Voice recognition button for mobile telephones

• US 6,240,303 B1
• Filed: 04/23/1998
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Katzur, Ran
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, PABLO N
• Application Number:
  US09/064,897
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 485/550, 485/563, 485/564, 485/567, 485/569, 379/68.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.03, 379/88.04, 379/368, 379/369, 379/370, 379/433, 379/357, 455/422, 455/406, 455/405, 455/411, 455/558, 455/575, 380/28
• US Class Current: 455/563
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A voice recognition system having an enhanced button that allows a driver to reduce his risk of being involved in an accident while operating a vehicle and using a mobile telephone. The present invention is a mobile telephone having a voice recognition system which receives and acts on voice commands. Once the voice recognition system is activated, the mobile telephone can be operated in a hands free mode. The voice recognition system is used to automatically perform the same functions as a keypad. Since a driver can use just the voice recognition system, a keypad is no longer necessary. A mobile telephone equipped with a voice recognition system of the present invention requires only two buttons, a power button and a voice recognition button. To provide further safety, the voice recognition button is implemented to distinguish the voice recognition button from the other buttons to provide easier activation of the voice recognition system. The present invention can also be applied to other types of telephones and can be especially useful to a vision impaired person.

Claims

1. A mobile telephone having a voice recognition system for using the mobile telephone in a hands free mode, wherein the mobile telephone comprises:

a plurality of buttons, the plurality of buttons excluding telephone keypad buttons;

a voice recognition system for recognizing and acting on spoken commands;

an enhanced voice recognition button as one of the plurality of buttons connected to the voice recognition system for activating the voice recognition system when pressed, the voice recognition system, upon activation and responsive to a first one of the spoken commands, operable to store a dictated telephone number into the voice recognition system without use of telephone keypad buttons; and

a power button, the power button being different from the enhanced voice recognition button, wherein the power button and the enhanced voice recognition button are the only ones of the plurality of buttons.

2. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button is larger in size than the power button.

3. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button is a different color than the power button.

4. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button differs in texture from the power button.

5. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button is located on a top of the mobile telephone and the power button is located on a side of the mobile telephone.

6. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button includes brail annotation.

7. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the voice recognition system, upon activation and responsive to a second one of the spoken commands, performs telephone functions without use of telephone keypad buttons.

8. The mobile telephone of claim 7, wherein the voice recognition system of the mobile telephone, upon activation and responsive to a third one of the spoken commands, performs automatic dialing of a spoken telephone number without use of telephone keypad buttons.

9. The mobile telephone of claim 7, wherein the voice recognition system of the mobile telephone, upon activation and responsive to a fourth one of the spoken commands, performs automatic dialing of a pre-stored telephone number without use of telephone keypad buttons.

10. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the voice recognition system of the mobile telephone, upon activation and responsive to a fifth one of the spoken commands automatically converts and enters spoken entries for a menu system without use of telephone keypad buttons.

11. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the voice recognition system is automatically activated by an incoming telephone call.

12. A mobile telephone having a voice recognition system for using the mobile telephone in a hands free mode, wherein the mobile telephone comprises:

a power button to turn the mobile telephone on and off;

a voice recognition system for recognizing and acting on voice commands; and

an enhanced voice recognition button connected to the voice recognition system for activating the voice recognition system when pressed, the enhanced voice recognition button and the power button being the only buttons of the mobile telephone, the voice recognition system, upon activation and responsive to a first one of the voice commands, operable to store a dictated telephone number into the voice recognition system without use of telephone keypad buttons.

13. The mobile telephone of claim 12, where the enhanced voice recognition button differs in the type of button from the power button.

14. The mobile telephone of claim 13, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button is larger in size than the power button.

15. The mobile telephone of claim 13, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button is a different color than the power button.

16. The mobile telephone of claim 13, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button differs in texture from the power button.

17. The mobile telephone of claim 13, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button is located on a top of the mobile telephone and the power button is located on a side of the mobile telephone.

18. The mobile telephone of claim 13, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button includes brail annotation.

19. The mobile telephone of claim 12, wherein the voice recognition system, upon activation and responsive to a second one of the voice commands, performs telephone functions without use of telephone keypad buttons.

20. The mobile telephone of claim 12, wherein the voice recognition system of the mobile telephone, upon activation and responsive to a third one of the voice commands, performs automatic dialing of a spoken telephone number without use of telephone keypad buttons, the third one of the voice commands comprising the word “

dial”

.

