Global speech user interface

• US 8,818,804 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Promptu Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Promptu Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Jordan, Adam, Maddux, Scott Lynn, Plowman, Tim, Williams, Jody, Stanbach, Victoria
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Qi
• Application Number:
  US13/786,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20130211836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 704/231, 704/235, 704/251, 704/270, 704/1
• US Class Current: 704/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/221 Announcement of recognition results
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/06 Transformation of speech into a non-audible representation, e.g. speech visualisation or speech processing for tactile aids G10L15/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 : using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 : for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 : End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game

Abstract

A global speech user interface (GSUI) comprises an input system to receive a user'"'"'s spoken command, a feedback system along with a set of feedback overlays to give the user information on the progress of his spoken requests, a set of visual cues on the television screen to help the user understand what he can say, a help system, and a model for navigation among applications. The interface is extensible to make it easy to add new applications.

Claims

1. A system for establishing a global speech user interface (GSUI), comprising:

a processor configured for performing speech recognition to transcribe spoken commands into commands acceptable by said communications system;

said processor configured for using the transcribed spoken commands to navigate among applications hosted on said communications system; and

said processor configured for displaying a set of visual cues to guide a user in issuing proper spoken commands, said visual cues comprising;

a set of immediate speech feedback overlays, each of which provides non-textual feedback information about a state of said communications system;

a set of help overlays, each of which provides a context-sensitive list of frequently used speech-activated commands for each screen of every speech-activated application;

a set of feedback overlays, each of which provides information about a problem that said communications system is experiencing; and

a main menu overlay that shows a list of services available to the user, each of said services being accessible by spoken command;

wherein said main menu overlay comprises;

a first sub-menu overlay specifically for access to an interactive program guide system;

a second sub-menu overlay specifically for access to a video on demand system which provides access to a library of video content; and

a third sub-menu overlay specifically for access to a walled garden system which provides browser-based Internet service;

wherein each of said sub-menus provides a set of speech-activated virtual buttons.

2. A system for establishing a global speech user interface (GSUI), comprising:

a processor configured for performing speech recognition to transcribe spoken commands into commands acceptable by said communications system;

said processor configured for using the transcribed spoken commands to navigate among applications hosted on said communications system; and

said processor configured for displaying a set of visual cues to guide a user in issuing proper spoken commands, said visual cues comprising;

a set of immediate speech feedback overlays, each of which provides non-textual feedback information about a state of said communications system;

a set of help overlays, each of which provides a context-sensitive list of frequently used speech-activated commands for each screen of every speech-activated application;

a set of feedback overlays, each of which provides information about a problem that said communications system is experiencing; and

a main menu overlay that shows a list of services available to the user, each of said services being accessible by spoken command; and

further comprising a speaker personalization and identification mechanism for training said communications system to identify respective users by voice;

wherein said speaker personalization and identification mechanism is programmed to perform any of presenting different custom interfaces and personalized television content for different respective trained speakers, and accessing blocked content response to one or more utterances from a given speaker.

3. A system for establishing a global speech user interface (GSUI) comprising:

a processor configured for performing speech recognition to transcribe spoken commands into commands acceptable by said communications system;

said processor configured for using the transcribed spoken commands to navigate among applications hosted on said communications system; and

said processor configured for displaying a set of visual cues to guide a user in issuing proper spoken commands, said visual cues comprising;

a set of immediate speech feedback overlays, each of which provides non-textual feedback information about a state of said communications system;

a set of help overlays, each of which provides a context-sensitive list of frequently used speech-activated commands for each screen of every speech-activated application;

a set of feedback overlays, each of which provides information about a problem that said communications system is experiencing; and

a main menu overlay that shows a list of services available to the user, each of said services being accessible by spoken command; and

further comprising said processor configured for allowing the user to navigate television programs by spoken command.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

said processor configured for allowing the user to initiate via spoken command an automatic scan search for television programs pursuant to a search category, wherein each matching program remains on screen for a predetermined period of time before advancing to next matching program.

