Apparatus for controlling a home theater system by speech commands

Abstract

A “reduced button count” remote control device controls a set of external electronic devices that, collectively, comprise an entertainment system such as a home theater. The remote control device is operable in conjunction with a processor-based subsystem that is programmable to respond to a spoken command phrase for selectively altering an operational state of one or more of the external electronic devices to cause the entertainment system to enter a given activity. The remote control device includes a set of buttons supported within a housing, the set of buttons consisting essentially of a push-to-talk button, a first subset of buttons dedicated to providing up and down volume and channel control, a second subset of buttons dedicated to providing motion control, and a third subset buttons dedicated to providing menu selection control. Preferably, each of the buttons has a fixed, given function irrespective of the particular command phrases or the given system activities. After the push-to-talk button is selected to engage the processor-based subsystem to recognize a spoken command phrase to cause the entertainment system to enter the activity mode, the first subset of buttons is used to provide any required up and down volume and channel control, the second subset of buttons is used to provide any required motion control, and the third subset of buttons is used to provide any required menu selection control.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.