Remote controller with speech recognition

• US 20090112592A1
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Candelore, Brant L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,000,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/246
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

A receiver remote controller has a storage device storing electronic program guide (EPG) data that relates content to television channels containing said content. The remote controller is contained in a remote controller housing with the housing containing: a data interface that receives the EPG data provided by an EPG data source for storage in the storage device; a speech interface that receives speech input from a user and produces speech signals therefrom; a natural language speech processor engine that receives the speech signals and translating the speech signals to a query of the EPG database; and a processor that receives results of the query from the natural language speech processor, and either conveys the results of the query to a user utilizing a user interface or sends navigation commands to the receiver. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A receiver remote controller, comprising in combination:

a storage device storing electronic program guide (EPG) data that relates content to television channels containing said content;

the remote controller being contained in a remote controller housing, the housing containing;

a data interface that receives the EPG data provided by an EPG data source for storage in the storage device;

a speech interface that receives speech input from a user and produces speech signals therefrom;

a natural language speech processor engine that receives the speech signals and translating the speech signals to a query of the EPG database; and

a processor that receives results of the query from the natural language speech processor, and either conveys the results of the query to a user utilizing a user interface or sends navigation commands to the receiver.

2. The receiver remote controller according to claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a display on the remote controller.

3. The receiver remote controller according to claim 1, wherein the remote controller is in communication with a receiver display, and wherein the user interface comprises means for producing a display of results of the query on the receiver output display.

4. The receiver remote controller according to claim 1, further comprising a remote command transmitter that transmits a command from the remote controller, such command comprising a program selection selected by manual or voice input via the user interface as a result of the query.

5. The receiver remote controller according to claim 1, wherein the data interface comprises a wireless or wired interface that couples data to the remote controller device.

6. The receiver remote controller according to claim 1, wherein the data interface comprises a wireless interface for issuing commands to a receiver.

7. The receiver remote controller according to claim 1, wherein the EPG data are updated on a periodic basis by connection to the EPG data source.

8. The receiver remote controller according to claim 1, wherein the storage device storing the EPG is situated within the remote controller.

9. The receiver remote controller according to claim 1, wherein the storage device storing the EPG is situated outside the remote controller, and wherein the query is carried out via the data interface.

10. The receiver remote controller according to claim 1, further comprising means for signaling to the remote controller that the speech input is to be interpreted as an EPG query or command.

11. The receiver remote controller according to claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises one of a cable set-top box, satellite set-top box, IPTV set-top box, broadcast TV adapter, and broadcast television.

12. A receiver remote controller, comprising in combination:

the remote controller being contained in a remote controller housing containing;

a storage device storing electronic program guide (EPG) data that relates content to receiver channels containing said content;

a wired or wireless data interface that receives the EPG data from an EPG data source for storage in the storage device;

a user interface including a local or receiver display;

a speech interface that receives speech input and converts the speech input to a speech signal;

means for signaling to the remote controller that the speech input is to be interpreted as an EPG query;

a natural language speech processor engine receiving the speech signal and creating a query of the EPG database;

a processor that receives results of the query from the natural language speech processor conveys the results of the query to a user utilizing the user interface;

a remote command transmitter that transmits a command from the remote controller, such command comprising a program selection selected by manual or voice input via the user interface as a result of the query; and

a data interface for receiving the EPG data provided by an EPG data source for storage in the storage device.

13. The receiver remote controller according to claim 12, wherein the remote controller is in communication with a receiver display, and wherein the user interface further comprises means for producing a display of results of the query on the receiver display.

14. The receiver remote controller according to claim 12, wherein the EPG data are updated on a periodic basis by connection to the EPG data source.

21. The method according to claim 13, further comprising updating EPG data on a periodic basis by connection to the EPG data source.

22. The method according to claim 13, wherein the storage device storing the EPG is situated within the remote controller.

23. The method according to claim 13, further comprising signaling to the remote controller that the speech input is to be interpreted as an EPG query or command.

15. A method of processing electronic program guide (EPG) queries, comprising:

receiving EPG data from an EPG data source;

storing electronic program guide (EPG) data in a data storage device within the remote controller, the EPG relating content to television channels containing said content;

in a remote controller;

receiving speech input at a speech input of the remote controller;

at a natural language speech processor engine within the remote controller, receiving the speech input and translating the speech input to a query of the EPG database; and

at a processor within the remote controller, receiving results of the query from the natural language speech processor and either conveying the results of the query to a user utilizing a user interface or transmitting navigation commands to a receiver.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising displaying the results of the query on a display forming a part of the remote controller.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the remote controller is in communication with a receiver output display, and further comprising producing a display of results of the query on the receiver output display.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising transmitting a command from the remote controller, such command comprising a program selection selected by manual voice input via the user interface as a result of the query.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the data interface comprises a wireless or wired interface that couples data to the remote controller device.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the storage device storing the EPG is situated outside the remote controller, and wherein the query is carried out via the data interface.

24. A method of carrying out a query on an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) database useful for use with a receiver remote controller with voice recognition capability, the method comprising:

storing the EPG database, said database comprising channel names, virtual channel numbers, and sound tags associated with the channel names and virtual channel numbers;

at the receiver remote controller, receiving a voice query;

correlating the voice query to the sound tags forming part of the EPG database to identify actions that are potentially associated with the voice query.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the database further comprises information and associated sound tags for one or more of the following:

program schedule, program name, actor, and program synopsis.