21. The mobile telephone of claim 12, wherein the voice recognition system of the mobile telephone, upon activation and responsive to a fourth one of the voice commands, performs automatic dialing of a pre-stored telephone number without use of telephone keypad buttons, the fourth one of the voice commands comprising the word “

call”

.

22. The mobile telephone of claim 12, wherein the voice recognition system of the mobile telephone, upon activation and responsive to a fifth one of the voice commands, automatically converts and enters spoken entries for a menu system without use of telephone keypad buttons.

23. The mobile telephone of claim 12, wherein the voice recognition system is automatically activated by an incoming call.

24. A telephone having a voice recognition system for using the telephone in a hands free mode, wherein the telephone comprises:

a plurality of buttons, the plurality of buttons excluding telephone keypad buttons;

a voice recognition system for recognizing and acting on spoken commands;

an enhanced voice recognition button as one of the plurality of buttons connected to the voice recognition system for activating the voice recognition system when pressed, the voice recognition system, upon activation and responsive to a first one of the spoken commands, operable to store a dictated telephone number into the voice recognition system without use of telephone keypad buttons; and

a power button, the power button being different from the enhanced voice recognition button, wherein the power button and the enhanced voice recognition button are the only ones of the plurality of buttons.

25. The telephone as in claim 24, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button is larger in size than the power button.

26. The telephone as in claim 24, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button is a different color than the power button.

27. The telephone as in claim 24, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button differs in texture from the power button.

28. The telephone as in claim 24, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button is located on a top of the telephone and the power button is located on a side of the telephone.

29. The telephone of claim 24, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button includes brail annotation.

30. The telephone as in claim 24, wherein the voice recognition system, upon activation and responsive to a second one of the spoken commands, performs telephone functions without use of telephone keypad buttons.

31. The telephone as in claim 24, wherein the voice recognition system, upon activation and responsive to a third one of the spoken commands, performs automatic dialing of a spoken telephone number without use of telephone keypad buttons.

32. The telephone as in claim 24, wherein the voice recognition system, upon activation and responsive to a fourth one of the spoken commands, performs automatic dialing of a pre-stored telephone number without use of telephone keypad buttons.

33. The telephone as in claim 24, wherein the voice recognition system, upon activation and responsive to a fifth one of the spoken commands, automatically converts and enters spoken entries for a menu system without use of telephone keypad buttons.

34. The telephone as in claim 24, wherein the voice recognition system is automatically activated by an incoming telephone call.

35. A telephone having voice recognition for using the telephone in a hands free mode, wherein the telephone comprises:

a power button to turn the telephone on and off;

an enhanced voice recognition button for activating the voice recognition when pressed, the enhanced voice recognition button and the power button being the only buttons of the telephone; and

a voice recognition system for recognizing and acting on voice commands to provide the voice recognition, the voice recognition system connected to the enhanced voice recognition button, the voice recognition system, when the enhanced voice recognition button is pressed and responsive to a first one of the voice commands, operable to store a dictated telephone number into the voice recognition system without use of telephone keypad buttons.

36. The telephone of claim 35, where the enhanced voice recognition button differs in the type of button from the power button.

37. The telephone of claim 36, wherein at the enhanced voice recognition button is larger in size than the power button.

38. The telephone of claim 36, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button is a different color than the power button.

39. The telephone of claim 36, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button differs in texture from the power button.

40. The telephone of claim 36, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button is located on a top of the telephone and the power button is located on a side of the telephone.

41. The telephone of claim 36, wherein the enhanced voice recognition button includes brail annotation.

42. The telephone of claim 36, wherein the voice recognition system, upon activation and responsive to a second one of the voice commands, performs telephone functions without use of telephone keypad buttons.

43. The telephone of claim 36, wherein the voice recognition system, upon activation and responsive to a third one of the voice commands, performs automatic dialing of a spoken telephone number without use of telephone keypad buttons, the third one of the voice commands comprising the word “

dial”

.

44. The telephone of claim 36, wherein the voice recognition system, upon activation and responsive to a fourth one of the voice commands, performs automatic dialing of a pre-stored telephone number without use of telephone keypad buttons, the fourth one of the voice commands comprising the word “

call”

.

45. The telephone of claim 36, wherein the voice recognition system, upon activation and responsive to a fifth one of the voice commands, automatically converts and enters spoken entries for a menu system without use of telephone keypad buttons.

46. The telephone of claim 36, wherein the voice recognition system is automatically activated by an incoming call.