Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Radiotelephone equipment detail
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-08
2002-09-10
Kincaid, Lester G. (Department: 2685)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Radiotelephone equipment detail
C455S567000, C379S088030, C379S088040
Reexamination Certificate
active
06449496
ABSTRACT:
The present application addresses a method and apparatus for a Voice Recognition User Interface For Telephone Handsets. Other applications filed simultaneously herewith and detailing related inventions include “Communication Protocol Between A Communication Device And An External Accessory”, Qualcomm Inc. Ser. No. 09/248,514.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communications and telecommunication devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel and improved voice recognition user interface and related method for use with a portable phone and related hands free phone accessory.
II. Description of the Related Art
User interfaces continue to represent a field of ongoing advancement. Technological innovations allow consumer operated devices such as cellular phones to have a large number of functions accessible to the user through myriad menu options. Cellular phones typically incorporate LCD displays to show user prompts and menu options. Cellular phones also incorporate softkeys whose function changes depending on the active menu. The softkey function is typically indicated on the LCD display. Cellular phones commonly combine numerous features including the ability to store a user defined phonebook of commonly called numbers, single button last number redial capability, previously called number memory, and caller phone number identification. Furthermore, small handheld cellular phones typically can be combined with accessories like hands free car kit adapters that allow users to operate the phone in their car without the need to hold it in their hand.
The ability to operate the phone without having to hold on to it comes with some disadvantages. A user is still required to look at the phone display for prompts and is required to dial numbers and search through the phone's directory with manual keystrokes. This can present an obstacle for a user that is driving and simultaneously attempting to navigate the various menus available on the phone. The present invention solves these problems by incorporating into the telephone handset or hands free kit (HFK) a voice recognition user interface that allows complete hands free dialing. Additionally, the method of the present invention provides additional functions that utilize voice recognition. The voice recognition user interface is used in conjunction with the standard phone user interface to greatly minimize the number of manual keystrokes required of the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a novel and improved method and apparatus implementing a voice recognition enhanced phone user interface. A method is disclosed for allowing users complete dialing function accessibility through voice recognition. This allows a user to have a true hands free phone interface.
The voice recognition user interface may be implemented in software code running on a microprocessor or as a hardwired device. Voice Recognizer (VR) may be described as a process or method for effecting an interface between a user and a phone having voice recognition capabilities. The details of the voice recognition process per se are not the subject of this application and are not discussed. This application deals only with the interface between a user and a phone that has been provided with voice recognition capabilities.
In a preferred embodiment, a method is disclosed whereby a user can enter voice recognition mode from a standby phone mode by either saying an activation term, such as “wake-up”, twice or by pressing a handset key. In the preferred embodiment detailed below, the method first checks to see if initial voice training has previously been performed. If voice training has previously been performed, the preferred method continues to the top level menu. However, if voice training has not been performed, the method initiates a training menu.
The preferred method includes two vocabulary sets that require training, the Basic Set and the Digit Set. The Basic Set includes user command terms whereas the Digit Set includes words associated with keypad and dialing functions. In the preferred method, the user is prompted by the phone to say successive words in the vocabulary set that is being trained. The user is prompted to repeat the word and then if Voice Recognizer decides both utterances of the word match, it saves that word. The training method continues until all words in the current vocabulary set have been trained.
In the top level menu, the preferred method allows the user voice command access to four functions and, by saying “Sleep”, the ability to exit Voice Recognizer (VR). At the top level menu, the method allows the user to initiate the commands “Redial”, “Call”, “Voicebook”, or to say a name previously saved in the Voice Recognizer phonebook. Each of the possible voice commands at the top level menu, “Redial”, “Call”, “Voicebook”, or a name will, in the preferred method, initiate the corresponding function.
The Redial Function in the preferred method enables the user, through voice commands, to originate a call to the last number dialed.
The Call Function enables the user to originate phone calls using voice commands by saying a name within the Voice Recognizer phonebook or by entering a Number Function that allows a phone number to be entered and originated through voice commands. In the Call Function, the method first checks to see that Digit Set training has been completed. The method then checks to see if there are any entries in the Voice Recognizer (VR) phonebook. If Digit Set training has not been completed and the VR phonebook is empty, the method instructs the VR to inform the user of that status and to return to the top level menu within the VR mode. As long as the VR phonebook is not empty, VR will prompt the user for a name. If the user speaks a name, VR commences the Name Function. If Digit Set training has been completed the user can additionally access the Number Function by saying, “Number”. The Number Function is not accessible in the preferred method if Digit Set training has not been completed. Conversely, the Number Function is the only function available if Digit Set training has been completed and the VR phonebook is empty.
In the Number Function, the method prompts the user to say digits in a phone number or to request “Call” or “Verify”. The user is allowed to enter a phone number, one digit at a time, up to 32 digits in length. The method allows the user to erase incorrectly entered digits one at a time by saying, “Clear”. The clear command causes the last entered digit to be deleted. The preferred method also allows the user to verify the entered phone number by saying, “Verify”. If the user commands “Verify”, VR will read back the entered digits and then follow with a prompt to enter more digits. This allows a user to verify digits entered prior to completing entry of an entire phone number. The “Verify” command can similarly be used to verify an entered phone number prior to originating a call. After digits have initially been entered, the user can originate a phone call by saying, “Call”.
The Name Function incorporated by the method allows the user to recall phone numbers in the VR phonebook by saying the name associated with the phone number. In the top level menu or in the Call Function when a user says a name VR checks to see if multiple names in the VR phonebook match that name. If multiple names in the VR phonebook match the user name request, VR compiles a list of names that match then asks the user if the best match was the one requested. If the user does not agree, VR continues by asking if the next best match was the one requested. VR continues this loop until the user agrees with a match or VR exhausts the list of matching entries. If VR exhausts the list of matching entries, VR cancels the Name Function and returns to the top level menu. If the user agrees with one of the matches, VR continues as if this were the only name that matched. If only one name matches, VR requests affirmation of the name to call. If the user affi
Beith Scott D.
Bi Ning
Chang Chienchung
Chinnaswami Karthick
DeJaco Andrew P.
Brown Charles D
Craver Charles R
Kincaid Lester G.
Pappas George C.
Qualcomm Incorporated
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