Voice assistant system

• US 9,171,543 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2012
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vocollect, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vocollect Healthcare Systems, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Emerick, Charles Thomas, Logan, James R., Bates, Richard Anthony, Wahl, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Godbold, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US13/367,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20120136667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 704/231, 704/258, 704/270, 704/275
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to assist a user in the performance of a plurality of tasks are provided. The invention includes storing at least one care plan for a resident, the care plan defining a plurality of tasks to be performed for providing care to the resident. Capturing speech inputs from the user, and providing speech outputs to the user to provide a speech dialog with the user reflective of the care plan. Information is captured with a contactless communication interface and is used for engaging the care plan.

Claims

1. A method of caring for a resident using at least one mobile device comprising:

maintaining stored individualized care plans for a plurality of residents in a voice transaction manager accessed on a network, a care plan defining a plurality of tasks to be performed by a user for providing care to the resident;

capturing speech input from the user through the mobile device;

providing speech output to a user through the mobile device;

using the speech input and speech output and providing a speech dialog with the user through the mobile device, the speech dialog being reflective of a care plan for a resident;

capturing non-spoken information from an item with a contactless communication interface;

using the non-spoken captured information for associating the item with a resident and to initiate the speech dialog such that the speech dialog is related to the captured information;

controlling a peripheral apparatus across a distributed computing system on the network with the mobile device by using the non-spoken captured information apart from the voice transaction manager.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising supplementing the speech dialog with a user to include a speech output reflective of the captured information for returning the item to the resident.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing non-spoken information from an item with a contactless communication interface comprises a silent implementation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing non-spoken information from an item with a contactless communication interface comprises a reader mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing non-spoken information from an item with a contactless communication interface occurs while the contactless communication interface is proximate to the patient.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising interacting with the speech dialog by using the captured information to trigger at least one of a reminder, message, or alert.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein upon a resident requesting care from a user, the method further comprising engaging the care plan by using the captured information to indicate that a user provided the requested care to a resident.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identification information associated with a resident is used for accessing a care plan, and the method further comprising capturing the identification information with the contactless communication interface and engaging the care plan using the identification information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein engaging the care plan includes documenting information associated with care provided with respect to the care plan, the method further comprising using the captured information to provide information for documenting.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing facility configuration information via the voice transaction manager.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a microphone for capturing speech inputs from a user;

a speaker for providing speech outputs to a user;

a processor;

a memory; and

program code resident in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor to assist a user with providing care to a resident by accessing a voice transaction manager storing at least one care plan in the memory for a resident, the care plan defining a plurality of tasks to be performed by a user to provide care to the resident, the program code further configured to use the speech inputs and speech outputs to provide a speech dialog with a user that is reflective of a care plan for the resident;

a contactless communication interface coupled with the processor for capturing non-spoken information from an item;

the program code further configured to use the non-spoken captured information for associating the item with a resident and to initiate the speech dialog such that the speech dialog is related to the captured information; and

controlling a peripheral apparatus with an external interface on the apparatus by using the non-spoken captured information apart from the voice transaction manager.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the program code is configured for supplementing the speech dialog with a user to include a speech output reflective of the captured non-spoken information for returning the item to the resident.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein capturing non-spoken information comprises operating the contactless communication interface via a silent implementation.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein capturing non-spoken information comprises operating the contactless communication interface in reader mode.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein capturing non-spoken information comprises triggering the contactless communication interface upon the interface being proximate to the patient.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the care plan has at least one of a reminder, a message, or an alert associated with the care plan, the apparatus interacting with the speech dialog by using the captured information to trigger at least one of the reminder, message, or alert.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein upon a resident requesting care from a user, the apparatus engaging the care plan by using the captured information to indicate that a user provided the requested care to a resident.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein identification information associated with a resident is used for accessing a care plan, the apparatus capturing the identification information with the contactless communication interface and engaging the care plan using the identification information.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein engaging the care plan includes documenting information associated with care provided with respect to the care plan, the apparatus using the captured information to provide information for documenting.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the voice transaction manager accesses facility configuration information.