Mobile terminal and menu control method thereof

• US 8,560,324 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Shin, Jong-Ho, Kwak, Jae-Do, Youn, Jong-Keun
• Primary Examiner(s): Desir, Pierre-Louis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sirjani, Fariba
• Application Number:
  US13/362,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20120130712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 704/231, 704270-275
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00

Abstract

A mobile terminal including an input unit configured to receive an input to activate a voice recognition function on the mobile terminal, a memory configured to store information related to operations performed on the mobile terminal, and a controller configured to activate the voice recognition function upon receiving the input to activate the voice recognition function, to determine a meaning of an input voice instruction based on at least one prior operation performed on the mobile terminal and a language included in the voice instruction, and to provide operations related to the determined meaning of the input voice instruction based on the at least one prior operation performed on the mobile terminal and the language included in the voice instruction and based on a probability that the determined meaning of the input voice instruction matches the information related to the operations of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a display;

an input unit;

a memory including a database of information associated with functions or menus of the mobile terminal; and

a controller configured to;

initiate a voice recognition function in response to a touch input to a soft button displayed on the display or to a hard button on the mobile terminal, wherein the voice recognition function is maintained for a predetermined amount of time since the touch input to the soft button or to the hard button if there is no voice input detected by the mobile terminal during the predetermined amount of time, and wherein an audio information indicating an activation of the voice recognition function is provided;

convert a voice instruction input into text in response to detection of the voice instruction input;

display information to inform execution of a menu or function associated with the voice instruction input if a recognition rate of the voice instruction input to be related to the menu or function is higher than a threshold value, wherein the recognition rate of the voice instruction input with respect to the menu or function is improved via learning from the detection of the voice instruction input and the execution of the menu or function; and

execute the menu or function if the menu or function is only one among the functions or menus with the recognition rate of the voice instruction input to be related to the menu or function higher than the threshold value and display a plurality of menus or functions if a recognition rate of the voice instruction input to be related to each of the plurality of menus or functions is greater than the threshold value,

wherein one of the plurality of menus or functions is executed in response to selection of said one of the plurality of menus or functions.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the voice instruction input is in natural language.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the information comprises menu information related to the menu or function.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the information comprises data information output associated with the execution of the menu or function.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the activation of the voice recognition function is alternatively performed in response to a receipt of a radio signal from a wireless device.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the wireless device comprises a Bluetooth device.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the activation of the voice recognition function is alternatively performed in response to a receipt of a hand signal or a gesture of a user.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the memory is further configured to store the voice instruction input and the text.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the learning is further based on performance of at least one previous operation of the mobile terminal associated with the menu or function.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the database is continuously updated based on the learning.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the database comprises:

a first database configured to store voice or pronunciation information that is used by the controller to recognize the voice instruction input;

a second database configured to store a word, a keyword or sentence information that is used by the controller to recognize the voice instruction input;

a third database configured to store data related to the functions or menus; and

a fourth database configured to store help information to be output to inform that the controller is attempting to determine a meaning of the voice instruction input.

12. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

initiating a voice recognition function in response to a touch input to a soft button displayed on a display of the mobile terminal or to a hard button on the mobile terminal, wherein the voice recognition function is maintained for a predetermined amount of time since the touch input to the soft button or to the hard button if there is no voice input detected by the mobile terminal during the predetermined amount of time, and wherein an audio information indicating an activation of the voice recognition function is provided;

converting a voice instruction input into text in response to detection of the voice instruction input;

displaying information on the display to inform execution of a menu or function of the mobile terminal associated with the voice instruction input if a recognition rate of the voice instruction input to be related to the menu or function is higher than a threshold value, wherein the recognition rate of the voice instruction input with respect to the menu or function is improved via learning from the detection of the voice instruction input and the execution of the menu or function; and

executing the menu or function if the menu or function is only one among the functions or menus with the recognition rate of the voice instruction input to be related to the menu or function higher than the threshold value and displaying a plurality of menus or functions on the display if a recognition rate of the voice instruction input to be related to each of the plurality of menus or functions is greater than the threshold value,

wherein one of the plurality of menus or functions is executed in response to selection of said one of the plurality of menus or functions.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said one of the plurality of menus or functions is discriminately displayed from a remainder of the plurality of menus or functions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said one of the plurality of menus or functions is displayed by differentially controlling at least one of a size, a display position, a color, a contrast, or highlight information of said one of the plurality of menus or functions.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the voice instruction input is in natural language.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the information comprises menu information related to the menu or function.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the information comprises data information output associated with the execution of the menu or function.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the activation of the voice recognition function is alternatively performed in response to a receipt of a radio signal from a wireless device.