Data processing: speech signal processing – linguistics – language – Speech signal processing – Application
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-20
2001-07-03
Knepper, David D. (Department: 2748)
Data processing: speech signal processing, linguistics, language
Speech signal processing
Application
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256611
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method for controlling a telecommunication service as defined in the preamble of claim
1
and to a terminal defined in the preamble of claim
6
.
From the prior art one knows that a telecommunication service can be controlled using number pad keys and DTMF tones. This is inconvenient, especially with a mobile phone, as first one has to listen to the prompt holding the mobile phone against one's ear, then the mobile phone has to be lowered down for the push-buttons to be pressed and then the apparatus has to be raised back to the ear. This has to be repeated until all the desired actions have been performed.
Prior-art speech recognisers used in terminals recognise the phone number or name of the called party. A telephone number is dialled on the basis of the recognition and a call is established. Before this, the user teaches the terminal the individual numbers and names both in speech and dialling the corresponding numbers. A stored phone number in the terminal corresponds to the name of the called party.
A problem with the prior-art devices is that the speech recogniser can only be used for the recognition of individual numbers or the name of the called party and not for any other purposes.
The use of speech recognition (SR) in telecommunication systems is known such that in an exchange or in a service associated with the exchange, voice commands are recognised. Such services, however, are rare and most of the services require that the user dials numbers during the call.
A problem with the prior-art speech recognisers is that they are rare, so that most of the current services have to be used by means of a keypad. Another problem is unreliable speech recognition due to differences in the voices of users.
An object of the invention is to provide a new method for controlling telecommunication services and thereby eliminate the disadvantages mentioned above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The method according to the invention is characterised by what is expressed in claim 1. The terminal according to the invention is characterised by what is expressed in claim 6. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the sub-claims.
The invention relates to a method for controlling a telecommunication service. In accordance with the invention the method comprises the steps of: storing a command vocabulary by speech as well as the electric control signals corresponding to the command words in a terminal, dialling a phone number and connecting a call, receiving speech from a user in the terminal, recognising a command word in the user's speech, reading a control signal corresponding to that command word in the terminal, and sending the control signal read from the terminal to the system in order to control the telecommunication service.
In an application of the invention the command vocabulary and the corresponding control signals are stored in the following steps: the terminal is set into the command vocabulary input state, a command word is uttered, a control signal is fed to the terminal, and the command word and the corresponding control signal are stored.
In an application of the invention the control signal comprises a dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) code sequence. User of an ordinary mobile phone presses push-buttons to make voice mail selections, for example.
In an application of the invention the command vocabulary is at least partly telecommunication service specific. Telecommunication service specific means here that the command word can have different control signal when using different telecommunication service. This can be accomplished at least by many different command vocabularies that comprise a same word linked to different control signals.
In an application of the invention a telecommunication service is identified on the basis of the phone number dialled on the terminal. The telecommunication service is identified to choose from possibly many to the command word linked control signals a control signal that is specific to the identified telecommunication service.
The invention also relates to a terminal. In accordance with the invention, the terminal comprises means for receiving speech from the user and transmitting a control signal corresponding to a recognised command word, means for transmission and reception for establishing a connection with a telecommunication service, transmitting the control signal corresponding to the recognised command word and receiving prompts from the telecommunication service, means for listening to the prompts of the telecommunication service, and means for inputting information such as control signals and phone numbers, speech recogniser means for recognising a spoken command word, a control unit for controlling the terminal and a display for presenting results.
In an embodiment of the invention the speech recogniser is realised using a digital signal processor and memory circuits.
In an embodiment of the invention the means for receiving speech from said user is a separate hands-free microphone. The terminal has for this operating mode a separate microphone and loudspeaker for remotely operating the apparatus.
In an embodiment of the invention the terminal is a mobile communications device.
An advantage of the invention is that it is not necessary to separately recall and speak or enter individual number selections of a command sequence which may be hard to remember, but a series of several number selections can be activated by uttering a single word corresponding to the command sequence.
Another advantage of the invention is the reliability of speech recognition after the user has taught the speech recogniser in his or her own voice the command words used to activate the control signals. Then the audio reference stored in the command vocabulary and the user's voice match as accurately as possible.
A further advantage of the invention is that the use of the keypad during a call can be avoided. This is preferable in a mobile phone as the use of the keypad during a call is particularly difficult with a mobile phone.
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Knepper David D.
Nokia Mobile Phones Limited
Perman & Green LLP
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