System for controlling electronic devices by means of voice commands, more specifically a remote control to control a plurality of electronic devices by means of voice commands

• US 10,674,198 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saronikos Trading and Services, Unipessoal Lda
• Original Assignee: Saronikos Trading and Services, Unipessoal Lda
• Inventors: James, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Ortiz-Sanchez, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/910,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20160182938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,492 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• 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 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• 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 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control

Abstract

A remote control for generating output signals apt at controlling one or more electronic device, characterized in that said remote control includes a sound transducer, a speech recognition unit for recognizing voice commands, a memory for storing information relative to available content of said one or more electronic device and a control signal generating and receiving unit for generating control signals corresponding to said voice commands, for controlling said one or more electronic device.

Claims

1. A remote control for generating output signals apt for controlling at least two electronic devices, said remote control comprising:

a sound transducer;

a speech recognition unit configured to recognize voice commands;

a memory configured to store information relative to available content of said at least two electronic devices;

a control signal generating and receiving unit configured to generate control signals corresponding to said voice commands, for controlling said at least two electronic devices;

a receiving unit configured to retrieve from the at least two electronic devices information relative to available content saved on the at least two electronic devices for storing in said memory; and

a display unit;

wherein said remote control, as a consequence of a certain voice command, is configured to locate in its memory where the content relative to said certain voice command are stored in said at least two electronic devices,

wherein said control signals comprise a group of control signals that are addressed to the at least two electronic devices for controlling the at least two electronic devices interdependently and wherein said remote control is configured to automatically produce said group of control signals, and

wherein said remote control is configured to direct the group of control signals to the at least two electronic devices based on a single voice command, such that the control signals are performed by the at least two different electronic devices according to the single voice command.

2. The remote control according to claim 1;

wherein said receiving unit is configured to retrieve information from said electronic devices and/or from the Internet where information is available in relation to contents or programs for said electronic devices.

3. The remote control according to claim 1;

wherein said remote control is configured to recognize at least two different voice commands for generating the same control signal.

4. The remote control accordingly to claim 1;

wherein said remote control is configured to manage and/or store said information relative to available content that are divided into different categories.

5. The remote control according to claim 1;

wherein said remote control is configured to recognize speech in multiple languages.

6. The remote control according to claim 1;

wherein the remote control is configured to download a software, said electronic device through use of the Internet and transmitted to said control signal generating and receiving unit that configures the remote control to recognize speech in multiple languages.

7. The remote control according to claim 1;

wherein said remote control is configured to give feedback to a user as a consequence of an unrecognized voice command.

8. The remote control according to claim 7;

wherein said feedback is audio, visual, sensory, or a combination thereof.

9. The remote control according to claim 1;

wherein said remote control and said device are configured to incorporate operational software that is updated for improving communication and controllability of the same.

10. The remote control according to claim 1;

wherein said remote control is configured to automatically recognize different users by providing personalized features.

11. The remote control according to claim 10;

wherein said remote control is configured to generate an on screen display feature on said remote control and/or on a display of the at least two electronic devices.

12. The remote control according to claim 1;

wherein said remote control is configured to periodically and automatically connect to said at least on electronic device, and download and update the information relative to said available content in said memory.

13. The remote control according to claim 1;

wherein, in a case that the contents required by the user through a voice command is contained in the at least two electronic devices that is momentarily in a stand-by mode, said remote control is configured to turn on said at least two electronic devices.

14. The remote control according claim 1;

wherein said electronic device is configured to connect to Internet for gathering information relating to the available content programs, or a combination thereof, on the basis of local and geographical criterion or of an EPG website.

15. The remote control according to claim 1;

wherein said remote control is configured to direct a group of control signals to more than two electronic devices when a single voice command needs to be performed by at least two different electronic devices.

16. The remote control according to claim 12;

wherein, in order to periodically and automatically update said memory with the contents contained in said electronic devices, said control signal generating and receiving unit is configured to receive, from a corresponding remote control interface contained in said electronic devices, information transmitted to said remote control.

17. The remote control according to claim 1;

wherein, as a consequence of a certain voice command when there is a univocal relationship between the command and the function to be performed, said remote control is configured to correlate that said command is relative to a certain electronic device and;

instructs the certain electronic device to perform said desired function;

or

if said electronic device is in stand-by mode, instructs the device to turn on and perform the desired function.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least two electronic devices are selected from the group consisting of television sets, radios, CD players, disc players, set-top boxes, personal computers, and media centers.

19. The System according to claim 1;

wherein said at least two electronic device each comprises;

remote control interface configured to bidirectionally exchange information between said remote control and said at least two electronic devices.

20. The system according to claim 1;

wherein said at least two electronic devices comprises;

an internal memory where all the available contents and/or programs related to the at least two electronic devices are stored and updated during the functioning of said at least two electronic devices.

21. The system according to claim 20;

wherein said at least two electronic devices comprises;

a remote control interface configured to bidirectionally exchange information between said remote control and said at least two electronic devices; and

wherein the system is configured to periodically and automatically transferred the contents of said internal memory of the at least two electronic devices to said memory of said remote control through said control signal generating and receiving unit and said remote control interface.

22. The remote control according to claim 1;

wherein the remote control is a smart phone or a tablet PC.