Display apparatus capable of releasing a voice input mode by sensing a speech finish and voice control method thereof

• US 10,140,990 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2014
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Sung-wook, Ryu, Hee-seob, Lee, Hee-ran, Hwang, Sung-pil
• Primary Examiner(s): Ky, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/267,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20150106090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/28 Constructional details of speech recognition systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/78 Detection of presence or absence of voice signals switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10

Abstract

A voice control method and display apparatus are provided. The voice control method includes converting a voice of a user into text in response to the voice being input during a voice input mode; performing a control operation corresponding to the text; determining whether speech of the user has finished based on a result of the performing the control operation; awaiting input of a subsequent voice of the user during a predetermined standby time in response to determining that the speech of the user has not finished; and releasing the voice input mode in response to determining that the speech of the user has finished.

Claims

1. A display apparatus that performs a search based on a voice of a user in a voice input mode and exits the voice input mode according to a result of the search, the display apparatus comprising:

a display;

a voice receiver configured to receive a voice signal in the voice input mode;

a communicator configured to communicate with a server; and

a processor configured to;

based on the voice signal being received by the voice receiver within a standby time period, convert the voice signal into text by using a voice recognition program, transmit the text to the server through the communicator, receive one or more search results relating to the voice signal from the server through the communicator, the one or more search results being obtained by the server based on the text,

based on a single search result being received from the server through the communicator, control the display to display the single search result relating to the voice signal and exit the voice input mode, and

based on a plurality of search results being received from the server through the communicator, control the display to display a list including the search results relating to the voice signal, reset the standby time period, maintain the voice input mode for the reset standby time period and await input of a subsequent voice signal for the reset standby time period in the voice input mode,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

based on receiving the subsequent voice signal to select one of the search results included in the list within the reset standby time period, receive an additional search result relating to the selected search result from the server through the communicator, and

based on a single additional search result being received from the server through the communicator within the reset standby time period, control the display to display the single additional search result and exit the voice input mode without awaiting lapse of the reset standby time period.

2. The display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display is further configured to display a graphic object corresponding to the voice input mode while the voice input mode is maintained.

3. The display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to, in response to a voice of the user being input, display the text corresponding to the voice of the user on one side of the graphic object.

4. The display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to, in response to the voice input mode being exited, change the graphic object into a form which represents an exit from the voice input mode.

5. The display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine that speech of the user has finished in response to one of the search results being selected and information regarding the selected search result is displayed.

6. The display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine that speech of the user has finished in response to an operation to play back multimedia contents.

7. The display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the server performs a search operation based on the text, and

wherein the processor is configured to, in response to a speech finish signal being received from the server, determine that speech of the user has finished, and exit the voice input mode.

8. The display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to perform a control operation corresponding to the text.