individual command function entries from within the provisioned codeset record to each be matched to one or more of a plurality of user input elements of the controlling device whereupon a subsequent activation of a one of the plurality of user input elements will cause the controlling device to transmit a command communication by using the protocol and formatting information and the command data of a one or more of the plurality of individual command function entries from within the provisioned codeset record that was mapped to the one of the plurality of user input element activated; and

causing the controlling device to transmit a command communication by using the protocol and formatting information and the command data of a one of the one or more of the plurality of individual command function entries from within the provisioned codeset record having a phonetic representation of the function name or a synonym of the function name which corresponds to voice data provided to a speech recognition engine.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the controlling device comprises a microphone for receiving voice input used in creating the voice data.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the controlling device comprises a processing device and instructions for providing the speech recognition engine.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the speech recognition engine is executed on a computing device remote from the controlling device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein codeset is provisioned to the controlling device by being downloaded thereto.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method comprises receiving at the speech recognition engine voice data for mapping each of the less than all of the individual command function entries from within the provisioned codeset record to the one or more of the plurality of user input elements of the controlling device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising using at least location data to identify the codeset record that is caused to be provisioned to the controlling device.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising receiving at a speech recognition engine voice data indicative of at least a brand of the target appliance whereupon the speech recognition engine uses the voice data indicative of at least a brand of the target appliance to identify within a library of codeset records the codeset record that is caused to be provisioned to the controlling device.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the controlling device comprises a memory having stored therein the library of codeset records.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the library of codeset records is stored remotely from the controlling device and the codeset is provisioned to the controlling device from the library of codeset records by being downloaded thereto.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein location data is additionally utilized in the process of identifying the codeset record that is caused to be provisioned to the controlling device.

12. A system for configuring a controlling device to command functional operations of a target appliance, the system comprising:

a processing device having associated instructions stored on a non-transient readable media which instructions, when executed by the processing device, cause a codeset record to be provisioned to the controlling device for use in commanding functional operations of the target appliance wherein the provisioned codeset record comprises protocol and formatting information and a plurality of individual command function entries wherein each of the plurality of individual function entries within the codeset record comprises command data, a standard function identifier, data which comprises a phonetic representation of a function name corresponding to the standard function idenfier, and a plurality of data each of which comprises a phonetic representation of a unique one of a plurality of synonyms of the function name;

cause less than all of the individual command codes from within the provisioned codeset record to each be mapped to one or more of a plurality of user input elements of the controlling device wherein a subsequent activation of a one of the plurality of user input elements will cause the controlling device to transmit a command communication by using the protocol and formatting information and the command data of a corresponding one or more of the plurality of individual command function entries from with the provisioned codeset record that was mapped to the one of the plurality of user input elements activated, and cause the controlling device to transmit a command communication by using the protocol and formatting information and the command data of a one of the one or more of the plurality of individual command function entries from within the provisioned codeset record having a phonetic representation of the function name or a synonym of the function name which corresponds to voice data provided to a speech recognition engine.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the instructions are downloaded to the controlling device in a downloadable app.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the controlling device comprises one of a smart phone or a tablet computing device.

15. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the controlling device comprises a memory having stored therein a library of codeset records including the provisioned codeset record.

16. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein a library of codeset records is stored remotely from the controlling device and the codeset is provisioned to the controlling device from the library of codeset records by being downloaded thereto.

17. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the processing device comprises one or more computing devices located remotely from the controlling device.

18. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the instructions use voice data received by the speech recognition engine to map each of the less than all of the command function entries from within the provisioned codeset record to the one or more of the plurality of user input elements of the controlling device.

19. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the instructions additionally use at least location data to identify codeset that is provisioned to the controlling device.