Voice control system

• US 20040006479A1
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,392,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• 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

Abstract

A voice control system is directed to a car navigation device that includes: a display unit; a microphone; a voice recognition unit for recognizing, as a command, a speech uttered by a user; and a navigation ECU to which the voice recognition unit outputs the command. When the user inputs the speech, auxiliary switches are shown on the display unit. When the user selects one of the auxiliary switches, respective functions that correspond to the auxiliary switches are executed. The functions include displaying a voice command list or guidance for voice input on the displaying unit or outputting, to the navigation ECU, a result of determination whether a certain function, such as setting of a destination, should be allowed to be executed.

Claims

1. A voice control system that includes a voice inputting unit for inputting a speech uttered by a user through voice input manipulation, and a controlling unit for recognizing, as a certain speech content of a plurality of speech contents, the inputted speech and thereby executing a function according to the certain speech content, the voice control system comprising:

a display unit;

a display-controlling unit for displaying, when the user utters the speech, an auxiliary switch that executes an auxiliary function for the voice input manipulation; and

an executing unit for executing, when the auxiliary switch is selected, the auxiliary function.

2. The voice control system according to claim 1,

wherein the auxiliary switch includes a help switch that executes displaying a given group of the speech contents corresponding to executable functions that can be executed through the voice input manipulation;

and

wherein the executing unit executes, when the help switch is selected, displaying the given group of the speech contents on the display unit.

3. The voice control system according to claim 1,

wherein the auxiliary switch includes a guide switch that executes displaying guidance for the voice input manipulation;

and

wherein the executing unit executes, when the guide switch is selected, displaying the guidance on the display unit.

4. The voice control system according to claim 1,

wherein the auxiliary switch includes a stop switch that executes stopping of the voice input manipulation.

5. The voice control system according to claim 1,

wherein the controlling unit notifies, to the user, a content of the subsequent function that is to be subsequently executed and requires the user to determine whether the content of the subsequent function can be allowed to be executed, and

wherein the display-controlling unit displays, on the display unit, a determination switch that executes determining whether the content of the subsequent function can be allowed to be executed.

6. The voice control system according to claim 5,

wherein the controlling unit notifies, to the user, the content of the subsequent function through instructing the display-controlling unit to display the content of the subsequent function on the display unit.

7. The voice control system according to claim 1,

wherein the display unit includes a screen and a detecting unit for detecting, on the screen, an area that the user touches, and

wherein, when the user touches a predetermined area corresponding to the auxiliary switch that is displayed on the screen of the display unit, the executing unit determines that the auxiliary switch is selected.

8. A voice input method in a voice control system that includes a display, voice inputting means for inputting a speech uttered by a user, and controlling means for recognizing, as a speech content, the inputted speech and thereby executing a function according to the speech content, the method comprising steps:

displaying, when the user utters the speech, an auxiliary switch that executes an auxiliary function for voice input manipulation; and

executing, when the auxiliary switch is selected, the auxiliary function.