Method and apparatus for speech input guidance

• US 7,379,876 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2002
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakata, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ng; Eunice
• Application Number:
  US10/078,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,294 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270.1, 704/275, 704/273, 701/36
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue

Abstract

The operation of a device by a user is detected, and one or more speech input executing commands corresponding to the operated device are provided to the user, e.g., by speech or by being displayed on a screen. Speech input guidance may be stopped if it would interfere with an audio or image output of an operated device, or if a count of guidance speech outputs exceeds a predetermined number.

Claims

1. A speech input guidance method for a speech input guidance device comprising:

detecting a device operation by a user;

searching for a speech input executing command corresponding to the device operation from a speech input guidance data accumulating unit;

providing the user with the searched speech input guidance;

detecting a speech input for a device operation;

recording the number of the speech inputs categorized by the device operation; and

stopping the speech input guidance when said number of speech inputs exceeds a predetermined number.

2. A speech input guidance device comprising:

a device operation detecting unit for detecting a device operation by a user;

a speech input guidance data accumulating unit for recording speech input guidance data for guiding the user to a command to be executed by means of speech for device operations categorized by device operation type;

a data searching unit for searching for, and providing speech input guidance data corresponding to, the device operation detected by said device operation detecting unit from said speech input guidance data accumulating unit;

a speech input guidance output unit for providing the user with data searched by said data searching unit;

a speech input guidance controlling unit for providing whether or not speech input guidance is to be conducted, wherein the speech input guidance is stopped when the speech input guidance controlling unit provides an output for stopping the speech input guidance;

a speech input execution detecting unit for detecting a speech input for a device operation; and

a data recording unit for recording the number of the speech inputs categorized by the device operation type based on signals detected by the speech input execution detecting unit into the speech input guidance data accumulating unit,

wherein said speech input guidance controlling unit uses said data searching unit to search for and receive a count of speech inputs corresponding to a device operation, and stops the speech input guidance when said count of speech inputs exceeds a predetermined number.

3. The speech input guidance device according to claim 2 wherein said speech input guidance output unit is provided with at least one of a guidance speech output unit for guiding by speech, and a guidance screen display output unit for showing guidance on a screen.

4. The speech input guidance device according to claim 2 wherein said device operation detecting unit detects at least one of a switch operation, a rotary encoder operation, a touch panel operation, and a cursor operation.

5. A speech input guidance device comprising:

a device operation detecting unit for detecting a device operation by a user;

a speech input guidance data accumulating unit for recording speech input guidance data for guiding the user to a command to be executed by means of speech for device operations categorized by device operation type;

a data searching unit for searching for speech input guidance data corresponding to the device operation detected by said device operation detecting unit from said speech input guidance data accumulating unit;

a speech input guidance output unit for providing the user with data searched by said data searching unit;

a detecting unit for detecting whether an audio or image output of an operated device is occurring;

a speech input guidance controlling unit for providing whether or not speech input guidance is to be conducted, wherein the speech input guidance is not conducted when the speech input guidance controlling unit provides an output for preventing the speech input guidance if the speech input guidance would interfere with the detected audio or image output of an operated device;

a speech input execution detecting unit for detecting a speech input for a device operation; and

a data recording unit for recording the number of the speech inputs categorized by the device operation type based on signals detected by the speech input execution detecting unit,

wherein said speech input guidance controlling unit stops the speech input guidance when said count of speech inputs exceeds a predetermined number.

6. The speech input guidance device according to claim 5 wherein said speech input guidance controlling unit prevents the speech input guidance when the operation of a radio is detected.

7. The speech input guidance device according to claim 5 wherein said speech input guidance controlling unit prevents the speech input guidance when the operation of route guidance by speech of a navigation device is detected.

8. The speech input guidance device according to claim 5 wherein at least one of guidance with a screen and a confirmation sound for indicating that a speech input is available is provided when the speech input guidance is prevented.

