Voice control of home automation systems via telephone

• US 20040019489A1
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Funk, Karsten, Ravula, Sharmila, Meng, Yao, Raya, Madhuri
• Granted Patent: US 7,464,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/30 wherein each code element is represented by a combination of frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/08 specially adapted for optional reception of entertainment or informative matter
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/50 Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers H04M3/487 takes precedence; centralised dictation systems H04M11/10; Centralised arrangements for recording messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/129 Details of providing call progress tones or announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1295 Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling

Abstract

A method and system for controlling a home automation system by voice input provided via a telephone unit. A voice portal server receives a signal transmitted by the telephone unit, processes the signal to interpret the voice input, and generates command signals for controlling a home device in the home automation system based on the interpreted voice input. The voice portal server transmits the command signals over a data network or a telephone network to a home interface for receiving the command signals transmitted by the voice portal server. The home interface controls the home device in accordance with the received command signals.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a home automation system by voice input comprising:

a telephone unit, the telephone unit receiving voice input and transmitting a signal representative of the voice input;

a voice portal server receiving the signal transmitted by the telephone unit, the voice portal processing the signal to interpret the voice input, generating a command signal for controlling a home device in the home automation system based on the interpreted voice input, and transmitting the command signal; and

a home interface for receiving the command signal transmitted by the voice portal server and controlling the home device in accordance with the received command signal.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a database storing user profiles having voice data and command signal information and relating the voice data with the command signal information;

wherein the voice portal server queries the database to generate the command signal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the voice portal server transmits the command signal over a data network, and the home interface is coupled to a home computer gateway that receives the commands signal via the data network.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the voice portal server transmits the command signal over a telephone network, and the home interface includes a touch tone controller coupled to the telephone network.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a mobile switching center coupled to the voice portal server;

wherein the telephone unit is a mobile phone which transmits signals to the voice portal server via the mobile switching center.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the telephone network is the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the user profiles store phone numbers and voiceprints, and the voice portal server authorizes an attempt of a caller using a first phone number by at least one of:

matching voice input with a stored voiceprint in the user profiles; and

matching the first phone number with a stored phone number in the user profiles.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the command signal includes port number information for the home device and an action code and is incorporated in a data packet.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the command signal includes port number information for the home device and an action code and is implemented as a touch tone signal.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the home interface is responsive to a received query command signal directed to a home device to determine a status of the home device and to send a signal indicative of the status to the voice portal server.

11. A method for controlling a home automation system via voice input comprising:

receiving voice input from a telephone unit via a telephone network;

processing the voice input to determine voice characteristics and input information, the input information including a desired action;

generating a command signal for controlling the home automation system to perform the desired action; and

sending the command signal to the home automation system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing user profiles, the user profiles including command information, phone number information and voiceprint information; and

matching the input information with command information in a user profile corresponding to the provider of the voice input.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

authorizing a caller providing the voice input from a telephone unit before providing the caller access to the home automation system.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the caller is authorized by at least one of:

matching a phone number of the telephone unit to a phone number stored in the user profile; and

matching input voice characteristics with a voice print stored in the user profile.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether the home automation system includes a home computer gateway by consulting the user profile.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

if it is determined that the home automation system includes a home computer gateway, sending the command signal to the home computer gateway via a data network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data network is the Internet.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

if it is determined that the home automation system does not include a home computer gateway, sending the command signal to the home automation system via a telephone network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the command signal includes touch tone signals.

20. A server configured for providing voice control of a home automation system in response to a received call comprising:

an interface to a telephone network for receiving voice data in the call;

a processor analyzing the voice data, and converting the voice data into syntax;

parsing logic for determining command information from the syntax; and

a database coupled to the processor, the database storing user profiles;

wherein the processor matches the command information with information stored in the user profiles to construct a command signal adapted to the home automation system of the user initiating the received call.

21. The server of claim 20, wherein the processor authorizes the received call to control the home automation system by comparing voice data in the call to a voiceprint stored in a user profile in the database.

22. The server of claim 20, wherein the processor authorizes the received call to control the home automation system by comparing phone number information extracted from the received call with phone number information stored in a user profile in the database.

23. The server of claim 20, further comprising:

a computer network interface;

wherein the processor determines whether the home automation system includes a home computer gateway from a user profile,

wherein if the home automation system includes a home computer gateway, the server transmits the command signal to the home computer gateway over a computer data network via the computer network interface, and

wherein if the home automation system does not include a home computer gateway, the server transmits the command signal to the home automation system over a telephone network.