Permitting automated speech command discovery via manual event to command mapping

• US 9,368,107 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2011
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanson, Gary R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirjani, Fariba
• Application Number:
  US13/090,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20120271639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/06 Creation of reference templates; Training of speech recognition systems, e.g. adaptation to the characteristics of the speaker's voice G10L15/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

An input from a manually initiated action within a computing system can be received. The system can be associated with a speech component. The input can be associated with a system function. The function can be an operation within the computing system and can be linked to a function identifier. The identifier can be translated to a command data. The command data can be associated with a command identifier, a command, and an alternative command. The command data can be a speech command registered within the speech component. The command data can be presented within a speech interface responsive to the translating. The speech interface can be associated with the speech component.

Claims

1. A method for discovering speech recognition commands, the method being carried out in a system comprising of a computing system in communication with a discovery server through an application server, the method, at the computing system, comprising:

in response to detecting a manually initiated action, automatically responding with voice command discovery by presenting speech command data configured to facilitate initiation of the action via speech, such that the presentation of the speech command data directs a user to use the speech command data to initiate the action without manual intervention, the automatically responding with voice command discovery including;

receiving at an application an input from the manually initiated action,

wherein the computing system is associated with a speech component,

wherein the input is associated with a computing system function, and

wherein the computing system function is an operation within the computing system and is linked to a function identifier, the function identifier being associated with the manually initiated action in the context of the application;

transmitting a request containing the function identifier through the application server to the discovery server, the discovery server configured with a mapping of function identifiers linked to respective speech command data, wherein the discovery server determines the application based on an application identifier derived from the manually initiated action, and

wherein the discovery server translates the function identifier contained in the request to the speech command data by using the function identifier contained in the request associated with the application to find in the mapping a corresponding function identifier linked to the speech command data;

receiving from the discovery server through the application server the speech command data,

wherein the speech command data is associated with a command identifier and a command, and

wherein the speech command data is a speech command registered within the speech component; and

presenting the received speech command data within a speech interface of the speech component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting comprises enunciating the command associated with the speech command data, wherein the command is at least one of a word and a phrase.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting includes presenting an alternative command within the speech interface, the alternative command associated with the speech command data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, translating, and presenting is performed in real-time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the translating is associated with a customizable ruleset.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the ruleset comprises of a plurality of speech language formats.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing system is associated with a vehicle computing system within a vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the function identifier is at least one of a numeric value and an alphanumeric value.

9. A computer program product for discovering speech recognition commands, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code stored in a tangible non-transitory storage medium, said computer usable program code, when loaded and executed by a processor of a computing system in communication with a discovery server through an application server, causes the computing system to;

detect a manually initiated action in which a user initiates the action manually without using speech recognition to cause initiation of the action;

receive at an application an input from the manually initiated action within the computing system,

wherein the computing system is associated with a speech component,

wherein the input is associated with a computing system function,

wherein the computing system function is an operation within the computing system and is linked to a function identifier, the function identifier being associated with the manually initiated action in the context of the application;

transmit a request containing the function identifier to through the application server to the discovery server, the discovery server configured with a mapping of function identifiers linked to respective speech command data,

wherein the discovery server determines the application based on an application identifier derived from the manually initiated action, and

wherein the discovery server translates the function identifier contained in the request to the speech command data by using the function identifier contained in the request associated with the application to find in the mapping a corresponding function identifier linked to the speech command data;

receive from the discovery server through the application server the speech command data,

wherein the speech command data is associated with a command identifier and a command, and

wherein the speech command data is a speech command registered within the speech component, the speech command data being configured to facilitate initiation of the action via speech; and

present the received speech command data within a speech interface of the speech component, such that the presentation of the speech command data directs the user to use the speech command data to initiate the action without manual intervention.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer usable program code causes the apparatus to enunciate the command associated with the command data, wherein the command is at least one of a word and a phrase.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer program usable code is associated with a vehicle computing system within a vehicle.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer program product is middleware.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the function identifier is at least one of a numeric value and an alphanumeric value.

14. A computing system for discovering speech recognition commands comprising a processor, a memory, and a bus linking the processor and memory, wherein said processor is able execute instructions of at least one computer program product that is stored in a non-transitory storage medium, wherein execution of the instructions causes the computing system to:

automatically respond to a manually initiated action with voice command discovery by presenting speech command data configured to facilitate initiation of the action via speech, such that the presentation of the speech command data directs the user to use the speech command to initiate the action without manual intervention, wherein the computing system in communication with a discovery server through an application server, and wherein the automatically responding with voice command discovery causing the computing system to;

receive at an application an input from a manually initiated action,

wherein the computing system is associated with a speech component,

wherein the input is associated with a computing system function, and

wherein the computing system function is an operation within the computing system and is linked to a function identifier, the function identifier being associated with the manually initiated action in the context of the application;

transmit a request containing the function identifier through the application server to the discovery server, the discovery server configured with a mapping of function identifiers linked to respective speech command data, wherein the discovery server determines the application based on an application identifier derived from the manually initiated action, and

wherein the discovery server translates the function identifier contained in the request to the speech command data by using the function identifier contained in the request associated with the application to find in the mapping a corresponding function identifier linked to the speech command data;

receive from the discovery server through the application server the speech command data,

wherein the command data is associated with a command identifier and a command, and

wherein the speech command data is a speech command registered within the speech component; and

present the received speech command data within a speech interface of the speech component responsive to the translating.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the presenting comprises enunciating the command associated with the command data, wherein the command is at least one of a word and a phrase.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the presenting includes presenting an alternative command within the speech interface, the alternative command associated with the speech command data.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a discovery engine configured to present the command data within the speech user interface responsive to the manually initiated action, wherein the manually initiated action is linked to the system function; and

a data store able to persist a command mapping associated with the speech component, wherein the mapping links the function identifier with the command data.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

an application handler able to register a speech-enabled application and configured to receive the function identifier from the speech-enabled application;

a mapping engine configured to identify the command data linked to the function identifier, wherein the command data triggers the function of the computing system; and

a command component able to convey the command data to at least one of a speech interface associated with the speech component and an application.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the discovery server comprises:

a voice command discovery engine configured to present the speech command data responsive to the manually initiated action detected by the computing system,

wherein the speech command data presented, if enunciated, causes the action to be initiated electronically automatically without manual intervention, and

wherein the voice command discovery engine presents the speech command data in response to receiving the request containing the function identifier; and

a data store able to persist the mapping associated with the speech component,

such that the data store enables the function identifier contained in the request to be used to find in the mapping the function identifier linked with the speech command data.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the discovery server further comprises:

an application handler able to register a speech-enabled application and configured to receive the function identifier from the speech-enabled application;

a mapping engine configured to identify the command data linked to the function identifier, wherein the command data triggers the function of the computing system; and

a command component able to convey the command data to at least one of a the speech interface associated with the speech component and the speech-enabled application.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the voice command discovery engine is configured to verify a ruleset associated with the mapping.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the voice command discovery engine is able to verify grammars associated with an application linked with the computing system.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the voice command discovery engine is configured to generate a pre-compiled mapping during a software development cycle.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the voice command discovery engine is associated with a vehicle computing system within a vehicle.