9. The speech input guidance device according to claim 5 wherein when route guidance for a navigation device is shown on a guidance display screen, said speech input guidance controlling unit prevents speech input guidance on the same screen.

10. The speech input guidance device according to claim 9 wherein a count of guidance speech outputs and a count of a guidance screen display outputs are recorded separately into said data recording unit, the speech input guidance controlling unit stops guidance entirely when either one of the counts exceeds a predetermined number, stops only the guidance speech output when the count of guidance speech outputs exceeds a predetermined number, or stops only the guidance screen display output when the count of guidance screen display outputs exceeds a predetermined number.

11. The speech input guidance device according to claim 5 further comprising a data recording unit for recording counts of the outputs categorized by the device operation type from said speech input guidance output unit into the speech input guidance data accumulating unit, wherein said speech input guidance controlling unit uses the data searching unit to search for/receive a count of outputs corresponding to a device operation, and stops the speech input guidance when said count of outputs exceeds a predetermined number.

12. A speech input guidance device comprising:

a speech input guidance data accumulating unit for recording speech input executing commands categorized by operation object;

a speech input guidance output request detecting unit for detecting a speech input guidance output request from a user;

a data searching unit for searching for and providing data in said speech input guidance data accumulating unit according to an output from said speech input guidance output request detecting unit;

a speech input guidance output unit for providing speech input executing commands searched by said data searching unit as one of by a display screen and by speech;

a speech input guidance controlling unit for providing whether or not speech input guidance is to be conducted;

a speech input execution detecting unit for detecting a speech input for a device operation; and

a data recording unit for recording the number of the speech inputs categorized by the device operation based on signals detected by the speech input execution detecting unit;

wherein said speech input guidance data accumulating unit records speech input executing commands for indicating an operation object and commands for a speech input for indicating the content of an operation applied to the operation object, and when said speech input guidance output request detecting unit detects that a user enters only one of said speech input executing command for indicating an operation object and said speech input executing command for indicating an operation content, said data searching unit searches for and provides a speech input executing command for indicating an operation object corresponding to an operation content entered by the user when only an operation content is entered by the user without indicating an operation object, and provides a speech input executing command for indicating an operation content corresponding to an operation object entered by the user when only an operation object is entered by the user without indicating an operation; and

wherein said speech input guidance controlling unit stops the speech input guidance when said count of speech inputs exceeds a predetermined number.

13. The speech input guidance device according to claim 12 wherein said speech input guidance data accumulating unit records speech input executing commands for paraphrasing the individual speech input executing commands, and said speech input guidance output unit provides paraphrasing speech input executing commands corresponding to an entered speech input executing command.

14. The speech input guidance device according to claim 12 further comprising:

a speech input executing command indicating means for specifying one of the speech input executing commands provided on the screen from said speech input guidance output unit; and

a device operation means for conducting an operation specified by said speech input executing command indicating means.

15. A speech input guidance device comprising:

a speech input guidance data accumulating unit for recording speech input executing commands categorized by operation object;

a speech input guidance output request detecting unit for detecting a speech input guidance output request from a user;

a data searching unit for searching for and providing data in said speech input guidance data accumulating unit according to an output from said speech input guidance output request detecting unit;

a speech input guidance output unit for providing speech input executing commands searched by said data searching unit as one of by a display screen and by speech;

a speech input guidance controlling unit for providing whether or not speech input guidance is to be conducted;

a speech input execution detecting unit for detecting a speech input for a device operation; and

a data recording unit for recording the number of the speech inputs categorized by the device operation based on signals detected by the speech input execution detecting unit;

wherein said speech input guidance data accumulating unit records counts of outputs from said speech input guidance output unit for the individual speech input executing commands, and if said count for a speech input executing command is more than a predetermined number, the speech input guidance output unit provides a guidance output of that command in a form different from that of the other commands; and

wherein said speech input guidance controlling unit stops the speech input guidance when said count of speech inputs exceeds a predetermined number.