5. A system for establishing a global speech user interface (GSUI), comprising:

a processor configured for performing speech recognition to transcribe spoken commands into commands acceptable by said communications system;

said processor configured for using the transcribed spoken commands to navigate among applications hosted on said communications system; and

said processor configured for displaying a set of visual cues to guide a user in issuing proper spoken commands, said visual cues comprising;

a set of immediate speech feedback overlays, each of which provides non-textual feedback information about a state of said communications system;

a set of help overlays, each of which provides a context-sensitive list of frequently used speech-activated commands for each screen of every speech-activated application;

a set of feedback overlays, each of which provides information about a problem that said communications system is experiencing; and

a main menu overlay that shows a list of services available to the user, each of said services being accessible by spoken command; and

further comprising said processor configured for allowing the user to search, via spoken command, for particular television programs by specific attributes.

6. A system for establishing a global speech user interface (GSUI), comprising:

a processor configured for performing speech recognition to transcribe spoken commands into commands acceptable by said communications system;

said processor configured for using the transcribed spoken commands to navigate among applications hosted on said communications system; and

said processor configured for displaying a set of visual cues to guide a user in issuing proper spoken commands, said visual cues comprising;

a set of immediate speech feedback overlays, each of which provides non-textual feedback information about a state of said communications system;

a set of help overlays, each of which provides a context-sensitive list of frequently used speech-activated commands for each screen of every speech-activated application;

a set of feedback overlays, each of which provides information about a problem that said communications system is experiencing; and

a main menu overlay that shows a list of services available to the user, each of said services being accessible by spoken command; and

further comprising said processor configured for allowing the user to perform any of;

adding television programs to categories;

editing television programs in categories; and

deleting television programs from categories.

7. A system for establishing a global speech user interface (GSUI), comprising:

a processor configured for performing speech recognition to transcribe spoken commands into commands acceptable by said communications system;

said processor configured for using the transcribed spoken commands to navigate among applications hosted on said communications system; and

said processor configured for displaying a set of visual cues to guide a user in issuing proper spoken commands, said visual cues comprising;

a set of immediate speech feedback overlays, each of which provides non-textual feedback information about a state of said communications system;

a set of help overlays, each of which provides a context-sensitive list of frequently used speech-activated commands for each screen of every speech-activated application;

a set of feedback overlays, each of which provides information about a problem that said communications system is experiencing; and

a main menu overlay that shows a list of services available to the user, each of said services being accessible by spoken command; and

further comprising said processor configured for allowing the user to set parental control, with which children are blocked from accessing controlled television channels or television programs.

8. A system for establishing a global speech user interface (GSUI), comprising:

a processor configured for performing speech recognition to transcribe spoken commands into commands acceptable by said communications system;

said processor configured for using the transcribed spoken commands to navigate among applications hosted on said communications system; and

said processor configured for displaying a set of visual cues to guide a user in issuing proper spoken commands, said visual cues comprising;

a set of immediate speech feedback overlays, each of which provides non-textual feedback information about a state of said communications system;

a set of help overlays, each of which provides a context-sensitive list of frequently used speech-activated commands for each screen of every speech-activated application;

a set of feedback overlays, each of which provides information about a problem that said communications system is experiencing; and

a main menu overlay that shows a list of services available to the user, each of said services being accessible by spoken command; and

further comprising said processor configured for allowing the user to filter groups of television programs by specific attributes.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said interactive program guide comprises any of:

allowing the user to, via spoken command, sort television programs by category;

allowing the user to set parental controls, with which children are blocked from accessing controlled television channels or television programs;

allowing the user to, via spoken command, set reminders for television programs to play in the future;

allowing the user to, via spoken command, search television programs based on a specific criteria;

processing pay per view purchases; and

allowing the user to, via spoken command, access and upgrade premium television services.

10. A system for establishing a global speech user interface (GSUI), comprising:

a processor configured for performing speech recognition to transcribe spoken commands into commands acceptable by said communications system;

said processor configured for using the transcribed spoken commands to navigate among applications hosted on said communications system; and

said processor configured for displaying a set of visual cues to guide a user in issuing proper spoken commands, said visual cues comprising;

a set of immediate speech feedback overlays, each of which provides non-textual feedback information about a state of said communications system;

a set of help overlays, each of which provides a context-sensitive list of frequently used speech-activated commands for each screen of every speech-activated application;

a set of feedback overlays, each of which provides information about a problem that said communications system is experiencing; and

a main menu overlay that shows a list of services available to the user, each of said services being accessible by spoken command; and

further comprising, based upon voice identification, any of;

targeting television advertisement or banner advertisement contained in an application screen to the user;

targeting television programming recommendations to the user;

delivering personalized information to the user; and

automatically configuring the user'"'"'s interface preferences.