System, method, and apparatus for location-based context driven speech recognition

• US 10,593,326 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensory Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sensory Incorporated
• Inventors: Teasley, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Washburn, Daniel C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ogunbiyi, Oluwadamilola M
• Application Number:
  US13/870,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20140324431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,518 Days
• Field of Search: 704246, 704235
• 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 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for location-based context driven speech recognition are disclosed. A mobile or stationary computing device can include position locating functionality for determining the particular physical location of the computing device. Once the physical location of the computing device determined, a context related to that particular physical location. The context related to the particular physical location can include information regarding objects or experiences a user might encounter while in that particular physical location. The context can then be used to determine delimited or constrained speech recognition vocabulary subset based on the range of experiences a user might encounter within a particular context. The speech recognition vocabulary subset can then be referenced or used by a speech recognizer to increase the speed, accuracy, and effectiveness in receiving, recognizing, and acting in response to voice commands received from the user while in that particular physical location.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

upon entering one or more zones of an indoor location, receive an alert from a local or remote broadcasting communication system indicating that a location-based context-limited voice recognition operation mode may be initiated on the computing device;

in response to receiving the alert, prompt a user of the computing device to manually initiate the location-based context-limited voice recognition operation mode;

upon receiving an indication from the user that the location-based context-limited voice recognition operation mode should be initiated, determine, using a position locator, a current location of the computing device, the current location being within a first zone in the one or more zones;

transmit the current location to a remote server system;

receive, from the remote server system, a first vocabulary subset related to the first zone, wherein the first vocabulary subset comprises words pertaining to a plurality of items sold within the first zone and links to inventory numbers associated with the plurality of items; and

subsequently to receiving the first vocabulary subset from the remote server system;

receive a first voice command from the user pertaining to a price or availability of an item in the plurality of items;

recognize, using a voice recognizer local to the computing device, first voice command based on the first vocabulary subset received from the remote server system;

access, via a link to an inventory number associated with the item in the first vocabulary subset, an inventory control system of the indoor location in order to retrieve the price or availability of the item; and

return a response to the user with the retrieved price or availability.

2. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the first vocabulary subset further comprises a listing of expected voice commands based on the plurality of items.

3. The computing device of claim 2 further comprising a display or voice synthesizer for presenting the response to the user.

4. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further includes instructions that cause the processor to:

determine that the computing device has moved from the current location within the first zone to another location within a second zone in the one or more zones;

transmit said another location to the remote server system;

receive, from the remote server system, a second vocabulary subset related to the second zone, wherein the second vocabulary subset is different from the first vocabulary subset and comprises words pertaining to another plurality of items sold within the second zone and links to inventory numbers associated with said another plurality of items; and

subsequently to receiving the second vocabulary subset from the remote server system;

receive a second voice command from the user;

recognize the second voice command based on the second vocabulary subset received from the remote server system; and

return a second response to the user.

5. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the indoor location is a department store, mall, amusement park, theater, or event arena.

6. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the indoor location is a hospital, library, or school.

7. A method comprising:

upon entering one or more zones of an indoor location, receiving, by a computing device, an alert from a local or remote broadcasting communication system indicating that a location-based context-limited voice recognition operation mode may be initiated on the computing device;

in response to receiving the alert, prompting, by the computing device, a user of the computing device to manually initiate the location-based context-limited voice recognition operation mode;

upon receiving an indication from the user that the location-based context-limited voice recognition operation mode should be initiated, determining, by the computing device using a position locator, a current location of the computing device, the current location being within a first zone in the one or more zones;

transmitting, by the computing device, the current location to a remote server system;

receiving, by the computing device from the remote server system, a first vocabulary subset related to the first zone, wherein the first vocabulary subset comprises words pertaining to a plurality of items sold within the first zone and links to inventory numbers associated with the plurality of items; and

subsequently to receiving the first vocabulary subset from the remote server system;

receiving a first voice command from the user pertaining to a price or availability of an item in the plurality of items;

recognizing, using a voice recognizer local to the computing device, the first voice command based on the first vocabulary subset received from the remote server system;

accessing, via a link to an inventory number associated with the item in the first vocabulary subset, an inventory control system of the indoor location in order to retrieve the price or availability of the item; and

returning a response to the user with the retrieved price or availability.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first vocabulary subset further comprises a listing of expected voice commands based on the plurality of items.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising presenting the response to the user through a display or voice synthesizer.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining that the computing device has moved from the current location within the first zone to another location within a second zone in the one or more zones;

transmitting said another location to the remote server system;

receiving, from the remote server system, a second vocabulary subset related to the second zone, wherein the second vocabulary subset is different from the first vocabulary subset and comprises words pertaining to another plurality of items sold within the second zone and links to inventory numbers associated with said another plurality of items; and

subsequently to receiving the second vocabulary subset from the remote server system;

receiving a second voice command from the user;

recognizing the second voice command based on the second vocabulary subset received from the remote server system; and

return a second response to the user.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the indoor location is a department store, mall, amusement park, theater, or event arena.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the indoor location is a hospital, library, or school.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon program code executable by a processor of a device, the program code comprising:

code that causes the processor to, upon entering one or more zones of an indoor location, receive an alert from a local or remote broadcasting communication system indicating that a location-based context-limited voice recognition operation mode may be initiated on the device;

code that causes the processor to, in response to receiving the alert, prompt a user of the device to manually initiate the location-based context-limited voice recognition operation mode;

code that causes the processor to, upon receiving an indication from the user that the location-based context-limited voice recognition operation mode should be initiated, determine, using a position locator, a current location of the device, the current location being within a first zone in the one or more zones;

code that causes the processor to transmit the current location to a remote server system;

code that causes the processor to receive, from the remote server system, a first vocabulary subset related to the first zone, wherein the first vocabulary subset comprises words pertaining to a plurality of items sold within the first zone and links to inventory numbers associated with the plurality of items; and

subsequently to receiving the first vocabulary subset from the remote server system;

code that causes the processor to receive a first voice command from the user pertaining to a price or availability of an item in the plurality of items;

code that causes the processor to recognize, using a voice recognizer local to the device, the first voice command based on the first vocabulary subset received from the remote server system;

code that causes the processor to access, via a link to an inventory number associated with the item in the first vocabulary subset, an inventory control system of the indoor location in order to retrieve the price or availability of the item; and

code that causes the processor to return a response to the user with the retrieved price or availability.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the first vocabulary subset further comprises a plurality of expected voice commands based on the plurality of items.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the device comprises a display or voice synthesizer for presenting the response to the user.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the program code further comprises:

code that causes the processor to determine that the device has moved from the current location within the first zone to another location within a second zone in the one or more zones;

code that causes the processor to transmit said another location to the remote server system;

code that causes the processor to receive, from the remote server system, a second vocabulary subset related to the second zone, wherein the second vocabulary subset is different from the first vocabulary subset and comprises words pertaining to another plurality of items sold within the second zone and links to inventory numbers associated with said another plurality of items; and

subsequently to receiving the second vocabulary subset from the remote server system;

code that causes the processor to receive a second voice command from the user;

code that causes the processor to recognize the second voice command based on the second vocabulary subset received from the remote server system; and

code that causes the processor to return a second response to the user.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the indoor location is a department store, mall, amusement park, theater, or event arena.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the indoor location is a hospital, library, or school.