Robust voice browser system and voice activated device controller

• US 7,386,455 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2006
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Parus Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Parus Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhukoff, Valery, Kurganov, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): MCFADDEN, SUSAN IRIS
• Application Number:
  US11/409,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270.1, 704/275, 379/88.01
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/187 Phonemic context, e.g. pronunciation rules, phonotactical constraints or phoneme n-grams
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/193 Formal grammars, e.g. finite state automata, context free grammars or word networks
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for controlling at least one remote system operatively connected to the Internet. The system includes a computer operatively connected to the Internet and a database operatively connected to the computer, the database storing an instruction set used to identify the remote system. In response to a speech command received from a user, the computer is configured to access the remote system to prompt the remote system to execute at least one pre-selected function.

Claims

1. A method for controlling at least one remote system by uttering speech commands into a voice enabled device, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a computer operatively connected to the internet, said computer further being operatively connected to at least one speaker-independent speech recognition engine and to at least one speech synthesis engine;

providing a voice enabled device operatively connected to said computer, said voice enabled device configured to receive speech commands from users;

providing at least one instruction set stored in a database operatively connected to said computer, said instruction set comprising;

at least one internet address, said at least one internet address identifying the location of said at least one remote system, said at least one remote system configured to execute at least one pre-selected function; and

said at least one pre-selected function;

providing a speech command to said speaker-independent speech recognition engine, said speech command corresponding to said instruction set;

said speaker-independent speech recognition engine assigning said speech command to a recognition grammar, said speech command and said recognition grammar corresponding to said instruction set;

transmitting said speech command to said speaker-independent speech recognition engine;

said speaker-independent speech recognition engine receiving said speech command and selecting the corresponding recognition grammar upon receiving said speech command;

said computer retrieving said instruction set corresponding to said recognition grammar selected by said speaker-independent speech recognition engine;

said computer accessing said at least one remote system identified by said instruction set to prompt said at least one remote system to execute said at least one pre-selected function; and

said at least one remote system executing said at least one pre-selected function.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one remote system comprises a home-based system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said system is selected from the group consisting of:

outdoor lighting, indoor lighting, security system, heating system, and air conditioning system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said at least one pre-selected function is selected from the group consisting of:

turning the outdoor lighting on, turning the outdoor lighting off, dimming the outdoor lighting, turning the indoor lighting on, turning the indoor lighting off, dimming the indoor lighting, arming the security system, disarming the security system, turning the heating system on, turning the heating system off, adjusting the heating system temperature, turning the air conditioning on, turning the air conditioning off, and adjusting the air conditioning temperature.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one remote system comprises an office-based system.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said system is selected from the group consisting of:

outdoor lighting, indoor lighting, security system, heating system, and air conditioning system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein at least one pre-selected function is selected from the group consisting of:

turning the outdoor lighting on, turning the outdoor lighting off, dimming the outdoor lighting, turning the indoor lighting on, turning the indoor lighting off, dimming the indoor lighting, arming the security system, disarming the security system, turning the heating system on, turning the heating system off, adjusting the heating system temperature, turning the air conditioning on, turning the air conditioning off, and adjusting the air conditioning temperature.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of periodically polling said at least one remote system to determine whether said remote system is operational or out of service.

9. A system for controlling at least one remote system operatively connected to the internet by uttering speech commands into a phone, said system comprising:

a computer, said computer operatively connected to the internet and to at least one phone;

at least one speaker-independent speech recognition engine, said speaker-independent speech recognition engine operatively connected to said computer;

at least one speech synthesis engine, said speech synthesis engine operatively connected to said computer;

a database, said database operatively connected to said computer;

at least one instruction set stored in said database, said instruction set comprising;

at least one internet address, said at least one internet address identifying the location of said at least one remote system, said at least one remote system configured to execute at least one pre-selected function; and

said at least one pre-selected function;

at least one recognition grammar stored in said database, each said recognition grammar corresponding to each said instruction set and corresponding to a speech command;

said speaker-independent speech recognition engine configured to receive from users via said phone a speech command and to select the corresponding recognition grammar upon receiving said speech command;

said computer configured to retrieve said instruction set corresponding to said recognition grammar selected by said speaker-independent speech recognition device;

said computer further configured to access said at least one remote system identified by said instruction set to prompt said at least one remote system to execute said at least one pre-selected function; and

said at least one remote system configured to execute said at least one pre-selected function.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said phone comprises a standard telephone, a cellular phone, or an IP phone.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said internet is a local area network.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein said internet is a wide area network.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein said internet is the Internet.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein said at least one remote system is selected from the group consisting of:

outdoor lighting, indoor lighting, security system, heating system, and air conditioning system.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said at least one pre-selected function is selected from the group consisting of:

turning the outdoor lighting on, turning the outdoor lighting off, dimming the outdoor lighting, turning the indoor lighting on, turning the indoor lighting off, dimming the indoor lighting, arming the security system, disarming the security system, turning the heating system on, turning the heating system off, adjusting the heating system temperature, turning the air conditioning on, turning the air conditioning off, and adjusting the air conditioning temperature.

16. A method for controlling at least one remote system by uttering speech commands into a voice enabled device, said at least one remote system comprising an outdoor lighting system, an indoor lighting system, a security system, a heating system, or an air conditioning system, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a computer operatively connected to the internet, said computer further being operatively connected to at least one speaker-independent speech recognition engine and to at least one speech synthesis engine;

providing a voice enabled device operatively connected to said computer, said voice enabled device configured to receive speech commands from users;

providing at least one instruction set stored in a database operatively connected to said computer, said instruction set comprising;

at least one internet address, said at least one internet address-identifying the location of said at least one remote system, said at least one remote system configured to execute at least one pre-selected function; and

said at least one pre-selected function, said pre-selected function comprising turning the outdoor lighting on, turning the outdoor lighting off, dimming the outdoor lighting, turning the indoor lighting on, turning the indoor lighting off, dimming the indoor lighting, arming the security system, disarming the security system, turning the heating system on, turning the heating system off adjusting the heating system temperature, turning the air conditioning on, turning the air conditioning off, or adjusting the air conditioning temperature;

providing a speech command to said speaker-independent speech recognition engine, said speech command corresponding to said instruction set;

said speaker-independent speech recognition engine assigning said speech command to a recognition grammar, said speech command and said recognition grammar corresponding to said instruction set;

transmitting said speech command to said speaker-independent speech recognition engine;

said speaker-independent speech recognition engine receiving said speech command and selecting the corresponding recognition grammar upon receiving said speech command;

said computer retrieving said instruction set corresponding to said recognition grammar selected by said speaker-independent speech recognition engine;

said computer accessing said at least one remote system-identified by said instruction set to prompt said at least one remote system to execute said at least one pre-selected function;

said at least one remote system executing said at least one pre-selected function; and

said computer periodically polling said at least one remote system to determine whether said at least one remote system is operational or out of service.