Speech recognition capability for a personal digital assistant

• US 7,392,193 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2001
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microlife Medical Home Solutions Inc.
• Original Assignee: Microlife Corporation
• Inventors: Mault, James R
• Primary Examiner(s): Chawan; Vijay B
• Application Number:
  US10/311,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20030163321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,563 Days
• Field of Search: 704/231, 704/270, 704/275, 600/300, 705/26
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0295 adapted for recording user messages or annotations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0462 Apparatus with built-in sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0833 Measuring rate of oxygen consumption
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/339 Displays specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4872 Body fat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 : Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 : Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6896 : Toys
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 : Instruments for auscultation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 : relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation

Abstract

A speech recognition module for a personal digital assistant comprises: a module housing designed to engage with an accessory feature of the PDA, such as an accessory slot; a microphone for receiving speech commands from the person; and a speech recognition system. A corresponding electrical speech command signal is communicated to the portable computing device, allowing control of the operation of a software application program running on the portable computing device. In particular, menu items can be selected for generation of a diet log for the person, for example during a weight control program.

Claims

1. A diet logging module for a portable computing device comprising:

a module housing configured to engage with an accessory interface of the portable computing device;

a memory storing a database of nutritional data relating to each of a plurality of food item identifiers, each food item identifier comprising an alphanumeric character;

a display, adapted to display at least one menu of a set of hierarchical menus of objects related to consumption of a food item of the plurality of food items, each object of the menu of objects identified by a corresponding object identifier, each object identifier comprising an alphanumeric character;

a speech receiving device, adapted to receive a speech command from a user, the speech command comprising an alphanumeric command corresponding to an object identifier or a food item identifier;

a speech recognition system, adapted to receive the speech command from the speech receiving device, and to display a subsequent menu of the set of hierarchical menus in response to the speech command;

a location determination component, adapted to determine a location of the portable device in operation by the user; and

a display process to display one or more food items determined by a food item identifier received by the speech recognition system, and further determined by the location of the portable device as determined by the location determination component.

2. The diet logging module of claim 1, wherein the location determination component is selected from the group consisting of a global positioning system, a cell phone triangulation system, and a wireless network based location system, and further comprising a correlation module that uses a food retail database to provide one or more lists of food items from one or more food retail establishments to the display process based on the location of the user.

3. The diet logging module of claim 2, wherein the display process displays a list of menu items to the user from the one or more lists of food items based on the location of the portable device, and further comprising a time determination means, and wherein the display process displays at least certain food items from the one or more lists of food items based on the time of operation by the user.

4. The diet logging module of claim 3, wherein the software application program is adapted to select a selected food item identifier from the nutritional database in response to a speech command received for a food selection menu of the hierarchical set of menus, the food selection menu including a plurality of different food items corresponding to parameters specified in previously displayed menus of the hierarchical set of menus.

5. The diet logging module of claim 4, wherein the software application program is further adapted to store the selected food item identifier and associated nutritional data in the memory so as to create a diet log generated by the diet log process.

6. A portable computing system comprising:

a display;

a microprocessor;

a memory;

a database of nutritional data relating to each of a plurality of food item identifiers, each food item identifier comprising an alphanumeric character corresponding to a unique food item;

a speech recognition system providing an electrical speech command signal correlated with a spoken input;

a location determination component, adapted to determine a location of the portable device in operation by a user; and

a software application program, executed by the microprocessor, adapted to display a set of hierarchical selection menus, each menu of the set of hierarchical selection menus comprising an alphanumeric object identifier corresponding to a selection object, each selection object causing display of a subsequent menu of the set of hierarchical menus until a food menu is displayed, the food menu comprising selections obtained from a food retail establishment based on the location of the portable device, and wherein the food menu displays food item identifiers allowing a user to select a food item by uttering a speech command consisting of the alphanumeric food identifier corresponding to a selected food item, the software application program further configured to store nutritional data relating to the selected food item identifier in the memory so as to create a diet log of selected food items.

7. The portable computing device of claim 6, wherein the location determination component is selected from the group consisting of a global positioning system, a cell phone triangulation system, and a wireless network based location system.

8. The portable computing device of claim 6, wherein the set of hierarchical selection menus is selected from the group consisting of:

meal type, food type, and portion size.

9. An accessory module for a portable computing device, the portable computing device comprising a microprocessor, a display, and an accessory port, the accessory module comprising:

an electrical interface, adapted to communicate with the accessory port;

a memory;

a location determination component, adapted to determine a location of the portable device in operation by a user;

a nutritional database, stored in the memory, correlating each of a plurality of food item identifiers with an associated food item nutritional content, each food item identifier of the plurality of food item identifiers comprising an alphanumeric character corresponding to a unique food item; and

a software application program, stored in the memory, and executable by the microprocessor and adapted to display a set of hierarchical selection menus, each menu of the set of hierarchical selection menus comprising an alphanumeric object identifier corresponding to a selection object, each selection object causing display of a subsequent menu of the set of hierarchical menus until a food menu is displayed, the food menu comprising selections based on the location of the portable device; and

wherein the food menu displays food item identifiers allowing a user to select a food item by uttering a speech command consisting of the alphanumeric food identifier corresponding to a selected food item, the software application program further configured, and further adapted to store the food item selection and correlated nutritional content within a diet log for the person.

10. The accessory module of claim 9, wherein the location determination component is selected from the group consisting of a global positioning system, a cell phone triangulation system, and a wireless network based location system.

11. The accessory module of claim 10, wherein software application program displays a list of menu items to the user based on the location of the portable device, and further comprising a time determination means, and wherein the display process to displays the one or more further corresponding to the time of operation by the user.

12. The accessory module of claim 9, wherein the speech command signal is provided by one of a speech recognition system resident on the accessory module, and a speech recognition system resident on the portable computing device.

13. A method of creating a diet log for a person, comprising:

presenting a series of hierarchical food selection menus to the person, each food selection menu comprising an alphanumeric identifier corresponding to a selection related to a food item selectable by the person;

receiving a type selection speech command from the person, the speech command comprising a spoken alphanumeric character for a menu item selected by the user;

determining a location of the person;

determining a time of presenting the series of hierarchical food selection menus to the person;

displaying a subsequent food selection menu in response to the speech command, the subsequent food selection menu providing additional data relating to the selectable food item, wherein the selectable food item depends of the location of the person, and the determined time;

presenting a menu of food item identifiers to the person in a final food selection menu of the series of hierarchical food selection menus;

receiving a food selection speech command from the person, the food selection speech command comprising a spoken alphanumeric character for a selected food item; and

storing the selected food item identifier and associated nutritional data within a memory device, so as to create a diet log for the person.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising obtaining one or more lists of food items from one or more food retail establishments based on the location of the person, and wherein the selectable food item is selected from the one or more lists of food items.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the menus are presented to the person on the display of a portable computing device carried by the person.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the portable computing device comprises a wrist-mounted device worn by the person.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the correlation of speech commands with selected identifiers is performed by a software application program running on the portable computing device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the correlation of speech commands with selected identifiers is performed by a software application program running on a remote computer system in communication with the portable computing device.